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Station 107 - Molesworth
Huntingdonshire, England
12 September 1942 to 11 June 1945
[Copyright ©1997 Harry D. Gobrecht]


Molesworth Final Tally
TALLY BOARD - 25 April 1945
ACTION AGAINST ENEMY
  • 364 Combat Missions Flown
  • 10,721 Aircraft Sorties Flown
  • 26,346 Tons of Bombs Dropped

ENEMY FIGHTER CLAIMS (1)
  • 378 (57%) Destroyed
  • 104 (16%) Probably Destroyed
  • 182 (27%) Damaged
  • 664 (100%) Total Fighter Claims

PERSONNEL CASUALTIES (2)
TOTAL CASUALTIES: 1,764
KILLED IN ACTION (KIA)
  • 769 On MIA B-17s
  • 32 In returned B-17s
  • 8 Training Flights - USA
  • 32 Training Flights - UK
  • 841 (48%) Total KIAs
PRISONERS OF WAR (POW)
  • 744 Captured and in POW camps
  • 18 Captured and murdered
  • 1 Evaded / captured / murdered
  • 12 Repatriated while a POW
  • 11 Died of wounds while a POW
  • 3 Escaped while a POW
  • 1 Escaped and killed
  • 764 (43%) Total Captured POWs
OTHER MIA SURVIVORS
  • 67 Evaded capture from Enemy
  • 64 B-17 ditched. Crew rescued
  • 29 Switzerland Internees
  • 160 (9%)Total Other Survivors

AIRCRAFT LOSSES (3)
TOTAL B-17 LOSSES: 210
LOST IN ENEMY TERRITORY
  • 65 Downed by German Fighters
  • 52 Downed by Flak
  • 13 Unknown causes
  • 10 Mid-Air Collisions
  • 140 (67%) Total MIAs
LOST IN FRIENDLY TERRITORY
  • 3 Flown to Switzerland-Interned
  • 1 Flown to Italy - Salvaged
  • 3 Flown to Russia - Salvaged
  • 6 Crash landings
  • 3 Abandoned - Crew bailed out
  • 16 Total (8%)
LOST AT SEA
  • 23 Ditchings
  • 1 B-17 in Sea-Crew bail out
  • 24 (11%) Total Lost at Sea


LOST IN UNITED KINGDOM
  • 7 Abandoned - Crew bailed out
  • 13 Crash landings
  • 6 Mid-air collisions
  • 4 Crash after Molesworth take off
  • 30 (14%) Total U.K. Losses

(1) There may have been other B-17s that were seriously damaged, with no loss of lives, that were later salvaged. They may have landed at Molesworth or other U.K. airfields, in friendly continental Europe locations, following a combat mission. Also, not included are B-17s involved in non-combat accidents or crash landings in the United Kingdom.

(2) Casualties do not include: Crewmen who were wounded or injured in action, survivors of bailouts or crash landings in the U.K. or friendly Continental Europe who returned to Molesworth, ground personnel or combat crewmen who were injured, killed or died from non-combat accidents or illness.

(3) Includes only those enemy aircraft claims that were reviewed and confirmed following the combat mission where claims were made.


When the Hell's Angels Bomb Group was deactivated in Casablanca on 26 July 1945, it could look back to an outstanding record of several honors and "firsts" during its tour of duty:

  • First B-17 to complete 50 Eighth AF combat missions - Knockout Dropper
         in tight competition with S for Sugar and Hell's Angels
  • First B-17 to complete 75 Eighth AF combat missions - Knockout Dropper
  • First Eighth AF Bombardment Group to complete 300 missions from bases in England
  • Two combat crewmen were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor
  • Four combat crewmen were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross Medal

  • An Eighth Air Force combat score of:
  • 364 combat missions - the most flown by any B-17 Bomb Group
  • 10,721 aircraft sorties flown - the second highest in the Eighth Air Force
  • 26,346 tons of bombs dropped - the second highest in the Eighth Air Force
  • 378 enemy aircraft destroyed - the third highest in the Eighth Air Force
  • 104 enemy aircraft probably destroyed - the third highest in the Eighth Air Force
  • 182 enemy damaged