July 4, 1942 First US Raid.

[Herb Kugel]

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)
.

[Amrit1]

(8th Air Force) First USAAF air operation over W Europe. 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light) flying 6 American-built Bostons belonging to No. 226 Squadron Royal Air Force, join a RAF low-level attack on De Koog (2 aircraft), Bergen/Alkamaar, Haanstede and Valkenberg (2 aircraft) Airfields in the Netherlands; 2 aircraft are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 6 airmen are MIA. Aircraft flown by Captain Charles C Kegelman, Squadron Commander, is severely damaged, but Kegelman succeeds in bringing it back to base at Swanton Morley.

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

[Herb Kugel]

Originally Posted by Amrit1

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

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

[Steve49]

'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

[Herb Kugel]

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

[Herb Kugel]

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

Originally Posted by Steve49

'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

[robert]

Hi,

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

Regards

Robert

[Alex Smart]

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

[Steve49]

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

[Herb Kugel]

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.'