8th Air Force 482
19 July 1944
Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio. 447th Bomb Group collection
Timothy Motz
Object Number - UPL 23854 - Mission map for 8th Air Force mission 482 to Ebelsbach-Schweinfurt on July 19, 1944 from Harold Motz, navigator in the Westrope crew, 708th squadron,...
Official Description
More than 1,100 Heavy Bombers, operating in 5 forces, attack targets in Germany, including 2 plants producing hydrogen peroxide (an ingredient in V-weapon fuels), a chemical plant, 2 aircraft factories, 4 ball bearing plants, 6 Marshalling Yards, 4 Airfields, and a river dam. Attacks in the Munich area are followed, within 90 minutes, by Fifteenth AF attacks. ...15 Heavy Bombers ... The Heavy Bombers claim destruction of 6 aircraft.
Description
Schweinfurt, Germany ball bearing plant was the target. Hit by flak and fell behind formation at 8:45 am above Aachen, Germany and crashed at Haren, Belgium at 10:06 am in the air district.
Mission Details
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 2 T
- People killed in action: 10
- People interned: 10
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 3.2 T
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 5.2 T
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 61.9 T
AUGSBURG (Primary)
Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 274.7 T
BADEN-BADEN (Opportunistic)
Description: TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 22.5 T
BOBLINGEN (Opportunistic)
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 137.4 T
DARMSTADT (Opportunistic)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 30.9 T
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 27.5 T
DUREN (Opportunistic)
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 39 T
Description: BALL BEARING PLANT
Notes: 3rd Bomb Division was made up of B-17s is 95th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group.
![Three B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 94th Bomb Group are attacked by a Nazi Fighter aircraft during a mission. Printed caption on reverse of print: 'A-62641 USAF: Nazi fighter plane attacking Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" during a bomb run over enemy installations somewhere in Europe, 10 September 1944. 100th[sic] Bomb Group, 3rd Bomb Division. U.S. Air Force Photo.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-408505.jpg.webp?itok=zJwHCUjh)
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Combat organisation
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 129 T
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 33.6 T
Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORY
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. 15th AF follows attacks in the Munich area by 90 minutes.
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 269.3 T
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 31.5 T
Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORY
Notes: 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group, 489th Bomb Group.
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Combat organisation
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 152.8 T
KOBLENZ (Opportunistic)
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 233 T
KOBLENZ (Opportunistic)
Description: TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 2.6 T
LAUPHEIM (Primary)
Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 107 T
LAUPHEIM (Primary)
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 114.9 T
LECHFELD (Primary)
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 214.6 T
NEUNKIRCHEN (Opportunistic)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 31.5 T
SAARBRUCKEN (Primary)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Notes: 3rd Bomb Division was made up of B-24s is 34th Bomb Group, 486th Bomb Group, 487th Bomb Group, 490th Bomb Group, 491st Bomb Group 2nd Bomb Division 448th Bomb Group also participates in this force. July 19 – Target: Saarbrucken and Konz Karthaus, Germany. Thirty-eight aircraft from the 34th Bomb Group were dispatched on this mission but four were forced to abort. The mission was composed of nearly 200 bombers from different units targeting the railroad marshalling yards at Saarbrucken. Twenty of the Group’s aircraft released 55.8 tons of bombs on the primary and eleven 34th Bomb Group B-24’s dropped 31.5 tons on the secondary target. Hells Belle was lost on this mission while being flown by a crew from the 18th Bomb Squadron. This was the twenty-fourth combat mission for the Hells Belle. It was reported that the aircraft was destroyed when it collided with another B-24 enroute from the IP to target. However, years later, German AAA records and a diary recovered in 1990 revealed that the Hells Belle was probably hit by German flak and it collided with a B-24 from the 18th Bomb Squadron (Ann, # 42-51190) as it tumbled out of control. Combat records indicate that nineteen aircrew members died as a result of the crash and two members of the Ann survived and were taken prisoner. Additionally, the Tondelayo (#44-40284) from the 391st Bomb Squadron was hit by flak about one minute after releasing its bombs. Although all the controls were damaged, the pilot managed to fly the aircraft westward toward the coast of France where three crew members parachuted from the damaged bomber over Dieppe. The remaining crew managed to get the aircraft back to England where they bailed out before the bomber crashed near Lympne Airfield. Unfortunately the three aircrew members that bailed out over Dieppe were reported as Killed in Action (KIA).
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Combat organisation
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 270 T
SCHWEINFURT (Primary)
Description: BALL BEARING PLANT
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: Richard O. Smith's crew flew this mission. His craft was hit by flak and left formation at 8:45 am over Aachen, Germany. Crashed at 10:06 am at Haren, Belgium. Plane was listed as 100% crash and entire crew KIA.
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 0 T
STRASBOURG (Primary)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 207.5 T
ULM (Opportunistic)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 13.6 T
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 6962724
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 20441207
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 349th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39123538
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Unit: 392nd Bomb Group 578th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Diana Queen Of The Chase
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Dynamite John
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Heaven's Above/Panhandle Kid
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Corrected the number of the mission from '153' back to its 8th Air Force number of '482'. I think user 'nieceBarb' changed the mission number to fit with the records of her uncle Richard Oliver Smith.
Taken from "34th Bomb Group Mission Summary: May-August 1944" from colbobsimpson.com
Changed unit connection on mission event no. 23 to 359th Bomb Squadron.
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'.
