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: | 44-8401 |
| Name: | Not Known |
| Manufacturer: | Built by the Vega Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed Corporation, B-17G-65-VE, Natural Metal Finish |
| Squadron: | 544th Bombardment Squadron (H) |
| Squadron ID Code: | 544th‑SU*X |
| Start Date: | 5 November 1944. Transferred: Received from 100th BG.. |
| Missions: | This aircraft was credited with 20 combat missions with the 384th. |
| End Date: | 8 April 1945. Transferred: Sent to the 303rd BG. |
| Photo Album: | Aircraft 44-8401 Photo Album⇗ |
| History: | 44-8401 Del Dallas 3/9/44; Hunter 19/9/44; Dow Fd 13/10/44; Ass 351BS/100BG [EP-N] Thorpe Abbotts 20/10/44; tran 544BS/384BG [SU-X] Grafton Underwood 5/11/44; 303BG Molesworth 8/5/45; RetUS, RFC Walnut Ridge 20/12/45. |
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| Number | Date | Target | Results | Mission/Sortie Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 224⇗ | 10 November 1944 | Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany | Completed Mission | 41D Squadron, Squadron Lead. PFF ship. Marion Chase, Engineer: 'Feathered #3 after flak hit oil cooler and we lost our oil.' Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 225⇗ | 11 November 1944 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany | Completed Mission | Lead PFF Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 44‑8007. Lead Squadron lead. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 226⇗ | 16 November 1944 | Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions Type: Military Location: Eschweiler, Germany | Completed Mission | PFF ship; high Squadron lead, 41st Bomb Wing A group. 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 | PFF ship; high Squadron lead, 41st C group. 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 lead, A group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 229⇗ | 25 November 1944 | Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Lützkendorf, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead; landed away at Aldermaston. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 233⇗ | 30 November 1944 | Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Zeitz, Germany | Completed Mission | Group lead. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 236⇗ | 6 December 1944 | Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany | Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off | Replaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 44‑8007. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 239⇗ | 12 December 1944 | Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Wing lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 242⇗ | 23 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Ehrang, Germany | Completed Mission | Group 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 Lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 244⇗ | 27 December 1944 | Target: Bridge (Tactical) Type: Transportation Location: Altenahr, Germany | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | Low Squadron lead. Aborted over base due to instrument failure; bombs jettisoned. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 247⇗ | 31 December 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Neuss, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 248⇗ | 1 January 1945 | Target: Oil Storage Depot Type: Oil Industry Location: Derben, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Waist Gunner hit by flak but was saved by flak suit. After unsuccessful runs on the primary and secondary PFF targets, this Squadron broke formation and returned to bomb the secondary PFF target by visual means. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 251⇗ | 5 January 1945 | Target: Landing Ground Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Neiderbreisig, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 252⇗ | 7 January 1945 | Target: Enemy Strong Point Type: Military Location: Blankenheim, Germany | Flight Completed | Weather aircraft; remainder of crew (CP, N, RO, Eng) not identified Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 254⇗ | 10 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bonn, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 255⇗ | 15 January 1945 | Target: Neuburg Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Neuburg an der Donau, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 256⇗ | 17 January 1945 | Target: Railroad Viaduct Type: Transportation Location: Bielefeld, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Ordered to fly as division deputy while en route, due to failure of PFF equipment on lead aircraft. Led formation from IP (because lead Gee-H equipment also failed) in attack on secondary target using his PFF. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 257⇗ | 20 January 1945 | Target: Rail and Road Bridges Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron lead; PFF ship. Landed away at RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 259⇗ | 22 January 1945 | Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Sterkrade, Germany | Completed Mission | Lead PFF ground spare; replaced 8221, which was taken by group lead when 8211 was scrubbed. Group deputy. Landed away at Woodbridge; flak damage caused prop to fall off during landing. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 297⇗ | 24 March 1945 | Target: Twente Enschede Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands | 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 | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 306⇗ | 7 April 1945 | Target: Underground Oil Storage Plant Type: Military Location: Hitzacker, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 307⇗ | 9 April 1945 | Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 308⇗ | 10 April 1945 | Target: Ordnance Depot Workshop Area Type: Military Location: Oranienburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 309⇗ | 11 April 1945 | Target: Underground Oil Storage Depot Type: Oil Industry Location: Freiham, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 310⇗ | 14 April 1945 | Target: Gun Battery Type: Military Location: Royan (Bordeaux), France | Completed Mission | Col. Milton, Wing Lead. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 311⇗ | 15 April 1945 | Target: Flak guns at Pointe de Suzac Type: Military Location: Royan, France | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 312⇗ | 16 April 1945 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Regensburg, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Sortie Report ⇗ |