Groff, Richard Hubert

Individual Personnel Data
Name Groff, Richard Hubert
⇗
Rank Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number O-756798
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #139 dated 16 July 1944, effective 16 July 1944.
Duty Pilot
MOS1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date 30 November 1944
Results Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information
  • Appointed First Lieutenant, AUS effective 28 August 1944 per 544th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 4 September 1944.
  • Granted a seven day operational leave of absence effective 25 October 1944 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #210 dated 23 October 1944.
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Groff, Richard HubertPilotCT
2nd Lt. Smith, James Milton⇗Co-pilotCT
Flt. Ofcr. Roth, Martin NMI⇗NavigatorTR
2nd Lt. Gilliam, Charles Lamb⇗BombardierCT
S/SGT. Ludvik, Antone Francis⇗Radio Operator / GunnerCT
S/SGT. Mauldin, Malcolm Argyle⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerTR
SGT. Shufelt, Leigh Warren⇗Ball Turret GunnerTR
SGT. Yelinich, John (NMI), Jr⇗Tail GunnerCT
SGT. Haskell, William Hilton⇗Flexible GunnerPOW
SGT. Walsh, James Aloysius⇗Flexible GunnerCT
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 35 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
163⇗ 21 July 1944 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Schwäbisch Hall, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑37982⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Lead group. Turned back over England because he could not locate formation after taking off late - navigator had overslept, and in his report stated he had difficulty performing navigation tasks.
Sortie Report⇗
164⇗ 24 July 1944 Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points
Type: Military
Location: La Chapelle en Juger & Hébécrevon, France 		Co-pilot 42‑102959⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Wing deputy and hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
166⇗ 28 July 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑97072⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High section deputy, low group.
Sortie Report⇗
167⇗ 29 July 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑102959⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at RAF Foulsham, Norfolk, on return for unkown reasons.
Sortie Report⇗
171⇗ 4 August 1944 Target: Rocket Research & Development Complex
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Peenemünde, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97320⇗ Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Low Group.
Sortie Report⇗
173⇗ 5 August 1944 Target: Luftwaffe Controlling Station
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Langenhagen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
174⇗ 7 August 1944 Target: Aircraft Fuel Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Dugny (Paris), France 		Pilot 42‑102959⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead group. Crash-landed at RAF Ford, West Sussex, UK, on return due to battle damage, with one seriously wounded crew member.
Sortie Report⇗
175⇗ 8 August 1944 Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points
Type: Military
Location: Bretteville-sur-Laize, France 		Pilot 44‑6105⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group.
Sortie Report⇗
176⇗ 9 August 1944 Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Erding, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group.
Sortie Report⇗
179⇗ 13 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Road Network
Type: Transportation
Location: Beaumont-le-Roger (area), France 		Pilot 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
181⇗ 16 August 1944 Target: Delitzsch Air Field and Air Equipment Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Delitzsch, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
182⇗ 18 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Vise, Belgium 		Pilot 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead group hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
183⇗ 24 August 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
186⇗ 30 August 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Crepieul, France 		Pilot 43‑37703⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
187⇗ 3 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑102459⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
188⇗ 5 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97320⇗ Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
Low group
Sortie Report⇗
191⇗ 10 September 1944 Target: BMW Motor Component Parts Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Sindelfingen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑37822⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
192⇗ 11 September 1944 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Lützkendorf & Merseburg, Germany 		Pilot 42‑102459⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41A Group.
Sortie Report⇗
195⇗ 17 September 1944 Target: Tank and Gun Concentrations, Tactical
Type: Military
Location: Eindhoven & 's‑Hertogenbosch (den Bosch), The Netherlands 		Pilot 43‑37822⇗ Combat Mission Credit
E Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
196⇗ 19 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Hamm, Germany 		Pilot 44‑6141⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron. Landed away at Old Buckenham, reason unknown.
Sortie Report⇗
197⇗ 21 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Mainz, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97282⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
199⇗ 26 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Osnabrück, Germany 		Pilot 43‑37703⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
201⇗ 28 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Magdeburg, Germany 		Pilot 43‑38615⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
203⇗ 2 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Pilot 44‑6476⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back after entering enemy airspace with a runaway prop on #4 engine.
Sortie Report⇗
204⇗ 3 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany 		Pilot 44‑6141⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
205⇗ 5 October 1944 Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Pilot 44‑6512⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
206⇗ 6 October 1944 Target: M/T Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Stettin / Szczecin, Poland 		Pilot 43‑37703⇗ Combat Mission Credit
D group.
Sortie Report⇗
207⇗ 7 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Leipzig, Germany 		Pilot 43‑37703⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Hot camera ship. Bomb doors had to be manually opened and closed.
Sortie Report⇗
209⇗ 11 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Third Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
212⇗ 17 October 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Pilot 42‑97320⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Sortie Report⇗
213⇗ 18 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Pilot 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
214⇗ 19 October 1944 Target: Heinrich Lanz Tank Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Mannheim, Germany 		Pilot 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
219⇗ 4 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany 		Pilot 44‑6141⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
220⇗ 5 November 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Pilot 44‑6141⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back; #3 engine feathered.
Sortie Report⇗
221⇗ 6 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany 		Pilot 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
222⇗ 8 November 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant (visual aim point)
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Pilot 43‑38801⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
224⇗ 10 November 1944 Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Pilot 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41D Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
225⇗ 11 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Pilot 43‑38062⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
226⇗ 16 November 1944 Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions
Type: Military
Location: Eschweiler, Germany 		Pilot 43‑38750⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy, 41st Bomb Wing A group. Landed away at Stratford, due to weather.
Sortie Report⇗
227⇗ 20 November 1944 Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Pilot 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗

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