Infographic
History and Restoration
WW II B-17 Stag Party
Photography is art, but it is also plays a vital role in preserving history. Aperturepro22 is starting a new initiative to build an historical library of images in order to repair and protect history. We will be building a future gallery dedicated to this effort. We will also provide theses services to our client.
Stag Party
Stag Party was shot down over Germany during combat.
The 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), nicknamed "Can Do" was activated 1-March-1942 at Salt Lake City Air Base, Utah which was their primary training base until 11-Jun-1942 when they relocated to Geiger Field, Washington until 29-Jun-1942, then on to Muroc Lake Air Base in California for intensive flight training between 29-Jun-42 to 20-August-1942
In early September 1942 the ground unit traveled by train to Fort Dix, New Jersey then on 5-September-1942 the ground unit sailed on the Queen Mary and disembarked on at Greenock, Inverclyde, UK on 12-September-1942 and proceeded to their UK Station 106 at Grafton Underwood.
Meanwhile, the air unit proceeded to Syracuse, New York for six weeks of advanced flight training between late August 1942 until October 1942 when they received new B-17F bombers. The bombers flew via the Presque Isle, Maine-Gander, Newfoundland-Prestwick, UK route during October 1942 and assembled at Grafton Underwood. The Group flew its first mission on 17-November-1942 flying a diversion mission for other groups bombing the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. On 11-Dec-1942 the Group was relocated to Station 105, Chelveston where it remained for the remainder of the war. For a week in July 1945, the Group moved to St. Trond, Belgium, where it conducted photo-mapping flights over Europe and North Africa as part of Project "Casey Jones".
During their tour of duty the Group flew 337 missions in 9,321 sorties and dropped 22,363 tons of bombs. The Group lost 154 aircraft MIA; 13 of those losses occurred on the famous "2nd Schweinfurt" mission of 14-Oct-1943, the most losses of any Bomb Group participating in that action. Because of the losses the Group sustained on that mission, the Group was given the Nazi flag that flew above that city when it was captured by the US 42nd Infantry Division in April 1945.
CLAIMS TO FAME
Between June 1942 and May 1943, under Commanding Officer Col. Curtis LeMay, the "Can Do" Group pioneered formations and bombing procedures that later became standard procedure for the Eighth Air Force
The Group was part of the first raid over Germany, bombing the navy yards at Wilhelmshaven on 27 January 1943.
