Grafton Underwood, England (Station 106) 1943-1945
Combat History of the 384th Bombardment Group (Heavy) in WWII
384th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
"Keep The Show On The Road"
| Serial Number: | 42-31740 |
| Name: | Not Known |
| Manufacturer: | Built by the Boeing Airplane Company, B-17G-30-BO, Camouflage |
| Squadron: | 546th Bombardment Squadron (H) |
| Squadron ID Code: | 546th‑BK*T |
| Ground Crew Chief: | Konzem, Hubert Philip |
| Start Date: | 1 March 1944. |
| Missions: | This aircraft was credited with 14 combat missions with the 384th. |
| End Date: | 9 April 1944. Failed to return from combat operations. |
| Related Documents: | Missing Air Crew Report # 3653⇓ (14.958 MB) |
| Photo Album: | Aircraft 42-31740 Photo Album⇗ |
| History: | 42-31740 Delivered to Denver, Colorado for modification on 11 December 1943; Moved to Kearny AAF, Nebraska on 27 December 1943; Repositioned to Oklahoma City 12 January 1944 then back to Kearney AAF, Nebraska on 16 January 1944. Assigned to the 546th Bombardment Squadron, squadron code BK-T, 384th Bombardment Group, Station 106, Grafton Underwood, UK on 1 March 1944. Missing In Action on a mission to Marienburg, Germany, 9 April 1944 with pilot-George William Schock, co-pilot-Elliott Leroy Gadd, navigator-Ehrhardt Mittendorf Jr., nose gunner-James Tomas Yeater, radio operator-Charles Joseph Hawkins, ball turret gunner - Lester Wilson Van Gorkum, waist gunner-Morton Washington Hamm, waist gunner-Patrick Denis Benker; tail gunner-Charles F. Mitchell (9 Prisoners of War) The engineer/top turret gunner-Lucian Shannon was Killed in Action. The aircraft was shot down by flak and crashed at Ulsnis, near Steinfeld, Germany. Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) #3653. |
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| Number | Date | Target | Results | Mission/Sortie Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70⇗ | 3 March 1944 | Target: Roller-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany | Mission Recalled | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 71⇗ | 4 March 1944 | Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany | Spare, Completed Mission | Flying spare, joined formation. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 72⇗ | 6 March 1944 | Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | Returned to base after group leader abandoned attempt to join assigned combat wing. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 73⇗ | 8 March 1944 | Target: Erkner Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 74⇗ | 9 March 1944 | Target: Heinkel Aircraft Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oranienburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 76⇗ | 18 March 1944 | Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 78⇗ | 20 March 1944 | Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Mission Recalled | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 79⇗ | 22 March 1944 | Target: Heinkel Aircraft Assembly Plant at Annahof Airfield Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oranienburg, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron, high composite group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 80⇗ | 23 March 1944 | Target: Airdrome and Airpark Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Gütersloh, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 81⇗ | 24 March 1944 | Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 82⇗ | 26 March 1944 | Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Le Grismont, Rebecques, France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 83⇗ | 27 March 1944 | Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Tours & Chartres, France | Spare, Completed Mission | 94 Group, Flying Spare. Joined formation. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 84⇗ | 28 March 1944 | Target: Dijon-Longvic Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Dijon, France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 85⇗ | 29 March 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany | Spare, Completed Mission | Flying Spare; joined formation. Landed away at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, due to weather. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 86⇗ | 9 April 1944 | Target: FW-190 Fighter Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Marienburg, Germany | Failed To Return | Hit by flak at 1546 hrs; left wing root on fire; the aircraft was seen circling under control and 10 chutes emerged; crashed east of Schleswig, Germany. Sortie Report ⇗ |