398th Mission Formation Charts
Transcription Status
A major undertaking has been underway to transcribe the Formation Charts for all of the 398th missions. The table below indicates the current status for transcribed Planned, After Assembly, and Over Target Charts by 398th mission.
To date almost all Over Target Formation Charts have been transcribed and a number of Planned and After Assembly Charts have also been completed. Each is available as a downloadable pdf file.
For most charts, the source data are the 398th Maxwell Records. These "Official WWII 8th AAF 398th Bomb Group Historical Data" are part of the 8th AAF Maxwell AFB Records and are available on Microfilm and recently on CD. These are referred commonly referred to as the Maxwell Records.
The transcriptions attempt to faithfully reproduce the information in the original Maxwell data, but are generally enhanced. Many times the original charts show only aircraft numbers and not pilots names. The transcribed charts add pilots names to the After Assembly and Over Target charts and also include footnotes to indicate various events such as aborts, missing aircraft, and aircraft borrowed from other bomb groups.
As backup to the Maxwell Records we have acquired some charts provided at the pilots' morning briefing and also those in the Arlin Diary. At times these charts supplemented the Maxwell data or were used when the Maxwell was missing or unreadable. The availability of these charts is indicated in the column called "Other Sources."
There were a number of volunteers in this effort and they are noted below and we thank them all for the major effort that they put into this project. Their surnames in the table below indicate who participated in the various charts.
Volunteers Key:
- Anderson: Formation Charts provided by Keith Anderson, Pilot, 600th Squadron
- Arlin: Formation Charts from Captain Alan A. Arlin's Diary of the 601st Squadron.
- Brantley: Formation Chart transcriptions provided by Tom Brantley, retired Air Force, and a good friend of Tom L. Guice, 603rd Squadron pilot.
- Brass: Formation Chart transcriptions provided by Ted Brass, son of Ernest Brass Jr., Navigator from the 601st Squadron Joe Wierney crew.
- Collins: Formation Charts provided by Ann Collins, daughter of Phillip Collins, Ball Turret Gunner from the 601st Squadron Saul Marias Crew.
- Linfors: Formation Charts provided by Eric Linfors, son-in-law of Clyde H. Welker, Co-Pilot from the 600th Howard Riley crew.
- Taylor: Formation Chart provided by William P. Taylor, Bombardier from the 603rd Squadron.
See also 398th Mission Reports - Transcription Status - a snapshot in a single page of the reports on-line for each 398th mission.
| Mission No. | Mission Date and Place | Over Target Formation Chart | After Assembly Formation Chart | Planned Formation Chart | Other Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1944 | |||||
| 1 | 06 Sottevast, Fr. (1) | Brantley | Keith Anderson | ||
| 2 | 07 Berlin | No PDF chart created. Notes on the Brantley Planned Chart indicate 15 verified aircraft Over Target but data inconclusive for another 6 aircraft. If an Over Target copy exists, please contact our 398th Group Historian. | Brantley | ||
| 3 | 08 Berlin | Brantley | |||
| 4 | 09 St. Dizier, France | Brantley | |||
| 5 | 11 Sarreguemines (5) | Brantley | |||
| 6 | 12 Lutzkendorf | Brantley | |||
| 7 | 13 Politz | Brantley | |||
| 8 | 19 Berlin | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| 9 | 20 Villacoublay, Fr. | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| 10 | 22 Kiel (10) | Brantley | |||
| 11 | 23 Saarbrucken | Brantley | |||
| 12 | 24 Berlin | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| 13 | 25 Nancy/Essey, Fr. | Brantley | |||
| 14 | 27 Ludwigshafen | Brantley | |||
| 15 | 28 Ruhland (15) | Brantley | |||
| 16 | 29 Posen [Poznan], Pol. | Brantley | |||
| 17 | 30 Dessau | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| 18 | 31 Mulhouse, France | Brantley | |||
| Mission No. | Mission Date and Place | Over Target Formation Chart | After Assembly Formation Chart | Planned Formation Chart | Other Sources |
| June 1944 | |||||
| 19 | 02 Boulogne, France | Brantley | |||
| 20 | 02 Paliseau, France (20) | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| 21 | 03 Manihen, France | Brantley | |||
| 22 | 03 Manihen, France | Brantley | |||
| 23 | 04 Hardelot, France | Brantley | |||
| 24 | 05 Trouville, France | Brantley | |||
| 25 | 06 Courseulles, France (25) | Brantley | |||
| 26 | 06 Caen, France | Brantley | |||
| 27 | 07 Kerlin-Bastard, France | Brantley | |||
| 28 | 08 Tours, France | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| 29 | 10 Le Touquet, France | Brantley | |||
| 30 | 12 Lille-Nord, France (30) | Brantley | |||
| 31 | 13 Beauvais, France | Brantley | |||
| 32 | 15 Bordeaux, France | Brantley | |||
| 33 | 18 Hamburg | Brantley | |||
| 34 | 19 Cazaux, France | Brantley | |||
| 35 | 20 Hamburg (35) | Brantley |
Identical to OT | Jordan | Arlin |
| 36 | 21 Berlin | Brantley | |||
| 37 | 22 LaVaupaliere, France | Brantley | |||
| 38 | 23 Fiefs, France | Brantley | |||
| 39 | 24 Belloy-sur-Somme, France | Jordan (Over Target Area) | Identical to OT | Jordan | Arlin |
| 40 | 25 Toulouse, France (40) | Brantley | |||
| 41 | 27 Biennais, France | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| Mission No. | Mission Date and Place | Over Target Formation Chart | After Assembly Formation Chart | Planned Formation Chart | Other Sources |
| July 1944 | |||||
| 42 | 04 Tours, France | Brantley | |||
| 43 | 06 Cauchie D'Ecques, France | Jordan | Jordan | Jordan | Arlin, but note several mismatches on his chart |
| 44 | 07 Leipzig | Brantley | |||
| 45 | 08 Humieres-Fresnoy, France (45) | Brantley | |||
| 46 | 09 Humieres, France | Brantley | |||
| 47 | 11 Munich | Brantley | |||
| 48 | 12 Munich | Brantley | |||
| 49 | 13 Munich | Jordan | Jordan | Jordan | Arlin |
| 50 | 16 Munich (50) | Brantley | |||
| 51 | 18 Peenemunde | Brantley | |||
| 52 | 19 Lechfeld | Brantley | |||
| 53 | 20 Dessau | Brantley | |||
| 54 | 24 St. Lo, France | Brantley | |||
| 55 | 25 St. Lo, France (55) | Brantley | Keith Anderson | ||
| 56 | 28 Merseburg | Brass Jordan |
|||
| 57 | 29 Merseburg | Brantley | |||
| 58 | 31 Munich | Brantley | |||
| Mission No. | Mission Date and Place | Over Target Formation Chart | After Assembly Formation Chart | Planned Formation Chart | Other Sources |
| August 1944 | |||||
| 59 | 01 Villaroche, France | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| 60 | 03 Saarbrucken (60) | Jordan | Jordan | Jordan | Arlin |
| 61 | 04 Peenemunde | Brantley | |||
| 62 | 05 Doliberg | Brantley | |||
| 63 | 06 Brandenburg | Brantley | |||
| 64 | 08 Cauvicourt, France | Jordan | Jordan | ||
| 65 | 09 Saarbrucken (65) | Brantley | |||
| 66 | 11 Brest, France | Brantley | |||
| 67 | 12 Versailles, France | Brantley | |||
| 68 | 13 Le Manoir, France | Brantley | |||
| 69 | 15 Ostheim | Collins |
Collins Brantley Jordan |
||
| 70 | 16 Delitzsch (70) | Collins Jordan |
