Hughes, Richard Bland, Jr

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Hughes, Richard Bland, Jr ⇗
Rank	Sergeant / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number	37412801
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #168 dated 15 December 1943, effective 15 December 1943.
Duty	Ball Turret Gunner
MOS	612 - Airplane Armorer / Gunner
Last Duty Date	TBD
Results	TBD
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 16 August 1923 Promoted to Staff Sergeant on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #14 dated 21 January 1944. Ordered to temporary duty at 12th RCD Chorely, per 8th AF Rest & Recuperation Policy, on 24 June 1944.

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 25 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
55⇗	29 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Parts Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑38013⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group. Sortie Report⇗
56⇗	30 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑39809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead group. Sortie Report⇗
57⇗	3 February 1944	Target: Submarines (under construction) Type: Submarine Facility Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑39809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Group. Sortie Report⇗
58⇗	4 February 1944	Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑39809⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group, 41st A Combat Wing. Dropped nickles (propaganda leaflets) as well as incendiaries. Sortie Report⇗
60⇗	6 February 1944	Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France	Ball Turret	42‑39809⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
62⇗	11 February 1944	Target: Propeller Factory (Foundry) Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑37801⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 1011 hrs; #2 engine running rough and pulling 20" to 25". Sortie Report⇗
63⇗	20 February 1944	Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑29717⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group. Sortie Report⇗
64⇗	21 February 1944	Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Werl, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑29927⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
65⇗	22 February 1944	Target: Aircraft Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑29927⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off 41B Group. Turned back due to oil leak in #4 at 1155 hrs; landed away at RAF Castle Camps, Cambridgeshire. Sortie Report⇗
66⇗	24 February 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑29927⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron, low group Sortie Report⇗
67⇗	25 February 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants Type: Industry Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑3440⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41A Group. Sortie Report⇗
69⇗	2 March 1944	Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant and Machine Shop Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑37788⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
70⇗	3 March 1944	Target: Roller-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑37801⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
71⇗	4 March 1944	Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
72⇗	6 March 1944	Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑97449⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing. Sortie Report⇗
73⇗	8 March 1944	Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑31871⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Sortie Report⇗
76⇗	18 March 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit Dropped ten parcels of 'nickles' (propaganda leaflets) in addition to bombs. Sortie Report⇗
84⇗	28 March 1944	Target: Dijon-Longvic Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Dijon, France	Ball Turret	42‑38158⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron deputy. Sortie Report⇗
86⇗	9 April 1944	Target: FW-190 Fighter Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Marienburg, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit Joined the #4 position of the low Squadron, high group, 41st Composite Combat Wing A and bombed with them. Sortie Report⇗
89⇗	13 April 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit High group deputy; led mission after high group lead went down. Sortie Report⇗
92⇗	20 April 1944	Target: V-Weapon Service Bunker (under construction) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Sottevast, France	Ball Turret	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit A Wing, High Group Lead. Sortie Report⇗
95⇗	25 April 1944	Target: Metz-Frescaty Airdrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Metz, France	Ball Turret	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group lead. Col. William L Travis, 41st Bomb Wing, aboard as combat flight leader. Sortie Report⇗
98⇗	29 April 1944	Target: Industrial District Type: Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑38208⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Group lead. Co-pilot and navigator became violently ill. Sortie Report⇗
101⇗	7 May 1944	Target: Friedrichstrasse Railroad Station Type: Transportation Location: Berlin, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group lead. Sortie Report⇗
105⇗	11 May 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Saarbrücken and Ehrang, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑38208⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group, Group Lead. Sortie Report⇗
107⇗	13 May 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly Components Factory. Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Poznań, Poland	Ball Turret	42‑31484⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group lead, 40th CBW. Col. William L Travis, 41st Bomb Wing, aboard as combat flight leader and pilot. Sortie Report⇗
111⇗	21 May 1944	Target: NOBALL (Supergun Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Mimoyecques, France	Ball Turret	42‑102449⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group A Lead. Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗
115⇗	25 May 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Sarreguemines and Blainville-sur-l'Eau, France	Ball Turret	42‑102449⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group Lead. Sortie Report⇗
116⇗	27 May 1944	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑97263⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead Group, High Squadron Lead. Sortie Report⇗
117⇗	28 May 1944	Target: Junkers Aircraft Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Dessau, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑97072⇗	Combat Mission Credit Group Lead. Aircraft experienced 'rack and AFCE problems' on initial bomb run, and was unable to drop bombs on the primary target. The air commander turned over the lead to his deputy for the (abortive) attack on the secondary target, and the actual attack on the TOO. Sortie Report⇗

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