| MISSION DATA: | |||
| DATE | 384th BG Mission # | 8th AF Mission # | 384th PRIMARY TARGET |
| 1944‑07‑20 | 162 | 484 | Target: Aircraft Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Dessau, Germany |
| Airfield Attacked: The 384th Bombardment Group (H) provided all three groups of the 41st C Combat Bombardment Wing on today's mission. Weather in the target area was partly cloudy, and, although the lead aircraft was equipped for radar bombing (PFF), the air commander determined that the primary target would not be attacked. Instead, he led the wing to attack a fighter airfield by visual means. Bombing results were mixed; some low group B-17s dropped their loads early when their group lead jettisoned his load due to flak damage to his #1 engine. | |||
| SORTIE DATA: | ||
| COMBAT CREDIT | STATUS | TARGET ATTACKED (MODE) |
| Yes |
Failed To Return Comments: High Group. At 1115 hrs aircraft dropped back and released bombs, apparently unable to keep up with formation; it was under attack by four ME109s and two FW190s; four chutes seen; the aircraft went down in a glide, apparently under control; crashed near Zetteritz, Germany. MACR 727. |
Secondary (Visual) Target: Fighter Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nordhausen, Germany |
| SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA: | ||||
| TYPE | SERIAL NUMBER | SQUADRON | SQ CODE | NAME |
| B-17G | 42‑37974 ⇗ | 544th | SU*M | SECTION 8 |
| SORTIE CREW DATA: | |||
| POSITION | CREWMEMBER | UNIT | STATUS |
| Pilot | Grant, Walter Edward⇗ | 547 | POW |
| Co-pilot | Grabon, Daniel Stanley⇗ | 547 | KIA |
| Navigator | Wells, Benjamin Franklin⇗ | 547 | POW/Wounded |
| Togglier | Zipfel, Herbert Walter⇗ | 547 | POW |
| Radio Operator | Sexton, William Hiram⇗ | 547 | POW/Wounded |
| Engineer/Top Turret | Farrow, Thomas Chapell⇗ | 547 | POW |
| Ball Turret | Fulwider, Albert Clayton, Jr⇗ | 547 | POW |
| Tail Gunner | Karcher, Norbert Raymond⇗ | 547 | KIA |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Jablonski, Raymond Joseph⇗ | 547 | POW |
| SORTIE-RELATED DOCUMENTS: | |
| TYPE | IDENTIFICATION |
| MACR | Missing Air Crew Report # 7278⇗ |