Official Service Portrait, USAAF
This Site Is Dedicated To
S/Sgt Carl E. Johnson
Left Waist Gunner & Top Turret Gunner / Flight Engineer
510th Bomb Squadron
351st Bomb Group (Heavy)- Higher Formation
- 8th Air Force, USAAF
- Station
- RAF Polebrook, England
- Aircraft
- B-17G Flying Fortress
- Combat Tour
- Sep 1944 – Apr 1945
- Missions
- 34 combat missions
- Aircraft Flown
- 25 distinct B-17s
Carl began his combat tour on 8 September 1944, striking the I.G. Farben synthetic oil plant at Ludwigshafen. Over the next seven months he flew missions to some of the most heavily defended targets in the Reich — including two raids on Berlin, direct support of ground forces during the Battle of the Bulge, and strikes on oil refineries, railroad yards, and industrial targets across Germany. Promoted to Staff Sergeant during his tour, he was reassigned to the top turret / flight engineer position for his final missions. His 34th and last combat mission targeted Traunstein, Germany on 18 April 1945 — three weeks before Germany's surrender.
Complete Combat Mission Log
All 34 missions verified from 510th Squadron loading list records at 351st.org. Mission numbers are 351st Bomb Group group mission numbers.
| Mission | Date | Pos. | Rank | Aircraft | Target / Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | 8 Sep 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 42-107124 | Ludwigshafen — I.G. Farben Synthetic Oil Plant |
| 201 | 9 Sep 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 42-97196 | Ludwigshafen — I.G. Farben Synthetic Oil Plant |
| 203 | 11 Sep 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 43-37524 | Lutzkendorf — Refinery |
| 204 | 12 Sep 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 42-31879 | Ruhland — Synthetic Oil Plant |
| 207 | 22 Sep 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 42-102576 | Kassel — Henschel Armored Vehicle Plant |
| 215 | 6 Oct 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 44-8222 | Stargard — Airfield |
| 216 | 7 Oct 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 42-97651 | Politz — Synthetic Oil Factory |
| 218 | 15 Oct 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 44-8045 | Cologne — Railroad Marshalling Yard |
| 220 | 18 Oct 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 42-97651 | Cologne — Railroad Marshalling Yard |
| 225 | 28 Oct 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 42-102955 | Münster — Railroad Marshalling Yard |
| 227 | 4 Nov 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 42-97349 | Harburg — Oil Refinery |
| 229 | 6 Nov 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 42-102955 | Hamburg — Railroad Marshalling Yard |
| 238 | 4 Dec 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 44-8455 | Kassel — Railroad Marshalling Yard |
| 245 | 19 Dec 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 42-97687 | Kall — Enemy Positions (Battle of the Bulge) |
| 246 | 24 Dec 1944 | LWG | Sgt | 44-8376 | Biblis — Airfield |
| 251 | 1 Jan 1945 | LWG | Sgt | 42-97651 | Kassel — Railroad Yards |
| 255 | 6 Jan 1945 | LWG | Sgt | 44-8376 | Bonn — Bridge over Rhine |
| 259 | 17 Jan 1945 | LWG | Sgt | 44-8358 | Paderborn — Railway Workshops |
| 266 | 3 Feb 1945 | LWG | S/Sgt | 42-38038 | Berlin — Transportation Area |
| 267 | 6 Feb 1945 | LWG | S/Sgt | 44-8376 | Lutter — Secondary Target |
| 273 | 16 Feb 1945 | LWG | S/Sgt | 43-37515 | Gelsenkirchen — Coking Plant |
| 274 | 19 Feb 1945 | LWG | Sgt | 44-6565 | Münster — Railroad Centre |
| 276 | 21 Feb 1945 | LWG | S/Sgt | 42-38461 | Nuremberg — Main Railroad Marshalling Yard |
| 277 | 22 Feb 1945 | LWG | S/Sgt | 43-38130 | Salzwedel — Railroad Marshalling Yard |
| 278 | 23 Feb 1945 | LWG | S/Sgt | 44-8376 | Plauen — Secondary Target |
| 281 | 26 Feb 1945 | LWG | S/Sgt | 42-97216 | Berlin — Railroad Station |
| 299 | 22 Mar 1945 | LWG | Sgt | 43-38465 | Barmingholten — Army HQ and Camp |
| 300 | 23 Mar 1945 | LWG | S/Sgt | 44-6610 | Recklinghausen — Railroad Marshalling Yard |
| 302 | 24 Mar 1945 | LWG | S/Sgt | 43-37512 | Twente-Enschede, Holland — Airfield |
| 303 | 26 Mar 1945 | LWG | Sgt | 43-37515 | Plauen — Cellulose Plant |
| 318 | 17 Apr 1945 | TT | S/Sgt | 44-6610 | Dresden — Railroad Marshalling Yard |
| 319 | 18 Apr 1945 | TT | S/Sgt | 44-6610 | Traunstein — Railroad Marshalling Yard |
LWG = Left Waist Gunner · TT = Top Turret Gunner / Flight Engineer · Rank reflects loading list records — promotion to S/Sgt first recorded 3 Feb 1945. Sources: 510th Squadron loading lists at 351st.org, americanairmuseum.com, b17flyingfortress.de, ww2aircraft.net.