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1 May 1943
Not yet known
The U-boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are the primary target. 78 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (20); 303BG (19); 305BG (21); 306BG (18). Poor weather frustrates the bombing effort and only 29 of the 78 despatched are effective on the target. The ordnance used is the 2,000 lb. general purpose bomb, the heaviest that could be carried in the B-17 bomb rack. 7 B-17s are MIA and 1 B-17 from 306th BG is Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR). This aircraft is B-17F 42-29649 aboard which is Ball Turret Gunner, Sgt Maynard "Snuffy" H. Smith who is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions this day. The citation may be viewed at: http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3004/smith-maynard-h.php. The bomber gunners claim 18-6-8 against enemy aircraft.
The main B-17 force is supported by 24 B-24s: 44BG (18) and 93BG (6) despatched to fly a diversion along the Brittany coast. No losses or claims.
DIVERSION
B-24 Liberator
Diversion for St. Nazaire mission.
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 Effective | 24 |
U-BOAT PENS
B-17 Flying Fortress
Bad weather over target. Groups trying 2000lb "Block Busters". Sgt. Maynard S. "Snuffy" Smith 423BS/306th Bomb Group (Waist Gunner on B-17 42-29649) is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for this action. This is the 2nd CMOH awarded to a member of the 8th Air Force but the first AF enlisted man in history to win the award.
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 | 57.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 78 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 29 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 7 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 20 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 57 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 17 |
| Number of people Missing In Action | 3 |
| Number of people Evaded | 1 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 15 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 7 |
Military | Colonel | Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
He reported to group on 15 Jan 1943. He was the 35th Officer to complete 25 missions. Reported on 05 Feb 1945 with the 2AF weather scouts. Retired as a Colonel from the USAF in 1972.
...
Military | Colonel | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 359BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 30 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: DSC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korean medals.
Post war: Remained in USAF, serving in Korean conflict.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
William Fahrenhold was Engineer/Top Turret gunner on B-17 #42-29649 on 1 May 1943. The assigned target were the U-boat yards at St. Nazaire, France and a navigational error on return took the 306th Bomb Group over heavily defended Brest. The Fortress...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot; Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
On May 1, 1943, in B-17F 42-29649 while serving as Co-Pilot the aircraft was assigned to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire. A navigational error on return took the group over heavily defended Brest and the aircraft was attacked by fighters and caught...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Bombardier | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in Action (KIA) 19 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24483 'Spirit of Alcohol'. He went to Bassingbourn from MacDill Field about November/December 1942. He was on his 17th mission. The pilot (Lt. Baxley) told his parents in a letter that they were...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 19 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24483 'Spirit of Alcohol'. Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Colonel | Pilot & Co-Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
He was the 32nd officer to complete a 25 mission tour. Joined group in 15 January 1943. He flew 13 missions as C. Dale Briscoe's Co-pilot and then received his own crew in May 1943. He flew the JERAVAD "Un Petite Peu." His last mission was on 28...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Manned guns, extinguished fires, and treated wounded crewmates on first mission in B-17 42-29649. He also helped to throw out cans of ammunition that weighed almost as much as he did so the bomber could make an emergency landing. On the day was to be...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-T] Bangor 5/10/42; Molesworth 25/10/42.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 42-29649 was delivered at Denver 29-Jan-43; Great Falls 31-Jan-43; Salina 13-Feb-43; Assigned to 423BS/306BG [RD- ] at Thurleigh 24-Mar-43; On 1-May-43 the aircraft was despatched on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. On...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 6/10/42; New Castle 19/10/42; Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-U] Molesworth 1/2/43; battle damaged Bremen 28/11/43 with Harry Bolsover, Co-pilot: Chas Rice, Navigator: Byron Clark, Bombardier: Chas McLain, Flight engineer/top turret gunner:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 14/10/42; Salina 31/1/43; Morrison 4/3/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-Z] Molesworth 8/4/43; 25m Missing in Action Anklam 9/10/43 with Bernard Clifford, Co-pilot: Chas Jahn, Navigator: Chas Stata, Bombardier: Bob Bruce, Flight engineer/top...
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 30/11/42; Salina 20/1/43; Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-L] Molesworth 26/3/43; Missing in Action Wangerooge Is 25/6/43 with Joe Palmer, Co-pilot: Bob Sheldon, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Elmer Duffy, Radio Operator: Edmund Gullage,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 29/11/42; Salina 25/1/43.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 8/12/42
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 2/3/43; Walla Walla 29/3/43; Lowry 10/4/43; Presque Is 24/4/43; Assigned 369BS/306BG [WW-W] Thurleigh 7/5/43; Missing in Action Kiel 29/7/43 with Keith Conley, Co-pilot: Vince DeVos, Bombardier: Bob Sanford, Radio Operator: Frank...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 31 December 2014 18:33:12 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 31-Dec-2014. Description based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. Maynard information from "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey and Congressional Medal of Honor Society. http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3004/smith-maynard-h.php |
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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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