| MISSION DATA: | |||
| DATE | 384th BG Mission # | 8th AF Mission # | 384th PRIMARY TARGET |
| 1944‑05‑28 | 117 | 376 | Target: Junkers Aircraft Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Dessau, Germany |
| Equipment and Smokescreen Problems: For the first mission of the day - identified as 'Regular Mission' in Group records - the 384th Bombardment Group (H) formed the High Group of the 41st Combat Bombardment Wing, the fourth of five wings comprising Air Task Force 1. Equipment problems on the bomb run on the primary target prevented the lead aircraft from releasing its bombs (the signal for the rest of the group to drop its bombs). After turning the lead over to the group deputy, the secondary target was found to be effectively obscured by a smoke screen, so the formation dropped their bombs on a target of opportunity (TOO), a factory complex about 10 miles east of Leipzig, Germany. | |||
| SORTIE DATA: | ||
| COMBAT CREDIT | STATUS | TARGET ATTACKED (MODE) |
| Yes | Completed Mission |
TOO (Visual) Target: Factory Complex Type: Industry Location: Leipzig, Germany |
| SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA: | |||||
| TYPE | SERIAL NUMBER | SQUADRON | SQ CODE | NAME | GROUND CREW CHIEF |
| B-17G | 42‑102501 ⇗ | 546th | BK*H | THE CHALLENGER | Watterson, Arnold (NMI) |
| SORTIE CREW DATA: | |||
| POSITION | CREWMEMBER | UNIT | STATUS |
| Pilot | Rucker, David Leroy⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Co-pilot | Lippert, John Joseph⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Navigator | Wehrman, James Butler⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Togglier | Turner, William Eugene⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Radio Operator | Marchini, Orland Victor⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Engineer/Top Turret | Brazeal, Garnett Harold⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Ball Turret | Bugaj, Steve (NMI), Jr⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Tail Gunner | Leonard, Clifford (NMI)⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Clark, Dale Arthur⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |