SORTIE REPORT #5600
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)
Yes Completed Mission
Comments: Lead group hot camera ship.
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 42‑97251 546th BK*O SNUFFY Kahn, Arthur William
SORTIE CREW DATA:
POSITION CREWMEMBER UNIT STATUS
Pilot Tracy, Edward Hanks 546 Completed, Uninjured
Co-pilot Hancock, Harry Carleton 546 Completed, Uninjured
Navigator Flowers, James Richard 546 Completed, Uninjured
Bombardier Vlaun, Richard Joseph 546 Completed, Uninjured
Radio Operator Hopkins, Robert Lee 546 Completed, Uninjured
Engineer/Top Turret Veal, Connally Hammond 546 Completed, Uninjured
Ball Turret Powell, Fredrick Howard 546 Completed, Uninjured
Tail Gunner Balacek, Richard William 546 Completed, Uninjured
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Surowiec, Joseph (NMI) 546 Completed, Uninjured
Sortie Report 5600 provided by 384thBombGroup.com
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