2025 REUNION
 PRELIMINARY INFORMATION
ON HOME PAGE

Mission # 72

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date 6 March 1944
Eighth Air Force Operations Operations description not yet available.
Mission
384th BG Mission Number 72, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 250
Berlin Attacked - Finally!
Next Mission
Previous Mission
The 384th Bombardment Group (H) was assigned to provide a full group formation to fly as the high group of the 40th Composite Combat Wing, and a squadron to fly as the high squadron of the composite high group of the 41st Composite Combat Wing. Due to difficulties in assembly, only the squadron formation completed the mission: the remaining aircraft and crews returned to Grafton Underwood without attacking. The squadron assigned to the 41st CCBW completed the mission, attacking an industrial target in the Berlin area.
Primary Target Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany
Target Attacked (Mode) Secondary (PFF)
Target: Unidentified Factory
Location: Perlin, Germany
Sortie/Aircraft Summary Completed Mission, not including spares - 5
Scrubbed - 1
Aborted - 19
Mission Personnel Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗
Mission Documents Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗

25 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
42‑3440⇗Pryor, Raymond Thomas⇗Scrubbed: Did Not Take OffDid not take off because of gas leak.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31166⇗Laboda, Joseph Stanley⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31211⇗Horton, Lloyd (NMI)⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Landed almost immediately after takeoff because an exhaust stack on #1 cylinder of #2 engine had broken. Crew list not available in Group records (as of 8/2013).
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31235⇗Allison, Earl Thomas⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron lead, high composite group, 41st Composite Combat Wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31364⇗Morrison, Donald Sylvester⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31375⇗Courtemanche, Ralph Eudor⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31433⇗Stearns, Clarence Grover⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.High group lead, 40th composite Combat Bomb Wing. After assembling with the wing presumed to be the correct one, the group leader received a call from the correct wing leader that he was ten miles to the left of his assigned wing. The group leader left his position and attempted to catch the assigned wing at Cromer. When the group arrived at that point there were no B-17 formations in sight, at which time he decided to abandon the mission.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31435⇗West, George Berry⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31495⇗Foster, James Everett⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron deputy, high composite group, 41st Composite Combat Wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31740⇗Rich, John (NMI)⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31926⇗Lovell, James MacNaughton⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37758⇗Ledbetter, Edwin Dwight⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37781⇗Reed, Merlin Howard⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.High Squadron deputy, high group, 40th Composite Combat Bomb Wing. Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37785⇗Knapp, Paul Bernard⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back at 1117 hrs because #3 supercharger ran away and could not be controlled.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37788⇗Smith, Roger Clement⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37789⇗Fioretti, Edward Anthony⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37792⇗Heffley, Farris Ormond⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing. This aircraft had blown the tire on the left main landing gear during takeoff. The crew jettisoned its bomb load in the English Channel and remained in the air near the base until fuel was nearly exhausted, then landed without further damage.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37801⇗Urton, Raymond Lee⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.High group deputy, 40th Composite Combat Wing. Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37848⇗Bishop, Charles W⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37982⇗Clayton, John Earl⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38014⇗Wilson, William Monroe⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.High Squadron lead, high group, 40th Composite Combat Bomb Wing. Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38112⇗Thompson, Siguard (NMI)⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Low Squadron lead, high group, 40th Composite Combat Bomb Wing. Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38158⇗Smith, Harry Bailey⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97449⇗Bennett, Phillip Nathan⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97477⇗Langlois, Robert Ezra⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