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: | 43-38801 |
| Name: | RUTH |
| Manufacturer: | Built by the Boeing Airplane Company, B-17G-95-BO, Natural Metal Finish |
| Squadron: | 544th Bombardment Squadron (H) |
| Squadron ID Code: | 544th‑SU*M |
| Start Date: | 28 October 1944. New Replacement AC. |
| Missions: | This aircraft was credited with 52 combat missions with the 384th. |
| End Date: | 6 April 1945. Mid-Air Collision: Collision occurred during combat mission. |
| Related Documents: | Missing Air Crew Report # 13851⇓ (9.305 MB) |
| Photo Album: | No Photo Album For This Aircraft |
| History: | 43-38801 Del Hunter 21/9/44; Grenier 2/10/44; Ass 544BS/384BG [SU-M] Grafton Underwood 28/10/44; mechanical malfunction w/Bob Fisher 1/1/45; MIA Leipzig 6/4/45 w/Dave Hastings, Dominic Martino, Thorston Johnson, Steve Gatto, Tom Weeks, Frank May (7KIA); Marlyn Bonecker (POW); mid air coll, cr Leipzig; MACR 13851. RUTH. |
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| Number | Date | Target | Results | Mission/Sortie Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 217⇗ | 1 November 1944 | Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 218⇗ | 2 November 1944 | Target: Ruhr-Chemie A.G. Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Sterkrade (Holten), Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 219⇗ | 4 November 1944 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 220⇗ | 5 November 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Completed Mission | Hot camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 221⇗ | 6 November 1944 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 222⇗ | 8 November 1944 | Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant (visual aim point) Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 223⇗ | 9 November 1944 | Target: Ground Installations Type: Military Location: Ouvrages de Sorbey (Metz), France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 224⇗ | 10 November 1944 | Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany | Completed Mission | 41D Squadron. Hot Camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 226⇗ | 16 November 1944 | Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions Type: Military Location: Eschweiler, Germany | Completed Mission | Landed away at Stratford, due to weather. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 227⇗ | 20 November 1944 | Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 228⇗ | 23 November 1944 | Target: Nordstern Coking Plant at Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-A.G. Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 229⇗ | 25 November 1944 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Lützkendorf, Germany | Completed Mission | Landed away at Aldermaston, due to weather. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 231⇗ | 27 November 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Offenburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 232⇗ | 29 November 1944 | Target: Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Misburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 233⇗ | 30 November 1944 | Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Zeitz, Germany | Completed Mission | Hot camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 234⇗ | 2 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 235⇗ | 4 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Soest, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 236⇗ | 6 December 1944 | Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 237⇗ | 9 December 1944 | Target: Airfield and Daimler Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Böblingen (Stuttgart area), Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 238⇗ | 11 December 1944 | Target: Road & Rail Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 239⇗ | 12 December 1944 | Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 240⇗ | 18 December 1944 | Target: Road Junction Type: Transportation Location: Gemünd, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 241⇗ | 19 December 1944 | Target: Railway Junction Type: Transportation Location: Glaadt, Germany | Completed Mission | Landed away at RAF Fairwood Common near Swansea, Wales. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 242⇗ | 23 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Ehrang, Germany | Completed Mission | Landed away at Ridgewell due to weather. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 248⇗ | 1 January 1945 | Target: Oil Storage Depot Type: Oil Industry Location: Derben, Germany | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑98000. Low Squadron. Struck some trees in avoiding a collision with another aircraft following takeoff in poor visibility. The wings and fuselage were damaged, but this aircraft continued in flight. They jettisoned bombs in the Channel, and returned to base. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 265⇗ | 9 February 1945 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Lützkendorf, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 266⇗ | 14 February 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Dresden, Germany | Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off | Replaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑102459. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 267⇗ | 15 February 1945 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bohlen, Germany | Did Not Take Off | Lead Squadron hot camera ship. Did not take off because bad weather halted flight operations. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| -- | 17 February 1945 | Mannheim, Germany, RECALLED | Mission Recalled | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 268⇗ | 19 February 1945 | Target: Coking Plant Type: Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany | Completed Mission | 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 | Completed Mission | High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 271⇗ | 22 February 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Ülzen, Germany | Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off | Replaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑37822. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 272⇗ | 23 February 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Plauen, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 273⇗ | 24 February 1945 | Target: Submarine Construction Shipyard Type: Shipyards Location: Hamburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 274⇗ | 25 February 1945 | Target: Tank & Submarine Engine Factory Type: Industry Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 275⇗ | 26 February 1945 | Target: Schlesicher Railroad Station (Bahnhof) Type: Transportation Location: Berlin, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 276⇗ | 27 February 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Wahren (Leipzig area), Germany | Spare, Completed Mission | Low Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 278⇗ | 1 March 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bruchsal, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 279⇗ | 2 March 1945 | Target: Low Temperature Carbonization Plant and Refinery of Deutsche Petroleum A.G. Type: Oil Industry Location: Rositz, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 281⇗ | 4 March 1945 | Target: Ordnance Depot Type: Military Location: Ulm, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 282⇗ | 7 March 1945 | Target: Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Bochum, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 283⇗ | 8 March 1945 | Target: Oil Refinery - 'Benzol Plant' Type: Oil Industry Location: Essen, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 284⇗ | 9 March 1945 | Target: Henschel Tank and Locomotive Works Type: Industry Location: Kassel, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 285⇗ | 10 March 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Schwerte, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 286⇗ | 11 March 1945 | Target: Vacuum Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bremen, Germany | Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off | Replaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 43‑37822. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 288⇗ | 14 March 1945 | Target: Railroad Bridge, Weser River Type: Transportation Location: Bad Oeynhausen, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 289⇗ | 15 March 1945 | Target: Army HQ Type: Military Location: Zossen, Germany | Completed Mission | Lead Squadron. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 290⇗ | 17 March 1945 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bohlen (Leipzig), Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 291⇗ | 18 March 1945 | Target: Schlesischer Railway Station Type: Transportation Location: Berlin, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 292⇗ | 19 March 1945 | Target: Braunkohle-Benzin Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bohlen, Germany | Completed Mission | 41D Squadron. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 293⇗ | 20 March 1945 | Target: Deutsche Werft Submarine Shipyard Type: Submarine Facility Location: Hamburg, Germany | Spare, Completed Mission | Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 44‑6476. High Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 294⇗ | 22 March 1945 | Target: German Hutted Camps (Barracks) at 51°36'N,7°06'E Type: Military Location: Westerholt, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 295⇗ | 23 March 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Gladbeck, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 296⇗ | 24 March 1945 | Target: Vechta Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Vechta, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| -- | 25 March 1945 | Lutzkendorf, Germany, RECALLED | Mission Recalled | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 298⇗ | 26 March 1945 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Zeitz, Germany | Completed Mission | 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 | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 302⇗ | 3 April 1945 | Target: Underground Oil Storage Depot Type: Oil Industry Location: Kiel, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 303⇗ | 4 April 1945 | Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Fassberg, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 304⇗ | 5 April 1945 | Target: Ordnance Depot Type: Military Location: Ingolstadt, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 305⇗ | 6 April 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (Visual Primary) Type: Transportation Location: Leipzig, Germany | Failed To Return | Collided with 43‑39164 after target at 1018 hrs. Sortie Report ⇗ |