384th 2025 REUNION
INFORMATION PAGE⇗

Mission # 32

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date 14 October 1943
VIII Bomber Command Operations Operations description not yet available.
Mission
384th BG Mission Number 32, VIII BC Mission Number 115
"Second Schweinfurt" aka "Black Thursday"
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Previous Mission
The 384th Bombardment Group (H) put up three squadrons on today's mission. However, six aircraft aborted, reducing the number that bombed the primary target. A further six aircraft were knocked out by enemy action. An all-too-familiar situation faced the returning crews - bad weather over East Anglia. Three Aircraft were lost when the crews, unable to locate a suitable place to land in England, bailed out and abandoned them, while most of the remainder landed at other airfields.
Primary Target Target: Ball-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany
Target Attacked (Mode) Primary (Visual)
Sortie/Aircraft Summary Completed Mission, not including spares - 4
Returned Early - 1
Crashed - 3
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused - 2
Aborted - 5
Failed To Return - 6
Mission Personnel Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗
Mission Documents Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗

21 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
41‑24525⇗Carter, T L (IO)⇗Completed MissionLanded away at Little Staughton.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
41‑24560⇗Hurley, Joseph Anthony⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back. Landed away at Ridgewell.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑3037⇗Price, William Merriman⇗Crashed In Allied TerritoryCrew bailed out near Deenethorpe on return; the aircraft crash-landed near Corby, UK.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑3216⇗Kopf, William Everett⇗Failed To ReturnDamaged by enemy aircraft; exploded and crashed near Dilsen, Belgium; MACR 841.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑3218⇗[N/A]Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑3429⇗Sprague, Alfred Lee⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.High Squadron lead. Landed away at Alconbury.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑5444⇗[N/A]Lead Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑5852⇗Goulder, Edmund Samuel⇗Crashed In Allied TerritoryCrew bailed out over England; aircraft crashed near Chetwode, UK on return.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29651⇗Jacobs, Randolph George Edward⇗Returned EarlyTurned back early after #2 supercharger ran away off the coast of Belgium. Bombs were jettisoned in the Channel and they landed away at Great Ashfield.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29703⇗Robinson, Robert Lawrence⇗Completed MissionLanded away at Molesworth.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29717⇗Carpenter, Walter Richard⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29768⇗Willing, Mark Skinner⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back. Landed away at Ridgewell.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29784⇗Johnson, Erwin Crawford⇗Crashed In Allied TerritoryCrew bailed out over England; their battle-damaged aircraft crash-landed near Baydon, Wiltshire. Erwin C. Johnson and Elliott L. Gadd were injured as a result of bailing out. Johnson did not fly again. Gadd remained off flight status until 5 December 1943.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29800⇗Harry, William Russell⇗Failed To ReturnKnocked down by enemy aircraft; crashed near Simmershofen, Germany; MACR 840.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29809⇗Bedsole, Joseph Linyer⇗Completed MissionLanded away at Molesworth.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29867⇗Williams, Walter Gordon⇗Failed To ReturnKnocked down by enemy aircraft; crashed near Metz, France; MACR 838.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29870⇗Kauffman, Giles Felker⇗Failed To ReturnCrashed near Bad Brückenau, Germany; MACR 1038.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑30026⇗Algar, Philip Morris⇗Completed MissionGroup lead. Only plane to return to Grafton Underwood.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑30033⇗Armstrong, Lloyd Rowland⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back. Landed away at Metfield.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑30196⇗Keller, Lawrence Larry⇗Failed To ReturnKnocked down by enemy aircraft; crashed at Bischbrunn, Germany, 21 miles WNW of Würzburg, Germany; MACR 839.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31059⇗Ogilvie, Donald Potter⇗Failed To ReturnKnocked down by enemy aircraft; crashed near Soissons, France; MACR 842.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