SORTIE REPORT #822
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)
No Aborted Mission After Taking Off.
Comments: Turned back. Landed away at Ridgewell.
N/A
SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA:
TYPE SERIAL NUMBER SQUADRON SQ CODE NAME
B-17F 42‑29768 ⇗ 547th SO*X WINSOME WINN II
SORTIE CREW DATA:
POSITION CREWMEMBER UNIT STATUS
Pilot Willing, Mark Skinner, Jr⇗ 547 Aborted
Co-pilot Martin, Rudolph Alfred⇗ 547 Aborted
Navigator Haley, Bruce Thomas⇗ 547 Aborted
Bombardier Brown, Robert E⇗ 547 Aborted
Radio Operator Soto, Roman Serrano⇗ 547 Aborted
Engineer/Top Turret Holloway, Durwood Harmon⇗ 547 Aborted
Ball Turret Ott, Robert Edward⇗ 547 Aborted
Tail Gunner Pharr, Keating Sams⇗ 547 Aborted
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Smith, Walter Blaine⇗ 547 Aborted
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Ripley, Seth Thomas⇗ 547 Aborted
Sortie Report 822 provided by 384thBombGroup.com
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Report generated: 12 October 2026, 8:03 AM (PDT)
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