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: | 43-39053 |
| Name: | HEAVENLY BODY |
| Manufacturer: | Built by the Boeing Airplane Company, B-17G-100-BO, Natural Metal Finish |
| Squadron: | 546th Bombardment Squadron (H) |
| Squadron ID Code: | 546th‑BK*D |
| Ground Crew Chief: | Francis, Percy Tom |
| Start Date: | 7 January 1945. New Replacement AC. |
| Missions: | This aircraft was credited with 36 combat missions with the 384th. |
| End Date: | 23 March 1945. Failed to return from combat operations. |
| Related Documents: | Missing Air Crew Report # 13611⇓ (7.970 MB) |
| Photo Album: | No Photo Album For This Aircraft |
| History: | 43-39053 Del Hunter 19/7/44; Dow Fd 29/11/44; Ass 546BS/384BG [BK-D] Grafton Underwood 7/1/45; MIA Coesfeld 23/3/45 w/John Conner, Mack Robinette, Paul Bellavance, Claude Hollenbeck, Willard Earl, Hal Burke (6POW); Max Fulton, Ferdi Mendias, Delmar Beeslay, Willard Ehr {sj} (4KIA); flak, cr Duisburg; MACR 13611. HEAVENLY BODY. |
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| Number | Date | Target | Results | Mission/Sortie Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 254⇗ | 10 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bonn, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron deputy. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 256⇗ | 17 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Viaduct Type: Transportation Location: Bielefeld, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 257⇗ | 20 January 1945 | Target: Rail and Road Bridges Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany | Completed Mission | Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 43‑38747. Landed away at RAF Upwood, Huntingdonshire (now Cambridgeshire). Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 259⇗ | 22 January 1945 | Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Sterkrade, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 260⇗ | 23 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Neuss, Germany | Spare, Completed Mission | Lead Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Landed away at North Pickenham Airfield, AAF Station 143. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 261⇗ | 28 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 262⇗ | 29 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Siegen, Germany | Completed Mission | Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 44‑8007. Group deputy. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 263⇗ | 1 February 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron deputy. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 264⇗ | 3 February 1945 | Target: Tempelhof Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Berlin, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron Deputy. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| -- | 7 February 1945 | Essen/Bottrop, Germany, RECALLED | Mission Recalled | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 265⇗ | 9 February 1945 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Lützkendorf, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 266⇗ | 14 February 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Dresden, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 267⇗ | 15 February 1945 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bohlen, Germany | Completed Mission | Landed away at Bassingbourn Airfield, AAF Station 121. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 268⇗ | 19 February 1945 | Target: Coking Plant Type: Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 269⇗ | 20 February 1945 | Target: Main Railroad Station Type: Transportation Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 270⇗ | 21 February 1945 | Target: Tank Factory Type: Industry Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 271⇗ | 22 February 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Ülzen, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron deputy. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 272⇗ | 23 February 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Plauen, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 273⇗ | 24 February 1945 | Target: Submarine Construction Shipyard Type: Shipyards Location: Hamburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Lead Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 274⇗ | 25 February 1945 | Target: Tank & Submarine Engine Factory Type: Industry Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron. 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 | High Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 277⇗ | 28 February 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Hagen, Germany | Completed Mission | Lead Squadron hot camera ship. 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 ⇗ |
| 280⇗ | 3 March 1945 | Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Misburg, 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 | Completed Mission | Lead Squadron. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 283⇗ | 8 March 1945 | Target: Oil Refinery - 'Benzol Plant' Type: Oil Industry Location: Essen, Germany | Spare, Completed Mission | High Squadron flying spare; joined formation. 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 | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 288⇗ | 14 March 1945 | Target: Railroad Bridge, Weser River Type: Transportation Location: Bad Oeynhausen, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 289⇗ | 15 March 1945 | Target: Army HQ Type: Military Location: Zossen, Germany | Completed Mission | High 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 | Lead Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 292⇗ | 19 March 1945 | Target: Braunkohle-Benzin Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bohlen, Germany | Completed Mission | 41C Group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 293⇗ | 20 March 1945 | Target: Deutsche Werft Submarine Shipyard Type: Submarine Facility Location: Hamburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 295⇗ | 23 March 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Gladbeck, Germany | Failed To Return | Left formation at target on fire after aircraft received direct flak burst, setting #4 on fire and #2 started smoking; the aircraft lost 8-10,000ft in a spin, then exploded in mid-air; two to four chutes observed; crashed near Duisburg, Germany. MACR 13611 Sortie Report ⇗ |