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"Hell's Angels" vs "Memphis Belle" |
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[from "Might in Flight" Copyright ©1997 Harry D. Gobrecht]
DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU OTHERWISE
The 358th B-17F #41-24577 Hell's Angels, from which the Group later named itself, completed its 25th mission on 13 May 1943. It became the first 8th Air Force B-17 to complete 25 combat missions. The Memphis Belle, a 91st BG(H) B-17, sometimes reputed to claim the first 25-mission feat, completed its 25th mission on 19 May 1943, six days after the Hell's Angels. The Memphis Belle was, however, the first 8th AF B-17 to complete 25 missions and be returned to the United States. The crew that accompanied the Memphis Belle was a makeup crew of men who had completed 25 missions. It was not the original Memphis Belle, Captain Morgan crew. Hell's Angels went on to complete 48 missions and delayed returning to the United States on its own "Flag-Waving Tour" until 20 January 1944.303rd Bombardment Group (H) Hell's Angels & Captain Irl Baldwin
and
91st Bombardment Group (H) Memphis Belle & Captain Robert K. Morgan
| MISSION DATE | TARGET | 303rd BG MISS# | HELL'S ANGELS MISS# | CAPT BALDWIN MISS# | 91st BG MISS# | MEMPHIS BELLE MISS# | CAPT MORGAN MISS# |
| 07 Nov 42 | Brest | -- | -- | -- | 01 | 01 | 01 |
| 09 Nov 42 | St. Nazaire | -- | -- | -- | 02 | 02 | 02 |
| 17 Nov 42 | St. Nazaire | 01 | 01 BR(1) | 01 BR(1) | 03 | 03 | 03 |
| 18 Nov 42 | St. Nazaire | 02 | -- | -- | 04 | -- | -- |
| 22 Nov 42 | Lorient | 03 | 02 BR(2) | 02 BR(2) | 05 | -- | -- |
| 23 Nov 42 | St. Nazaire | 04 | -- | -- | 06 | MA | MA |
| 06 Dec 42 | Lille | 05 | 03 | 03 | 07 | 04 | 04 |
| 12 Dec 42 | Rouen | 06 | RP(3) | -- | 08 | -- | -- |
| 20 Dec 42 | Romilly | 07 | -- | -- | 09 | 05 | 05 |
| 30 Dec 42 | Lorient | 08 | FTO(4) | FTO(4) | 10 | 06[B] | -- |
| 03 Jan 43 | St. Nazaire | 09 | 04 | 04 | 11 | 07 | 06 |
| 13 Jan 43 | Lille | 10 | 05 | 05 | 12 | 08 | 07 |
| 23 Jan 43 | Lorient/Brest | 11 | 06 | 06 | 13 | 09 | 08 |
| 27 Jan 43 | Wilhelmshaven | 12 | 07 | 07 | 14 | RP | -- |
| 02 Feb 43 | Emden(Hamm) | 13 GA(5) | GA(5) | GA(5) | 15(5) | RP | -- |
| 04 Feb 43 | Emden(Hamm)(U) | 14 | 08 | 08 | 16 | -- | 09[X] |
| 14 Feb 43 | Hamm | 15 RE BR(6) | 09 RE BR(6) | 09 RE BR(6) | 17 RE(6) | 10 BR | 10 BR |
| 16 Feb 43 | St. Nazaire | 16 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 11 | 11 |
| 26 Feb 43 | Wilhelmshaven | 17 | 11 [A] | -- | 19 | -- | 12 [X] |
| 27 Feb 43 | Brest | 18 | 12 [A] | -- | 20 | -- | 13 [X] |
| 04 Mar 43 | Rotterdam | 19 | 13 | 11 | 21 | MA | MA |
| 06 Mar 43 | Lorient | 20 | 14 | 12 | 22 | 12 | 14 |
| 08 Mar 43 | Rennes | 21 | 15 | 13 | 23 | MA [C] | -- |
| 12 Mar 43 | Rouen | 22 | 16 | 14 | 24 | 13 | 15 |
