December
11, 1943, 19th victory December
11, 1943, 19th victory 
Searches concerning this victory :
| progress of the search | 3 | Last update | October 1st, 2003 | Evaluation quality of information | 3 |
The mission of the USAAF
COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCESSATURDAY, 11 DECEMBER 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS :
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force) :
VIII Bomber Command Mission 151:
437 of 490 B-17's and 86 of 93 B-24's hit the industrial area at Emden, Germany at 12.20-13.12 hours; they claim 86-22-23 Luftwaffe aircraft; 15 B-17's and 2 B-24's are lost, 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 120 B-17's and 18 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 20 WIA and 185 MIA.
This mission is escorted by 31 P-38's, 313 P-47's and 44 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 21-0-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 P-47's and 1 P-51 are lost; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are damaged beyond repair and 3 P-47's are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 4 MIA.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 152: 4 of 4 B-17's drop 800,000 leaflets on Laval, Rennes, Le Mans and Nantes, France at 2026-2039 hours; no casualties.
B-17 declared lost on December 11, 1943 (current result of my works) :
Source : Book "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story" + AFHRA Microfilm
serial number
plane type / name
squadron
code
reason
mission lost on
pilot / crew
42-3488
385 BG 548 BS
?
fighter
Emden
Crash Location Offingawier (Hol)Pollock,
2KIA, 8POW,
MACR 166542-30168
385 BG 550 BS
?
fighter
Emden
Crash Location Goengaaster Mieden
? ou Goengahuizen ?Jennings,
7KIA, 3POW,
MACR 166642-30182
Boeing
B-17F-90-BO
"Blondie II"95 BG
412 BSQW-E
Last seen near the coast with #4 engine on fire. 6 parachtes were seen to exit the craft
Emden
Crash Location Ditched North Sea in front of Dantumadeel (Hol)Moore,
10KIA,
MACR 156242-30218
95 BG
335 BSOE-W
about 5 miles before reaching the target area, aircraft began lagging behind formation
Emden
Crash Location Ferwerd (Hol)
12.402nd Lieutenant R. E. Beatty P POW
2nd Lieutenant J. B. Kernochan CP POW
2nd Lieutenant D. E. Goss N POW
2nd Lieutenant J. C. Forand B POW
Sergeant A. G. Laney RO POW
Sergeant M. C. Sprangenberg E KIA
Sergeant A. Pereira BTG KIA
Sergeant D. J. Miller RWG KIA
Sergeant A. E. Klemp LWG KIA
Sergeant J. M. Gallo TG KIA
MACR 156142-30223
Boeing
B-17F-90-BO
"Rick-O-Shay"390 BG 571 BS
FC-S
?
Emden
Crash Location
? Westerstede ?
50 kms East of Emden !
or
? Westerende ?
sit well with square BP-3Ryon,
8KIA, 2POW,
MACR 158242-30411
Boeing
B-17F-100-BO
"Hot Rocks"390 BG 568 BS
BI-J
flak
Emden
Crash Location Norden
square BP-4/5Lashly,
2KIA, 8POW,
MACR 172742-30415
94 BG
410 BSGL-P
fighters
Emden
Crash Location Orvelte (Hol)Lt. Henry F. Berwaldt, P, POW
Lt. John Robertson, Jr., CP, KIA
Lt. Joseph H. Fishbein, N, POW
Lt. Theodore R. Nardone, B, POW
T/Sgt A. R. Jungwirth, RO, POW
T/Sgt J. A. Yates, TT, POW
S/Sgt M. C. Noonen, BT, POW
S/Sgt W. G. Thaxton, TG, POW
S/Sgt R. C. Sims, RW, POW
S/Sgt J. P. Narvolli, LW, POW
S/Sgt A. C. Lepronski, OBS, POW
MACR 125742-30667
390 BG 569 BS
CC-V
Flak then
Ju88 then isolated by
Bf 109sEmden
Crash Location Harkstede (Hol)FO Francis R. "Budd" Gerald, P,
Lt Ernie A. Amport, CP,
Lt W. J. Bumgarner, N,
Lt G. Garner, B,
S/Sgt Nick M. Colagiovanni, I,
Sgt R. E. Lanham, I,
S/Sgt J.J.Costa, R,
+Sgt J.C. King, Jr, WG,
Sgt D. C. McConkey, BTG,
Sgt Collidge Howlett, TG,
10POW,
MACR 158442-30816
385 BG 551 BS
?
fighter
Emden
Crash Location
Between
Zuurdijk
and
Warfhuizen
(Hol)Poore,
Lt John Richards Ward, CP,
2KIA, 8POW,
MACR 166442-31020
388 BG 560 BS
?
fighter
Emden
Crash Location Finsterwolde (Hol)Lt Clyde L. Hughes P POW,
Lt Lester N. Mensch POW,
Lt Marion E. Wiles POW,
T/Sgt Edouard W. Mayo POW,
Sgt Maius Magnerelli POW,
Sgt Kenneth W. Wheeler POW,
4KIA, 6POW,
MACR 312242-31078
Boeing
B-17G-1-BO
(No cheek guns)306 BG 369 BS
WW-R
flak
Emden
Crash Location EmdenBailey,
1KIA, 9POW,
MACR 157442-31122
390 BG 568 BS
BI-A
Twin engine plane (Me110 or Ju88)
Emden
Crash Location
North SeaCapt. Hiram C. Skogmo P KIA,
Maj. Ralph V. Hansel CP KIA,
Lt W. Poythress Jr. TG KIA,
T/Sgt E. Phillips TT POW,
Capt. Irving R. Lifson N POW,
Capt. Donald S. Warren N POW,
was the eleventh man in this plane which was the lead ship of the
3rd Bomb Division.
