Mission # 169

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date	1 August 1944
Eighth Air Force Operations	Show Operations > Mission 508: 1,291 bombers and 432 fighters are dispatched to attack airfields, bridges and tactical targets in France; 5 bombers and 4 fighters are lost: >> Air Task Force 1. 193 of 195 B-17s drop 2,281 containers of supplies to French Resistance forces (Operation Buick) at four locations in SE France, i.e., Chalon-Sur- Saone, the Savoie area, Haute-Savoie and W of Geneva; 5 B-17s are damaged; 3 P-51 groups furnish escort. >> Air Task Force 2. 76 of 100 B-17s bomb Tours Airfield; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged; 6 airmen are WIA and 10 MIA. Escort is flown by 51 of 53 P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost and 2 damaged beyond repair. >> Air Task Force 3. 400 of 416 B-17s attack 5 airfields and a railway bridge in the area S and SW of Paris; 112 hit Orleans/Bricy Airfield, 108 hit Chateaudun Airfield, 59 hit Melun Airfield, 58 hit Chartres Airfield, 36 hit Chartres Bridge, 15 hit targets of opportunity, and 12 hit Etampes/Mondesir Airfield; 3 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 32 damaged; 9 airmen are KIA and 27 MIA. Escort is provided by 138 P-38s and P-51s; 3 P-51s are damaged and 1 pilot is KIA. >> Air Task Force 4. 284 of 389 B-24s is dispatched to bomb targets in the Paris environs; bad weather causes 100+ aborts; 66 hit Rouen, 47 hit Melun Airfield, 44 hit Nogent Bridge, 33 hit targets of opportunity, 29 hit Orleans/Bricy Airfield, 24 hit Montereau Birdge, 12 hit Nanteuil Bridge, 12 hit Villeroche Airfield, 11 hit Coulommiers Bridge, and 6 hit Chartres Airfield; 1 B-24 is lost, 3 are damaged beyond repair and 85 damaged; 20 airmen are MIA. Escort is provided by 127 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 3-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 2 P-47s are lost, 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair and 3 P-47s are damaged. >> Air Task Force 5. 191 B-24s, sent against 8 V-weapon sites in NW France, runs afoul of bad weather which causes multiple aborts; 61 of the planes manage to bomb 3 sites; 5 B-24s are damaged; escort is provided by 81 of 84 P-47s. > Mission 509: 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets on France and Belgium during the night. In Aug, HQ 95th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) moves from Halesworth to Ketteringham, England. Source: Jack McKillop, Rutgers University, used with permission. Hide Operations
384^th Bomb Group Mission	384th BG Mission Number 169, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 508 Tactical Support Mission Next Mission Previous Mission The 384th Bombardment Group (H) provided all three groups of the 41st A Combat Bombardment Wing, the third of 11 wings of Air Task Force #3 on today's mission. The target was an important link in the enemy supply line into the invasion area. The weather cooperated with sufficient visibility to bomb visually, although an air traffic conflict forced the high group to pull out and make a 360° turn before starting their bomb run.
Primary Target	Target: Railroad Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Chartres, France
Target Attacked (Mode)	Primary (Visual)
Sortie/Aircraft Summary	Completed Mission, not including spares - 36 Crashed - 1 Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed - 2 Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused - 2 Scrubbed - 1
Mission Personnel	Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗
Mission Documents	Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗
Other Mission Documents	1944-08-01, High Group Lead, G. Sammons, W. Combs⇗

42 AIRCRAFT ASSIGNED TO THIS MISSION
Table is sorted by Pilot, and may be sorted by any column: click the column head.
