Mission # 172

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date	4 August 1944
Eighth Air Force Operations	Show Operations > Mission 514: 1,307 bombers and 746 fighters are dispatched to strategic targets in Germany; 15 bombers are lost: >> Air Task Force 1. Of 358 B-17s, 181 hit Hamburg oil refineries, 50 hit Bremen oil refineries, 23 hit Nordhof Airfield, 22 hit Ostend, Belgium coastal defenses, 14 hit Einswarden and 7 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 0-4-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-17s are lost, 8 damaged beyond repair and 196 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 63 MIA. Escort is provided by 234 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 38-1-5 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 9-0-1 on the ground; 2 P-47s and 3 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA) and 2 P-47s and 2 P-51s are damaged. >> Air Task Force 2. Of 425 B-17s, 221 hit Peenemunde, 110 hit Anklam Airfield and 70 hit Anklam aircraft factories; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 94 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 40 MIA. Escort is provided by 223 of 250 P-51s; they claim 4-0-4 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 9 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA) and 1 is damaged beyond repair; 1 pilot is KIA. >> Air Task Force 3. Of 446 B-24s, 148 hit Rostock aviation factories, 89 hit Kiel, 88 hit Schwerin aviation factories, 71 hit Wismar aviation factories, 12 hit Schlutup, 11 hit Warien and 1 hits a target of opportunity; 4 B-24s are lost and 114 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 40 MIA. Escort is provided by 209 P-38s and P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost and 1 P-38 is damaged; 1 pilot is KIA. >> Air Task Force 4. Of 78 B-24s, 39 hit Husum Airfield and 29 hit Hemmingstedt/Heide oil refinery without loss. >> Mission 515: The first APHRODITE mission is flown using 4 radio-controlled war weary B-17s as flying bombs; targets are Mimoyecques, Siracourt, Watten, and Wizernes V-weapon sites but none are hit; 1 drone B-17 crashes killing 1 crew. Escort is provided by 16 P-47s and 16 P-51s. > Mission 516: In France, 154 B-17s and 36 fighters are dispatched to hit V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais and coastal defenses at Middelkerke and Gravelines: >> Air Task Force 1. Of 95 B-24s, 24 hit the Pas de Calais, 12 hit Achiet Airfield, 11 hit Gravelines, 11 hit Middelkerke, 6 hit Lens marshalling yard and 6 hit Villy/Montigne marshalling yard; 17 B-24s are damaged. >> Air Task Force 2. Of 59 B-17s, 13 hit targets of opportunity, 12 hit Lille/Vendeville Airfield and 11 hit a bridge at Gravelines; 12 B-17s are damaged. >> Escort for the two groups above is provided by 35 P-47s and P-51s. > 67 of 69 P-47s fly a fighter-bomber mission against Plantlunne Airfield; they claim 30-0-5 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot is MIA), 1 is damaged beyond repair and 8 damaged. Source: Jack McKillop, Rutgers University, used with permission. Hide Operations
Mission	384th BG Mission Number 172, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 516 Weather Stymies Strike Next Mission Previous Mission The 384th Bombardment Group (H) flew a second mission in the afternoon today. This mission was intended to strike another NOBALL target in France, but weather at the target area - a towering thunderstorm - prevented sighting of the assigned target. All bombs were returned to base, except for two aircraft carrying long-delay fuse bombs, which were jettisoned in the channel.
Primary Target	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Crepieul, France
Target Attacked (Mode)	No Target Attacked
Sortie/Aircraft Summary	Completed Mission, not including spares - 9
Mission Personnel	Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗
Mission Documents	Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗
Other Mission Documents	1944-08-04, Group Lead, A. Bean, G. Morris⇗

9 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
42‑37982⇗	Henderson, William Vincent⇗	Completed Mission	This aircraft carried delayed-action bombs which were jettisoned in the Channel. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38013⇗	Sienkiewicz, Edward Alfred⇗	Completed Mission	This aircraft carried delayed-action bombs which were jettisoned in the Channel. Landed away at Kimbolton, reasons unknown. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38014⇗	Peck, Harland Kenneth⇗	Completed Mission	Low section deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97941⇗	Majeske, Charles Paul⇗	Completed Mission	High section lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102933⇗	Johnstone, William Andrew⇗	Completed Mission	Group deputy and hot camera ship. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107125⇗	Morris, Gordon (NMI)⇗	Completed Mission	Group lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37843⇗	Skehan, Joseph Lynne⇗	Completed Mission	Hot camera ship. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38016⇗	Vinnedge, Roy Alan⇗	Completed Mission	Low section lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6294⇗	Kinnaird, William Robert⇗	Completed Mission	SORTIE REPORT ⇗