Collins Jordan |
Collins Jordan |
Arlin |
| 71 | 24 Kolleda | Collins Jordan |
Collins Jordan |
||
| 72 | 25 Neubrandenburg | Brantley | |||
| 73 | 26 Gelsenkirchen | Collins Jordan |
Arlin | ||
| 74 | 27 Schoenfeld | Brantley | |||
| 75 | 30 Kiel (75) | Brantley | |||
| Mission No. | Mission Date and Place | Over Target Formation Chart | After Assembly Formation Chart | Planned Formation Chart | Other Sources |
| September 1944 | |||||
| 76 | 03 Ludwigshafen | Taylor |
|||
| 77 | 05 Ludwigshafen | Collins Jordan |
Collins Jordan |
Arlin | |
| 78 | 08 Ludwigshafen | Brantley | |||
| 79 | 09 Mannheim | Brantley | |||
| 80 | 10 Stuttgart (80) | Brantley | |||
| 81 | 12 Brux, Czech | Brantley | |||
| 82 | 13 Lutzkendorf | Jordan An actual Over Target Chart cannot be found in the 398th records. If an Over Target copy exists, please contact our 398th Group Historian. |
Jordan | Jordan | Arlin |
| 83 | 17 Eindhoven, Holland | Brantley | |||
| 84 | 19 Hamm | This Formation Chart was not in the records; Tom Brantley has attempted a reconstruction based on other data. If an Over Target copy exists, please contact our 398th Group Historian. | |||
| 85 | 22 Kassel (85) | Linfors | Linfors | ||
| 86 | 25 Frankfurt | Brantley | |||
| 87 | 26 Osnabruck | Linfors | Linfors | ||
| 88 | 27 Cologne | Linfors | Linfors | Keith Anderson | |
| 89 | 28 Magdeburg | Linfors | Arlin | ||
| 90 | 30 Munster (90) | Brantley | |||
| Mission No. | Mission Date and Place | Over Target Formation Chart | After Assembly Formation Chart | Planned Formation Chart | Other Sources |
| October 1944 | |||||
| 91 | 02 Kassel | Linfors | |||
| 92 | 03 Nurnberg | Linfors | Linfors | Linfors | Keith Anderson |
| 93 | 05 Cologne | Linfors | Linfors | Linfors | The Arlin Chart shows many differences from 398th records. |
| 94 | 06 Neubrandenburg | Brantley | |||
| 95 | 07 Brux, Czech (95) | Brantley | |||
| 96 | 09 Schweinfurt | Brantley | |||
| 97 | 14 Cologne | Linfors |
Linfors | ||
| 98 | 15 Cologne | Brantley | |||
| 99 | 17 Cologne | Brantley | |||
| 100 | 22 Brunswick (100) | Linfors | Linfors | ||
| 101 | 26 Munster | Linfors | Linfors | Arlin | |
| 102 | 28 Munster | Brantley | |||
| 103 | 30 Hamm | Linfors | Linfors | Linfors | |
| Mission No. | Mission Date and Place | Over Target Formation Chart | After Assembly Formation Chart | Planned Formation Chart | Other Sources |
| November 1944 | |||||
| 104 | 02 Merseburg | Brantley | |||
| 105 | 04 Harburg (105) | Linfors | Linfors | Linfors | Arlin |
| 106 | 05 Frankfurt | Brantley | |||
| 107 | 08 Merseburg | Linfors | Linfors | ||
| 108 | 09 Metz, France | Brantley | |||
| 109 | 10 Cologne | Linfors | Linfors | Linfors | Arlin |
| 110 | 21 Merseburg (110) | Brantley | |||
| 111 | 25 Merseburg | Linfors | Linfors | ||
| 112 | 26 Misburg | Linfors | Linfors | ||
| 113 | 27 Offenburg | Linfors | Linfors | ||
| 114 | 29 Misburg | Brantley | |||
| 115 | 30 Merseburg (115) | Linfors | Linfors | Linfors | |
| Mission No. | Mission Date and Place | Over Target Formation Chart | After Assembly Formation Chart | Planned Formation Chart | Other Sources |
| December 1944 | |||||
| 116 | 04 Soest | Brantley | |||
| 117 | 05 Berlin | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| 118 | 09 Stuttgart | Brantley | |||
| 119 | 11 Frankfurt | Brantley | Keith Anderson | ||
| 120 | 12 Merseburg (120) | Brantley | |||
| 121 | 15 Kassel | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| 122 | 18 Cologne | Brantley | |||
| 123 | 24 Koblenz | Brantley | |||
| 124 | 28 Koblenz | Brantley | |||
