SORTIE REPORT #825
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 Completed Mission
Comments: Landed away at Molesworth.
Primary (Visual)
SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA:
TYPE SERIAL NUMBER SQUADRON SQ CODE NAME
B-17F 42‑29809 ⇗ 545th JD*X QUEEN JEANIE / DAMN YANKEE II
SORTIE CREW DATA:
POSITION CREWMEMBER UNIT STATUS
Pilot Bedsole, Joseph Linyer, Jr⇗ 545 Wounded
Co-pilot Cosentino, George (NMI)⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Navigator Groh, Harold Chester⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Bombardier Wismann, William Charles⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Radio Operator Madden, Joseph Francis⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Engineer/Top Turret Maruszak, Karol Leonard⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Ball Turret Hotis, Leo Constantine⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Tail Gunner McMichael, Marion Louis⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Mazewski, Michael Henry, Jr⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Woodall, Arthur James, Jr⇗ 545 Completed, Uninjured
Sortie Report 825 provided by 384thBombGroup.com
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Report generated: 12 October 2026, 7:05 AM (PDT)
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