1st Bomb Division
Division
The groups under the command of the 1st Bomb Wing came under the command of the 1st Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.
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367
24 May 1944
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Missing Air Crew report of B-17 flying fortress (serial number 42-107178) of the 91st Bomb Group, lost on 24 May 1944
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8th Air Force mission 367; Berlin; May 24, 1944. 447th Bomb Group strike photo
Official description
Not yet known
Description
Not yet known
Mission details
1.
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 14 T HE |
2. BERLIN (Primary)
Description
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
This is the 3rd 1000 plane mission staged by 8th Air Force and the largest to date with 1,106 bombers participating. 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.
3rd Bomb Division was made up of 34th Bomb Group, 94th Bomb Group, 95th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group, 486th Bomb Group. 100th Bomb Group became separated from main force by weather and contrails and came under attack by approximately 200 German fighters.
457th BG - MISSION NO. 50 - BERLIN, GERMANY
24 MAY, 1944
Mission No. 50 for the 457th, represented the thirteenth take off for Berlin and the tenth time over the city. Again the target for the eighteen crews assigned to fly the mission was the Friedrichsirasse Railway Station. The Group led the 94th Combat Wing with Lt. Col. Henry B. Wilson serving as Air Commander and Lt. Russell M. Selwyn as pilot.
The primary target was attacked with poor results. There was no fighter opposition. Flak was intense and accurate. Fourteen aircraft suffered damage. The aircraft piloted by Lt. Harry Stafford did not return from the mission. The craft ditched in the North Sea and the crew was later picked up by the Air/Sea Rescue in the afternoon of the second day, amid big swells that began to rise in the North Sea.
Units
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3rd Bomb Division
Division
The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division. -
457th Bomb Group
Group
The 457th Bomb Group began combat operations during the Big Week of 20-25 February when American bombers carried out concentrated raids against German aircraft bases, factories and assembly plants. The air crews' targets on that first mission were...
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 1081 T HE |
3. CREIL (Secondary)
Description
AIRFIELD
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 91.5 T HE |
4. MELUN (Primary)
Description
AIRFIELD
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392nd Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group, 492nd Bomb Group. 3rd Bomb Division was made up of 388th Bomb Group, 487th Bomb Group.
Units
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2nd Bomb Division
Division
The groups under the command of the 2nd Bomb Wing came under the command of the 2nd Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division. -
3rd Bomb Division
Division
The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 500.9 T HE |
5. NAUEN (Opportunistic)
Description
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 71 T HE |
6. ORLY (Primary)
Description
AIRFIELD
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 469 T HE |
7. POIX (Secondary)
Description
AIRFIELD
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 170 T HE |
8. RECHLIN (Opportunistic)
Description
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 31 T HE |
Service
People
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Robert Allison
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 94th Bomb Group
Flew 26 missions on 'Mission Bell', was wounded on 26th mission. Purple Heart, 4 Air Medals -
John Amalfitano
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 15 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Berlin in B-17 42-37784 24-May-44; enemy aircraft attack caused collision with 42-38082, crashed Melchow, Ger. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 5322 Awards: AM (OLC), PH. -
James Bates
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Waist Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
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John Baumgardner
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
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Carmen Bell
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Tail Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
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Thomas Beveridge
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
Shot down 24-May-44 in B-17 42-102624. Killed in Action (KIA). Awards: PH -
Virgil Brave
Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 34th Bomb Group
Assigned to the 34th Bomb Group on 1 April 1944 in Blythe California. ... -
Robert Brooks
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
Shot down 24-May-44 in B-17 42-102624. Killed in Action (KIA). Awards: PH -
William Brooks
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 466th Bomb Group
St. Dizier, France 24 Mar 1944; Brunswick, Germany 8 April 1944; Hamm, Germany 22 April 1944; Leipheim, Germany 24 April 1944; Paderborn, Germany 26 April 1944; Siracourt, France 27 April 1944; Mimoyecque, France 28 April 1944; Liege, France 1 May 1944... -
Palmer Bryan
Military | 446th Bomb Group
Aircraft
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42-102485 Bare Essentials
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 8/3/44; Gr Island 2/4/44; Dow Fd 28/4/44; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 12/5/44; Missing in Action Dessau 28/5/44 with Art Codding, Co-pilot: Roger Withers, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bob Berg, Radio Operator: Clyde Waite,... -
42-107017
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 27/1/44; Kearney 1/2/44; Presque Is 5/3/44; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 6/3/44; Missing in Action Liege 25/5/44 with Bill Warren, Bombardier: Jerome Fontaine (2 Killed in Action); Navigator: Gene McClellan, Flight engineer/top... -
42-30595 'Gremlin Gus II' "Olin's 69'ers"
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... -
42-30778 Old 66/Lady Margaret
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/7/43; Gore 6/8/43; Pendleton 12/8/43; Reno 14/8/43; Pierre 16/8/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 3/9/43; crashed on take off for France 13/8/44 with Leon Sutton, Co-pilot: Harlan Thompson, Navigator: George Healy, Bombardier:... -
42-31410 Berlin Bessie, I Dood It
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 31/10/43; Kearney 13/11/43; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-G] Horham 1/1/44; flak damage Berlin 6/10/44 with Lester Lennox, Co-pilot: Bob McCoy (2 Returned to Duty); Navigator: Bill Tate, Bombardier: Dick White, Flight engineer/top turret... -
42-31512 Ice Cold Katie
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 13/11/43; Gt Falls 15/11/43; Denver 22/11/43; Kearney 27/11/43; Presque Is 25/12/43; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-H] Framlingham 2/1/44; suffered n/battle damaged hitting tree at Grundisburgh Hall, Sfk, being slow timed on 2/6/44, with... -
42-31939 Spook Six
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 6/1/44; Kearney 15/1/44; Romulus 23/1/44; Grenier 25/1/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-J] Horham 2/2/44; transferred 412BS [QW-J]; 98m, with S.D. Reed, force landed RAF Coltishakk, 8RTD, 1WIA; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 21/6/44;... -
42-37784 The Old Fox
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 27/8/43; Scott 29/9/43; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-P] Kimbolton 19/10/43; Missing in Action Berlin 24/5/44 with Wilton Gease (Prisoner of War); Co-pilot: Luciano Gastineau, Navigator: Bob Lorentz, Bombardier: Dick O’Neal, Flight engineer... -
42-37788 HELL'S MESSENGER
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... -
42-38082
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 6/12/43; Kearney 26/12/43; Nutts Corner, Belfast, N.I. 14/1/44; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-L] Kimbolton 29/1/44; Missing in Action Berlin 24/5/44 with Capt Lytle Shumake, Co-pilot: George Smith, Navigator: Regis Savage, Bombardier:...
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 27 May 2015 09:51:47 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Mission details added courtesy of Diane Elizabeth Reese from 457th Bomb Group Mission Documents. http://www.457thbombgroup.org/ |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:06 | 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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