Mission # 32

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date 14 October 1943
384th Mission
Mission Number 32
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8th Air Force Mission Mission Number 115
Mission Comments "Second Schweinfurt" aka "Black Thursday"
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 - 5
Failed To Return - 6
Aborted - 5
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused - 2
Crashed - 3
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 AAbortedTurned back. Landed away at Ridgewell.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑3037⇗Price, William MerrimanCrashed in Allied TerritoryCrew bailed out over near Deenethorpe on return; the aircraft crash-landed near Corby, UK.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑3216⇗Kopf, William EFailed 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 LeeAbortedHigh Squadron lead. Landed away at Alconbury.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑5444⇗[N/A]Lead Ground Spare
Aircraft, Unused		 
42‑5852⇗Goulder, Edmund SamuelCrashed in Allied TerritoryCrew bailed out over England; aircraft crashed near Chetwode, UK on return.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29651⇗Jacobs, Randolph George EdwardCompleted MissionTurned back early after #2 supercharger ran away off the coast of Belgium. Bombes were jettisoned in the Channel and they landed away at Great Ashfield. Individual Sortie Reports and Completion of Tour documents indicate that combat credit was granted. David H. Davis received the DFC for Extraordinary Achievement.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29703⇗Robinson, Robert LawrenceCompleted MissionLanded away at Molesworth.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29717⇗Carpenter, Walter RichardAborted SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29768⇗Willing, Mark SkinnerAbortedTurned back. Landed away at Ridgewell.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29784⇗Johnson, Erwin CrawfordCrashed 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 RussellFailed to ReturnKnocked down by enemy aircraft; crashed near Soissons, France; MACR 840.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29809⇗Bedsole, Joseph LinyerCompleted MissionLanded away at Molesworth.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29867⇗Williams, Walter GordonFailed to ReturnKnocked down by enemy aircraft; crashed near Metz, France; MACR 838.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑29870⇗Kauffman, Giles FelkerFailed to ReturnCrashed near Bad Brückenau, Germany; MACR 1038.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑30026⇗Algar, Philip MorrisCompleted MissionGroup lead. Only plane to return to Grafton Underwood.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑30033⇗Armstrong, Lloyd RolandAbortedTurned back. Landed away at Metfield.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑30196⇗Keller, Lawrence LarryFailed to ReturnKnocked down by enemy aircraft; crashed near Würzburg, Germany; MACR 839.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31059⇗Ogilvie, Donald PotterFailed to ReturnKnocked down by enemy aircraft; crashed near Soissons, France; MACR 842.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