July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Hi, I copied below from the 303 BG(H) Assn: http://www.303rdbg.com/pp-marshalldraper.html.

The trouble is in reading this and other sites and books is that I find contradictory information in them. For instance, how many American planes were lost in this first raid, one or two? How many planes damaged? Since the Boston bomber carried a crew of three, if there were 8 casualties and one prisoner of war taken as listed below, at least three planes must have been hit. I've searched Google but can find no complete document on this first American raid. Please, any suggestions?
Thanks
Herb

303 BG(H):
MOLESWORTH, ENGLAND: Independence Day was selected as the date for the US to enter combat from England. RAF 226 Squadron leaders had judged that most of the 15th Bombardment Squadron (L) crews were ready for war. Six American crews accompanied six 226 Squadron crews, all flying 226 Squadron Bostons. The twelve aircraft were divided into four flights of three aircraft each to bomb four Dutch airfields.
From the Molesworth-based US crews, two crews were assigned to bomb the airfield at De Koog, one crew to Bergen/Alkamaar, one to Haastede, and two to Valkenberg. The flight to hit De Koog was led by an experienced RAF pilot, with CAPT Kegelman flying one wing and 2Lt F.A. Loehrl, the other.
As they neared the target, Lt Loehrl's aircraft was hit by intense enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed in flames. CAPT Kegelman's aircraft took a direct hit in the right engine, shearing off the propeller and setting the engine on fire. He simultaneously released his bomb load. The lightened Boston surged upward and then down, its right wingtip hitting the ground and ripping off part of the lower fuselage. With full throttle on the left engine, his forward guns silenced a flak tower. Through a combination of skill and luck CAPT Kegelman brought his crew home.
Lt Marshall Draper became the first 8th Air Force POW. Seven other crewmen's lives were lost on 8th Air Force Mission Number 1 (Italics mine)
.

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

From: http://www.usaaf.net/chron/42/jul42.htm

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Thank you. This clears up quite a few points for me.
Herb Kugel

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

'Losses of the 8th and 9th Air Forces June 1942-December 1943' has two Boston's lost with AAC crew;

AL677- 2nd Lt F.A. Loehrl, Cpl J.W. Wright and Sgt R.L. Whitham killed and 2nd Lt M.D. Draper POW. Crashed near De Kooij (or Kooy) airfield.

AL741- 2nd Lt W.G. Lynn Jr, 2nd Lt B.S. Grant, S/Sgt W.E. Murphy and Cpl C.P. Kramarewicz all killed. Broke up in the air north of Bergen-ann-Zee

It notes that 2nd Draper and 2nd Lt Grant were actually members of the 414 BS.

A third Boston flown by RAF personnel was also lost with three crew whilst targeting Bergen.

Regards,

Steve Pegge

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Thank you, this gives me way more than I need, but where do you find a reference with such detail?
Herb

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Hi,
One last question, please. I note (below) that the Boston shows a compliment of four, yet in all the references I looked up, the Boston is defined with a compliment of three. Am I missing something?
Thank you all again.
Herb

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Hi,

I have also AL750 crash-landed (in England?)

Regards

Robert

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Hi, as they were all flying 226 Sqn RAF a/c then no American a/c were lost on this raid as all were RAF a/c. Unless you meant American built a/c.

From Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces ETO Area June 1942 - December 1943.
1st July 1942
Boston III - Z2200
2 killed.
Pilot. Capt Sherman F. Stacher jr.
2Lt. Charles Mente jr.
A/c was on loan from 107 Sqn to 226 Sqn.

4th July 1942
Boston III - AL677 "MQ-P"
3 killed , 1 POW.
Pilot. 2Lt. Frederick A. Loehrl +
N. 2Lt. Marshall D. Draper +
G. Cpl. James W. Wright +
G. Sgt. Robert L. Whitham POW.
Shot down by flak and crashed on a sandbank opposite De Kooij a/f, Island of T%exel, Holland.

Boston III - AL741 "MQ-V"
4 killed.
Pilot. 2Lt. William G. Lynn jr
N. 2Lt. Boyd S. Grant
G. S/Sgt William E. Murphy
G. Cpl. Charles P. Kramarewicz.
Shot down by flak and broke up in air north of Bergen -aan - Zee, Holland.

Boston III - Z2213 "MQ-U"
3 killed.
P/O. C.M. Henning +
P/O. P.J. Vozey +
Sgt. H.T. Willig +
Shot down by Bf 109 and crashed in sea 20 miles West of Callantsoog, Holland.Pilot of Bf109 Ufz. Hans Rathenow of 10/JG1.
From BCL volume 3

But the first loss to the USAAF in the ETO was a 31 Fighter Group pilot that was of the 308th Fighter Sqn.
killed in a Spitfire EN847 on the 29th June 1942.
1Lt. Alfred W. Giacomini.

Alex

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Herb,

On this occasion the two lost AAC manned Boston's each had a pilot, navigator and two gunners. The normal compliment was three (ie pilot, navigator and WO/Gunner), but this was not a fixed total. in August during the Dieppe raid a number of Boston's were lost, one of which had four crew.

