Following recent government announcements the museum is currently closed, there is plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
17 November 1942
35 HBs pound U-boat pens at Saint-Nazaire with 102 tons of bombs.
The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are the Primary (P) target for a combined force of 49 B-17s despatched from 91BG (20), 303BG (16) and 306BG (13). Another element of 14 B-24s despatched from 93BG also joins the bombing force on St. Nazaire. The 303BG made a navigational error and was not able to find the target, so their 16 B-17s were not able to bomb. The German airfield of Maupertus at Cherbourg, France was the Primary (P) target for 6 B-24s despatched from 44BG, but the target was totally obscured by clouds, so they could not bomb. In other action, 10 B-17 despatched from 305BG fly a diversion for this St. Nazaire bombing element. This was 305BG's first mission.
DIVERSION
B-17 Flying Fortress
Diversion for St. Nazaire raid.
Group
The 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), nicknamed "Can Do" was activated 1-March-1942 at Salt Lake City Air Base, Utah which was their primary training base until 11-Jun-1942 when they relocated to Geiger Field, Washington until 29-Jun-1942, then on to...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 10 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 10 |
AIRFIELD
B-24 Liberator
Target obscured by 10/10 cloud cover.
Group
The 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 15-January-1942 at McDill Field, Florida and equipped with B-24Cs. The Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana and acted as a training unit for the 90th 93rd and 98th Bomb Groups and flew anti...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 6 |
U-BOAT PENS
B-17 Flying Fortress
The 303rd Bomb Group and 305th Bomb Group fly their first mission. 303rd Bomb Group was unable to find the target so none of their 16 B-17s were able to bomb. There is no fighter escort for this mission.
Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...
Group
Constituted as 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Mar 1942. Trained for combat with B-17's. Moved to England, Aug-Sep 1942, and assigned to Eighth AF Eighth Air Force in September 1942 Station 111 Thurleigh. During combat,...
Group
The 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated at Harding Field, Louisiana on 15-April-1942 and went to MacDill Field, Florida for the first phase of training from 16-May-1942 to 25-June-1942. The Group was then assigned to 2nd Air Force at Walla...
| Tonnage dropped | 57.50 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 49 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 23 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 9 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 1 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 3 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 9 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 6 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 8 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 2 |
U-BOAT PENS
B-24 Liberator
Not yet known
Group
93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 1-March-1942 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. On 15-May-1942 the Group moved to Ft. Myers, Florida to continue advanced flight training and also to fly anti-submarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico; they...
| Tonnage dropped | 36.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 14 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 12 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 7 |
Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
15-Jul-42 Assigned as Navigator on B-17F 42-2967 [PU-G] "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Shak Hak"
...
Military | Captain | Lead Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
17-Feb-42 Assigned as Navigator of B-17F #41-24579 [PU-F] at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth UK. He was despatched on 26 Operations - 25 credited. Served as a Lead Navigator on 23 of those missions. Completed a 25-Mission...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
B-17F 41-24496, 'Chenault's Pappy', 306BG/423BS, on which he was serving as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner, was attacked by FW190s after leaving the target area near St. Nazaire 17-November-1942. Killed in Action (KIA) 3 crew members were injured as the...
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Radio Operator | 303rd Bomb Group
06-Mar-42 Assigned as Radio Operator on B-17F 41-24559 [PU-C] "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Ooold Soljer"
...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
12-Mar-42 Assigned to 303BG/360BS in B-17F #41-24559 "Ooold Soldier" as 2LT and Co-Pilot. Gowen Field (Boise), Idaho.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
On 23 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24580 'Hell Cat', 303BG/358BS while serving as Tail Gunner the aircraft was downed by fighters near Brest. He was able to parachute to safety and was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW). Participated in 7 Operations -...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
10-Sep-42 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F #41-24603 [BN-Y] "Green Hornet", 303BG/359BS at Biggs Field, El Paso Texas and arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard that aircraft on 22-Oct-42.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
6-Mar-42 Assigned as an Aerial Gunner on B-17F #41-24559 [PU-C], "Ooold Soljer:, 303BG 360BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Ooold Soljer."
...
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
10-Jul-42 Assigned as the Tail Gunner of B-17F #41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. Arrived in the UK with the crew of 41-24619 aboard B-17F #42-2966, 303BG/427BS on 28-Oct-43. B-17F #41-24619 was...
Military | Captain | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
15-Jul-42 Assigned as Pilot of B-17F #42-2967 [PU-G] "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 24-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Pilot of "Shak Hak".
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24496 'Chennault's Pappy' Delivered Great Falls, Montana, force landed Nashville, Tennessee with Jim Dale; repaired & assigned 423BS/306BG Westover 15-Aug-42; Thurleigh 8-Sep-42.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-K] Kellogg Fd 15/9/42; Molesworth 16/10/42; CCRC Bovingdon 27/7/43; 384BG Grafton Underwood 22/9/43; Salvaged NBD 31/5/45. JERSEY BOUNCE.
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F-25-BO 41-24558 [VK:F] "Hunga Dunga" was assigned to the 358BS/303BG [VK-F] at Bangor. Maine on 14-Oct-42; arrived at Molesworth, UK on 16-Oct-42; Missing in Action Vegasack 18-Mar-43 when it was attacked by enemy aircraft near Helgoland. Germany...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24559 'Ooold Soljer' was assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-C] Bangor 14-Oct-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-T] Bangor 10/9/42; Molesworth 16/10/42; 59m transferred 1 Base Air Depot (sic),* Burtonwood 7/7/44; Returned to the USA Altus 18/8/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 14/8/45. Over...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper" was assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-F] 17-Feb-42 Gowen Field, Idaho; Bangor 14-Oct-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42; Aircraft damaged by AA fire and enemy fighters on mission to Lorient, France on 23-Jan-43. 11 man crew. Belly-landed at...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-P] Bangor 5/10/42; Molesworth 25/10/42; Missing in Action 45m Oschersleben 11/1/44 with George McClellan, Co-pilot: Bill Fisher, ex B-26 pilot on his 1st mission, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Dave Tempesta, Radio Operator...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F #41-24603 "Green Hornet" [BN-Y], 303BG/359BS was assigned with a combat crew on 10-Sep-42 at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas then moved to Dow Field, Bangor, Maine 9-Oct-42; Arrived at Molesworth, UK on 22-Oct-42.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F-27-BO 41-24606 "Werewolf" was assigned 358BG/303BG [VK-H] Kellog Field, Battle Creek, Michigan on 14-Sep-42; Arrived at Molesworth, UK 16-Oct-42.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24620 'Snap, Crackle, Pop' assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-D] Bangor 14-Sep-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42; Missing in Action St Nazaire 3-Jan-43 shot down by enemy aircraft, crashed Escoublac Forest, West of St Nazaire, France. 7KIA 3POW MACR 15464....
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 24 September 2019 13:56:07 | Emily | Changes to official description |
| Sources | ||
Air Force Combat Chronology |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 February 2015 19:08:22 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2015. Added Bomber Gunner claims to statistics on 19BG,303BG,306BG St Nazaire per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 November 2014 17:56:38 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 2-Nov-2014. Aulenbach association. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 November 2014 17:26:23 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 2-Nov-2014. Corrected place association for 93 BG. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 November 2014 17:20:51 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 2-Nov-2014. Description based on 'Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:17 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| 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'. |
||
