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... assuming by the bright visibility.

487th Bombardment Group
Constituted as 487th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 Sep 1943 and activated on 20 Sep. Prepared for overseas duty with B-24's. Moved to England, Mar-Apr 1944, and assigned to Eighth AF. Began combat in May 1944, bombing airfields in France in preparation for the invasion of Normandy; then pounded coastal defenses, road junctions, bridges and locomotives during the invasion. Attacked German troops and artillery positions to assist British forces near Caen in Jul; struck gun emplacements to support the Allied effort at Brest in Aug and to cover the airborne attack on Holland in Sep 1944. Flew a few missions against German industries, refineries, and communications during the period May-Aug 1944, but operated almost solely against strategic targets from Aug 1944, when conversion to B-17's was completed, until Mar 1945. Attacked oil refineries in Merseburg, Mannheim, and Dulmen; factories in Nurnberg, Hannover, and Berlin; and marshalling yards in Cologne, Munster, Hamm, and Neumunster. Aided ground forces during the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944-Jan 1945, and turned again to support and interdictory operations in Mar 1945 as the Allies crossed the Rhine and made the final thrust into Germany. Returned to the US, Aug-Sep 1945. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945.

Squadrons. 836th: 1943-1945. 837th: 1943-1945. 838th: 1943-1945. 839th: 1943-1945.

Stations. Bruning AAF, Neb, 20 Sep 1943; Alamogordo AAF, NM, 15 Dec 1943-c. 13 Mar 1944; Lavenham, England, 5 Apr 1944-26 Aug 1945; Drew Field, Fla, 3 Sep-7 Nov 1945.














B-17 formation of planes from the 487th Bombardment Group flying over Mont-Saint-Michel.

Thanks to some great period color photography, the unit's colors are well known...particularly the "Bit-O-Lace" aircraft.
It was the subject of a often seen poster, and the group was also immortalized by Airfix with the markings gracing their original 1962-release 1:72 B-17 kit, and again in 2021 with their new tool offering.

And the B-17 at the Castle Air Museum has just been refinished in group colors. It is marked as the aircraft in which Gen. Castle was killed on Christmas Eve, 1944 . He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

The 487th BG had 57 Losses (Missing Air Crew Reports) from May 5, 1944 thru April 10, 1945.

Type 487 in the Group window for a less scrambled version, https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/dbSearchAFMACR.asp

