384th BG Mission

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date	8 June 1944
Eighth Air Force Operations	Show Operations > Mission 400: 1,178 bombers and 1,353 fighter sorties are flown on communications in France to isolate German forward elements, and airfields are bombed to prevent Luftwaffe support. Cloud conditions prevent 400+ bombers from executing attacks. >> Air Task Force #1. 640 B-17s are dispatched to La Frilliere (66 bomb), Orleans (36 bomb), Rennes Airfield (30 bomb), Orleans/Les Aubrais marshalling yard (60 bomb), Nantes (25 bomb), La Huchetiere (31 bomb), Tours/La Riche (61 bomb) and Cinq Mars bridge (57 bomb); 18 hit Bruz, 2 hit Rennes and 13 hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 63 damaged; 11 airmen are KIA and 10 MIA. >> Air Task Force #2. 538 B-24s are dispatched to Pontaubault (67 bomb), Angers/St Laud (24 bomb), Angers (19 bomb), Le Mans/Arnage Airfield (14 bomb), Pontaubault (13 bomb), Nantes (42 bomb) and Cinq Mars bridge (55 bomb); 5 hit Dinon, 1 hits Precey, 1 hits Cinq Mars bridge, 30 hit Grandville Harbor, 19 hit a bridge at Rennes, 9 hit Precey and 26 hit targets of opportunity; an attack on the Melun bridge by an Azon unit is foiled by clouds; 2 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 73 damaged; 17 airmen are KIA, 4 WIA and 20 MIA. >> Escort for the bombers is provided by 116 P-51s; they claim 3-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost and 1 is damaged beyond repair. > Other fighter-bomber missions are: >> Fighter-Bomber Task Force #1. 381 P-38s, 24 P-47s and 89 P-51s fly sweeps and patrols along the Normandy beachhead and the Channel area; P-47s claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 P-51s are lost; 1 P-38 and 1 P-51 are damaged beyond repair. >> Fighter-Bomber Task Force #2. 333 P-47s and 526 P-51s fly fighter-bomber missions against communications in NW France; they claim 27-2-4 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 21-0-11 on the ground; 6 P-47s and 11 P-51s are lost; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair. Overall, the fighters fly 1,405 sorties and attack nearly 75 targets; 1 pilot is KIA and 21 MIA during the day. Source: Jack McKillop, Rutgers University, used with permission. Hide Operations
Mission	384th BG Mission Number 131, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 400 Railroads Targeted with Mixed Results Next Mission Previous Mission The 384th Bombardment Group (H) provided all three groups of the 41st C Combat Bombardment Wing (41C Wing) and the low group of the 41st D Combat Bombardment Wing (41D Group) on today's mission: these Wings were fifth and sixth of the eleven bomb Wings of Air Task Force #1. In support of the invasion force, bombers aimed to disrupt supply lines and materiel in railroad cars. Bombing by the 41C Wing was prevented by clouds over the primary target, so each group independently sought the secondary target, targets of opportunity (TOO), and last resort targets, which were all hidden by localized cloud cover, so attempts to bomb were abandoned and all bombers returned to base with their lethal loads. The 41D Group found their target in the clear: strike photos confirmed direct hits on the railroad bridge.
Primary Target	Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (41C) & Loire River Railroad Bridge (41D) Type: Transportation Location: Orleans, France
Target Attacked (Mode)	Primary (Visual)
Sortie/Aircraft Summary	Completed Mission, not including spares - 48 Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused - 4 Scrubbed - 1
Mission Personnel	Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗
Mission Documents	Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗

53 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
42‑3441⇗	[N/A]	Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused
42‑31222⇗	Thoma, Edward Paul⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group, Group Deputy. Ground Spare aircraft, replaced 42‑97139. Bombed Primary Target. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31435⇗	[N/A]	Lead Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused
42‑31484⇗	Pompe, Bernard Joseph⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, Low Group Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑32106⇗	Cranstoun, Richard Leroy⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37758⇗	Bagby, Donald Woods⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37776⇗	[N/A]	Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused
42‑37785⇗	[N/A]	Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused
42‑37792⇗	Liebert, Jack Louis⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37822⇗	Druckenmiller, Leon Charles⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, High Group, High Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37982⇗	James, Robert Huey⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, High Group, High Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38013⇗	Shelley, John Keith⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, Lead Group, High Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38014⇗	Smith, Charles Grover⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group, Group Lead. Bombed Primary Target. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38208⇗	Brown, Donald Harold⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, Lead Group, Wing Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑39888⇗	Gottfried, Raymond Nathan⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97139⇗	[N/A]	Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off	Replaced by Ground Spare aircraft 42‑31222. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97142⇗	Melsen, Howard Carl⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group. Bombed Primary Target. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97150⇗	Hannaford, Vernon Lloyal⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97188⇗	Eakins, Robert Nathanial⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97201⇗	Roth, Verle Leroy⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97204⇗	Pring, Robert Bradford⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, Lead Group, Low Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97237⇗	Hale, Charles Eugene⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, Lead Group, Low Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97251⇗	Rosborough, James Edward⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group, High Squadron Deputy. Bombed Primary Target. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97271⇗	Birckhead, Robert Bruce⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97273⇗	Meland, Ralph Wendell⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group, Low Squadron Lead. Bombed Primary Target. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97282⇗	Maggart, Richard Lee⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, High Group, Low Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97309⇗	Van Every, Russell Meredith⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97320⇗	Melzar, Raymond Augustus⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, High Group, Low Squadron Lead. Loading list states 'No Ball Turret.' SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97367⇗	MacFarlane, Menzies James⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97449⇗	Wortman, Marshall (NMI)⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97510⇗	Gibson, James Allen⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group. Bombed Primary Target. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97521⇗	Burkhard, James Albert⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, Low Group, Low Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97941⇗	Peterson, Walter Thomas⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, Low Group, High Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97960⇗	Kelly, John Thomas⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, Lead Group, High Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102430⇗	Adams, William Lowell⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102442⇗	Peterson, Harold William⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, Low Group, Low Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102459⇗	Rimbold, Arthur Arimese⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102500⇗	Gowder, Charles Fred⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group, High Squadron Lead. Bombed Primary Target. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102501⇗	Rucker, David Leroy⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group, Low Squadron Deputy. Bombed Primary Target. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102518⇗	Keate, Richard Clifford⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, Low Group, High Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102601⇗	Carey, Gates Chapman⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group. Bombed Primary Target. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102617⇗	Strong, Bert Franklin⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102620⇗	Shearer, Wilbur Lee⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group. Bombed Primary Target. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102661⇗	Kelley, Robert Encil⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, High Group Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102959⇗	Halasz, John Julius⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107057⇗	Ungerman, Kenneth Armistead⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group. Bombed Primary Target. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107058⇗	Peck, Harland Kenneth⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group. Bombed Primary Target. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107064⇗	Brown, Billie Barnard⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107148⇗	Bennett, Dewayne (NMI)⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, Low Group Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107221⇗	Sammons, Gerald Busby⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, High Group Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107224⇗	Fairfield, William Adelbert⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6080⇗	Humbles, Alfred Thomas⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing, Lead Group, Wing Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6105⇗	Menke, Robert Arthur⇗	Completed Mission	41C Wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗

Mission # 131

MISSION SUMMARY