Sortie2BDB-24Bombed Primary
“Beaver's Baby”.Over Koblenz/Mosel.
Mission 647 · 25 September 1944 · Koblenz, Germany
Serial
42-99994
B-24J
Fuselage Code
GO
Squadron
328th
Ted's Traveling Circus
Takeoff
08:40
Hardwick (Sta. 104)
Over Target
12:00
Landing
14:30
Hardwick (Sta. 104)
Duration
5:50
Bombing Altitude
23000
Aboard
9
men
The narrative.
§ This Ship
Cook's 994-K took off at 08:40, released at 12:00½ from 23,000 feet on heading 348, and landed at Hardwick at 14:30. The crew carried twelve 500-pound GPs and dropped on the leader. They reported no flak and no enemy fighters; fighter support was good. At 12:38 they saw 409th ship X leave formation and heard on UHF that he would land at Brussels, the airplane seeming under complete control. S/Sgt J. T. Sloan flew as navigator.
Bombed Marshaling Yards at Koblenz, Germany (Two Runaway Props on Take-off)
The crew.
§ 9 aboard
Name
Position
Serial
Hometown
On this flight
1LtH H. Cook
Pilot
Station 1
—
Pittsburg
Completed his tour
Returned
→
1LtFrank Cepl
Co-Pilot
Station 2
—
—
Returned
→
S/SgtJ T. Sloan
Navigator
Station 3
—
—
Returned
→
1LtPhilip P. Phillips
Bombardier
Station 4
O-662366
—
Returned
→
T/SgtPaul Harwood
Engineer / Top Turret
Station 5
—
Clarksfield
Completed his tour
Returned
→
T/SgtWilliam L. Orient
“Bill”
Radio Operator
Station 6
13111662
Bridgeville
Completed his tour
Returned
→
S/SgtLawrence G. Miller
Waist Gunner
Station 8
—
—
Returned
→
S/SgtHenry J. Bratyanski
Tail Gunner
Station 9
—
—
Returned
→
S/SgtLester S. Godfrey
Nose Gunner
—
—
Returned
→
The load.
§ 6,000 lb aboard
M17
Incendiary Cluster
12× 500 lb
TypeIncendiary (Cluster) · Magnesium/oil
Weight6,000 lb
FuzingNose M127
The flight.
§ Ship’s Record
The Day
Takeoff08:40
Over target12:00
Landing14:30
Time in the air5:50
Took off fromHardwick (Sta. 104)
Landed atHardwick (Sta. 104)
Bombing altitude23000
The Record
ResultBombed Primary
Sortie creditFull
Counted toward tourYes
Landing dispositionHome base
Record confidenceValidated against a source
Formation
Flew with328th Squadron
Fuel & Equipment
H2X scope photoNo
The target.
§ As Briefed
Koblenz/MoselMarshalling Yard
LocationKoblenz, Germany