Koch, Robert Bruce

Individual Personnel Data
Name Koch, Robert Bruce
⇗
Rank Second Lieutenant / Captain
Serial Number O-813017
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF station 106 Special Orders #104 dated 4 June 1944, effective 6 June 1944.
Duty Pilot
MOS1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date 22 January 1945
Results Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 8 October 1921
  • Promoted to First Lieutenant (AUS) effective 8 July 1944 (Special Orders #182, HQ, 8th Air Force) per 547th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 11 July 1944.
  • Granted a seven day sick leave of absence effective 21 August 1944 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #167 dated 20 August 1944.
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Koch, Robert BrucePilotCT
2nd Lt. Cornair, Russell John⇗Co-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Loomis, Donald Orlando⇗NavigatorCT
2nd Lt. GiGuere, Henry Paul⇗BombardierKIA
S/SGT. Vicknair, Normand Joseph⇗Radio Operator / GunnerTBD
S/SGT. McCoy, Jesse Granville⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerKIA
SGT. Jaworski, Frank (NMI)⇗Ball Turret GunnerCT
SGT. Dippold, Robert John⇗Tail GunnerCT
SGT. Gardiner, John W⇗Flexible GunnerCT
SGT. Kugler, James Hart⇗Flexible GunnerCT
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 29 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
137⇗ 16 June 1944 Target: Athies Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Laon, France 		Pilot 44‑6128⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
138⇗ 18 June 1944 Target: Ölwerke Julius Humbles
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Hamburg, Germany 		Pilot 44‑6149⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41A Group.
Sortie Report⇗
139⇗ 19 June 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Fleury & Crépy, France 		Pilot 44‑6149⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41B Group.
Sortie Report⇗
140⇗ 19 June 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Fleury & Crépy, France 		Pilot 44‑6128⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41A Group.
Sortie Report⇗
141⇗ 20 June 1944 Target: Oil Refineries
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Harburg (Hamburg area), Germany 		Pilot 42‑97204⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Group.
Sortie Report⇗
142⇗ 21 June 1944 Target: Friedrichstrasse Industrial Area
Type: Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97204⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Group.
Sortie Report⇗
144⇗ 22 June 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Lille (Fives district), France 		Pilot 42‑97150⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron deputy, low group.
Sortie Report⇗
145⇗ 24 June 1944 Target: German Vacuum Oil Company
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Oslebshausen (Bremen area), Germany 		Pilot 42‑38013⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
146⇗ 25 June 1944 Target: Railroad Bridge & Embankment
Type: Transportation
Location: Sens, France 		Pilot 42‑97142⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
149⇗ 30 June 1944 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Montdidier, France 		Pilot 44‑6080⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead, high group.
Sortie Report⇗
151⇗ 6 July 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Coubronne, France 		Pilot 42‑97960⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
154⇗ 8 July 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Renescure, France 		Pilot 42‑97960⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Wing lead.
Sortie Report⇗
156⇗ 12 July 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Munich / München, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97960⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
161⇗ 19 July 1944 Target: Hydrogen Peroxide Plant
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Höllriegelskreuth District, Pullach, Germany 		Pilot 42‑3441⇗ Assembly ship; additional crew members (CP, N, Eng, RO) not identified in mission documents. In this first use of aircraft 42-3441, in the 'SPOTTED COW' paint scheme, as an assembly aircraft, Col. Travis provided several suggestions for improvement. Chief among those was the observation that the paint scheme did not stand out in the faint early morning light. He also noted that the lightly-loaded assembly ship should limit maneuvering to the capability of the fully-loaded bombers.
Sortie Report⇗
162⇗ 20 July 1944 Target: Aircraft Plants
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Dessau, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97960⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Group Lead. This was the first mission of Booska's second tour.
Sortie Report⇗
163⇗ 21 July 1944 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Schwäbisch Hall, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97960⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
164⇗ 24 July 1944 Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points
Type: Military
Location: La Chapelle en Juger & Hébécrevon, France 		Pilot 43‑37870⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
174⇗ 7 August 1944 Target: Aircraft Fuel Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Dugny (Paris), France 		Pilot 42‑97960⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
177⇗ 11 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Coastal Artillery Emplacements
Type: Military
Location: Brest, France 		Pilot 42‑97557⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Wing lead. PFF ship provided by the 303rd BG, Molesworth, AAF Station 107.
Sortie Report⇗
189⇗ 8 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97592⇗ Combat Mission Credit
PFF ship. Wing deputy. Returned with #3 feathered.
Sortie Report⇗
193⇗ 12 September 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Brüx, Czechoslovakia 		Pilot 42‑102449⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group lead, 41st CBW A wing
Sortie Report⇗
195⇗ 17 September 1944 Target: Tank and Gun Concentrations, Tactical
Type: Military
Location: Eindhoven & 's‑Hertogenbosch (den Bosch), The Netherlands 		Pilot 42‑107125⇗ Combat Mission Credit
A Squadron Deputy. Hot Camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
199⇗ 26 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Osnabrück, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97592⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead group deputy. PFF ship.
Sortie Report⇗
209⇗ 11 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany 		Pilot 42‑98027⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead PFF Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑97592. First Squadron lead.
Sortie Report⇗
214⇗ 19 October 1944 Target: Heinrich Lanz Tank Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Mannheim, Germany 		Pilot 44‑8007⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead. PFF ship. Turned over lead to deputy at IP to attack using Gee-H.
Sortie Report⇗
220⇗ 5 November 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Co-pilot 44‑8008⇗ Combat Mission Credit
PFF ship; group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
226⇗ 16 November 1944 Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions
Type: Military
Location: Eschweiler, Germany 		Pilot 43‑38616⇗ Weather aircraft; remainder of crew (CP, N, RO, Eng) not identified
Sortie Report⇗
228⇗ 23 November 1944 Target: Nordstern Coking Plant at Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-A.G.
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Pilot 44‑8211⇗ Combat Mission Credit
A group lead; PFF & Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗
246⇗ 30 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Limburg, Germany 		Pilot 42‑98027⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead. PFF and Gee-H ship. Made the decision not to attack the primary target and led the Group to the PFF secondary. When the lead and high Squadrons were unable to complete the attack on the first run, led them on a second run that was successful.
Sortie Report⇗
251⇗ 5 January 1945 Target: Landing Ground
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Neiderbreisig, Germany 		Pilot 42‑98027⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead. PFF & Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗
259⇗ 22 January 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Sterkrade, Germany 		Pilot 44‑8221⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead; PFF and Gee-H ship. Engine #3 ran away after the target; left the formation about 15 minutes before the Zuider Zee on the return trip. Major Hutchinson ordered the deputy to assume the lead. The mission folder lacks details, but it is known that this aircraft flew its next mission with the 384th on 7 April, and several of the crewmembers continued to fly with the Group.
Sortie Report⇗

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