Mission # 96

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date 27 April 1944
Eighth Air Force Operations Operations description not yet available.
Mission
384th BG Mission Number 96, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 322
V-Weapons Attacked
Next Mission
Previous Mission
The 384th Bombardment Group (H) flew as an independent group (no wing formation) on the first of two missions today. The target was partially obscured by haze making sighting difficult. In addition, the AFCE failed on the bomb run, requiring increased coordination between bombardier and pilot. However, most bombs were dropped right on the target area.
Primary Target Target: V-Weapon Service Bunker (under construction)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Sottevast, France
Target Attacked (Mode) Primary (Visual)
Sortie/Aircraft Summary Completed Mission, not including spares - 16
Flight Completed - 1
Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed - 3
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused - 3
Aborted - 1
Failed To Return - 1
Mission Personnel Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗
Mission Documents Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗

25 AIRCRAFT ASSIGNED TO THIS MISSION
Table is sorted by Pilot, and may be sorted by any column: click the column head.
Aircraft Pilot Results Mission/Sortie Information
42‑3440⇗Johnson, William T⇗Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31211⇗Ulrey, Edgar Ellsworth⇗Flight CompletedWeather Ship
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31364⇗Allison, Earl Thomas⇗Completed MissionGroup lead.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑32106⇗Knapp, Paul Bernard⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37758⇗[N/A]Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑37776⇗Meland, Ralph Wendell⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back due to inability to catch up to formation.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37785⇗Sharff, Sampson (NMI)⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37982⇗Clayton, John Earl⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97136⇗Small, Herbert William⇗Failed To ReturnDirect hit by flak immediately after bombs away; fire started in cockpit and spread throughout aircraft, which peeled off to the left and started down and then exploded; no chutes observed; crashed 2 km W of Valognes, France. MACR 4350
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97139⇗Decker, Charles Edgar⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron lead.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97188⇗Farthing, Frank (NMI)⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97237⇗[N/A]Lead Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑97251⇗Smith, Charles Grover⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97271⇗Pompe, Bernard Joseph⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97273⇗Corcoran, John Joseph⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97309⇗Birckhead, Robert Bruce⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97367⇗West, George Berry⇗Completed MissionGroup deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97510⇗Horton, Lloyd (NMI)⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97521⇗Peterson, Walter Thomas⇗Completed MissionDid not atack target due to malfunction of bomb bay doors, and mechanical difficulty with release mechanism; jettisoned 7x1000# GP bombs 2 minutes before target and 1x1000# GP shortly after target.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97573⇗Kirkpatrick, William Hugh⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102448⇗Bouvier, James Andrew⇗Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102518⇗Helmley, Loyd Elmer⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron lead. Did not attack target due to malfunction of bomb bay doors; dropped 2x1000# GP bombs between IP and target.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107057⇗Cole, Howard Woodrow⇗Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107074⇗Malone, John James⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107083⇗[N/A]Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused