| MISSION DATA: | |||
| DATE | 384th BG Mission # | 8th AF Mission # | 384th PRIMARY TARGET |
| 1943‑07‑29 | 12 | 79 | Target: Naval Base Type: Military Location: Kiel, Germany |
| Weather Stymies Bombers: Solid clouds at German coast prevented formations from continuing mission. Captain Ketelson led Group in an attack on a target of opportunity (TOO), an airfield on a German coastal island, near Heligoland. Due to the shortness of the bomb run, the Bombardier reported all bombs fell into the North Sea. About fifty enemy fighters and moderate flak were encountered after turning back. Wing formation was described as 'straggling', leaving formations vulnerable to attack. | |||
| SORTIE DATA: | ||
| COMBAT CREDIT | STATUS | TARGET ATTACKED (MODE) |
| Yes |
Completed Mission Comments: High Squadron lead, wing deputy. |
TOO (Visual) Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: [unidentified island], Germany |
| SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA: | ||||
| TYPE | SERIAL NUMBER | SQUADRON | SQ CODE | NAME |
| B-17F | 42‑30046 ⇗ | 546th | BK*H | MERRIE HELL |
| SORTIE CREW DATA: | |||
| POSITION | CREWMEMBER | UNIT | STATUS |
| Pilot | Wilson, Clayton Russell⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Co-pilot | Brown, Dewey Carlyle, Jr⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Navigator | Bloesch, Fred Ernest, Jr⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Bombardier | Stevens, Herman Daniel⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Radio Operator | Des Rochers, John Mowbray⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Engineer/Top Turret | Long, Vern Porter⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Ball Turret | Penick, Eugene Walker⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Tail Gunner | Hook, Jack Franklin⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Kendall, George Joseph⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Klein, Ellis Hall⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |