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Dick Giles, McDougall, and Remaklus finished 30 today. Dick said that for the
first time he was really scared and wanted to turn out. We were in flak for
12 minutes. It was classified as intense, accurate, barrage type. Evasive
action was no good - it was everywhere and not just a few puffs. After
landing the boys said Big B was a milk run compared to it. The Leipzig area
has 450 guns and I think they had had a chance at us.
Load 10 500-lb GPs. My figures: 874 B-17s over target. 4,370,000 lbs of
bombs. Our escort was 850 P-51s and P-38s. They tangled with the Luftwaffe
at the I.P. at 12:30 - we were over the target. They hit the group behind us
at the R.P at 1330. 19 E/A were shot down over the target - one P-51.
We led the low squadron. What a day! Planes shot up - planes aborting -
planes all over the deck coming home. Coming over the North Sea we saw a
B-17 with no horizontal stabilizer. We had one small hole in our stabilizer.
11/9/44 Mission #11
Up at 2:00 for 3:00 pre-briefing. Target: a honey right behind the lines.
Some forts holding up Gen. Patton. We were group deputy lead. For a while I
thought we were going to lead.
The primary was visual - secondary PFF. We couldn't see the primary until we
were right over it - so we hit the secondary, the marshalling yards at
Saarbrucken, Germany.
We had flak in the high and low squadrons - one ship in the low caught on
fire and blew up. Three chutes seen - 2 were on fire.
11/11/44 Mission #12
The CQ woke Bob and Chuck at 3:50 for target study. Then he woke Jack and me
at 3:55 for 4:30 pre-briefing. Target: marshalling yard just south of
Coblenz, Germany (Oberlaunstein).
We flew deputy group lead until just
before the IP. We then took over the lead for a Micro H bomb run. I called
Whittnell just before the IP to see if he had it. He said yes, then, as we
turned we slid into the Trier flak area. No damage. I got a Gee fix from the
Ruhr chain at Bombs Away. We were right on course and 3-1/2 miles from the
target. Load 11 500-lb GPs.
Called at 4:30. T/O at 0840. Target: marshalling yard at Hamm, in Happy
Valley. Had to do some fancy weaving to get in the bomber stream. They had 3
groups over Buncher #13 at the same time - stacked. We were leading the
487th. We had trouble all the way in over-running the group ahead.
On the
bomb run one lonesome B-17 nearly cut us out. Whitt got Chuck started at 70
deg. when Jack took off 10 deg. to the left. By the time we got back on the
run all the check points had gone by. Chuck dropped on the indices and I got
a Rheims Chain "gee" fix. 2-12 NM short of target on course. Estimated that
we missed the MPI but hit the yards.
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11/26/44 Mission #13
Saw one plane down in flames at RP. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Divisions used the
same corridors coming out. Never saw so many planes in my life.
The field socked in 15 minutes after we landed.
11/27/44 Mission #14
Was really surprised to be awakened at 4:45 am for 5:30 pre-briefing. It was
a micro-H run on the marshalling yard at Bingen, Germany - on the Rhine.
Looked like a milk run but there was quite a bit of battle damage from flak.
Kramer was leading the group. They had their bombsight, electrical system,
and oxygen shot out. Aborted at the target.
We led home, but only got credit
for a squadron lead. I was sure glad to get the lead - we were really
skirting three flak areas. We are due to lead the low tomorrow if it's PFF.
Saw two V-2s taking off for London - they were still within 10 deg. of
vertical when they passed out of sight at at least 55 to 60,000 ft.
Traveling from 500 to 800 mph.
Navigator's station from B17 II
11/30/44 Mission #15
Rough! Target: Merseberg. We were flying deputy lead. Had a fighter escort
of 26 groups. Estimates ranged from 850 to 1250 planes. We went in south of
Coblenz and right through the Luftwaffe's back yard and out the front yard.
Right over the IP (after they had over-shot) the lead told us to take over
for the bomb run for a visual run. Then they held the lead for about 80
miles and we couldn't get in.
Then - this hot (?) pilotage navigator we had
didn't have a map to help Chuck. I grabbed one and gave it to him and he was
just in Chuck's way. Chuck had to set up the AFCE.
Also - the 100th Group
were going in abreast of us about 1/2 mile right. The smoke screen was in
full swing and the flak was everywhere. Chuck couldn't pick up the Leund
refinery through it - so we bombed a refinery (?) vicinity of Zeist. After
landing the Air Leader tried to say he called for a PFF run. What a mess!
We lost Kursran - direct hit in #3 - flamer and blew up. The 100th Group
lost 3 or 4.
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