missionlist

1- Ludwigshafen - Sept 9 ' 44, 7hours 30minutes, I.G. Farben Industries

2- Lutzkendorf - Sept 11 '44, 7hours 20minutes, Synthetic oil refinery

3- Hamm - Sept 19 '44, 5hours 30minutes Train Yards

4- Mainz - Sept 21 '44, 6hours 35minutes Train Yards

5- Frankfurt - Sept 25 '44 6hours 15minutes Train Yards

6- Cologne - Sept 27 '44 6hours 00minutes Opel/Ford Tank factory* *

7- Nurnberg - Oct 3 '44, 8hours 40minutes Tank Diesel engine factory

8- Neubrandenburg - Oct 6 '44, 9hours 35minutes Airdrome

9- Schweinfurt Oct 9 '44, 7hours 30minutes Train yards

10- Cologne Oct 15 '44, 6hours 05minutes City center

11- Cologne Oct 17 '44, 6hours 20minutes

12- Speyer Oct 19 '44, 6hours20minutes Target of opportunity

13- Munster Oct 26 '44, 5hours35minutes

14- Hamm Oct 30 '44, 5hours29minutes Train yards

15- Frankfort Nov 5 '44, 7hours10minutes Train yards

16- Hamburg Nov 6 '44, 7hours30minutes Oil Depot

17- Merseberg Nov 21 '44, 7hours55minutes Leuna Oil Refinery

18- Altenbeken Nov 26 44, 5hours55minutes Viaduct

19- Misburg Nov 29 '44, 6hours15minutes Oil refinery

20- Zeitz Nov 30 '44, 8hours05minutes Oil refinery

21- Kassel Dec 4 '44, 8hours40minutes Train yards

22- Stuttgart Dec 9 '44, 8hours00minutes Airdrome

23- Luxemburg Dec 18 '44, 5hours50min Dropped leaflets

24- Merzhauer Dec 24 '44, 6hours05minutes Air field

25- Remagen Dec 28 '44, 6hours05minutes Railroad bridge

26- Bitberg Dec 31 '44, 6hours00minutes

27- Prum Jan 2 '45, 6hours00minutes Communications center

28- Cologne Jan 6 '45, 7hours00minutes Train yards

29- Cologne Jan 15 '45, 7hours45min

30- Paderborn Jan 17 '45, 7hours30minutes Train yards

31- Ludwigshafen Jan 20 '45, 7hrs30minutes Mannheim bridge

32- Sterkrade Jan 22 '45, 4hours55minutes Synthetic oil plant

33- Cologne Jan 28 '45, 6hours49minutes Train yards

34- Niederlahnstein Jan 29 '45, 7hrs00min Train yards

35- Berlin 3Feb45 8hours50min Government buildings

*Life Member of the Lucky Bastards Club, an exclusive club, no rules, no officers, no meetings. Open only to those who have paid their dues by completing a tour of missions with the 8th

* * 6 round trips to Cologne. Click here for pictures of our trips

In World War II, the elapsed time for an 8th Air Force B-17 or B-24 bomber mission - wheels up to wheels down - would vary from about 4 hours {French coastal ports, submarine pens) to 10 or 11 hours (targets in eastern or southeastern Germany - Stettin, Danzig, Posen). It would take one to two hours maneuvering and circling over England until all bombers were positioned into their proper slots in the bomber stream of up to 1200 aircraft. The huge formation would fly dog-legs en route to the target avoiding known flak areas and enemy fighter bases (not often possible under combat conditions.)