VIII Bomber Command 16
7 November 1942Official Description
34 Heavy Bombers attack U-boat pens at Brest.
Description
A combined bomber force of 56 B-17s are despatched by 91BG, 301BG and 306BG to bomb the U-Boat pens at Brest, France. This is the first mission flown by 91st Bomb Group. This element is joined by 12 B-24s from 93BG. To aide the attacking bomber force, 7 B-24s from 44BG fly a diversion. This is the first mission for 44th Bomb Group
Mission Details
Description: DIVERSION
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Notes: The 44th Bomb Group fly their first mission.
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Aircraft sent: 7
- Aircraft effective: 7
BREST (Primary)
Description: U-BOAT PENS
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: The 306th Bomb Group has 15 of 24 B-17s reaching the target. All 18 B-17s despatched from 301st Bomb Group are recalled and none reach the target.
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 57.50
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 1
- Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 2
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 5
- Aircraft sent: 56
- Aircraft effective: 23
- Aircraft damaged: 11
BREST (Primary)
Description: U-BOAT PENS
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 22.00
- People wounded in action: 2
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 2
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 2
- Aircraft sent: 12
- Aircraft effective: 11
- Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 1
- Aircraft damaged: 1
BREST (Primary)
Description: U-BOAT PENS
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 22.00
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 3
- Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 1
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 2
- Aircraft sent: 14
- Aircraft effective: 8
- Aircraft damaged: 11
Connections
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People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-662725
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-379237
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18063124
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Bombardier / Togglier
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Hare's To Ya
- Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 329th Service Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Sad Sack
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Heavyweight Annihilators
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Memphis Belle
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The Sad Sack
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2015. Added Bomber Gunner claims to statistics on 91BG/93BG Brest per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2015. Added Bomber Gunner claims to statistics on 92BG Brest per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2015. Added Bomber Gunner claims to statistics on 306BG Brest per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 29-Oct-2014. Recall of 301BG based on "Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 29-Oct-2014. Last mission event detail is in error concerning 93BG, the 14 B-17s despatched are from 91BG and on their first mission. I am blocked from DELETING the 93BG reference. Based on "Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 29-Oct-2014. Correction of typographical error in Mission Description.
Lee Cunningham 29-Oct-2014. Mission description based on "Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.
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'.