YYMMDD MACR# Aircraft Type Aircraft S/N Aircraft Nickname Squadron Group AF Pilot Pilot
Status Country MACR Location KU Location
440511 04750 B-24H 41-29468 _ 838BS 487BG 8 Vratny, Frank (NMI)
Chateaudun Bretonoelles/Chartres-44km W
440511 04782 B-24H 42-52444 _ 838BS 487BG 8 McCleary, Lorin D
Chateaudun Azoches en Dunois-1.5km S/Chartres-38km S
440511 04783 B-24H 42-52763 _ 838BS 487BG 8 Brodsky, Edward J
Chateaudun Orgeras/Chateaudun-25km NNE
440528 05223 B-24H 42-52651 _ 837BS 487BG 8 Burckes, Ralph S
Brussels-S Xheris-1km W/Liege-21km S
440529 05224 B-24H 42-52577 _ 838BS 487BG 8 Willis, Joseph P
{54.47N-14.00E} Bornholm Island-nr (at Sea)
440530 15237 B-24H 42- 52739 _ 838BS 487BG 8 McCarty, Walter W
{52.20N-02.20E} _
440606 05484 B-24H 42-52629 _ 838BS 487BG 8 Gross, Norman E
{49.52N-02.38W} _
440607 05483 B-24H 42-52624 _ 839BS 487BG 8 Schwab, Floyd (NMI)
{48.02N-01.47E} Bruz/Rennes-15km SW
440620 05935 B-24H 42-95217 _ 838BS 487BG 8 Erwin, Arthur D
Misburg HannoverLangenforth/Hannover-5km N
440620 15368 B-24H 42- 95225 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Fuller, Edgar L
_ _
440623 06263 B-24H 41-28822 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Van Dyke, Joseph S
Brussels-Molenbeck Bruessel-Bolesbeck
440702 06770 B-24H 42-52609 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Logan, James A
{50.32N-02.42E} Siracourt/St Pol-3.5km W
440805 07893 B-17G 43-38007 _ 838BS 487BG 8 Deuschle, Charlton A
{52.10N-11.39E} Loskau
440806 07892 B-17G 43-37805 _ 837BS 487BG 8 Hatfield, Jay J
{52.10N-13.20E} Strong Point Zeitz/Calbe Ost-6km N
440825 08470 B-17G 43-37980 _ 839BS 487BG 8 Duncan, Joseph A
{53.21N-12.45E} Mueritssee
440912 10209 B-17G 44-6305 _ 838BS 487BG 8 Preston, Walter H
Allied Lines-over Pruen
440922 10210 B-17G 43-38260 Fime Sientz 837BS 487BG 8 Smith, Lynn G
{50.05N-08.12E} Reibersbach-A/Hunsrueck
440928 09421 B-17G 44-6463 _ 839BS 487BG 8 Lamason, Clarence M Jr
{50.54N-11.20E} Nacherstille/Schmalkalden-nr*
440930 09422 B-17G 43-38037 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Jackson, Raymond F
{52.03N-08.32E} Rexterhagen/Detmold-8km N
440930 09423 B-17G 43-38154 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Oesch, Harold E
{52.30N-08.32E} _
441015 09492 B-17G 43-38008 _ 839BS 487BG 8 Warner, James L
{50.55N-07.12E} Rieserhof/Schwellenbach-nr
441105 10324 B-17G 43-37858 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Schwarzin, Kurt H
{49.45N-08.29E} Mosch/Trier-nr
441109 10341 B-17G 44-6290 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Herring, Joseph I
{49.15N-07.00E} Illingen/Neunkirchen-10km NW/St Wendel
441125 10757 B-17G 44-6307 Blonde Bomber 837BS 487BG 8 Shields, J Craig
{51.10N-11.50E} Stromberg-1km SE/Eitdorf-5km SE
441126 10758 B-17G 43-38141 _ 839BS 487BG 8 Davidson, Burr E
{52.36N-08.18E} Guetersloh
441130 11154 B-17G 43-37877 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Kersten, Lloyd W
{51.25N-11.50E} _
441224 11238 B-17GSH 42-98019 Mutzie '8' 839BS 487BG 8 Kraker, Robert G
{51.08N-02.45E} _
441224 11258 B-17G 44- 8192 _ 838BS 487BG 8 Lang, Kenneth W
{50.25N-05.30E} _
441224 11552 B-17GSH 44- 8444 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Harriman, Robert W
{50.24N-05.41E} _
441224 11559 B-17G 43- 37569 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Ball, Ira L
{50.29N-05.58E} _
441224 11561 B-17GSH 44- 8121 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Reed, Lloyd S
{50.33N-05.22E} _
441224 11675 B-17G 43- 38926 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Waldron, William J
Sprigmont area {50.25N-05.38E} _
441224 12177 B-17G 42-102497 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Curtiss, Willard J
{50.31N-05.50E} _
441224 12207 B-17G 44- 8614 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Turnquist, Howard A
{50.30N-05.40E} _
441229 11374 B-17G 43-38169 _ 838BS 487BG 8 Perrot, Edward T
{48.52N-06.22E} Luxemburg
441231 11352 B-17G 42-97398 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Gatlin, Claude E Jr
Lavenham _
450114 11731 B-17GSH 44-8563 _ 838BS 487BG 8 Stemple, Omar D
{52.30N-12.15E} Gutenpaaren
450114 11732 B-17G 43-37933 Yankee Maid 837BS 487BG 8 Myland, Harry T
{52.10N-11.30E} Redefin/Hagenau-nr
450114 11733 B-17G 43-38002 Our Baby 838BS 487BG 8 Mosaer, James L
{52.13N-11.00E} Rhode/Braunschweig
450114 11734 B-17G 42-98013 _ 838BS 487BG 8 Kochczynski, Clement J
{52.10N-11.30E} Ventschau/Lueneburg-nr
450206 12239 B-17G 43- 38044 Picadilly Lil 837BS 487BG 8 Parker, Cecil R
Lavenham Tripitz B/Gera
450209 12372 B-17G 43- 38988 _ 839BS 487BG 8 Shepard, Henry M
{51.00N-11.15E} Heringen/Nordhausen-6km NE
450220 12550 B-17G 43- 38596 _ 837BS 487BG 8 McCullough, Floyd W
{49.20N-11.20E} Roetenbach/Nuremburg-nr
450303 12888 B-17G 43- 39108 _ 839BS 487BG 8 Webb, Harvey E Jr
{51.13N-06.45E} _
450311 12979 B-17G 43- 38888 _ 839BS 487BG 8 Sugarman, Joseph M Jr
{53.26N-09.58E} _
450315 13089 B-17GSH 44- 8746 _ 837BS 487BG 8 Conwill, Joseph D Jr
{53.00N-11.45E} _
450317 13110 B-17G 43- 39173 _ 838BS 487BG 8 Kohr, Paul T
{51.20N-14.05E} _
450317 15369 B-24 42- 97996 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Rothstein, Alvin S
_ _
450318 13135 B-17G 44- 8276 _ 837BS 487BG 8 Leon, Jack (NMI)
{52.34N-13.40E} _
450319 15844 B-17G 43- 38083 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Smoke, Daniel D Jr
Couvron-nr _
450319 16022a B-17G 43- 37969 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Virgin, John R
Couvron-over _
450319 16022b B-17G 43- 38038 _ 838BS 487BG 8 _
Couvron-over _
450408 13742 B-17G 44- 8547 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Milner, Leon R
Hof {50.25N-17.04E} _
450410 13883 B-17G 43- 37987 Mean Widdle Kid 839BS 487BG 8 Althouse, Richard L
{52.25N-12.32E} _
450410 13884 B-17G 44- 8702 _ 836BS 487BG 8 Hauenstein, Max C
{52.25N-11.50E} _
450410 13885 B-17G 44- 6913 Queen of Hearts 837BS 487BG 8 Bell, Edward L
{52.38N-11.28E} _
450410 14196 B-17GSH 44- 8808 _ 837BS 487BG 8 McGinnes, Lawrence H
{52.30N-12.00E} _

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A Bit O Lace was with the 447th BG at Rattlesden.