SORTIE REPORT #5586
MISSION DATA:
DATE 384th BG Mission # 8th AF Mission # 384th PRIMARY TARGET
1944‑08‑09 176 533 Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Erding, Germany
More Bad Weather: The 384th Bombardment Group (H) provided all three groups of the 41st B Combat Bombardment Wing - except for three aircraft from the 303rd BG, which formed the high element of the high group - on today's mission. Although the division abandoned operations at the Dutch Coast due to bad weather, the 41st B carried on until after they had passed Aachen, at which point the weather had become impenetrable. The wing leader ordered the wing to attack the briefed target of last resort, which the lead and high groups accomplished. However, the low group's bombsight gyro 'tumbled' just before bombs away, so they went on to bomb a target of opportunity (TOO), a bridge over the River Nahe at Nohfelden, Germany.
SORTIE DATA:
COMBAT CREDIT STATUS TARGET ATTACKED (MODE)
No Aborted Mission After Taking Off.
Comments: Lead group. Turned back due to a crewman's serious illness; replaced crewman and took off, but could not catch up with formation.
Last Resort Target (Visual)
Target: Shoe Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Pirmasens, Germany
SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA:
TYPE SERIAL NUMBER SQUADRON SQ CODE NAME GROUND CREW CHIEF
B-17G 42‑102500 546th BK*L not known Flynn, Roland (NMI)
SORTIE CREW DATA:
POSITION CREWMEMBER UNIT STATUS
Pilot Pranger, Nicholas Vincent 546 Aborted
Co-pilot Vaden, Kenneth Underwood 546 Aborted
Navigator Brooks, James Joseph 546 Aborted
Togglier Hosmer, Richard Clyde 546 Aborted
Radio Operator Bailey, Robert Rex 546 Aborted
Engineer/Top Turret Brooker, Cameron Hutchison 546 Aborted
Ball Turret Browne, Erle Royden 546 Aborted
Tail Gunner Builta, William B 546 Aborted
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Sunshine, Morris Hyman 546 Aborted
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Miller, Orus Denvil 546 Aborted
Sortie Report 5586 provided by 384thBombGroup.com
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