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18 October 1943
MACR 1050 page, with statement of 1st Lt Roscoe J. Fussell about Eugene Maben's loss.
Not yet known
This mission was composed of two fighter elements. The first element was a force of 33 P-38s from 55FG despatched to accompany bomber formations headed for Duren, Germany. Weather conditions prevented rendevous with the bomber stream and both the fighters and the vombers were recalled. 1 P-38 Failed to Return (FTR) 1KIA. There were no claims on enemy aircraft.
The second element was a combined force of 296 P-47s from 4FG, 56FG, 78FG, 352FG, 353FG, 355FG and 356FG despatched to escort the B-17 formations headed for Duren, Germany. 2 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 1KIA 1RTD (rescued by ASR). The fighters in this force claim 1-0-0 of German fighters.
FIGHTER ESCORT
P-38 Lightning
Not yet known
Group
The 55th Fighter Group were the first P-38 Lightning Group to go fully operational from England. The pilots flew long-range escort missions for bombers flying over occupied Europe and racked up 'kills' of their own by destroying enemy aircraft in...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 33 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 1 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 1 |
FIGHTER ESCORT
P-47 Thunderbolt
Figther escort for Duren mission, recalled when weather prevented rendezvous.
Group
The 352nd Fighter Group were based at Bodney, Norfolk from July 1943 until November 1945 but in the winter months of 1944/1945 detachments moved to bases in Belgium to provide extra air support to ground forces during the Battle of the Bulge and to...
Group
The 353rd Fighter Group was assigned to the Eighth Air Force on 7 June 1943. The group flew P-47 Thunderbolts, and from October 1944, P-51 Mustangs, as escorts for bombing missions across occupied Europe and to strafe targets on the ground. Tactical...
Group
Where the 353rd Fighter Group had pioneered ground strafing techniques, it was the 355th Fighter Group who destroyed more enemy aircraft by ground strafing than any other Eighth Air Force Group. Based at Steeple Morden from July 1943 to July 1945, the...
Group
The 356th Fighter Group flew 413 missions between 15 October 1943 and 7 May 1945 and suffered the highest ratio of losses to enemy aircraft claims of any Eighth Air Force Group. This gave the Group the reputation of being the 'hard luck' outfit. The...
Group
Some of the pilots of the 4th Fighter Group had seen many hours of combat by the time they joined the 4th Fighter Group as they had volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The three 'Eagle Squadrons' of RAF Fighter...
Group
Flying P-47 Thunderbolts throughout their time stationed in England, the Group, known as "the Wolfpack", had more ace pilots than any other Eighth Air Force Fighter Group. The 56th Fighter Group also destroyed more enemy aircraft in air combat than any...
Group
The 78th Fighter Group was initially based at Goxhill but moved to Duxford in April 1943 and stayed there until October 1945. The 78th FG flew each of the three US built principal fighters of the AAF in the ETO. In their Thundetbolts, the 78th FG ...
| Tonnage dropped | Not Applicable |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 296 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 2 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 1 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 1 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Fighter Command | 1 |
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 55th Fighter Group
Killed in Action (KIA) on 18-Oct-43 as pilot of P-38H 42-66719 while on an operation to escort bombers headed for Duren, Germany. Weather prevented rendeavous of fighters with the bomber formations and both the fighter and the bombers were recalled. He...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 355th Fighter Group
Killed in Action (KIA) on18-Oct-43 in P-47D 42-22532 [YF:N], 355FG/359FS. Aircraft last seen spinning at 15,000 feet near Mons, Belgium. Cause not determined, possibly anoxia. Aircraft crashed at Croix-lez-Rouveroy, Belgium. MACR 1050.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot
B-24 Liberator
Assigned 328th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. TDY 9th AF, Benghazi. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, forced to abort.
...
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47C-2-RE 41-6240 [WZ:E] was assigned to the 78FG/84FS at Duxford, UK. On 18-Oct-43 the aircraft, piloted by 2LT Frankin B. Resseguie, was despatched with other fighters from his group to provide escort to B-17 bombers planned to attack at Duren,...
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47D 42-22532 was assigned to 355FG/358FS at Steeple Morden, UK. On 18-Oct-43 the aircraft, piloted by 1LT Eugene W. Maben, Jr., was despatched with other 47s from the 355FG to provide escort to B-17s heading towards Duren, Germany. Weather prevented...
P-38 Lightning
P-38H-1-LO 42-66719 was assigned to the 55FG/38FS at Nuthampstead, UK. On 18-Oct-43 the aircraft, piloted by 2LT Hugh E. Gillette, was deaptched with 32 others on a mission to escort bombers headed for Duren, Germany. Weather conditions made it...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 07 July 2015 18:35:00 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to name and description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 7-Jul-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eight War Diary", Roger A. Freeman. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:20 | 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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