Regards,

Steve

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Hi, this is interesting. The planes were American built, paid for through American Lend-Lease, and, of course, purchased by the RAF, which, in turn, lent a number of these planes to the Yanks to fly on this raid. The bottom line here, as I understand it, to the Yanks was that their part of the raid was an American 'first.'

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Thank you.

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Hi, thank you. The references I have simply refer to the Boston as a 'three-seat bomber.'

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Actually 04.07.42 was not the first, but the 4th July has such propaganda value that it is the one always mentionned

29.06.42 Bostons sent to bomb Hazebrouck railway yards. The mainly 226 Sqn raid was joined by a crew from the 15th Bombardment Squadron (L) USAAF, the first US bombing sortie from the UK in the war. (12 Bostons in total)

Martin

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Hi,

Just to add a little more from page 264 of the Mighty Eighth.

AL750 - MQ-Z - Capt. Kegelman
AL677 - MQ-P - Lt. Loehrl
AL741 - MQ-V - 2Lt. Lynn
AL746 - MQ-M - Capt. Odell
AL670 - MQ-D - Capt. Crabtree
Z2303 - MQ-J - Lt. Howel

This confirms the mention of AL750 in an earlier post and adds three more aircraft/crew details.

Alex

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Hi, thank you for the information, it does help and is most appreciated. BTW, Kegelman had quite a career:


Malachowski, Jim, Vance Auxiliary Field Named After 1940s AAF Bomber Pilot,
http://www.vanceairscoop.com/print.php?story_id=1520&PHPSESSID=dd154fd00588d075 f0e6e5c3009b345e

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

HI, one question, please. Craven and Cate call the unit the 15th Bombardment Squadron (Separate.) Other publications call the unit the 15th Bomb Squadron. Was there some sort of change of names? Is one name correct, another wrong? Also, by 'Separate,' does this mean that the 15th had not been assigned to a Bomb Group until it arrived in the U.K., at which time it was assigned to the VIII BC?
Thanks
Herb

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

although rarely used by the American Air Forces the Boston could be used with two gunners.
one in the upper rear 'clamshell' position and the other in the lower aft fuselage, this poor soul had to lay prone.
hence, 'a three-seat bomber' but able to have four men in the crew.
(the Soviets sometimes used this position)


(L) equals Light
(H) equals heavy
both are in-accurate as these are Medium bombers.

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Thank you.
I have never found this in any of the books I study.
Herb

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Herb,

My understanding is that the unit was the 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light). It had been part of the 27th Bombardment Group, but deactivated in October 1941. Later reformed, the 15th BS (L) arrived in the UK in May 1942 without a parent Bombardment Group. Remaining a seperate unit the squadron was transferred to the 12th Air Force in September 1942 and deployed to North Africa in November 1942. Here it was disbanded and its personnel taken over the 47th BG (L).

Regards,

Steve

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve49 (Post 47249) Herb,

Hi, if this is so, that is if the 15th BS was never formally part of VIII BG, were Captain Kegelman and his crew, who were decorated for their part in the July 4th mission, actually ever part of the 8th AF? The literature I read has these men as the first 8th AF people to be decorated. Also, some of the literature I've read call the unit the 15th Bombardment Group and some call it the 15th Bomb Group. Is there something formal here?
Thank you.
Herb

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Hello all,From USA official reports/documents:"Notes on the 15th Bombardment Squadron (L): The first aerial blow struck by American bombers upon the continent of Europe was delivered by fliers of the 15th Bombardment Squadron (L). (...) Six A-20 American light bombers were used by the 15th Bombardment Squadron fliers, who combined their effort with six planes of the British 226 Squadron, also A-20's or Bostons, as termed by the British."War Diary of 15 Bombardment Squadron (L), Station Molesworth. 4 July 42: The first offensive action in the ETO by American airmen took place today. Also see 2 Group RAF by Michael J F Bowyer, pages 242-244. On 29 June 42 Capt Kegelman with Lt Bell, T/Sgt Golay and Sgt Cunningham flew in Boston AL743 - lead by S/L Kennedy of 226 Squadron Kegelman participated on a circus to Hazebrouck M/Y - this was the unofficial first operation of USAAF airmen over ETO.Best wishes,Rob

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

hello Rob,

Yes 29th June 1942 operation this is also noted in the Mighty Eighth book.
I left out reference to it so as not to confuse anyone with details of a/c used on the 4th July op.

But as to the first US "aerial blow to Europe" this notion was no doubt pushed forward at the time so as to make little of the first US mission to Ploesti on the 11th June 1942.

Alex

Re: July 4, 1942 First US Raid.
 

Herb,

The squadron was part of the 8th Air Force until being transferred to the 12th Air Force. I believe during its operations the squadron reported directly to 8th Bomber Command, having no parent Bombardment Group (USAAC term, a wing sized formation not to be mistaken for an RAF Group).

Regards,

Steve