SORTIE REPORT #1428
MISSION DATA:
DATE 384th BG Mission # 8th AF Mission # 384th PRIMARY TARGET
1944‑01‑21 54 187 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Preuseville, France
Weather Affects Bombing: The 384th Bombardment Group (H) provided two group formations of two squadrons each for today's mission: one flew as the Lead Group of the 41st A Combat Bombardment Wing (41A Group) and the other flew as the Low Group of the 41st B Combat Bombardment Wing (41B Group). The 384th was alerted for an operational mission just as they were about to take off for a practice mission. In the space of one and one-half hours, these 34 aircraft were reconfigured for combat, and dispatched to attack 'NOBALL' targets in France. The 41A Group of 18 aircraft, led by Major Alfred C Nuttall, attacked the Preuseville target on their fourth bomb run. The 41B Group of 16 aircraft, led by Major George W Harris, were unable to locate the assigned target in the Pommereval area due to cloud obscuration, despite making seven bomb runs, and returned their bomb loads to base.
SORTIE DATA:
COMBAT CREDIT STATUS TARGET ATTACKED (MODE)
Yes Completed Mission
Comments: 41A Group.
Primary (Visual)
SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA:
TYPE SERIAL NUMBER SQUADRON SQ CODE NAME
B-17G 42‑37727 ⇗ 545th JD*Z ELISE
SORTIE CREW DATA:
POSITION CREWMEMBER UNIT STATUS
Pilot Heffley, Farris Ormond⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Co-pilot Mabe, Walter Breeden⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Navigator Carini, Louis Peter⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Bombardier Betolatti, John (NMI)⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Radio Operator Shade, William James⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Engineer/Top Turret Deutsch, Samuel (NMI)⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Ball Turret Metz, Charles John⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Tail Gunner Flynn, Timothy Francis⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Alfter, Glen Edward⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Gatzman, Ralph Lee⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Sortie Report 1428 provided by 384thBombGroup.com
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Report generated: 11 October 2026, 6:07 PM (PDT)
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