Mission Details for Berlin (#74)

Briefing

Details

Number: 74
Date: 5/24/1944 12:00:00 AM
Commander: Capt. S.C. Dailey
Crews Briefed: 21
Details: City center

Flying Control

Runway: 5
Engines: 0630 Thumbnail image for /Images/Takeoff/Plan05.jpg
Taxi: 0645
Take Off: 0700
E.T.R.: 1458
Notes: Briefing took place at 0400 hours. All 21 operational aircraft were off by 0730. Four aircraft returned early, two with mechnical problems and one with sick airmen aboard. All operational aircraft but one had returned by 1548 hours.

Debriefing

Aircraft: 21
Lost Over Continent: 1
Lost Other: 0
Summary: On this mission to "Big B", the 401st flew the Low Box of the 94th Combat Wing. While the briefed target was an enemy aircraft facility, 5/10 cloud undercast dictated bombing by PFF (radar) on the center of the city. Breaks in the clouds enabled the crews to observe fires started in the area surrounding the Air Ministry and the Freiderichstrasse railway station.
No enemy aircraft were encountered, although three or four were observed at a distance, kept at bay by American fighter escorts. Flak was encountered at several places en route, and over Berlin flak barrages were intense. The Eighth Air Force lost a total of 33 bombers in the attack, and 257 received battle damages. One of the B-17's shot down was a 401st ship, that was piloted by Lt. John S. Whiteman (42-31619), on its first mission.

Mission Assignments

Squadron Participants
No Assignments were found.