SORTIE REPORT #781
MISSION DATA:
DATE 384th BG Mission # 8th AF Mission # 384th PRIMARY TARGET
1943‑10‑10 31 114 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Münster, Germany
Coesfeld Mistaken for Münster: The 384th Bombardment Group (H) provided 21 aircraft for today's mission. Aborting aircraft reduced the number attacking to fifteen. At the start of the bomb run, 'we observed a town burning and, mistaking it for the target, made the bomb run. The town was later identified as Coesfeld [Germany].' On the return, weather interfered with recovery operations, forcing seve to land at other fields, and one crew to bail out, leaving their aircraft to crash near Eye.
SORTIE DATA:
COMBAT CREDIT STATUS TARGET ATTACKED (MODE)
Yes Completed Mission
Comments: Landed away at Desborough due to weather.
Other (Visual)
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Coesfeld, Germany
SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA:
TYPE SERIAL NUMBER SQUADRON SQ CODE NAME
B-17F 42‑29717 ⇗ 544th SU*H MR. FIVE BY FIVE
SORTIE CREW DATA:
POSITION CREWMEMBER UNIT STATUS
Pilot Kauffman, Giles Felker, Jr⇗ 547 Completed, Uninjured
Co-pilot Molnar, George (NMI)⇗ 547 Completed, Uninjured
Navigator Pogorzelski, Frank (NMI)⇗ 547 Completed, Uninjured
Bombardier Lacroix, James Joseph⇗ 547 Completed, Uninjured
Radio Operator Beck, Jules Theodore⇗ 547 Completed, Uninjured
Engineer/Top Turret Jarrell, William (NMI)⇗ 547 Completed, Uninjured
Ball Turret Mariani, Waldo Francis⇗ 547 Completed, Uninjured
Tail Gunner Reuben, Stanley Thomas⇗ 547 Completed, Uninjured
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Seniawsky, Peter (NMI)⇗ 547 Completed, Uninjured
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Spodar, Paul (NMI)⇗ 547 Completed, Uninjured
Sortie Report 781 provided by 384thBombGroup.com
SortieEngine.php Rev. 3.3.2, 22 June 2022
Report generated: 12 October 2026, 2:24 PM (PDT)
Site design and content © 1999-2026 by Webmaster