Aircraft	Pilot	Results	Mission/Sortie Information
42‑31222⇗	Majeske, Charles Paul⇗	Completed Mission	High Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑32106⇗	Wood, Rodney J⇗	Completed Mission	Lead Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37788⇗	[N/A]	Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused
42‑37822⇗	Maxey, Jesse Edward⇗	Completed Mission	Lead Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37982⇗	Durdin, Larkin Clayton⇗	Completed Mission	High Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38208⇗	Hicks, Ralph Benjamin⇗	Completed Mission	Low Group, High Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97072⇗	Harris, Robert (NMI)⇗	Crashed In Allied Territory	High Group Flying Spare. Took off at 1150 hrs; while in air at low altitude, a fire and/or explosion occurred causing the aircraft to crash at 1155 hrs, one mile due west of Deenethorpe, AAF Station 128. Following the crash, bomb explosions destroyed the aircraft; there were no survivors. An investigation did not pinpoint the cause of the incident. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97142⇗	Pranger, Nicholas Vincent⇗	Completed Mission	Low Group, Low Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97204⇗	Rainey, Harry Wesley⇗	Completed Mission	Lead Group, High Squadron. Dropped bombs early. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97251⇗	Tracy, Edward Hanks⇗	Completed Mission	Low Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97282⇗	Patella, Joseph David⇗	Completed Mission	High Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97320⇗	Dodson, Lee White⇗	Completed Mission	High Group. Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 44‑6141. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97941⇗	Bennett, Dewayne (NMI)⇗	Completed Mission	Wing Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97948⇗	Goodrick, Gene Robert⇗	Completed Mission	Low Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97960⇗	[N/A]	Lead Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused
42‑102430⇗	Johnstone, William Andrew⇗	Completed Mission	Lead Group Hot Camera Ship. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102459⇗	Allred, Frank Lavon⇗	Completed Mission	High Group, Low Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102500⇗	Vinnedge, Roy Alan⇗	Completed Mission	Low Group, Low Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102501⇗	Clements, Ben Hill⇗	Completed Mission	Low Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102518⇗	Farra, Robert Leslie⇗	Completed Mission	Lead Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102601⇗	Davis, L K (IO)⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed	Low Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102620⇗	Henderson, William Vincent⇗	Completed Mission	Low Group Hot Camera Ship. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102661⇗	Strong, Bert Franklin⇗	Completed Mission	High Group Deputy, Hot Camera Ship. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102933⇗	Peck, Harland Kenneth⇗	Completed Mission	Low Group Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102959⇗	Maggart, Richard Lee⇗	Completed Mission	High Group, Low Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107057⇗	Bennett, John R⇗	Completed Mission	Low Group, High Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107058⇗	LeDonne, Edward George⇗	Completed Mission	Low Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107083⇗	Hassing, Eugene Theron⇗	Completed Mission	Low Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107121⇗	Myrick, Kenneth Delay⇗	Completed Mission	Low Group Deputy, Hot Camera Ship. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37703⇗	Hughes, Robert Davis⇗	Completed Mission	High Group Hot Camera Ship. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37717⇗	Herzog, John Henry⇗	Completed Mission	Lead Group, Low Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37822⇗	Combs, William Felix⇗	Completed Mission	High Group Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37843⇗	Mock, John Montague⇗	Completed Mission	High Group, High Squadron Deputy. Dropped bombs early. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37917⇗	Kass, Robert Hiler⇗	Completed Mission	Lead Group, Low Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37971⇗	Hulcher, Donald Lawrence ⇗	Completed Mission	Lead Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37990⇗	Parker, George Frederick⇗	Completed Mission	High Group, High Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38016⇗	Norton, Paul E⇗	Completed Mission	High Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6105⇗	Skehan, Joseph Lynne⇗	Completed Mission	Lead Group, High Squadron Deputy. Dropped bombs early. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6135⇗	Minor, Henry W⇗	Completed Mission	Wing Deputy, Hot Camera Ship. Dropped bombs early. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6141⇗	[N/A]	Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off	Replaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑97320. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6149⇗	Hunt, John Hardy⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed	Lead Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑8011⇗	Dudock, Edward Peter⇗	Completed Mission	Lead Group, High Squadron Lead. Dropped bombs early. SORTIE REPORT ⇗