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8/26/44 Mission #5
Up at 4:00. Briefing, Plan "B" at 5:00. It sure looked good to look at the
flak map and see Brest for the target. Not Brest itself, but a flak and
coastal battery across the bay.
Nice trip - But - there isn't such a thing as a milk run. We went over the
target at 20,400. There were clouds about 9/10 - but we had a beautiful hole
and about a 1-1/2 minute bomb run. The Air Leader had jumped the gun and
decided to go under the clouds so we didn't drop. Damn it! So we circled
around and came in at 17,400. I could see a battery in Brest winking at us.
The ship jumped about a foot once - but the only flak observed was at 7
o'clock level and close in. Found out later they were shooting grey flak and
it blended with the clouds. Anyway I wish they would do that more often - it
has its psychological advantages. Dropped 38 100-lb GP's. I think we dumped
them in the bay. However someone ahead of us has put a load on the target -
I saw the smoke the first time over.
Logged 7 hours. The best part of it was only 3 hours on oxygen and only 45
minutes carrying that flak suit. My shoulders are really sore from the last
2 long trips. So ends Mission #5. Traveled about 680 NM not counting the 2nd
run. Make it 700 NM.
9/1/44 Mission #6
Up at 2:30 am for 3:45 briefing. However I've had so much sleep the last 3
days that I hardly slept at all.
We are beginning to get some benefit from the occupation of France. We were
scheduled to bomb Mainz, a supply depot. Going over we were behind the
lines. However we ran into some pretty soupy weather. It went up to about
30,000. We circled around and over Paris trying to get through.
Our position
was #3 on the lead element; #1 and #2 were pathfinder ships. We milled
around in the overcast for about 1-1/2 hours. Ships and formations were
everywhere. At one time one formation went right across over us and one went
under. Really gave us a scare. The mission was finally recalled. Two ships,
not from our field, had a mid-air collision - coming around a cumulus
build-up from different directions.
Some of our boys, on the way home,
weren't quite on the ball and went over Le Havre. Got some flak but no
damage. Logged 7 hours. Plus a few more gray hairs. Temperature went to -31C.
(Ed.note: During this break of almost a month we were designated a lead crew
and took some appropriate training. We now had only 30 missions to fly
instead of 35.)
487th Bombardment Group Colors
9/30/44 Mission #7
The mission today was a PFF - but we still flew. Number 2 in the high.
Bombed the marshalling yards at Bielfeld - I think we dropped short. We had
a pilotage bombardier getting his 25th mission in so he can go home. Pretty
sharp boy. We had about 8/10 most of the way - 10/10ths the rest. We had no
flak, no fighters.
Some of the wings coming in behind us went too close to
Munster. Osnobruk tried a few bursts - about 1/2 mile off our right wing.
One of our boys flipped over on his back and tore the wing off of his left
wing man (this was #037, the ship we flew over from the states). Both went
down - must have been prop wash. One ship in the group behind us blew up.
What a day!
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10/2/44 Mission #8
The sergeant woke me up at 2:15 for 3:00 am pre-briefing. For some reason
they did not get me up for Target Study. Target: Primary - A/F north of
Kassel. Secondary - PFF on the marshalling yards in Kassel.
For some reason I had a feeling of confidence all the way through. Slept
soundly for two hours last night. After getting out to the hardstand and
pre-flighting my stuff I lay down in the crew chief's tent and slept for 15
minutes.
T/O 0645. We ran into some light inaccurate flak between Koblenz and Mainz
as we crossed the Rhine. I was working like mad on my guns. Joe put the left
hand gun on the right side and vice versa. I had to change the switches at
25,000 ft and -40C. Was sweating when I finished - too busy to even watch
the flak. The formation was really lousy -- all over the sky. Supposed to
come in on a mag. heading of 116 - came in on 176. Target about 8/10ths
covered. Bombed from 27,400 ft.
On the turn from the target we were carried
by an 80-knot wind over the flak area at Gorringen. Flak at target moderate
- fairly accurate. Flak at G---- light, accurate. At the R.P. I was watching
one B-17 that was circling below us and losing altitude. Obviously hit. The
right wing came off at #4 and the plane caught fire and disintegrated in not
over 10 seconds. One chute observed. Not from our Group. Time of mission
7:45; 4:30 on oxygen. Maximum cold -44C. Easy trip home.
10/22/44 Mission #9
Target study 5:45 am. Target - Munster. It was what the uninitiated call a
milk run - but I still sweat them all out to the target. We led the low
squadron. The mission was strictly PFF - 10/10ths. Had one hole just east of
the Zuider Zee.
Something new was tried today. Two ships carried nothing but
1600 lbs of chaff. They flew above the high squadron and at the I.P. they
took off in a 200 fpm dive with an 8 P-51 escort. When we dropped the flak
was bursting about 8000 ft under us. I had a #27 set Gee box and was able to
pick up the "C" blip all the way. Load was 12 500-lb GPs. We put 6 on the
target; 3 a half second over; and 3 one second over.
11/2/44 Mission #10
Up at 3:30 for 4:30 pre-briefing. Target: Merseberg, Germany, synthetic oil
plant. Third highest priority target in Germany.
Everything was fine until we hit the target area. Instead of a bomb run of
95 magnetic we finally dropped on 194 mag. Toured the Leipzig flak area from
north to south (the long way). Four planes in our immediate vicinity went
down in flames. Quite a rat-race at the target - groups everywhere.
Go to Part IV
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