359

20 May 1944
media-24438.jpeg UPL 24438 Crew members of Bomb' N Belle :
Back, left to right : Joseph Keenan; Robert Sasse, Edward Frost and Raymond McCarthy.
Front, left to right : Eugene Szulczewski, Paul Dickerson, Richard Kindig (not Kindic !) and Andrew Marcin (not Marsin !) Hutchinson & Cortright

Corrected 2 names in the crew photo
MACR 4938

Object Number - UPL 24438 - Crew members of Bomb' N Belle : Back, left to right : Joseph Keenan; Robert Sasse, Edward Frost and Raymond McCarthy. Front, left to right : Eugene...

Mission Details

LEIGE (Primary) (RC)

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

Notes: Mission aborted due to heavy could cover.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 0.00

ORLY (Primary)

Description: AIRFIELD

Notes: 1st Bomb Division was made up of 91st Bomb Group, 92nd Bomb Group, 303rd Bomb Group, 305th Bomb Group, 306th Bomb Group, 351st Bomb Group, 379th Bomb Group, 381st Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group, 398th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 249 T HE

RHEIMS (Primary)

Description: AIRFIELD AND MARSHALLING YARD

Notes: 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 389th Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 333.1 T HE

Vélizy, Villacoublay Air Base, France

Description: AIR DEPOT

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: 457th BG MISSION NO. 47 - VILLACOUBLAY, FRANCE 20 MAY, 1944 The Eighth Air Force's focus of attention for this mission centered upon French airfields. The targets for the 457th were the aircraft works and airfield at Villacoublay, situated five miles southwest of Paris. The main function of the unit was the repair and maintenance of aircraft, primarily for FW-190s. Major Theodore C. Hoffman led the Group with Lt. Malcolm E. Johnson as pilot. Twelve aircraft were dispatched. Bombing results were good, with the airfield, hangars and other buildings all being successfully hit by the bombs. No enemy fighter opposition was encountered. Flak was moderate but accurate, causing battle damage to eleven aircraft.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 192 T HE

Connections

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People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 709th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15130296 at enlistment, then O-813756
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
Man seated in open cockpit wearing a leather jacket with sheepskin lining, a leather helmet , and googles on head
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13038768
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-808459
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 709th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37549316
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 486th Bomb Group 835th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ol Dog
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Berlin Special
  • Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
A B-17G Flying Fortress (ET-B, serial number 42-31989) of the 336th Bomb Squadron, 95th Bomb Group that has crash-landed 1 April 1944. Official caption on image: "569(44). 4-1-44. Hon. Crash Landing Damage. B-17G, 42-31989. AM-FS..."
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Spam Can : Black Magic : Shady Lady
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron 336th Bomb Squadron 535th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Chicken Ship : The Pickwickian : King Salvo
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 412th Bomb Squadron 483rd Bomb Group 815th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date
Changes
Sources

Mission details added courtesy of Diane Elizabeth Reese from 457th Bomb Group Mission Documents. http://www.457thbombgroup.org/

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
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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