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
8 March 1945
Not yet known
Mission 872: 1,353 bombers and 326 fighters are dispatched to hit benzol plants, an oil plant and rail targets in Germany using PFF; NO AIRCRAFT ARE LOST AND THERE ARE NO CASUALTIES!
1. 360 B-24s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Betzdorf (70), Siegen (114) and Dillenburg (73); targets of opportunity are Limburg (10) and Frankfurt (10); bombing is by H2X radar; 3 B-24s are damaged. Escorting are 99 of 102 P-51s.
2. 526 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Robert Muser (99) and Bruchstrasse (63) benzol plants at Langendreer, the Gneisenau benzol plant at Dortmund (110) and Heddernheim chemical factory at Frankfurt (122); secondary targets are the marshalling yards at Giessen (69) and Frankfurt (18); 13 others hit Wetzlar, a target of opportunity; bombing is with H2X radar; 26 B-17s are damaged. The escort is 95 of 99 P-51s.
3. 458 B-17s are sent to hit the Emil benzol plant at Essen (114), the Mathies Stinnes benzol plant at Bottrop (37), the August Viktoria benzol plant at Huls (111) and the synthetic oil plant at Buer Scholren (75); 109 hit the marshalling yard at Essen, a target of opportunity; bombing is by Micro-H; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair. 93 of 98 P-51s escort.
4. 9 B-17s fly a screening mission.
5. 27 P-51s fly a scouting mission.
Source: Eighth Air Force Operation History - http://www.8thafhs.com/get_one_mission.php?mission_id=1884
MARSHALLING YARDS
Not yet known
Not yet known
BENZOL PLANT
Not yet known
Not yet known
OIL REFINERY
Not yet known
Not yet known
MARSHALLING YARDS
Not yet known
Not yet known
BENZOL PLANT
Not yet known
Not yet known
Group
The 385th Bomb Group, who took the nickname "Van's Valiants" after their first Commanding Officer Col. Elliot Vandevanter, flew B-17s from Great Ashfield, Suffolk. The Group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wolfe aircraft factory at Marienburg on 9...
BENZOL PLANT
Not yet known
Not yet known
MARSHALLING YARDS
Not yet known
Not yet known
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Not yet known
Not yet known
MARSHALLING YARDS
B-17 Flying Fortress
Not yet known
Group
The 447th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses on strategic bombardment missions out of Rattlesden, Suffolk. With their first mission coming on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1943, their main focus was hitting sites that would weaken enemy forces...
CHEMICAL PLANT
Not yet known
Not yet known
MARSHALLING YARDS
Not yet known
Not yet known
BENZOL PLANT
Not yet known
Not yet known
BENZOL PLANT
Not yet known
Not yet known
BENZOL PLANT
Not yet known
Not yet known
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Not yet known
Not yet known
MARSHALLING YARDS
Not yet known
Not yet known
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Not yet known
Not yet known
Military | Chief Master Sergeant | B-17 Toglier in WWII; Aircraft Maintenance until 1967 retirement | 96th Bomb Group
Assigned Dec 1944. Flew 55+ missions in B-17 as togglier. Adcock grew up on a farm in Ellisville, Mississippi, USA. He was career Air Force, retiring in 1967 as a Chief Master Sergeant (CMSAF). Born 3/8/1924 Died 3/16/2017
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator, Commanding Officer | 384th Bomb Group
Bob Birney was assigned to the 547th Bomb Squadron on 5 February 1945 and completed 26 missions between 19 February 1945 and 20 April 1945.
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 466th Bomb Group
Military | Flight Officer | Bombardier | 447th Bomb Group
June 1, 1922: Edward Aloysius Blattner (Nickname: "Buddy") was born in Chicago Illinois
...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator; Waist Gunner | 487th Bomb Group
Flew 34 combat missions from 1/8/45 to 4/21/45. Most of them in a B-17G 'Dinah-Mite' #44-8694.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Togglier | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Captain | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
Damaged 34th BG aircraft (#43-38971) mid-air collision with Ol' Scrapiron (#42-31582). Ol' Scrapiron broke apart at the waist on 23 Mar 1945. Seven crewmen of Ol' Scrapiron killed in Action (KIA) including Bruckman. Two survived (Schlag and Shibble).
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 28/8/43; Scott 16/9/43; Assigned 544BS/384BG Grafton Underwood 7/11/43; transferred 547BS [SO-N]; transferred to 364FG Leiston, Sfk, UK. 11/43; Returned to the USA Bradley 14/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 17/7/45; Reconstruction Finance...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 14/3/44; Kearney 13/4/44; Dow Fd 29/4/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-R] Horham 20/4/44; with Glovik 7/10/44, Waist gunner: Chas Buda KIA; 97m, Missing in Action Frankfurt 9/3/45 with Bill Durant (Ouratt?), Co-pilot: Dwight King, Navigator...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 2/6/44; Hunter 13/6/44; Dow Fd 24/6/44; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-L] Framlingham 29/6/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 3/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 4/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 10/7/44; Kearney 19/7/44; Dow Fd 3/8/44; Assigned 862BS/493BG Debach 4/8/44; transferred 334BS/95BG [BG-N] Horham 1/45; with D.G. Helgeson force landed A-78 afb Florennes/Juzaine, Bel. 9/3/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 24/6/45;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/7/44; Hunter 8/8/44; Dow Fd 30/8/44; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-V] Framlingham 2/9/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 30/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 6/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 14/9/44; Grenier 27/9/44; Assigned 548BS/385BG [GX-P] Gt Ashfield 1/10/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 24/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 26/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 28...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 18/9/44; Grenier 11/10/44; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 12/10/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 28/6/45; Sth Plains 1/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 17/12/45. SUPERMOUSE.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 31/10/44; Grenier 15/12/44; Dow Fd 15/12/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-X] Horham 17/12/44;with Bill Dunwoody force landed B-53 Merville Afd, Bel. 19/3/45; battle damaged Holzwickede 23/3/45 with Bill Dunwoody, Co-pilot: M. Burrows,...
B-24 Liberator
Aircraft flew 64 missions with 458th and was one of the 10 original AZON/Aphrodite project** control planes. Served as 'Mother Ship' to B-17F 41-24639 'Careful Virgin' on mission to bomb Mimoyecques, France. 4-8-44.
...
B-24 Liberator
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 06 September 2018 01:23:22 | jhuck | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields; p. 288 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 September 2018 01:22:11 | jhuck | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields; p. 288 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 04 September 2018 20:02:36 | jhuck | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Source: Eighth Air Force Operation History - http://www.8thafhs.com/get_one_mission.php?mission_id=1884 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 July 2017 22:19:29 | Virginiawise50 | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Official Website of 385th Bomb Group Association Database-Missions |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 July 2017 03:02:02 | Virginiawise50 | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Virginia Wise, eldest child of Lester Allen Wise, who flew as pilot on this mission with Jack Q. Means as co-pilot. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 July 2017 20:38:25 | Virginiawise50 | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Virginia Wise, eldest child of Lester Allen Wise, B-17 (43--38736) pilot 8th Air Force, 385th Bomb Group, flew on this mission from Great Ashfield, England to Dortmund, 8 Mar 1945. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 July 2017 20:34:59 | Virginiawise50 | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Virginia Wise, eldest child of Lester Allen Wise, B-17 (43-38736), 8th Air Force, 385th Bomb Group flew on this mission from Great Ashfield, England to Dortmund, 8 Mar 1945. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:09 | 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'. |
||
