DOCUMENT 52909

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401st Bomb Group, Mission No 1, 26 Nov 1943, Bremen, Germany. 0908 hours - Twenty aircraft off okay. Four of the briefed crews didn't manage to get off the ground. A 614th ship dropped off the perimeter track, and in doing so trapped the 615th Squadron Commander, Major Seawell, behind it. Then, as Lt. V.J. Kaminski neared the tail of Lt. Ralph Dempsey's ship and attempted to brake, he had a brake failure. In the ensuing collision the tail of 42-31091 was demolished by the props of 42-39873. The primary target was obscured due to a 10/10's undercast, so bombing was done at 25,000 feet using PFF methods. Aircraft 42-37833 "Fancy Nancy" as struck from below by a B-17 from another group, cutting off the ball turret and killing the ball turret gunner, Sgt. L. Baranik. The ship was able to return, but force-landed at RAF Detling in Kent, where it was declared damaged beyond repair and scrapped.Eight other aircraft from the 401st suffered minor flak damage.

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Units

A pathfinder B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 44-8258) of the 401st Bomb Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '48258 14 A, Mount Farm.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Fool's Luck
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Betty J.
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Son of a Blitz
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Heaven Can Wait, Boche Buster
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Little Boots
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron

Locations

Mission

Revisions

Date:
Contributoracbernstein1
ChangesChanges to caption, unit associations and aircraft associations
Date:
Contributoracbernstein1
ChangesCreated entry with caption, unit associations, place associations and mission associations