| 13 Mar 43 | Amiens | 23 | 17 | 15 | 25 | 14 | 16 |
| 17 Mar 43 | Rouen | RE BR(7) | RE BR(7) | RE BR(7) | RE BR(7) | -- | -- |
| 18 Mar 43 | Vegesack | 24 | 18 | 16 | 26 | -- | -- |
| 22 Mar 43 | Wilhelmshaven | 25 | 19 | 17 | 27 | 15 | 17 |
| 28 Mar 43 | Rouen | 26 | 20 | 18 | 28 | 16 | 18 |
| 31 Mar 43 | Rotterdam | 27 | 21 | 19 | 29 | 17[D] BR(8) | -- |
| 04 Apr 43 | Paris(Billancourt) | 28 | 22 | 20 | 30 | MA | -- |
| 05 Apr 43 | Antwerp | 29 | 23 | 21 | 31 | RP | 19 [Y] |
| 16 Apr 43 | Lorient | 30 | -- | -- | 32 | 18 | 20 |
| 17 Apr 43 | Bremen | 31 | -- | 22 [B] | 33 | 19 | 21 |
| 01 May 43 | St. Nazaire | 32 | -- | -- | 34 | 20 | 22 |
| 04 May 43 | Antwerp | 33 | 24 | 23 | 35 | -- | 23 [Z] |
| 13 May 43 | Meaulite | 34 | 25 | 24 | 36 | 21 [E] | -- |
| 14 May 43 | Kiel | 35 | 26 | 25 | 37 | 22 [F] | -- |
| 15 May 43 | Heligoland | 36 | 27 | -- | 38 | 23 | 24 |
| 17 May 43 | Lorient | 37 | 28 | -- | 39 | 24 | 25 |
| 19 May 43 | Kiel | 38 | -- | -- | 40 | 25 [E] | -- |
| 21 May 43 | Wilhelmshaven | 39 | -- | -- | 41 | -- | -- |
| 29 May 43 | St. Nazaire | 40 | -- | -- | 42 | -- | -- |
FOOTNOTES
|
[A] Hell's Angels Pilot - lstLt James H. McDonald on 26 Feb & 27 Feb 43 - Captain Baldwin on leave [B] Memphis Belle Pilot - Lt James Vernis (Morgan Crew CoPilot) on 30 Dec 42 - Capt Morgan was sick [C] Memphis Belle Pilot - Capt E.D. Gaitly, CoPilot & Col Stanley Wray on 08 Mar 43 [D] Memphis Belle Pilot - Capt H.W. Aycock on 31 Mar 43 [E] Memphis Belle Pilot - Lt C.L. Anderson on 13 May - Capt Morgan in London & 19 May 43 - Capt Morgan had completed his combat tour [F] Memphis Belle Pilot - Lt J.H. Miller on 14 May 43 - Capt Morgan in London [W] Captain Baldwin flew in #41-29644 Jersey Bounce, Jr. 358th BS (VK-C) on 17 Apr 43 [X] Captain Morgan flew in #41-24515 Jersey Bounce 324th BS (DF-H) on 04 Feb, 26 Feb & 27 Feb 43 [Y] Captain Morgan flew in #41-24480 The Bad Penny 324th BS (DF-C/B) on 05 Apr 43 [Z] Captain Morgan flew in #41-24527 The Great Speckled Bird 324th BS (DF-Y) on 04 May 43 FTO - Failed to take off due to mechanical problems RE - Division recall due to bad weather GA - Group aborted mission due to bad weather RP - B-17 stood down while under repair MA - Mechanical abort after takeoff before target reached BR - Bombs returned to base U - Exact target unknown - Group Navigator believed that six 303BG B-17s bombed Groningen (1) Group unable to locate target - Credited mission (2) Bomb rack malfunction over target - Credited mission (3) Bomb release intervelometer test requested (4) #3 Engine failed to start (5) Recall 30-40 miles off dutch coast. Non credited crew sortie (6) Recall between coast & Dokkum Holland - Credited mission (7) Recall between beacon 8 & 10 - Non credited mission (8) Weather obscured target - Credited mission |