bigpigeon.us webarea WW II - Germany > ETO > ETO Air War, updated by RAC 7 Oct '19.
The air war in the European Theater of Operations was a continuation of the air war between England and Germany fought by the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe, the German air force.
The ETO Air War was characterized by the use of thousands of US and English heavy bombers based in southern England against targets in Germany and elsewhere in occupied Europe. It tied up large portions of the German war machine, but resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Allied air crew and hundreds of thousands of civilians, especially in Germany, but also in France and the other occupied countries.
The German cities most affected included Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Dresden.
Most Americans who died while participating in the ETO Air War were members of either the 8th Air Force, which conducted the heavy bombing campaign, or the 9th Air Force, which provided fighter, light and medium bomber, and troop carrier and cargo aircraft.
The air war in the European Theater of Operations was a continuation of the air war between England and Germany fought by the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe, the German air force.
The ETO Air War was characterized by the use of thousands of US and English heavy bombers based in southern England against targets in Germany and elsewhere in occupied Europe. It tied up large portions of the German war machine, but resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Allied air crew and hundreds of thousands of civilians, especially in Germany, but also in France and the other occupied countries.
The German cities most affected included Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Dresden.
Most Americans who died while participating in the ETO Air War were members of either the 8th Air Force, which conducted the heavy bombing campaign, or the 9th Air Force, which provided fighter, light and medium bomber, and troop carrier and cargo aircraft.
Sources for the WW II - ETO Air War webpage
The page header photo B-24 Lost to Flak is courtesy of pinterest.
- 03-08 - ETO Air War: (twenty dead, updated 6 Oct ’19)
Anderson, Virgil - died supporting the relief of Bastogne; is included with Battle of the Bulge deaths.
† Blaylock, John Robert “Bob” - SN O-437451, USAAF
C.O. 510th Bomb. Sqdn., 351st Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17 #42-37731 pilot; KIA 31 Dec ‘43 near Royan, SW France; plane shot down after raid on Bordeaux, parachute failed.
† Cohen, Irving - SN O-771221, USAAF
728 Bomb. Sqdn; 452 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17 #42-97534 pilot, KIA on his first mission 25 Nov ’44 over Harren, N of Aachen, Germany; plane exploded in mid-air after direct flak hit, seven crew dead, two POW.
† Delong, Lloyd - SN 37-117-114, USAAF
409th Bomb. Gp., 9th AF; DNB 3 Nov ’44 at Fleury-Mérogis near Paris, France; head injuries from falling from a moving truck.
† Dideriksen, Robert Warren - SN O-2044637, USAAF
14th Photo Sqdn., 7th Recon. Gp., 8th AF; British Spitfire PR Mk XI #PL790 pilot; KIA 15 Jun ’44 near Paris, France; shot down by German Me-109s.
† Downs, Thomas George - SN O-745648, USAAF
85th Troop Carrier Sqdn., 437th Troop Carrier Gp., 9th AF; C-47A #43-15655 pilot; DNB 27 Aug ’44 at landing field ALG A-22 near Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France; crashed while landing, four dead.
† Emerson, Charles Waldo - SN 37-485-764, USAAF
418th Bomb. Sqdn., 100th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17G 43-37517 “Heaven Can Wait” tail gunner; WIA 11 Sep '44 over Ruhland, Germany; DOW 30 Sep ’44 in hospital, England.
† Evers, Leland Junior - SN O-748386, USAAF
730 Bomb. Sqdn., 452 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B17-G #42-31334 pilot; KIA 12 Apr ’44 over North Sea; plane ditched returning from mission, six died; BNR.
† Friend, James Junior - SN O-746080, USAAF
551st Bomb. Sqdn., 385th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17F #42-30822 co-pilot; KIA 25 Feb ’44 over Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany; mid-air explosion from flak.
† Gustafson, Dale Eldon - SN 19-127-645, USAAF
250th Bomb. Sqdn., 100th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17 #42-102611 left waist gunner; KIA 27 Jun ’44, near Great Yarmouth, England, plane lost during training flight; BNR.
† +Howard, Charles Joseph/Joseph Charles - SN 17-131-392 & O-2067716, USAAF
37th Bomb. Sqdn., 17th Bomb Gp.; B-26F #42-96326 copilot, KIA 26 Apr '45 over Germany; plane shot down by ME-262 jet fighter, crew of six lost.
† Kussman, Edward William - SN 37-261-765, USAAF
396 Bomb. Sqdn., 492nd Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24 #42-50331 waist gunner; KIA 31 Mar ’45 near Kirkwall, Orkney Is., Scotland; aborted Operation Carpetbagger mission; 13 dead included six Norwegian Special Forces members; one survivor.
† McCord, George Melvin - SN 37-651-218, USAAF
785th Bomb. Sqdn., 766th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24H #41-29466 right waist gunner, KIA 23 Mar ’44 over St. Jansklooster, NE of Amsterdam, Netherlands; mid-air collision.
† Melton, Derald William - SN 17-131-529, USAAF
547th Bomb. Sqdn., 384th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17G #42-10783 bombardier; KIA 27 Dec ’44 near Arenberg, E of Koblenz, Germany; plane lost rear section from flak & crashed, eight died, two lived
† Napier, Roy Hugh - SN O-769905, USAAF
485th Fighter Sqdn., 370th Fighter Gp.,9th AF, based at Florennes-Juzaine, Belgium; P-38J #42-67822 pilot; KIA 3 Jan ’45; aircraft crash.
† Petrus, Richard Marvin - SN 17-148-212, USAAF
706th Bomb. Sqdn., 466 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24 #42-50790; KIA 11 Apr ’45 SW of Bungay/Flixton airbase, Suffolk, England; two returning bombers collided, no survivors.
† Pogge, George H. - SN O-718974, USAAF
714th Bomb. Sqdn., 448th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24H #42-95134; KIA 26 Aug ’44 near Ludwigshafen, Germany.
† +Spedding, Edward William - SN O-767677, USAAF
409th Bomb. Sqdn., 93rd Bomb. Gp.; B-24J #42-109815 co-pilot, KIA 5 Nov ’44 over Netherlands.
† Stith, George Noel - SN O-697177, USAAF
557th Bomb. Sqdn., 387th Bomb. Gp., 9th AF; based at Clastres, France, E of Amiens; B-26F #42-96309 pilot; KIA 23 Dec ’44, near Bastogne, Belgium; plane returning from bombing mission over Hagen, Germany, crashed from flak; three killed, four captured.
† Stockman, Kenneth Herman - SN 37-482-024, USAAF
427 Bomb. Sqdn., 303 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17 #43-38057 radio operator; KIA 9 Nov ’44 near Molesworth Air Base, England; mid-air collision while assembling for raid over Schweinfurt, one survivor.
† Sweeny, Duane G. H. - SN O-770836, US AAF
568th Bomb. Sqdn., 390th Bomb. Gp. 8th AF; B-17 #42-32026 pilot; KIA 30 Nov ’44 over North Sea; plane iced up & crashed on mission to Kassel; all nine crew lost; BNR.