| MISSION DATA: | |||
| DATE | 384th BG Mission # | 8th AF Mission # | 384th PRIMARY TARGET |
| 1944‑01‑07 | 51 | 178 | Target: Powerhouse Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany |
| Few Aircraft Join Formation: The 384th Bombardment Group (H) was planned to fly as the high group of the 94th Combat Wing on today's mission. After group assembly, clouds encountered on the climb to the wing rendezvous point separated the squadrons. The high squadron (plus two aircraft from the low squadron, and one from the lead squadron which later aborted) tacked on to several wings in succession, trying to find their assigned wing, finally joining a wing that included groups of the 1st and 94th Combat Wings. From that point on, the mission proceeded as planned, and bombs were dropped on the wing leader. | |||
| SORTIE DATA: | ||
| COMBAT CREDIT | STATUS | TARGET ATTACKED (MODE) |
| Yes |
Completed Mission Comments: High Squadron #4; assumed Squadron lead after assigned Squadron lead aircraft failed to take off; then led remaining group aircraft on the mission after weather broke up the group formation, causing most (including assigned group lead) to turn back. |
Primary (PFF) |
| SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA: | ||||
| TYPE | SERIAL NUMBER | SQUADRON | SQ CODE | NAME |
| B-17G | 42‑37924 ⇗ | 547th | SO*T | not known |
| SORTIE CREW DATA: | |||
| POSITION | CREWMEMBER | UNIT | STATUS |
| Pilot | Stearns, Clarence Grover⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Co-pilot | Widener, Seth Grenell, Jr⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Navigator | McCafferty, John Andrew⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Togglier | Dudla, John Richard⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Radio Operator | Soto, Roman Serrano⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Engineer/Top Turret | Barkhurst, David Luther⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Ball Turret | Fulwider, Albert Clayton, Jr⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Tail Gunner | Martell, Warren Harding⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Robison, John Timothy⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Corrigan, Theodore Bernard⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |