| 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) |
| No |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off. Comments: Became separated from formation in dense clouds after group assembly; failed to make wing rendezvous. |
N/A |
| SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA: | ||||
| TYPE | SERIAL NUMBER | SQUADRON | SQ CODE | NAME |
| B-17F | 42‑29703 ⇗ | 544th | SU*E | KATHY JANE |
| SORTIE CREW DATA: | |||
| POSITION | CREWMEMBER | UNIT | STATUS |
| Pilot | Heffley, Farris Ormond⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Co-pilot | Mabe, Walter Breeden⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Navigator | Carini, Louis Peter⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Bombardier | Betolatti, John (NMI)⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Radio Operator | Shade, William James⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Engineer/Top Turret | Deutsch, Samuel (NMI)⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Ball Turret | Metz, Charles John⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Tail Gunner | Allen, George William⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Alfter, Glen Edward⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Gatzman, Ralph Lee⇗ | 545 | Aborted |