Scrubbed and Practice Missions

We know that the 457th Bomb Group flew a total of 236 missions. We also know that missions were scrubbed (called back) and that practice missions were flown. Specially during the winter of 1944/1945 many missions were scrubbed due to bad weather.

Clifford Digre discribes in his book the following procedure: “Before going to the pub one would check the orderly room for the status of the next day’s mission. When the ‘Stand Down’ card was displayed it meant no mission for tomorrow and away one would go to the pub. When the ‘Stand By’ card was up it meant no decision about a mission yet, check back later; weather conditions were often the reason for the stand by.  One could still go to the pub but back to the base early. When the ‘Alert’ card was up it meant that there was a mission planned for the next day, crew members next checked the ‘Loading Lists’ to see if they would be flying the next day. One could still go to the pub but paid the price the next when they were awakened at three of four hundred hours”.

So even though we know that missions were scrubbed or practice missions were flown we have no records on these (or I haven’t been able to find those records). So my research focussed on books about the 457th Bomb Group, diaries, letters and documents. I was able to compile a list of 32 scrubbed missions and practice missions. My guess is that there are many more missions to add to this list. So I will keep looking for missing scrubbed missions or practice missions. If you have any additions please let me know!

DATE	TYPE OF MISSION	REASON	TARGET	EXTRA INFO
22 August 1944	Scrubbed	bad weather
23 August 1944	Scrubbed	bad weather
26 August 1944	Scrubbed	bad weather
6 September 1944	Scrubbed		Berlin, Germany
14 September 1944	Scrubbed	bad weather	Berlin, Germany
16 September 1944	Scrubbed		Belgium
18 September 1944	Practice mission
23 September 1944	Called back/scrubbed
3 October 1944	Practice Mission			three boxes of 12 planes
4 October 1944	Scrubbed		Cologne, Germany
9 October 1944	Practice mission
11 October 1944	Scrubbed/practice Mission
12 October 1944	Scrubbed	bad weather	Cologne, Germany	before take off
13 October 1944	Scrubbed	bad weather	Cologne, Germany	before take off
18 October 1944	Scrubbed/practice mission	bad weather	Kassel, Germany	before take off
23 October 1944	Scrubbed
27 October 1944	Scrubbed	bad weather	Mannheim, Germany	before take off
31 October 1944	Scrubbed		Politz, Germany	before take off
1 November 1944	Scrubbed
4 November 1944	Pratice mission
14 November 1944	Called back		Bielefeld, Germany	after take off
27 November 1944	Scrubbed	bad weather	Frankfurt, Germany	before take off
7 December 1944	Scrubbed		Dortmund, Germany	before take off
10 December 1944	Scrubbed	bad weather		before take off
20 December 1944	Scrubbed	bad weather
28 December 1944	Practice mission
5 January 1945	Practice mission
15 January 1945	Scrubbed/practice mission
16 January 1945	Scrubbed		Berlin, Germany
18 January 1945	Scrubbed
31 January 1944	scrubbed		Berlin, Germany	before take off
2 February 1945	Scrubbed		Berlin, Germany