8KIA, 3POW,
MACR 158342-37715
Boeing
B-17G-80-DL
"Sugar Foot"100 BG 351 BS
EP-G
fighter
Emden
Crash Location North SeaJames R. Haddox P,
9KIA, 1POW,
MACR 157042-37823
Boeing
B-17G-15-DL390 BG 569 BS
?
flak
Emden
Crash Location
? Barkholt ?Fish,
8KIA, 2POW,
MACR 172642-39859
94 BG
332 BSXM-P ?
fighters
Emden
Crash Location
Eems river Estuary
North SeaLt. B. Capehart, P, POW
Lt. L. W. Smith, CP, POW
Lt. V. D. Viterbo, N, POW
Lt. B. Wright, B, POW
S/Sgt R. Kirkpatrick, RO, POW
S/Sgt R. Babcock, TT, POW
Sgt S. R. Landis, BT, KIA
Sgt F. E. Castle, TG, KIA
Sgt L. W. Hadley, RW, KIA
Sgt B. T. Jones, LW, KIA
MACR 1258The report of the mission #151 gives lost 15 B-17. The table of losses above give 15 B-17 with mission target Emden. This table is complete.
- - - Special Thanks to Helynn Schufletowski for 95BG datas - - -
Photo of Lead Crew of the 358th BS for mission on december 11, 1943 Emden.
(no name) #42-30865 (358BS) VK-G
41st CBW Lead (358BS) - Pilot Maj K.R. Mitchell / CoPilot Maj G.F. Shumake(Back L to R) Capt K.W. Davey (TG-O), Maj K.R. Mitchell (P), Maj G.F. Shumake (CP),
1Lt J.E. McCormick (B), 1Lt R.E. McElwain (N), 2Lt J.P. Nothstein (N)(Front L to R) S/Sgt G.C. Mullins (E), S/Sgt J.C. Supple (R),
S/Sgt J.G. Viszneki (WG), S/Sgt J.H. Pleasant (WG), S/Sgt E.W. Griffin (BT)[photo from the 303rdBGA Archives]
Elements to direct searches :
Source : Table of 390th Bomb Group (H) Missions
Target Area Date Target Lead Crew Command Pilot B-17s Lost Emden 11-Dec-43 Shipyard Capt. Skogmo Maj. R. Hansel 5
Source : Unusual 303rd BG Experiences
Message de : Loren E. Zimmer (427th BS) Right Waist GunnerMy position was the right waist gun. The mission was Frankfurt, Germany on Jan 29, 1944. Our pilot, Lt. James Fowler and co-pilot, Lt. Barney Rawlings were flying "GI Sheets," the same airplane we flew on our first mission to Emden on Dec. 11, 1943.
This allows to possibly look for the losses of 303rd BG and 427th BS if mission on Emden 11/12/1943 is pertinent.
Source : "Journal of combat missions page3.htm" B-17 96th BG
Extrait Mission No. 15 -- Emden, Germany December 11, 1943On December 11, we made our second raid on the submarine base at Emden, my fifteenth mission, with more than 500 bombers participating. There was a very strong headwind as we left our home base. The group ahead lost three B-17s before we reached the French coast, and lost five more after that. We lost no ships from our group, although one crew was very thankful to be able to make it back home. One of our crews in the high squadron had a malfunctioning bomb rack which delayed release of its bombs. One of its bombs dropped onto the wing of an airplane under it, and stayed there. The pilot flew the plane gingerly enough that he was able to return to base safely with it on his wing. The following day, we were aroused at 12:30 AM for a mission somewhere, but fortunately the mission was scrubbed before we even reached the Operations shack. View related newspaper article
This allows to possibly look for the losses of the 96th BG if mission on Emden 11/12/1943 is pertinent.
Description of this victory by Heinz Knoke and different information :
Heinz Knoke Informations
Personal comments
Source I flew for the f... page 130
Date December 11, 1943
Type of claimed plane Fortress
B-17 H2S (Source REVI+)
Place of the interception
Crash Location
Ost Square BP-3 (Source REVI+)
Presumed mission USAAF
Presumed route USAAF
Schedule
Marx's takeoff
Victory : 12.39 (Source REVI+)
Weather report
Knoke's Unit 5./JG11
Description of the fight
Detail 1 "Today I brought my score up to twenty"
