I am continuing my series of articles based on the entries from Kit C. Carter and Robert Mueller’s U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II Combat Chronology 1941 – 1945 and Jack McKillop’s USAAF Chronology: Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces. Both combat chronologies are excellent sources of information regarding combat missions in World War II and I thank the authors for sharing them online.

These articles are concentrated on the operations of the 8th Army Air Forces on the missions on which the John Oliver Buslee crew and James Joseph Brodie crew of the 384th Bomb Group participated. The statistics of other dates and missions and of other branches of the American Air Forces and theaters of operation of World War II are available through the links provided in this article to these two sources for those interested.

Today’s installment is the 30 August 1944 mission in which the Brodie crew participated.

WWII Combat Chronology – Wednesday, 30 August 1944

384th BG Mission 186/8th AF Mission 590 to Crepieul, France.

Target: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site).

The James Joseph Brodie crew of the 545th Bomb Squadron participated in this mission. The John Oliver Buslee crew of the 544th Bomb Squadron did not participate.

Carter and Mueller’s U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II Combat Chronology 1941 – 1945 entry:

About 200 HBs supported by 16 P-51’s bomb 8 V-weapon sites in Pas de Calais area. Later in the day over 600 B-17’s supported by 7 P-51 gps bomb U-boat base and shipyards at Kiel, and aircraft plant and other industry in the Bremen area.

Jack McKillop’s USAAF Chronology: Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces entry:

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): 3 missions are flown:

1. Mission 590 to V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area of France. The Brodie crew participated in this mission.
2. Mission 591 to the U-boat base and shipyards at Kiel and aircraft plant and other industry in the Bremen area.
3. Mission 592, a leaflet drop in France and Belgium during the night.

Mission 590: 107 of 159 B-17s and 108 of 145 B-24s dispatched hit 8 V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area of France; one wing uses GH and H2X methods; 22 bombers are damaged. Escort is provided by 16 of 16 P-51s without loss.

Links/Sources

• Kit C. Carter and Robert Mueller’s U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II Combat Chronology 1941 – 1945
• Jack McKillop’s Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces

Except for entries from Carter and Mueller’s U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II Combat Chronology 1941 – 1945 and McKillop’s Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces © Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2021