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: | 44-6592 |
| Name: | STARDUST |
| Manufacturer: | Built by the Douglas Aircraft Company, B-17G-55-DL, Natural Metal Finish |
| Squadron: | 547th Bombardment Squadron (H) |
| Squadron ID Code: | 547th‑SO*S |
| Start Date: | 28 October 1944. New Replacement AC. |
| Missions: | This aircraft was credited with 42 combat missions with the 384th. |
| End Date: | 10 December 1945. Istres: Moved with the Group to Istres/Le Tube, France. |
| Comments: | Damaged during the 3 February 1945 mission to Berlin, the Ruckman Crew flew to an emergency landing in Poland. There they linked up with the Spiegel Crew who had arrived in similar circumstances, and between them cannibalized parts from the Spiegel aircraft to repair this one. Once repairs were completed both crews returned to England by way of Italy and France, with the Ruckman crew returning to duty on 23 March, flying about ten more missions, many of them in this same aircraft! |
| Related Documents: | Missing Air Crew Report # 12154⇓ (7.168 MB) |
| Photo Album: | Aircraft 44-6592 Photo Album⇗ |
| History: | 44-6592 Del Lincoln 16/9/44; Grenier 2/10/44; Ass 547BS/384BG [SO-S] Grafton Underwood 28/10/44; MIA Berlin 3/2/45 w/George Ruckman, Fiorino Cinquanta, John Beeby, Jack Rivall, John Young, Jack Garstak, Albt Horan, Alonzo Rice, Fred Sorenson (9POW); flak, f/l Berlin; MACR 12154; trans with group to Istres on mapping duties, Sal 9AF Germany 10/12/45. STARDUST. |
| (more...) | |
| Number | Date | Target | Results | Mission/Sortie Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 218⇗ | 2 November 1944 | Target: Ruhr-Chemie A.G. Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Sterkrade (Holten), Germany | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 43‑37843. Low Squadron. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 219⇗ | 4 November 1944 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 220⇗ | 5 November 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 225⇗ | 11 November 1944 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 226⇗ | 16 November 1944 | Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions Type: Military Location: Eschweiler, Germany | Completed Mission | Hot camera ship; lead Squadron, 41st Bomb Wing D group. Landed away at Tilstock, 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 | High Squadron, B group. 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 | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 234⇗ | 2 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany | Spare, Completed Mission | Low Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 235⇗ | 4 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Soest, Germany | Completed Mission | Landed away at RAF Manston, Kent, due to low fuel. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 236⇗ | 6 December 1944 | Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany | Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed | High Squadron Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 238⇗ | 11 December 1944 | Target: Road & Rail Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron, D Group. 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 | Flight Completed | Weather ship; landed at Woodbridge due to weather. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 245⇗ | 28 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Brühl, Germany | Completed Mission | Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 43‑38994. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 246⇗ | 30 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Limburg, Germany | Completed Mission | 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 | Completed Mission | High Squadron. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 249⇗ | 2 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Gerolstein, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 250⇗ | 3 January 1945 | Target: Enemy Strong Point & Transportation Hub Type: Military Location: St Vith, Belgium | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 251⇗ | 5 January 1945 | Target: Landing Ground Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Neiderbreisig, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron deputy. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 252⇗ | 7 January 1945 | Target: Enemy Strong Point Type: Military Location: Blankenheim, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 253⇗ | 8 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Type: Transportation Location: Kyllburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 254⇗ | 10 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bonn, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron. 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 | Landed away at RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 259⇗ | 22 January 1945 | Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Sterkrade, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 261⇗ | 28 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany | Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off | Replaced by 43‑38757 - Ruckman displaced Whitesides from that aircraft. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 263⇗ | 1 February 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 264⇗ | 3 February 1945 | Target: Tempelhof Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Berlin, Germany | Landed In Allied Territory | Lead Squadron. Left formation after bombs away; crash-landed in Russian territory; repaired plane and returned via Italy to Grafton Underwood on 23 March 1945. 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 | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | Turned back over North Sea because the exhaust stack 'broke off completely' on one engine. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 301⇗ | 31 March 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Lützkendorf, Germany | Completed Mission | Ground Spare Aircraft; used by the Saxton Crew when they were displaced from 43‑37917 by the C. A. Lewis Crew. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 303⇗ | 4 April 1945 | Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Fassberg, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 305⇗ | 6 April 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (Visual Primary) Type: Transportation Location: Leipzig, Germany | Completed Mission | Lead Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 306⇗ | 7 April 1945 | Target: Underground Oil Storage Plant Type: Military Location: Hitzacker, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 307⇗ | 9 April 1945 | Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 308⇗ | 10 April 1945 | Target: Ordnance Depot Workshop Area Type: Military Location: Oranienburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Ground Spare Aircraft, replaced 43‑38678. High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 310⇗ | 14 April 1945 | Target: Gun Battery Type: Military Location: Royan (Bordeaux), France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 311⇗ | 15 April 1945 | Target: Flak guns at Pointe de Suzac Type: Military Location: Royan, France | Spare, Completed Mission | Low Squadron flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 312⇗ | 16 April 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Regensburg, Germany | Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off | Replaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑38747. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 313⇗ | 17 April 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Dresden, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 315⇗ | 20 April 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Seddin, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 316⇗ | 25 April 1945 | Target: Skoda Armament Works Type: Industry Location: Pilsen / Plzeň, Czechoslovakia | Completed Mission | High Squadron. Note on formation chart indicates a problem with landing gear on return. Sortie Report ⇗ |