384th 2025 REUNION
INFORMATION PAGE⇗

Mission # 203

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date 2 October 1944
Eighth Air Force Operations Operations description not yet available.
Mission
384th BG Mission Number 203, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 658
Cologne Bombed
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Previous Mission
The 384th Bombardment Group (H) formed the 41st CBW A Group for today's mission. Weather and equipment failures forced a decision to drop bombs on the center of the city.
Primary Target Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Target Attacked (Mode) Secondary (PFF)
Target: City
Type: Non-Military
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Sortie/Aircraft Summary Completed Mission, not including spares - 35
Flying Spare, Completed Mission - 2
Returned To Base - 1
Aborted - 4
Mission Personnel Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗
Mission Documents Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗
Other Mission Documents 1944-10-02, Deputy Wing Lead, H. Neville, J. McNamara⇗

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
42‑38013⇗Owens, Robert Clare⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38208⇗Keller, Marion Wayne⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑39888⇗Springsted, Donald George⇗Completed MissionDropped bombs early, reason unknown.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97251⇗Tracy, Edward Hanks⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97263⇗Mock, John Montague⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97282⇗Norton, Paul E⇗Completed MissionDropped bombs early, reason unknown.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97309⇗Farra, Robert Leslie⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97320⇗Carlson, Walter Elmer⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back with a runaway prop on #2 engine.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97510⇗Orr, James Wallace⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron flying spare; returned as briefed.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97592⇗Neville, Harry Walter⇗Completed MissionWing deputy. PFF ship. Led wing after Major Bean aborted. Turned over lead to high Squadron at IP for Gee-H bombing. After the Gee-H equipment failed on the second run, resumed lead and dropped using PFF aiming.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97824⇗Durdin, Larkin Clayton⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron lead. Gee-H ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97941⇗Minor, Henry W⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron lead. Assumed lead at IP for a Gee-H bombing run. The Gee-H equipment malfunctioned, so bombing was by PFF on the wing lead.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97948⇗Bahten, John Irwin⇗Returned To BaseLead Gee-H Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑107125. Unable to catch formation; returned to base without completing mission.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑98000⇗Gilbert, Stanley Milton⇗Completed MissionDropped bombs early, reason unknown.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102430⇗Fahr, John (NMI)⇗Spare, Completed MissionHigh Squadron flying spare. Filled in.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102449⇗[Non-384th Pilot]Completed MissionGee-H ship. Loaned to the 379th BG for today's mission. Manned by 379th personnel, except as noted on the Sortie Report.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102500⇗Mohler, John Grigsby⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102501⇗Clements, Ben Hill⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102518⇗Peters, Lloyd Arman⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102620⇗Chmura, Edward (NMI)⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102661⇗Hughes, Robert Davis⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron deputy. Hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102933⇗Causa, Raymond (NMI)⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107121⇗Brookshire, James D⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107125⇗Bahten, John Irwin⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Wing Lead: Major Bean, with Bahten as pilot. Gee-H ship. Aborted due to #3 engine failure. The crew then moved to spare lead aircraft 42‑97948; after taking off in that aircraft, was unable to catch up to formation.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37717⇗Mandelbaum, Norman W (IO)⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37843⇗Brown, Bert Oliver⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37917⇗Wismer, Richard Glen⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37971⇗Johnstone, William Andrew⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38016⇗[Non-384th Pilot]Completed MissionGee-H ship. Loaned to the 303rd BG for today's mission. Manned by 303rd personnel, except as noted on the Sortie Report.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38262⇗Cornair, Russell John⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38501⇗Ellis, Harold Richard⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38542⇗Skehan, Joseph Lynne⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38548⇗Salley, Thomas Raysor⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38579⇗Gross, Kenneth Eugene⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38615⇗Rice, Robert Eugene⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38616⇗Mead, Frank Willard⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6105⇗Gabel, Raymond John⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back due to personnel failure; radio operator became ill.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6109⇗McDaniel, Clifford Franklin⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6135⇗Levine, Max (NMI)⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6149⇗Majeske, Charles Paul⇗Spare, Completed MissionLead Squadron flying spare; filled in.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6294⇗Kass, Robert Hiler⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron deputy. Hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6476⇗Groff, Richard Hubert⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back after entering enemy airspace with a runaway prop on #4 engine.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