SORTIE REPORT #818
MISSION DATA:
DATE 384th BG Mission # 8th AF Mission # 384th PRIMARY TARGET
1943‑10‑14 32 115 Target: Ball-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany
"Second Schweinfurt" aka "Black Thursday": The 384th Bombardment Group (H) put up three squadrons on today's mission. However, six aircraft aborted, reducing the number that bombed the primary target. A further six aircraft were knocked out by enemy action. An all-too-familiar situation faced the returning crews - bad weather over East Anglia. Three Aircraft were lost when the crews, unable to locate a suitable place to land in England, bailed out and abandoned them, while most of the remainder landed at other airfields.
SORTIE DATA:
COMBAT CREDIT STATUS TARGET ATTACKED (MODE)
Yes Crashed In Allied Territory
Comments: Crew bailed out over England; aircraft crashed near Chetwode, UK on return.
N/A
SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA:
TYPE SERIAL NUMBER SQUADRON SQ CODE NAME
B-17F 42‑5852 ⇗ 547th SO*T THE NATURAL
SORTIE CREW DATA:
POSITION CREWMEMBER UNIT STATUS
Pilot Goulder, Edmund Samuel⇗ 547 Bailed Out Over England
Co-pilot Boyce, Ernest Marshall, Jr⇗ 547 Bailed Out Over England
Navigator Schwartz, Julius Sol⇗ 546 Bailed Out Over England
Togglier Vodilko, Michael Joseph⇗ 547 Bailed Out Over England
Radio Operator Sears, William Francis⇗ 547 Bailed Out Over England
Engineer/Top Turret Thomasson, Edward Arthmur⇗ 547 Bailed Out Over England
Ball Turret Leslie, Claude Robert⇗ 547 Bailed Out Over England
Tail Gunner Seager, Francis Marvin⇗ 547 Bailed Out Over England
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Wilson, Stanley Sylvester⇗ 547 Bailed Out Over England
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Saunders, Paul Ralph⇗ 547 Bailed Out Over England
Sortie Report 818 provided by 384thBombGroup.com
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