| MISSION DATA: | |||
| DATE | 384th BG Mission # | 8th AF Mission # | 384th PRIMARY TARGET |
| 1943‑09‑16 | 24 | 97 | Target: Blockade Runner Ship (in Loire River) Type: Transportation Location: Nantes, France |
| Ship Gone; Port Facilities Attacked: The 384th Bomb Group flew as the Low Group of the leading Wing of Air Task Force 1 on today's Mission. Primary target was a supply ship for submarines. The ship was not found in the briefed area, so the Group attacked the secondary target, port facilities and shipping, with good results. | |||
| SORTIE DATA: | ||
| COMBAT CREDIT | STATUS | TARGET ATTACKED (MODE) |
| Yes |
Failed To Return: Ditched Comments: Ditched in the English Channel Near Hope Cove, Knightsbridge, Devon (about 15 miles SE of Plymouth), after being damaged by enemy aircraft; crew rescued by a fishing boat; Leigh was injured and hospitalized in Hope Cove until 2 October; no MACR; all returned to duty. |
Secondary (Visual) Target: Harbor Facilities Type: Transportation Location: Nantes, France |
| SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA: | ||||
| TYPE | SERIAL NUMBER | SQUADRON | SQ CODE | NAME |
| B-17F | 42‑29699 ⇗ | 547th | SO*D | OLD BATTLE AXE |
| SORTIE CREW DATA: | |||
| POSITION | CREWMEMBER | UNIT | STATUS |
| Pilot | Price, William Merriman, III⇗ | 547 | Ditched, Rescued |
| Co-pilot | Coleman, Lee Browning⇗ | 547 | Ditched, Rescued |
| Navigator | Harvey, Harry Blakely, Jr⇗ | 547 | Ditched, Rescued |
| Bombardier | Arquette, Leroy Arthur⇗ | 547 | Ditched, Rescued |
| Radio Operator | Smith, Robert Eugene⇗ | 547 | Ditched, Rescued |
| Engineer/Top Turret | Beaty, Earl Richard⇗ | 547 | Ditched, Rescued |
| Ball Turret | Griffin, Daniel (NMI)⇗ | 547 | Ditched, Rescued |
| Tail Gunner | Grant, Ralph Gilbert⇗ | 547 | Ditched, Rescued |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Nelson, Earl James⇗ | 547 | Ditched, Rescued |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Leigh, James Carl⇗ | 547 | Ditched, Rescued |