Engine trouble forced one of the planes to divert to a second target, but the other two went on to attack the naval barracks at Wilhelmshaven from an altitude of 30,000 feet.

In addition, their crews found that the temperatures at this altitude were so cold that their defensive machine guns froze up when they tried to fire them.

RAF Fortresses had flown 22 attacks against targets such as Bremen, Brest, Emden, Kiel, Oslo, and Rotterdam.

Although two Fortresses were missing from operations, the only loss resulting from a raid flown from Polebrook involved a badly battle-damaged aircraft that crash landed at a south-coast airfield.

Nevertheless, their British crews generally were quite pleased with the Fortress I, regarding it as easy to fly, very maneuverable, and aerodynamically stable in the bomb run.

Its operational squadrons were divided between Polebrook and RAF Grafton Underwood: The 97th Bomb Group is famous for flying the first all-American Flying Fortress bombing mission originating from Grafton Underwood against German-occupied territory in Europe on August 17, 1942, by attacking the railway marshalling yards at Sotteville-lès-Rouen in France.

The 97th BG conducted a total of 16 missions from Polebrook and Grafton Underwood, attacking airfields, marshalling yards, industries, naval installations, and other targets in France and the Low Countries.

On 21 October 1942, the 97th Bomb Group was transferred to the Twelfth Air Force in the Mediterranean theatre and Polebrook was unoccupied until April 1943.

Its operational squadrons were: The 351st's first completed combat mission took place on 14 May 1943, when 18 B-17s targeted a German Luftwaffe airfield at Kortrijk, Belgium.

As the war progressed, the 351st operated primarily against strategic objectives in Germany, striking such targets as ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt, communications at Mayen, marshalling yards at Koblenz, a locomotive and tank factory at Hanover, industries at Berlin, bridges at Cologne, an armaments factory at Mannheim, and oil refineries at Hamburg.

The group also struck harbor facilities, submarine installations, airfields, V-weapon sites, and power plants in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Norway.

The 351st Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for performance of 9 October 1943 when an aircraft factory in Germany was accurately bombed in spite of heavy flak and pressing enemy interceptors.

The unit returned to the US soon after V-E Day with the air element leaving 21 May and the ground echelon sailing 25 June.

Truemper and Mathies flew the badly damaged B-17 back to England where the remainder of the crew bailed out, then attempted to land the plane to save the life of the unconscious pilot.

Flying squadron lead with Capt William R. Calhoun of the 303rd Bomb Group, RAF Molesworth, against the Ford and General Motors plants at Antwerp, Belgium, Hatcher and Gable's B-17 was nicknamed The 8 Ball MK II (s/n 41-24635).

Gable fired a few rounds from a machine gun mounted in the radio room and suffered a minor case of frostbite from wearing leather gloves in the extreme cold.

The mission was frustrating in that clouds forced the bombers to return without dropping their ordnance, but did not prevent German fighter attacks.

The mission to bomb the Norsk Hydro chemical plants in Herøya, Norway, was unopposed, but was also the longest by the Eighth Air Force to that date and began a week-long series of intensive operations against German targets known as the "Blitz Week".

4) On the morning of 12 August 1943, his fourth mission was to bomb a synthetic oil plant at Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhr, joining 351st operations officer Maj. Theodore "Ross" Milton and Capt.

Bombing Bochum, Germany, as a target of opportunity in bad weather, Gable experienced the Eighth's most dangerous mission to date, with 25 of its 330 B-17s shot down.

During the mission, Gable wedged himself behind the top turret gunner for a better view as German fighters made five passes at the 351st's formation.

A 20mm shell came up through Aint It Gruesome's flight deck, cut off the heel from Gable's boot, and exited one foot from his head, all without exploding.

5) Gable's final combat mission was an early morning strike to the port area of Nantes, France, on 23 September 1943.

Captain Clark Gable was awarded the Air Medal on 4 October for completing five combat missions, and later the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Launch orders for Thor missiles were to be given jointly by UK-US officers from HQ Bomber Command, High Wycombe and USAF 7th Air Division, co-located at the same base.

130(SM) Squadron (North Luffenham Wing) was formed at what was retained for RAF use at Polebrook to operate three Thor missile emplacements which were constructed in the centre of the former airfield area.