Mission # 75

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date 16 March 1944
Eighth Air Force Operations Operations description not yet available.
Mission
384th BG Mission Number 75, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 262
Bad Day At Augsburg
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Previous Mission
The 384th Bombardment Group (H) flew two formations on today's mission. A group-sized formation was assigned to the 40th Composite Combat Wing; it could not find its assigned Wing, so it tacked on to the 1st Combat Wing and completed the mission. Also, a single squadron formation was assigned as the low squadron of the Composite High Group of the 41st Combat Wing. The formations were unable to attack the primary target because it was obscured by clouds, so the bombers unloaded on the secondary target, Augsburg, using PFF (RADAR) aiming.
Primary Target Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Target Attacked (Mode) Secondary (PFF)
Target: City
Type: Non-Military
Location: Augsburg, Germany
Sortie/Aircraft Summary Completed Mission, not including spares - 21
Flying Spare, Completed Mission - 2
Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed - 1
Scrubbed - 5
Aborted - 3
Failed To Return - 2
Mission Personnel Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗
Mission Documents Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗

34 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⇗Kravet, Marvin Robert⇗Spare, Completed MissionFlying spare; joined formation.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31048⇗Poole, George Irvin⇗Spare, Completed MissionFlying spare; joined formation.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31166⇗Heffley, Farris Ormond⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31222⇗[N/A]Scrubbed: Did Not Take OffReplaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑97477.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31235⇗Allison, Earl Thomas⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31346⇗Yokie, John Olivi⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31364⇗Goller, Theodore (NMI)⇗Completed MissionJettisoned bombs at 1130 hrs when aircraft was hit by bombs from Ledbetter aircraft 42‑37801 (MIA); bombs knocked out #2 engine and forced the jettisoning of bombs.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31375⇗Courtemanche, Ralph Eudor⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31435⇗Herbert, Joseph Robert⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron deputy, high group, 40th B Composite Combat Wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31484⇗Yelvington, Melton Albert⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron lead, high group, 40th B Composite Combat Wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31495⇗[N/A]Scrubbed: Did Not Take OffReplaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑37785.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31871⇗Booska, Maurice Arthur⇗Completed MissionGroup deputy, high group, 40th B Combat Wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31926⇗Lovell, James MacNaughton⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back at 1019 hrs because #2 engine vibrated and overheated and was throwing white and black smoke.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37785⇗[N/A]Scrubbed: Did Not Take OffGround Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑31495.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37788⇗Smith, Roger Clement⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37792⇗Briley, Scott Andrew⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37801⇗Ledbetter, Edwin Dwight⇗Failed To ReturnAircraft observed jettisoning bombs and stayed in formation until target was reached where he left formation with all four engines going and appeared to be diving down into the low group; apparently damaged by flak; crashed near Lhuître, France. MACR 3243
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37848⇗Stier, George Withers⇗Failed To ReturnGround Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑97510. After bombing target at 1325 hrs, lost altitude and flew just above undercast; continued in this way for 1.5 hrs and then was lost from sight; damaged by flak; crashed near Grivillers, France. MACR 3244
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37974⇗Langlois, Robert Ezra⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back at 1017 hrs because he was pulling excessive power settings, losing airspeed, stalled out at 115 MPH, and was unable to maintain position in formation.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37982⇗Clayton, John Earl⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38013⇗Jorgenson, Henry (NMI)⇗Scrubbed: Did Not Take OffReplaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑38158.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38014⇗MacPhail, Philip Ray⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron lead, composite high group, 41st A Combat Wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38112⇗Fioretti, Edward Anthony⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38158⇗LaSeur, William Veryle⇗Completed MissionGround Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑38013.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38208⇗Stearns, Clarence Grover⇗Completed MissionGroup lead.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑39888⇗Foster, James Everett⇗Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97081⇗Corcoran, John Joseph⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97136⇗Baylor, Robert Bledsoe⇗Completed MissionDropped nickles (propaganda leaflets), in addition to bomb load on target.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97139⇗Decker, Charles Edgar⇗Completed MissionSquadron deputy, low Squadron, composite high group, 41st composite combat wing.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97142⇗Horton, Lloyd (NMI)⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97449⇗Daskey, Kendall (NMI)⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97477⇗Miller, James Gilmore⇗Completed MissionLead Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑31222.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97510⇗[N/A]Scrubbed: Did Not Take OffReplaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑37848.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97521⇗Pryor, Raymond Thomas⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back at 0955 hrs because #3 & #4 engines failed; #1 oil cooler was leaking very badly and the lead was off of sparkplug of #7 cylinder, #2 engine.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