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A. TARGET: WOENSDRECHT AIRFIELD, HOLLAND.  A sod landing field and repair base for fighter planes of the German Air Force. Its location makes it valuable to the enemy for interception of our heavy bombers going to targets in Germany.  Aiming Point: The eastern dispersal area.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION: On our first combat mission we are nervous about everything - anti-aircraft fire (flak) - weather - navigation - and German fighters - you name it.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK: 36 a/c from the 386th. Bombing by flights of 6 planes each. Bomb Load: 10-250 lb. G.P. per a/c.

D. MY JOB: Togglier. That means I drop my bombs when the Lead Bombardier drops his.

E. RESULTS: Two passes were made at the target. Bad visibility prevented any bomb run. We dumped our first load of bombs in the English Channel.

F. LOSSES: One B-26 was shot down. It crashed about 2 miles offshore. The Co-pilot, Lt. Eaton, swam ashore. He was captured and later released from a German prison camp. Several planes were damaged by flak. We shot down 7 German fighter planes, confirmed. Another 7 were "probables". We don't know how many of these our fighter escort shot down.

G. REMARKS: This first mission did not serve to boost our morale. It was with some nervousness that we began to prepare for Mission # 2.

MISSION #2    9 AUGUST 1943    (GROUP MISSION #4)

A. TARGET: ST. OMER ROUGE AIRFIELD, FRANCE.  A first echelon repair base for damaged fighter planes as well as a fine interceptor base for ME 109s. Excellent concrete runways. Located to be able to intercept our heavy bombers going to the Rhur Valley. St. Omer is used by twin-engine fighters and London raiding German bombers.  Aiming Points: Dispersal areas, ammunition and fuel dumps.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION: Moderate-to-heavy fire from 4-6 gun batteries plus any number of fighters.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK: 36 a/c from the 386th. Bombing by flights of 6 planes each. Bomb Load: 10-250 lb. G.P. per A/C.

D. MY JOB: Togglier.

E. RESULTS: Mission aborted due to bad weather in the target area.

F. LOSSES: None.

MISSION #3    15 AUGUST 1943    (GROUP MISSION # 5)

A. TARGET: WOENSDRECHT AIRFIELD, HOLLAND. (same as mission # 1) Aiming Points: Eastern dispersal area.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION: Same as before. Flak and fighters.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK: 36 a/c from the 386th. Total of 72. Bombing by flights of 6 planes each. Bomb Load: 10 - 250 1b. G.P. per a/c.

D. MY JOB: Lead Bombardier for one flight of 6 a/c. # 1.

E. RESULTS: My Pattern: Good. In the target area. Others: In the target area. Good.

F. LOSSES: None. Several planes were damaged.

MISSION # 4    17 AUGUST 1943    (GROUP MISSION #6)

A. TARGET: ST. POL (BRYA-SUD) AIRFIELD, NORTHERN FRANCE.  A sod landing field for German single-engine fighters protecting the bomber route to southern Germany. Not a major installation. Base for about 30 a/c.  Aiming Point: Parking revetments for fighter a/c.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION: Little flak is expected with good navigation. Our main problem appears to be 60 to 100 single engine German fighters in the area.

D. MY JOB: Lead Bombardier of one flight of 6 a/c. (strike photo)

E. RESULTS: My Pattern: Good. In the target area. Others: Good. In the target area.

F. LOSSES: None.

MISSION # 5    18 AUGUST 1943    (GROUP MISSION #7)

A. TARGET: WOENSDRECHT AIRFIELD, HOLLAND.  Again. Aiming Point: Eastern dispersal area. B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION: Moderate flak. 50 to 70 fighters.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK: 36 a/c from the 386th. Total of 72 planes. Bombing by flights of 6 planes each. Bomb Load: 20 - 100 lb. G.P. per a/c.

D. MY JOB: Lead Bombardier of one flight of 6 a/c. (strike photo)

E. RESULTS: My Pattern: Good. In the-target area. Others: Good. In the target area.

F. LOSSES: None

MISSION #6    22 AUGUST 1943    (GROUP MISSION #8)

A. TARGET: BEAUMONT LeROGET AIRFIELD, EASTERN NORMANDY, FRANCE.  A first echelon repair base located between Paris and the Channel ports of Brest and LeHavre. Extensive fighter base already hit by B-17s more than once. Aiming Points: Dispersal areas, ammo dump, fuel storage and headquarters building on the west side.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION: Moderate to heavy flak. 60 to 100 fighters of all types.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK: 36 a/c from the 386th. Total of 72 planes. Bombing by flights of 6 planes each. Bomb Load: 6 - 500 lb. G.P. per a/c.

