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: | 42-97986 |
| Name: | Not Known |
| Manufacturer: | Built by the Vega Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed Corporation, B-17G-40-VE, Natural Metal Finish |
| Squadron: | 545th Bombardment Squadron (H) |
| Squadron ID Code: |
544th‑SU*M (through 1944-08-04) 544th‑SU*Z (through 1944-10-05) 545th‑JD*Y (through 1945-04-20) |
| Start Date: | 29 July 1944. Transferred: Received from the 305th BG.. |
| Missions: | This aircraft was credited with 31 combat missions with the 384th. |
| End Date: | 16 May 1945. Salvaged: Nosed over after landing from training flight. |
| Comments: | This aircraft was equipped with a Radar bombing system, commonly referred to as PFF. |
| Related Documents: | Accident Report # 45-05-16-512⇓ (2.682 MB) |
| Photo Album: | Aircraft 42-97986 Photo Album⇗ |
| History: | 42-97986 Del Dallas 24/4/44; Langley 15/6/44; Dow Fd 7/7/44; Ass 305BG Chelveston 8/7/44; tran 547BS/384BG [SO-Z] Grafton Underwood 29/7/44; 544BS [SU-Z], 545BS [JD-A]; nosed over in landing w/Jim Welsh 16/5/45, Sal. |
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| Number | Date | Target | Results | Mission/Sortie Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 171⇗ | 4 August 1944 | Target: Rocket Research & Development Complex Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Peenemünde, Germany | Completed Mission | Lead Group, Wing Deputy. PFF Ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 176⇗ | 9 August 1944 | Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Erding, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 177⇗ | 11 August 1944 | Target: Tactical: Coastal Artillery Emplacements Type: Military Location: Brest, France | Completed Mission | High group lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 184⇗ | 25 August 1944 | Target: Airfield & Airpark Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Anklam, Germany | Completed Mission | Wing lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 185⇗ | 26 August 1944 | Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany | Completed Mission | Wing lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 186⇗ | 30 August 1944 | Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Crepieul, France | Flight Completed | Weather aircraft. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| -- | 1 September 1944 | Ludwigshaven, Germany, RECALLED | Mission Recalled | Maj. Koehne Wing Ldr Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 187⇗ | 3 September 1944 | Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 188⇗ | 5 September 1944 | Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany | Completed Mission | PFF ship. Low group lead. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 190⇗ | 9 September 1944 | Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany | Completed Mission | PFF ship. Wing lead. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 194⇗ | 13 September 1944 | Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany | Completed Mission | 41st A Combat Wing lead; PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 196⇗ | 19 September 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Hamm, Germany | Completed Mission | PFF ship; lead Squadron deputy. Landed away at Old Buckenham, reason unknown. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 197⇗ | 21 September 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mainz, Germany | Completed Mission | Wing deputy. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 198⇗ | 25 September 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Completed Mission | B Wing, deputy wing lead. PFF ship. Led wing on bomb run due to failure of equipment on lead aircraft - the PFF on this ship went out momentarily on first bomb run, forcing a second one. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 199⇗ | 26 September 1944 | Target: Steelworks Type: Industry Location: Osnabrück, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 200⇗ | 27 September 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (PFF Aiming Points) Type: Transportation Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany | Completed Mission | Low group lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 201⇗ | 28 September 1944 | Target: Steelworks Type: Industry Location: Magdeburg, Germany | Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off | Replaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 43‑38616. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 202⇗ | 30 September 1944 | Target: Handorf Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Münster, Germany | Completed Mission | Low group lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 204⇗ | 3 October 1944 | Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Wesseling, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron deputy. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 205⇗ | 5 October 1944 | Type: Industry Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany | Completed Mission | Deputy lead. This aircraft led the group on two PFF runs, was hit by flak over target area and lost two engines; could not keep up with group and was going to land in Belgium; plane was under control, but was reported to explode at about 2,000' altitude. However, while it was out of commission for about two months, it was back flying combat missions in December. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 234⇗ | 2 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany | Flight Completed | Weather aircraft; remainder of crew (CP, N, RO, Eng) not identified. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 239⇗ | 12 December 1944 | Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 242⇗ | 23 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Ehrang, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron lead. Landed away at Horham due to weather. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 243⇗ | 24 December 1944 | Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Kirch Göns, Germany | Completed Mission | 13F Squadron Deputy. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 245⇗ | 28 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Brühl, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 246⇗ | 30 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Limburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead. PFF& Gee-H ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 247⇗ | 31 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Neuss, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 248⇗ | 1 January 1945 | Target: Oil Storage Depot Type: Oil Industry Location: Derben, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 249⇗ | 2 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Gerolstein, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 252⇗ | 7 January 1945 | Target: Enemy Strong Point Type: Military Location: Blankenheim, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 253⇗ | 8 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Type: Transportation Location: Kyllburg, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 254⇗ | 10 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bonn, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Left his position and assumed lead at IP and led group on a PFF bomb run on secondary target (primary was obscured with clouds). The (secondary) target was picked up visually half-way down the bomb run but prior to release it was found that the bomb racks were frozen. He circled around and completed a second run with successful bomb release. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 256⇗ | 17 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Viaduct Type: Transportation Location: Bielefeld, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 257⇗ | 20 January 1945 | Target: Rail and Road Bridges Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead; PFF ship. Landed away at RAF Stradishall, Suffolk. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 266⇗ | 14 February 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Dresden, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead; PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| -- | 17 February 1945 | Mannheim, Germany, RECALLED | Mission Recalled | HSq Deputy Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 269⇗ | 20 February 1945 | Target: Main Railroad Station Type: Transportation Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 270⇗ | 21 February 1945 | Target: Tank Factory Type: Industry Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 273⇗ | 24 February 1945 | Target: Submarine Construction Shipyard Type: Shipyards Location: Hamburg, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 276⇗ | 27 February 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Wahren (Leipzig area), Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 281⇗ | 4 March 1945 | Target: Ordnance Depot Type: Military Location: Ulm, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron deputy and hot camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 285⇗ | 10 March 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Schwerte, Germany | Flight Completed | Weather aircraft; remainder of crew (CP, N, RO, Eng) not identified. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 289⇗ | 15 March 1945 | Target: Army HQ Type: Military Location: Zossen, Germany | Returned Early | Group deputy and lead Squadron hot camera ship. Turned back before the IP when #3 engine failed; bombed a target of opportunity (TOO), railroad marshalling yards in Vechta, Germany. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 297⇗ | 24 March 1945 | Target: Twente Enschede Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 298⇗ | 26 March 1945 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Zeitz, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 299⇗ | 28 March 1945 | Target: Berlin/Spandau Motor Transport Works Type: Industry Location: Spandau (Berlin), Germany | Completed Mission | Lead Squadron Deputy Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 300⇗ | 30 March 1945 | Target: Deutsche Schiff- u. Maschinenbau A.G. (DESCHIMAG)
Submarine and Warship Yard Machine Shop Type: Submarine Facility Location: Bremen, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 315⇗ | 20 April 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Seddin, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| -- | 16 May 1945 | Training (Non-Combat) | Ground Accident | While taxiing after landing, the right tire blew, resulting in the aircraft nosing over. No personnel were injured. Sortie Report ⇗ |