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31 March 1943
1st Lt Ashcraft and crew of the 305th Bomb Group, are shown beside a B-17 Flying Fortress. 29 November 1942. England. 41-24617 "Southern Comfort" WF-J, badly damaged mission to Rotterdam, 31 march 43, crew abandoned A/C over UK, 1 x KIA, 9 x RTD. Pilot managed to stagger back to belly landing at Beacon Hill, near Wickham Bishops, Witham, Eng. Rear L-R – 2Lt William J Lakey[Copilot], 2Lt James Alfred Moberly[Nav], Lt Hugh Ashcoft[Pilot], 2Lt Bert M Wells[Bomb], S/Sgt James Patterson[Waist]. Front L-R – T/Sgt Stephen L Gogolya[TT/Eng], T/Sgt Douglas Glover[Radio], S/Sgt Frank Hern Hilsabeck[TailGun], S/Sgt Ray Armstrong[Ball Turret], S/Sgt Frank Corser[Waist].
T/Sgt Louis B. Kirkpatrick - March 1943 Egypt - Awards ceremony
Lt. Frank Robert Spitznagel and crew. 364th Squadron, 305th BG. Assembled June 18, 1943 in front of their B-17 #42-29633, nicknamed "SpitzFire" (Personnel noted Back Row Left - Right; Front Row L-R)
Not yet known
The shipyards ar Rotterdam, Holland are the primary target. 78 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (20); 303BG (20); 305BG (19) and 306BG (19). The weather prevents bombing by 91BG and 306BG reducing the total effective on the target to 33 of the 78 despatched. 3 B-17s are MIA. 2 of these are due to a mid-air collision during assembly over Wellingborough, UK.
24 B-24s are also despatched to join the attack: 44BG (12); 93BG (12) but weather prevents bombing. 1 B-24 is MIA. The combined total of bomber gunner claims against enemy aircraft is 1-1-2.
SHIP YARD
B-17 Flying Fortress
No fighter escort on this mission. One Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) from 305th Bomb Group could not be identified.
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
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...
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 | 99.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 78 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 33 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 4 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 4 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 16 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 7 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 14 |
SHIP YARD
B-24 Liberator
Clouds over target prevent bombing. Missing in Action (MIA) B-24 last seen with one engine on fire headed for England.
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...
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...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 24 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 1 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 10 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 3 |
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 | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
12-Feb-42 Assigned to 303BG as an Aerial Gunner at Arrived at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 12-Jun-42 Trained at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo New Mexico. 7-Aug-42 Finished Advanced training at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas. 24-Aug-42 transferred with Ground...
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 | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
22-Feb-43 Assigned to the 303BG/358BS at Molesworth, UK as Navigator of the 2LT James R. Dunn crew.
...
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 | Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
28-Feb-42 Assigned as Navigator of B-17F #41-24565 [BN-P] "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 25-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids"
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
22-Feb-43 Assigned to the 303BG/358BS at Molesworth, UK as Tail Gunner of the 2LT James R. Dunn crew.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
23-Jun-42 Assigned as an Aerial Gunner on B-17F 41-24620 [PU-O],"Snap!, Crackle!" Pop!" 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico but did not arrive at Molesworth with the rest of the crew. 303BG records do not indicate when he arrived at...
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 303rd Bomb Group
18-Mar-43 First mission despatched on mission to Vegesack, Germany, a strongly fortified shipbuilding region as Bombardier of B-17F 42-5723, 303BG/360BS. The aircraft, piloted by 1LT Loyd D. Griffin, returned from mission with an excellent wheels up...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
31-Mar-43 Killed in Action (KIA) as Pilot of B-17F #42-29573 "Two Beauts" in midair collision with B-17F #41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS. This occured less than an hour from takeoff with each carrying 6 bombs for the mission to Rotterdam. The...
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 427BS/303BG [GN-R] Bangor 25/9/42; Molesworth 26/10/42; transferred AFSC 25/5/43 for special gun tests; 1 CCRC Bovingdon /43; Returned to the USA 20/12/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 9/10/45.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 364BS/305BG [WF-J] Presque 19/10/42; Grafton Underwood 25/10/42; fire & severe battle damaged over Rotterdam shipyards 31/3/43 with Hugh Ashcraft, Co-pilot: Bill Lakey, Navigator: Bert Wells, Bombardier: Jim Moberley, Radio Operator: Doug...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 5-Jan-43; Gt Falls 31-Jan-43; Denver 2-Feb-43; Salina 11-Feb-43; to Marrakesh, via ATC 14-Mar-43; Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-D] Molesworth 21-Mar-43; transferred BAD 1 Burtonwood 22-May-43; 532BS/381BG [VE-D] Ridgewell 7-Sep-43; 6+m...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 2/11/42; Saline 15/12/42; Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-J] Molesworth 1/2/43; landing accident with Bob O’Connor 31/5/43; battle damaged over Oschersleben 11/1/44 with John Henderson, Co-pilot: Walter Ames, Navigator: Warren Wiggins,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 16/12/42; West Palm Beach 9/1/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GH-Q] Molesworth 7/2/43; severe battle damaged Bernberg 20/2/44 with Bob Hullar, Co-pilot: Capt Dick Dubell, Navigator: Elmer Brown, Bombardier: Jim McCormick, Flight engineer/top...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 20/11/42; New Castle 13/12/42; Assigned 358BS/303BG Molesworth [VK-N] 8/1/43; Missing in Action [35m] Oschersleben 11/1/44 with Harry Schwaebe, Co-pilot: Harry Dumse, Navigator: Paul Degnan, Bombardier: Wilburn Wiley, Flight engineer...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 26/11/42; Berry 31/12/42; Morrison 6/2/43; Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-E] Molesworth 25/2/43; 15 x missions; Missing in Action Wangerooge Is, Holl. 25/6/43 with Dave Mack, Co-pilot: Ragnar Barhuag, Navigator: Roland Smith, Bombardier:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 8/12/42
...
B-24 Liberator
"Satan's Chariot" # 41-24025 was assigned to the 93rd Bomb Group / 409th Bomb Squadron. Despatched on 31 March 1943 to bomb the Rotterdam shipyards in the Netherlands, all the 93rd BG's aircraft didn't reach the target because of heavy cloud cover and...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 28 December 2014 18:27:10 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 28-Dec-2014. Correction of typo in description. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 28 December 2014 18:21:16 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 28-Dec-2014. Description based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
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| 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'. |
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