D. MY JOB: Lead Bombardier for one flight of 6 a/c. (strike photo)

E. RESULTS: My Pattern: Clouds prevented an organized attack. My bombs were released without using the bomb sight. A direct hit was scored on one 3-gun ack-ack battery located about a mile from the primary target. Others: Lt. Bill Smith, leading another flight, hit one gun of another battery in the same way. About two-thirds of all bombs were released and hit in the target area.

F. LOSSES: None.

MISSION #7    2 SEPTEMBER 1943    (GROUP MISSION # 11)

A. TARGET: BETHUNE CHEMICAL WORKS & MANZARBE POWER PLANT, FRANCE.  A medium size plant complex. Aiming points; First box of 18 a/c -- power plant on the south side. Second box of 18 a/c -- factory bldgs.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION: No flak. Up to 50 fighters.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK: 36 a/c from the 386th. Bombing by boxes of 18 a/c each. This was the first mission to employ a single Bombardier for 18 planes rather than the usual 6. It proved very successful for many types of targets. Bomb Load: 1st 18 --6 - 5001b. G.P. per a/c. 2nd. 18 --20- 1001b. M-47 oil & rubber incendiaries.

D. MY JOB: Togglier.

E. RESULTS: The pattern of the first box landed near the power station but damage appeared to be confined to the adjacent yards and small storage buildings. The second 18 dropped their incendiaries just short of the main factory buildings but did great damage to nearby 3 & 4 story buildings and a housing area. Overall -- not very good.

F. LOSSES: None.

MISSION #8    4 SEPTEMBER 1943    (GROUP MISSION # 12)

A. TARGET: LILLE DELIVERANCE MARSHALLING YARDS, FRANCE.  Centrally located in northern France. In direct line between Germany and the Channel ports. Contains much traffic and extensive maintenance & repair facilities for railroad equipment. Aiming Point: Center of the yard.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION: Moderate flak at the target. 50 to 60 fighter planes.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK: 36 a/c from the 386th. Total of 72 planes. Bombing by boxes of 18 planes each. Bomb Load: 4 - 10001b. G.P. per a/c.

D. MY JOB: Togglier.

E. RESULTS: Excellent. All bombs landed in the target area. Large explosions and fines resulted. F. LOSSES: None.

MISSION #9    8 SEPTEMBER 1943    (GROUP MISSION # 17)

A. TARGET: LILLE VENDEVILLE AIRFIELD, FRANCE.  Contains one very large hangar and several smaller maintenance buildings. Large concrete runways. Extensive dispersal areas. About 40 single engine fighters operate from this base. Houses bombers occasionally, but for only short periods of time. Aiming Point: The large hangar and headquarters area for both boxes.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION: Moderate flak. About 60 fighters.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK: 36 a/c from the 386th.: Total of 72 planes. Bombing by boxes of 18 planes each. Bomb Load: 6 - 500 lb. G.P. per a/c.

D. MY JOB: Togglier.

E. RESULTS: Excellent. All bombs landed in the target area. About 75% destruction.

F. LOSSES: None. 2 or 3 planes damaged.

MISSION #10    14 SEPTEMBER 1943    (GROUP MISSION # 22)

A. TARGET: LILLE NORD AIRFIELD, FRANCE.  Constructed around a medieval castle. Houses single and twin engine fighters; triple concrete runways. Aiming Point: Center of the target.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION: Heavy flak from batteries in defense of both the city of Lille and this airfield. The Luftwaffe could put up 70 single & twin engine fighters if they want to.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK: 36 a/c from the 386th. Total of 72 planes. Bombing by boxes of 18 a/c each. Bomb Load: 4 - 1000 lb. G.P. per a/c. D. MY JOB: Lead Bombardier for all 72 planes. #5 E. RESULTS: Mission cancelled due to weather.

F. LOSSES: None. My plane had one engine shot out over Dunkirk on the way home. I was hit by numerous pieces of flak in the back of both arms. Not serious. My first PURPLE HEART.

NOTE: WHEN I PARTICIPATED IN A MISSION AS A LEAD BOMBARDIER, A CIRCLE AROUND THE SEQUENCE NUMBER INDICATES I HAVE A STRIKE PHOTO FOLDER OF THAT SAME NUMBER.