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A. TARGET: CHARLEROI MONTIGNES MARSHALLING YARDS, FRANCE. This target is slightly smaller than either Hirson or Hasselt. It may carry more traffic. We left on this mission after a personal send-off by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander. Aiming Point: Center of the rail yards.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION: None if the navigation is good.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK: 36 a/c from the 386th. Bombing by boxes of 18 planes each. Bomb Load: 8 - 500 lb. G.P. per a/c.

D. MY JOB: Lead Bombardier for the second box of 18 a/c. # 19. E. RESULTS: My Pattern: Excellent. Right on the nose. Others: Excellent. Some bombs hit alongside a canal but were still in the target area.

F. LOSSES: None.

MISSION #52    20 APRIL 1944    (GROUP MISSION # 151)

A. TARGET: GRAVELINES COAST GUNS, FRANCE. A secondary target. This battery is composed of about, six medium caliber guns. They are well camouflaged and in a good position to oppose any landing attempt near Dunkirk, France. Aiming Point: Center of the target.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION:  None at the target. We did expect trouble at our primary target at St. Omer France. We were shot at but not hit. Bad weather scrubbed that target.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK:  36 a/c from the 386th. Bombing by boxes of 18 planes each. Bomb Load: 8 - 5001b. G.P. per a/c.

D. MY JOB:  Lead Bombardier of the 36 planes. (strike photo)

E. RESULTS:  My Pattern: About half the pattern in the target area.  Others: Returned to base with bomb load.

F. LOSSES:  None.

MISSION #53    22 APRIL 1944    (GROUP MISSION # 154 or 155)

A. TARGET: ST. OMER BUZZ-BOMB LAUNCH SITE # A-88 Or A-89, France. Aiming Point: Center of the target.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION:  Heavy flak.

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

D. MY JOB:  Lead Bombardier for all 36 planes. (strike photo)

E. RESULTS:  My Pattern: A German 88mm shell exploded just under the nose of our plane on the bomb run. The plate glass right in front of my face shattered. I was leaning over the bomb-sight at the time, looking down at the target. A shower of glass fragments turned my entire face into a mass of small bloody cuts. I could feel bits of glass in both eyes. My eyes were shut I made no effort to open them, My Navigator, Capt. Pete Bingham, saw my predicament immediately. Thinking the mission a washout he ordered the Pilot, Lt .Col. Tad Hankey to start a left turn. That made a lot of sense. Flak was exploding all around. Fortunately, I was still holding my hand microphone. I broke in and told Tad to level out--that we still had a chance to hit the target. I was synchronized before I was showered with glass. He leveled out immediately. Our bomb pattern hit just to the left of the aiming point but mostly in the target area. Other Box: The Lead Bombardier of the second box, Major Economidis, also was wounded on the bomb run. His bomb pattern hit just short of the target area.

F. LOSSES:  Several planes were damaged by flak. Four crewmen were injured. One suffered a severe spinal wound. I had about 200 cuts on my face and in my eyes. Fortunately for me Lt. Col. Hankey left the formation and landed our plane at Braintree Air Base in England so that I could get immediate expert medical attention. As a result of this mission I was awarded the Silver Star decoration along with an Oak Leaf Cluster to my Purple Heart. Cuts in my left eye were deeper and slower to heal than those in my right eye. Since a good right eye was all that I needed on a bomb run I was able to lead another mission 8 days later. No permanent eye damage resulted. Tad Hankey later complained to me that I ruined his otherwise perfect record. I was the only combat casualty in any plane he piloted in WWII.

MISSION #54    30 APRIL 1944    (GROUP MISSION # 162)

A. TARGET: BETHUNE MARSHALLING YARD, FRANCE. Contains extensive locomotive repair facilities. Aiming Point: Center of the yard.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION:  None with good navigation.

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 - 1000 1b. G.P. per a/c.

D. MY JOB:  Lead Bombardier of 36 planes. (strike photo)

E. RESULTS:  My Pattern: Started in the roundhouse and went into and alongside the marshalling yard. About 9 - 10001b. bombs went through the roof. Very good. Others: Smoke in the target area made it hard for the second box. Most of his pattern hit outside the target.

F. LOSSES:  None

MISSION #55    22 MAY 1944    (GROUP MISSION # 176)

A. TARGET: BEAUVAIS TILLE AIRFIELD, FRANCE. Although cratered by hundreds of bombs this airfield has been repaired to some extent after each raid. It remains operational for fighters and light bombers. Aiming Point: The northeastern dispersal and gas area.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION:  Moderate flak.

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:  Lead Bombardier of the second box of 18 planes. We ended up as the Lead Crew for the entire formation after the original leaders accidentally dropped their load 15 miles short of the target. They aborted and returned to base. (Strike photo 23)

E. RESULTS: The bombs from my lead flight and high flight (on the right) landed in the dispersal area. This accounted for about 12 planes. The low flight of 6 planes, trailing somewhat, dropped their load in a long pattern across the north end of the runways and ended in the dispersal area. No bomb-sight was used on this release. I can't remember why not. There was considerable confusion after the Lead Box aborted.