| 125 | 29 Bingen (125) | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| 126 | 30 Bischofsheim | Brantley | |||
| 127 | 31 Blumenthal | Brantley | |||
| Mission No. | Mission Date and Place | Over Target Formation Chart | After Assembly Formation Chart | Planned Formation Chart | Other Sources |
| January 1945 | |||||
| 128 | 01 Kassel | Brantley | |||
| 129 | 03 Cologne | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| 130 | 05 Kall (130) | Brantley | |||
| 131 | 06 Cologne | Brantley | |||
| 132 | 08 Speyer | Brantley | |||
| 133 | 10 Ostheim | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| 134 | 13 Germersheim | Brantley | |||
| 135 | 17 Paderborn (135) | Brantley | |||
| 136 | 20 Mannheim | Brantley | |||
| 137 | 21 Aschaffenburg | Brantley | Arlin | ||
| 138 | 22 Sterkrade | Brantley | |||
| 139 | 23 Neuss | Brantley | |||
| 140 | 28 Cologne (140) | Brantley | |||
| 141 | 29 Niederlahnstein | Brantley | |||
| Mission No. | Mission Date and Place | Over Target Formation Chart | After Assembly Formation Chart | Planned Formation Chart | Other Sources |
| February 1945 | |||||
| 142 | 01 Mannheim | Brantley | |||
| 143 | 03 Berlin | Brantley | |||
| 144 | 06 Chemnitz | Brantley | |||
| 145 | 09 Altenbeken (145) | Brantley | |||
| 146 | 14 Prague, Czech | Brantley | |||
| 147 | 15 Dresden | Brantley | |||
| 148 | 16 Munster | Brantley | |||
| 149 | 19 Munster | Brantley | |||
| 150 | 20 Nurnburg (150) | Brantley | |||
| 151 | 21 Nurnburg | Brantley | |||
| 152 | 22 Stendal | Brantley | |||
| 153 | 23 Eger, Czech | Brantley | |||
| 154 | 25 Munich | Brantley | |||
| 155 | 27 Leipzig (155) | Brantley | |||
| 156 | 28 Schwerte | Brantley | |||
| Mission No. | Mission Date and Place | Over Target Formation Chart | After Assembly Formation Chart | Planned Formation Chart | Other Sources |
| March 1945 | |||||
| 157 | 01 Neckarsulm | Brantley | |||
| 158 | 02 Bohlen | Brantley | |||
| 159 | 03 Chemnitz | Brantley | |||
| 160 | 04 Ulm (160) | Brantley | |||
| 161 | 05 Chemnitz | Brantley | |||
| 162 | 07 Siegen | Brantley | |||
| 163 | 08 Huls | Brantley | |||
| 164 | 09 Kassel | Brantley | |||
| 165 | 10 Sinsen (165) | Brantley | |||
| 166 | 11 Bremen | Brantley | |||
| 167 | 12 Dillenberg | Brantley | |||
| 168 | 14 Osnabruck | Brantley | |||
| 169 | 15 Oranienburg | Brantley | |||
| 170 | 17 Bohlen (170) | Brantley | |||
| 171 | 18 Berlin | Brantley | |||
| 172 | 19 Plauen | Brantley | |||
| 173 | 21 Rheine | Brantley | |||
| 174 | 22 Dorsten | Brantley | |||
| 175 | 23 Coesfeld (175) | Brantley | |||
| 176 | 24 Achmer | Brantley | |||
| 177 | 24 Twente/Enschede, Holland | Brantley | |||
| 178 | 28 Berlin | Brantley | |||
| 179 | 30 Bremen | Brantley | |||
| 180 | 31 Halle (180) | Brantley | |||
| Mission No. | Mission Date and Place | Over Target Formation Chart | After Assembly Formation Chart | Planned Formation Chart | Other Sources |
| April 1945 | |||||
| 181 | 04 Reinsehlen | Brantley | |||
| 182 | 05 Grafenwohr | Brantley | |||
| 183 | 07 Kohlenbissen | Brantley | |||
| 184 | 08 Derben | Brantley | |||
| 185 | 09 Oberpfaffenhofen (185) | Brantley | |||
| 186 | 10 Oranienburg | Brantley | |||
| 187 | 11 Kraiburg | Brantley | |||
| 188 | 13 Neumunster | Brantley | |||
| 189 | 15 Fort Royan, France | Brantley | |||
| 190 | 16 Regensburg (190) | Brantley | |||
| 191 | 17 Dresden | Brantley | |||
| 192 | 18 Rosenheim | Brantley | |||
| 193 | 19 Elsterwerda | Brantley | |||
| 194 | 21 Munich | Brantley | |||
| 195 | 25 Pilsen, Czech (195) | Brantley |