Robert O Scheible
Military1LT Robert O. Scheible was assigned as Bombardier with 1LT James M. McDonald's crew with B-17F 41-5360 "Old Faithful", 303BG/358BS on 8-Jan-43. He participated in 7 Operations - 3 Aborts on several different aircraft. (See Biography events).
Prisoner of War (POW). Shot down 16-February 1943 in B-17F 41-24541 'Spook' while serving as Bombardier. Aircraft was attacked by ME-109s when it descended to assist another aircraft. Went down in the Channel off Brest Peninsula. The target was St. Nazaire. 4 crew members survived to become Prisoner of War (POW)s.
POW
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Jersey Bounce
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Spook
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Hunga Dunga
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Hell's Angels
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Old Faithful : War Bride
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
Missions
![B-24 Liberators of the 44th Bomb Group fly over countryside. Image stamped on reverse: 'Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 16 Feb 1943.' [stamp] Printed caption on reverse: '7-12 Liberator planes of U.S. Bomber Command in flight at the start of an operational patrol from their base "somewhere in England". And February 17th 1943 PN'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379113.jpg.webp?itok=PMFn3r3H)
- Date: 16 February 1943
- Date: 14 February 1943
- Date: 4 February 1943
- Date: 2 February 1943
![The crew of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23778) nicknamed "Jenny", of the 44th Bomb Group, return to Shipdham following a raid on Germany, 29 January 1943.
The insignia attached to the breast of several crew members jackets has been censored.
Image stamped on reverse: 'Barratt's Photo Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 29 Jan 1943.' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'First American raid on Germany. Flying Fortresses and Liberators of the U.S. Army Air Corps Carried out their first r](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379072.jpg.webp?itok=arU0mR30)
- Date: 27 January 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 8 January 1943 | Assigned as Bombardier on B-17 42-5360 "Old Faithful", 303BG/358BS on 8-Jan-43 at Molesworth, UK/ |
|
Other Mission #1 1LT Robert A. Scheible w/B-17F 41-24577, 303BG/358BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as Bombardier on B-17F 42-24577 "Hell's Angels", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the Fives Company Locomotive works at Lille, France. (RTB OK) |
|
Other Mission #2 1LT Robert A. Scheible w/B-17F 42-5360, 303BG/358BS |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Bombardier on B-17F 42-5360 "Old Faithful", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the port area of Lorient, France (RTB OK) |
|
Other Mission #3 1LT Robert A. Scheible w/B-17F 41-24558, 303BG/358BS - Aborted |
Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 27 January 1943 | Served as Bombardier on B-17F 41-24558 "Hunga Dunga", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the naval base at Wilhelmshaven, Germany, but mechanical failures forced the Pilot to abort the mission. (RTB OK). |
|
Other Mission #4 1LT Robert A. Scheible w/B-17F 42-5360, 303BG/358BS - Aborted |
Hamm, Germany | 2 February 1943 | Served as Bombardier on B-17F 42-5360 "Old Faithful", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany, but mechanical failures forced the Pilot to abort the mission. |
|
Other Mission #5 1LT Robert A. Scheible w/B-17F 42-5360, 303BG/358BS |
Osnabrück, Germany | 4 February 1943 | Served as Bombardier on B-17F 42-5360 "Old Faithful", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the industrial areas of Osnabruck, Germany (RTB OK). |
|
Other Mission #6 1LT Robert A. Scheible w/B-17F 41-24539, 303BG/358BS - Aborted |
Hamm, Germany | 14 February 1943 | Served as Bombardier on B-17F 41-24539 "Jersey Bounce", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the industrial areas of Hamm, Germany but weather forced a recall of the entire 303BG despatch. (RTB OK) |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
English Channel | 16 February 1943 - 8 June 1945 | Held at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia (now Poland) moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 8-Jun-45 |
|
Other Mission #6 1LT Robert A. Scheible w/B-17F 41-24541, 303BG/358BS POW |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 16 February 1943 | Served as Bombardier on B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, Fracne. The aircraft was shot down by German fighters but he was able to bale out and was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW) |
|
Born |
Ohio |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 16-Feb-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/016.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 14-Feb-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/015.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 4-Feb-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/014.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 2-Feb-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/013.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 27-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/012.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 23-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 13-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Operation Participation to Description; Made connections ot Aircraft and Mission; Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website Mission Reports and James M. McDonald crew page, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missions.html
Lee Cunningham 19-Feb-2015 . Corrected SN per MACR 15476; Added POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII database; Made connections to Place and Mission and added decorations within existing website data; Added crew position and minor edits to Biography based on "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15476 / MACR 15476, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Hey p. 77, NARA web site, Might in Flight Daily Diary of Hell's Angels by Harry Gobrect pp. 137-8 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database