Mission No. 119
19 Jul 1944
Station: 166
Target: Railroad Bridge at Mantes Gassicourt, France
Time Of Take-Off: 18:20 / Time Over Target: 20:32 / Time Landed: 22:10
36 B-26 aircraft, loaded with 4x1000LB General Purpose bombs, were dispatched to attack an enemy Railroad Bridge at Mantes Gassicourt, France. Bombing will be done by flights. Refuelling bases that may be used are Hartford Bridge, Odiham, Lasham and Dunsfold. After rendezvous with their fighter escort of P-47s of Ninth Fighter Command, the formation proceeded onward toward the target.
Weather conditions enroute were 10/10 clouds at 10,000 feet from the French to the English coast changing to very hazy, 1 to 1/2 miles visibility over the target area.
Heavy, Weak, Accurate FLAK was experienced over Nogent in the target area with 3 of the formation's aircraft receiving battle damage. Each of the 6 flights made 2 or 3 bomb runs on the target.
Photos from the 1st and 2nd flights of the 1st box show that their bombs fell in a dispersed pattern about 600 feet north of the Designated Mean Point of Impact with four hits on a Railroad embankment; 8 hits on a factory building east of the aiming point and 4 hits on a factory building northeast of the aiming point. Results were rated as FAIR. The 3rd flight's fell in a tight concentration about 1,900 feet north of the Designated Mean Point of Impact in a river and open fields with results rated as POOR.
The bombs from the 3 flights of the 2nd box fell in a dispersed pattern about 8,000 feet southwest of the Designated Mean Point of Impact in open fields and residential area. Results were rated as GROSS.
Lt. Sloss in a/c 806-C landed at RAF Ford to refuel. The Alexander (J.P.) crew wanted better food, and are tired of corned beef and stew. The Baxter crew requested that relief tubes are put back in the tail of ships !

SECTION VALUE
Field Order:173
Reel:B0436
Page Start:310
Mission:119
Date Order Sent:19 Jul 1944
Zero Hour (Day number + Time):191900b
Target(s) (Primary, Secondary, Alternate):4801E/B/7
Fighter Escort:P-47s of Ninth Fighter Command will furnish escort.
Rendezvous:with fighters at 4918n0003w at 11500 feet at zero hour plus 40 min.
Route Out:base to Worthing to 4918n0003w to 4832n0108e to 4843n0152e to target.
Route Back:turn left to 4859n0053e to 4918n0003e to Worthing.
Altitudes:normal.
Initial Point (IP):4843n0152e
Axis of Attack:345 degrees
Emergency Airdromes:NULL
Intervalometer Setting:50 feet
Bomb Load:4x1000gp 1/10 x 1/100
Purpose/Notes/Time Over Target:bombing will be done by flights. Refuelling bases that may be used are Hartford Bridge, Odiham, Lasham and Dunsfold.
OPFLASH
SECTION VALUE
Reel: B0436
Page: 304
Field Order: 0
A(i) Target Ordered: Mantes Gassicourt RR Bridge
A(ii) Target Attacked: Mantes Gassicourt RR Bridge
B(i) Group: 391
B(ii) No. Of A/C Off By Type: 36 B-26
B(iii) No. A/C Failing To Bomb: (weather-personnel-mechanical-other): 0-0-0-0
B(iv) No. A/C Bombing: (primary-secondary-other): 36-0-0
C(i) Time Up: 18:20
C(ii) Time Over Target: 20:32
C(iii) Time Down: 22:10
D(i) No A/C: (missing-destroyed-damaged(cat. B-A/C)-Damaged(Cat. A)): 0-0-0-3
D(ii) Enemy A/C: (destroyed-prob. Destroyed-Damaged): 0-0-0
D(iii) No. Crew: (killed-wounded-missing): 0-0-0
E. Results Of Bombing: good as observed by crews
F(i)(A) Enemy Opposition Over Target: nil
F(i)(B) Enemy Opposition Elsewhere: nil
F(ii)(A) Flak Over Target: nil
F(ii)(B) Flak Elsewhere: HF W ACC Nogent
G. info,Observations, Hot News:
H(i) Weather Affecting Bombing: very hazy, 1 to 1/2 miles visibility down sun.
H(ii) Weather En Route: 10/10 clouds at 10000 feet from Fr. Coast to English coast.
I. Bombs On: (primary-secondary-other-jettisoned-returned): 142-0-0-0-1 (1000gp), 1-0-0-0-0 (ZG-11 leaflet)
J. Altitude Of Attack: 11500 and 12500
View Crew Loading Lists for Mission No. 119
DIAGRAM NOTES:

Pilot and crew are not shown on crew loading lists where Squadron field of aircraft is blank.

All aircraft not participating in this mission (e.g. Spares, Abortive) are shown in yellow.

All aircraft damaged by FLAK are shown in orange.


Box #1 - Lead Flight
Williams
572
803-K
Boylan
572
812-
Boone
573
831-
Rutledge
572
834-B
Sloss
573
806-C
Bjork
572
806-M
Box #1 - High Flight
Dickinson
572
811-
Baehr
572
797-P
Hanlon
572
836-N
Roeper
572
813-J
Walker
572
815-R
Koehl
572
313-Z
Box #1 - Low Flight
Dooley
572
808-X
Baxter
573
841-A
Clark
572
719-
Armstrong
573
747-T
Colsch
573
595-V
Youse
572
947-U
Alexander
620-

Box #2 - Lead Flight
Loesch
574
931-F
Lakin
575
844-
Evans
574
597-P
Bird
574
248-V
Garwick
574
841-S
Stanfield
574
720-
Box #2 - High Flight
Bush
574
815-W
Lowder
574
818-L
Metelsky
574
839-G
Alexander
575
268-K
Morris
575
932-
Watson
574
873-U
Box #2 - Low Flight
Majka
574
865-K
Callison
573
842-D
Wolfe
574
866-X
Hollis
574
800-C
Harlow
573
634-
Kiedinger
573
978-Q