SORTIE REPORT #1839
MISSION DATA:
DATE 384th BG Mission # 8th AF Mission # 384th PRIMARY TARGET
1944‑02‑22 65 230 Target: Aircraft Factory
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany
Big Week, Day Three: The 384th Bombardment Group (H) provided two group formations for today's missions. One formed the high group of the 41st A Combat Bombardment Wing (41A Group), and the other formed the high group of the 41st B Combat Bombardment Wing (41B Group).The 41A Group lost its formation when forced to fly into clouds during assembly: the entire group aborted, and all bombs were returned to base rather than being dropped at Halberstadt. The 41B Group attacked their primary target at Aschersleben, but while bombs appeared to strike in the target area, heavy smoke from prior groups made assessment difficult.
SORTIE DATA:
COMBAT CREDIT STATUS TARGET ATTACKED (MODE)
Yes Failed To Return
Comments: 41B Group. Shot down in vigorous attacks by 10-15 Me-109s or a heavy flak barrage between 1230 and 1300 hrs near Münster, Germany; crashed near Wesel, Germany. MACR 2466
Primary (Visual)
SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA:
TYPE SERIAL NUMBER SQUADRON SQ CODE NAME
B-17F 42‑3087 547th SO*A CLEAN CUT
SORTIE CREW DATA:
POSITION CREWMEMBER UNIT STATUS
Pilot Kew, William Joseph 547 KIA
Co-pilot Nicklett, Charles Edwin 547 POW
Navigator O'Hara, Irvan Guy 547 POW/Wounded
Bombardier Dow, Carleton Frederick 547 POW
Radio Operator Miles, Harold Ruoff 547 POW/Wounded
Engineer/Top Turret Ross, James William 547 KIA
Ball Turret Baird, Ralph Edwin, Jr 547 POW
Tail Gunner Hopkins, James Russell 547 POW
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Whipple, Charles Thomas 547 POW
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Lunceford, John William 547 POW
SORTIE-RELATED DOCUMENTS:
TYPE IDENTIFICATION
MACRMissing Air Crew Report # 2466
Sortie Report 1839 provided by 384thBombGroup.com
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