Mission # 256

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date 17 January 1945
Eighth Air Force Operations Operations description not yet available.
Mission
384th BG Mission Number 256, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 798
Secondary Target Attacked
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Previous Mission
The 384th Bombardment Group (H) led the 41st Combat Wing on today's mission. Because he was experiencing problems with his PFF equipment, the group leader ordered the low squadron to fly as his deputy (low squadron deputy moved into lead position, and lead squadron deputy moved into low squadron deputy position) in case a PFF attack was needed. At the IP, the Gee-H operator reported that his equipment could not be used, so the deputy (formerly low squadron leader) was ordered to lead the formation in a PFF attack on the secondary target. Bombs were dropped in group formation after a good PFF run.
Primary Target Target: Railroad Viaduct
Type: Transportation
Location: Bielefeld, Germany
Target Attacked (Mode) Secondary (PFF)
Target: Railroad Workshops
Type: Transportation
Location: Paderborn, Germany
Sortie/Aircraft Summary Completed Mission, not including spares - 36
Flight Completed - 1
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused - 3
Scrubbed - 1
Mission Personnel Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗
Mission Documents Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗

41 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
42‑32106⇗Van Pelt, Charles A⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37788⇗Van Popering, Earle Allen⇗Completed MissionGround Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑37822.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37822⇗[N/A]Scrubbed: Did Not Take OffReplaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑37788.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38013⇗[N/A]Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑38208⇗Birder, Rodney Hugh⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97251⇗Rush, Joseph Henry⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97510⇗Milligan, George Robert⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97592⇗Shelley, John Keith⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron lead. PFF ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97824⇗Rice, Robert Eugene⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron deputy. Assumed Squadron lead when low Squadron leader was ordered to fly in lead Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97960⇗Molder, Charles Richard⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97986⇗[N/A]Lead Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑102459⇗[N/A]Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑102501⇗McKay, William Monroe⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102518⇗Welsh, James H⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102620⇗Fleshman, Warren Gray⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107148⇗MacKellar, Donald Allen⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37843⇗Ruckman, George Francis⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37917⇗Hewes, Charles Pershing⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38016⇗Minor, Henry W⇗Flight CompletedWeather aircraft; remainder of crew (N, RO, Eng) not identified
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38062⇗Warner, Henry L⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38501⇗Tatulis, Charles Paul⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38548⇗Ramsay, Walter E⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38630⇗Klatt, Merton Dale⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38673⇗Weisenberg, Leonard NMI⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38678⇗Holmes, George W⇗Completed MissionDivision deputy. Ordered to fly as the low Squadron deputy to make room for the low Squadron leader to fly in the division deputy position.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38721⇗Boyette, Irving H⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38752⇗Phillips, Herbert Dyer⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38757⇗Whitesides, John Boyce⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38800⇗Smisek, William Joseph⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38823⇗Starr, William George⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38927⇗Fisher, Robert Jeremy⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38994⇗Johnson, Donald Ernest⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑39053⇗Spangler, George Knox⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑39060⇗Gilmer, Charles E⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6109⇗Peterson, Calvin James⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6476⇗Festersen, John Carl⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6514⇗Belsinger, Harry Flair⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6592⇗Tebo, Clerance L⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑8211⇗Blankenmeyer, William J⇗Completed MissionDivision lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. PFF started acting up during assembly, so the air commander ordered the low Squadron lead (PFF-equipped) to move up and fly as his deputy. At the IP, the Gee-H equipment was unusable, so lead was turned over to the deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑8401⇗Orr, James Wallace⇗Completed MissionLow 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 ⇗
44‑8608⇗Galiano, Joe Vincent⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