Although 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
16 August 1943
Mission 83 report, a/c 41-24560
Douglas B-17F-65-DL Fortress Ser.# 42-3455 “Lucky 13” 8th Air Force 384th Bombardment Group 546th Bombardment Squadron Original Crew
Not yet known
This mission consists of two elements of B-17s despatched to bomb the German airfields of Le Bourget (Paris), Poix and Abbeville, France. The first element is a combined force of 180 B-17s from: 91BG (21); 92BG (17); 303BG (20); 305BG (20); 306BG (20); 351BG (21); 379BG (21); 381BG (20); and 384BG (20) are despatched to bomb at Paris/Le Bourget. 171 B-17s are effective on the target and the formations had fighter escort by P-47s to and from the target. 4 B-17s Failed to Return (FTR), and 46 are damaged. Casualties are: 6KIA 17POW 6WIA 8EVD. The bomber gunners claim 29-3-11 of attacking enemy aircraft.
The second element is a combined formation of 66 B-17s from: 94BG (21); 96BG (24) and 388BG (21) despatched to bomb tw German airfields: one a Poix, France and the other at Abbeville, France. All 66 aircraft are effective but divide their bombs between Poix (65) and Abbeville (64). There are no losses or claims in this formation, although 36 aircraft sustain damage.
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
92nd Bomb Group despatch includes1 YB-40 gunship. This is the last use of the YB-40.
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 351st Bomb Group flew strategic bombing missions from their base at Polebrook, Northamptonshire from April 1943 to June 1945. The Group's most famous member was Hollywood actor Clark Gable, who flew four/ five missions with them as an observer...
Group
The 379th Bomb Group (H) (heavy), based at Kimbolton, flew more sorties than any other Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other Group. The B-17 Flying Fortress Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit...
Group
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing shipyards at Bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 October 1943 and...
Group
The 384th Bomb Group flew B-17s from Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, between May 1943 and June 1945. They were engaged in daylight bombing missions over Germany as part of the Allies' efforts to destroy the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe by...
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...
Group
The 92nd Group sometime after arrivial in the UK converted to the role of in-theater combat crew indocrination and training. For this role, the Group traded its B-17F complement and obtained the B-17E, mostly from the 97th BG which was departing for...
| Tonnage dropped | 397.35 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 179 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 171 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 4 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 46 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 6 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 6 |
| Number of people Evaded | 8 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 17 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 10 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 29 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 3 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 11 |
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
These aircraft dropped half their load on Poix Air Field and the other half on Abbeville Ai Field
Group
The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran...
Group
Activated 15 June 1942 at MacDill Field, Florida. Initial organization and training at Pendleton Field, Oregon on 29 June 1942. Primary flight training at Davis-Monthan Field in Arizona from 28 Aug. 42 to 31 Oct. 42; then at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas...
Group
The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945.
...
| Tonnage dropped | 8.95 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 66 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 66 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 38 |
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 379th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) over France when escape hatch opened on B-17 #42-5827.
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 381st Bomb Group
Bombardier. 381st BG, 535th BS, 8th AF.
Credited with one German fighter destroyed on 16 August 1943 with the Cormany crew.
Military | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Sergeant (Technician Fourth Grade) | Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 #42-31084, Killed in Action (KIA).
AM w/ 2 Oak Leaf Cluster
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 16 August 1943 in B-17 #42-30001. Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 14 x combat missions. Co-pilot of B-17 42-29866 'Judy B' on Hamburg mission, when pilot Lt Willis C Carlisle was killed at controls. A/C fought of fighters whilst in uncontrolled plunge from 16,000ft to 3,500ft 25...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Retired from the USAF with the rank of Colonel
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 1 x combat missions. Shot down 16-Aug-1943 in B-17 42-29866. Evaded and returned (EVD/RTD)
Awards: AM, PH, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 14 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Le Bourget in B-17 42-29866; Shot down by flak 16-Aug-43. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1352
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME
Military | Staff Sergeant | Air Gunner, Togglier/Bombardier | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Shot down 26 November 1943 in B-17 #42-30832, Prisoner of War (POW). He was a POW from 26 Nov 1943 to 04 May 1945 at Stalag 17B, Krems, Austria. Prisoner of War (POW) no. 100388.
POW
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
Assigned to the 359BS/303BG [BN-R] Bangor 22-Sep-42; Molesworth 22-Oct-42; First 8th Air Force aircraft to complete 50, then 75 missions- 27-Mar-44; with M/Sgt Buford Pafford as crew chief; 1 Base Air Depot, Burtonwood 5-Jun-44; Reconstruction Finance...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 26/1/43; Salina 9/2/43; Brookley 3/3/43; Morrison 9/3/43; Assigned Harris Prov. Gp, en route from Marrakech to St Eval, Cornwall, UK 7/4/43 force landed Lytchett Minster, near Poole, Dorset, low on gas with Talmadge Wilson, Co-pilot:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 27/2/43; Sioux City 16/3/43; Kearney 8/4/43; Dow Fd 15/4/43; Assigned 524BS/379BG [WA-L] Kimbolton 21/4/43; Missing in Action Le Bourget 16/8/43 with Chas Biglar, Bombardier: John Boyle, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Albt Tyler,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 25/3/43; Smoky Hill 3/4/43; Dow Fd 15/4/43; Assigned 526BS/379BG [LF-E] Kimbolton 23/6/43; Missing in Action Le Bourget 16/8/43 with Raymond H. Bidwell, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John Cannell, Ball turret gunner: Tom Johnson...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 29/4/43; Sioux City 11/5/43; Smoky Hill 9/6/43; Dow Fd 12/6/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG [ -T] Knettishall 14/6/43; Missing in Action Bordeaux 27/3/44 with Julius Lederman, Co-pilot: Waite Law, Bombardier: John Luzell (3 Prisoner of War)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 29/4/43; Sioux City 14/5/43; Smoky Hill 11/6/43; Dow Fd 16/6/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 17/6/43; transferred Aphrodite project, Missing in Action V-sites, Watten 6/8/44 with Lt Joeseph P Andrecheck & T/Sgt Raymond Healy (2...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 26/6/43; Smoky Hill 13/7/43; Kearney 16/7/43; Dow Fd 19/7/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 20/7/43; (34m) transferred Aphrodite project as OLIN'S 69'ERS; when War Weary, fuselage cut down and vehicle windshield fitted before open...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 5/2/43; Assigned 353BS/301BG Morrison 25/3/43; transferred 100BG Thorpe Abbotts /43; 358BS/303BG [VK-O] Molesworth 13/7/43; battle damaged Bremen 26/11/43 with Bill Fort wia-frostbite, Co-pilot: McDonald Riddick, Bombardier: Chas...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 20/2/43; 19/4/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-U] Molesworth 4/6/43; RWG Leon Kesky Killed in ActionSchweinfurt 17/8/43; 40m Missing in Action Oschersleben 11/1/44 with John Carothers, Co-pilot: Chas Frost, Radio Operator: George Rajcula...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 12 June 2016 10:38:30 | Rainer | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Updated unit connections according to narrative |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 12 June 2016 10:37:29 | Rainer | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Updated connections |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 May 2015 19:19:20 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 17-May-2015. Added WIA count to Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman (cites 4WIA); and the 303BG Mission Report (cites 2 WIA) http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/059.pdf |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 May 2015 19:16:08 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 17-May-2015. Corrected EVD statistic and added bomber gunner claims to Le Bouget element statisitics per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Roger A, Freeman. Corrected WIA statistic per 303BG Mission Report: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/059.pdf |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 May 2015 19:09:27 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 17-May-2015. Added the Mission Narrative based on "The 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'. |
||