F. LOSSES:  None. Several planes were damaged by flak.

MISSION #56    23 MAY 1944    (GROUP MISSION # 177)

A. TARGET: CAMBRAIS AIRFIELD, FRANCE. Located about half way between Paris and the Belgium border, this airfield is a base for light bombers, fighters and fighter-bombers. Cambrais has three large hangars, extensive runway & dispersal areas. This is a very important target. Aiming Point: The southern dispersal area with one large hangar in the center.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION:  Moderate flak.

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

D. MY JOB:  Togglier.

E. RESULTS:  Excellent. The Lead Crew did a good job of bombing through a broken overcast. A mere glimpse of the bomb bursts led us to believe the pattern covered the hangar area.

F. LOSSES:  None.

MISSION #57    27 MAY 1944    (GROUP MISSION # 182 or 183)

A. TARGET:  LOUVIERS RAILROAD BRIDGE, SEINE RIVER, FRANCE. This concrete & steel bridge has 5 spans. It carries much cross-river traffic to supply the German Seventh Army. Located about 15 miles south of Rouen and about 45 miles northwest of Paris. Aiming Point: As Lead Bombardier I chose the center support. Other flights in the formation had aiming points on either side of the center.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION:  Not much. Possible river-boat flak.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK:  36 a/c from the 386th. Bombing by flights of 6 planes each. Bomb Load: 2 - 20001b. G.P. per a/c.

D. MY JOB:  Lead Bombardier of the 36 planes. (strike photo)

E. RESULTS:  My Pattern: Bulls-eye. A tight pattern hit right on the center support. No spans appeared to fall. Hard to believe. Others: Every flight in our Group hit either the bridge or the adjoining tunnel. This tunnel caved in on a separate rail line running parallel to the river. Excellent Results.

F. LOSSES: None.

MISSION #58    28 MAY 1944    (GROUP MISSION # 184)

A. TARGET: MANTES-GASSICOURT HIGHWAY BRIDGE, SEINE RIVER, FRANCE. Located about 20 miles southeast of yesterday's target. One big difference. This bridge is in a small French town. Also, when the target is destroyed it renders two other bridges nearby nearly useless since all 3 connect to an island in the middle of the river. Aiming Point: Center of the bridge.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION:  None at the target. However our flight path is fairly close to Paris. Any small error in navigation could get us within range of any number of flak batteries located in a ring around the city.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK:  36 a/c from the 386th. Bombing by flights of 6 planes each. Bomb Load: 2 - 20001b. G.P. per a/c.

D. MY JOB:  Togglier.

E. RESULTS:  Near miss.

F. LOSSES:  None.

MISSION #59    28 MAY 1944    (GROUP MISSION # 185)

A. TARGET:  CHATEAU NEAR BRUGES, BELGIUM. This residential area is reported by the Belgian Underground to be a secret high-level meeting place for the German Naval High Command. They are supposed to be in session. German U-Boats have been giving us a very hard time...This could be our chance to create some high-level confusion in the German Navy. Aiming point: Center of the Chateau.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION:   Possible flak from guns around Bruges.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK:  36 a/c from the 386th. Bombing by flights of 6 planes each. Bomb Load: 2 - 20001b. G.P. per a/c.

D. MY JOB:  Lead Bombardier for the second box of 18 planes. (strike photo)

E. RESULTS:  My Pattern: A Bulls-eye. Others: A formation of A-20s was briefed to hit this target ahead of us. I don't think any of our Group ever saw those A-20s. At first I thought they had failed to locate the target and just went home. After further study of the first strike photo I now believe bombs were dropped in and around the target area before our first pattern hit. Our Lead Bombardier got a Bulls-eye. Both his high & low flight missed. My high flight got a Bulls-eye. My low flight hit almost entirely in the target area but slightly over the aiming point. Four out of six flights in our Group could not have been better placed on the target. We never found out if we caught the German Navy Brass in session or not. This was a good, typical 386th Bomb Group Mission.

F. LOSSES:  None.

MISSION #60    29 MAY 1944    (GROUP MISSION # 187)

A. TARGET:  COAST GUNS AT CALAIS, FRANCE. Aiming Point: Center of the battery.

B. EXPECTED OPPOSITION:  Intense flak from Calais 88mm batteries.

C. WEIGHT OF OUR ATTACK:  36 a/c from the 386th. Bombing by flights of 6 planes each. Bomb Load: 2 - 20001b. G.P. per a/c.

D. MY JOB:  Lead Bombardier of one flight of 6 planes. (strike photo)

E. RESULTS:  My Pattern: Landed in the target area. Others: Three patterns hit before my pattern went down. The target was pretty well covered with smoke. Precision bombing by trailing flights is always difficult unless the bomb-sight cross-hairs can be completely synchronized before the first explosions occur ahead of you. Another problem often occurs when planes ahead of you get in your way causing loss of time in setting up on the bomb run. Trailing flights are much more vulnerable to enemy fighters, but somewhat less vulnerable to ground fire "there ain't no free lunch".

F. LOSSES:  One Lead Plane in a flight next to ours was shot down. Several planes were damaged.