308A

19 April 1944

Mission Details

Description: BOMB TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY

Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

ESCHWEGE (Primary)

Description: AIRFIELD

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: 457th BG MISSION NO. 28 ESCHWEGE, GERMANY 19 APRIL, 1944 The target was the Air Park and Airdrome at Eschwege, twenty-six miles east-southeast of Kassel. This was an important center for equipping field-workshop units which went into action on the front lines. The 457th flew with the 40th Combat wing rather than the 94th. Major Rod Francis was Air Commander of the Group, which flew the low box, and Lt. Edward R. Bender was pilot. The primary target was not bombed because of smoke and haze over the target area. Secondary targets and targets of last resort were bombed, with varied bombing results. The 457th bombed an air field at Kassel. Eleven craft sustained battle damage. The 457th furnished four aircraft for Air-Sea Rescue. This assignment was completed without incident.

GUTERSLOH (Primary)

Description: AIRFIELD

KASSEL/ALTENBAUNA (Secondary)

Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

KASSEL/BETTENHOUSEN (Primary)

Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

KASSEL/WALDAU (Primary)

Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

Notes: 1st Bomb Division was made up of 91st Bomb Group, 92nd Bomb Group, 303rd Bomb Group, 305th Bomb Group, 306th Bomb Group, 351st Bomb Group, 379th Bomb Group, 381st Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group. This mission was part of the effort to achieve Allied air superiority in advance of the D-Day invasion. These important aircraft factories were all in the Berlin area. Low claims of enemy aircraft by the bomber crews were a testament to the effectiveness of fighter support.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 433.5 T HE 181.1 T IB

KOBLENZ (Secondary)

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

LIPPSTADT (Primary)

Description: AIRFIELD

Notes: 3rd Bomb Division was made up of 94th Bomb Group, 95th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 402.5 T HE 168 T IB

PADERBORN (Primary)

Description: AIRFIELD

Notes: 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392nd Bomb Group,445th Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 184.5 T HE 305 T IB

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Werl, Germany

Description: AIRFIELD

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: Note in my father's log.. Horace Turner, states, "Raided Werl, aircraft factory, perfect bombing, flak very light. It was a milk run."

Connections

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People

Robert W Rayburn

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-749492
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Samuel C Ross

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 34645538
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Ralph G Simons

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 0754935
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Lloyd Wayne Smith

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 453rd Bomb Group 734th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: AO 748 823 / 6862108
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot/co-pilot

Richard Edward Sullivan

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: O-609503
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Aircraft

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-37894) nicknamed "Pegasus IV" of the 95th Bomb Group flies above the clouds. Image stamped on reverse: 'U.S. Air Force Photo 1361st Photographic Squadron Aerospace Audio-visual Services ( MAC)'[stamp] Printed caption on reverse: 'A-26344 - FORT FORTIFIED: During a recent raid over Bremen, Germany by the 8th AAF, a closeup of the new chin-turrent Flying Fortress was picked out of a formation for study. Making the Fort a more deadly weapon of air offense, the softeni

42-37894

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Pegasus IV
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron

42-37982

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Trembling Gremlin
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron

42-37988

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Flag Ship
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron

42-38004

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ol Man Tucker
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron

42-38158

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Jean
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron

Related media

Download File

Document 53066

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53066
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No 52, 19 Apr 1944, Kassel, Germany

Revisions

Date
ContributorARowe95
Changes
Sources

ARowe95

Date
ContributorARowe95
Changes
Sources

ARowe95

Date
Contributoraquaflow1
Changes
Sources

Added by Karen Turner, daughter of Horace Turner, based on his handwritten log.

Date
Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter
Changes
Sources

Mission details added courtesy of Diane Elizabeth Reese from 457th Bomb Group Mission Documents. http://www.457thbombgroup.org/

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'.