Time Of Take-Off: 17:27 / Time Over Target: 19:25 / Time Landed: 21:40
36 B-26 aircraft loaded with 4x1000LB General Purpose bombs were dispatched to attack an enemy Railroad Bridge at Nantes, France. After rendezvous with their P-47 fighter escort the formation proceeded onward toward the target.
Weather conditions enroute were 9/10 clouds at 8,000 feet over the Cherbourg Peninsula, improving to 6 to 8 miles visibility with no clouds over the target area.
The formation was subjected to Heavy, Intense, Accurate FLAK over the target area, inflicting battle damage on at least 16 aircraft and wounding 3 crew members.
Schreiber's tail gunner, S/Sgt. John W. Wilson in a/c 597-P was hit in the back of his neck. S/Sgt. Anthony Wierny, Holliday's tail gunner in a/c 797-P; and Bird's navigator, 1/Lt. John G. Fitzhugh, were both slightly wounded.
Bird (a/c 835) and Stanfield (a/c 720-R) made emergency landings in Normandy.
Bombs from the 1st flight of the 1st box fell in a dispersed pattern about 500 feet southwest of the Designated Mean Point of Impact in river and across tracks on island. The 2nd flight's bombs fell in a tight pattern in the south bank of the river 1,200 feet southeast of the Designated Mean Point of Impact. The bombs of the 3rd flight fell in a wide pattern about 100 feet west of the Designated Mean Point of Impact with at least 2 hits on the bridge and probable hits on north end of the bridge. Results were rated as GOOD, POOR, and EXCELLENT respectively.
Photos showed a pattern of bombs from the 1st flight of the 2nd box falling 250 feet southwest of the Designated Mean Point of Impact in the river and across the south end of the bridge. The 2nd flight's bombs fell mostly in a tight pattern about 900 feet south of the Designated Mean Point of Impact with probable hits on the Railroad line. A tight pattern of bombs from the 3rd flight blanketed the north end of the south span of the bridge 400 feet south of the Designated Mean Point of Impact. Results were rated as EXCELLENT, FAIR, and GOOD respectively.
The P-47 escort was to dive-bomb the enemy FLAK positions before the formation arrived over the target. There were mixed comments at debriefing, some stating that the dive-bombing commenced too early and some stating that it helped. Negative comments were made regarding food, transportation, and lockers.
with fighters at 4913n0139w at 11500 feet at zero hour plus 20 min.
Route Out:
Base to St Catherine's Point to 4942n0117w to F/R to 4830n0146w to 4808n0157w to 4717n0158w to target.
Route Back:
turn left to 4807n0122w to 4834n0146w to 4913n0139w to 4942n0117w to St Catherine's Point.
Altitudes:
leave St Catherine's Point at 8000 feet
Initial Point (IP):
4703n0139w
Axis of Attack:
110 degrees
Emergency Airdromes:
NULL
Intervalometer Setting:
50 feet
Bomb Load:
4x1000gp 1/10 x 1/100. drop all remaining leaflet bombs.
Purpose/Notes/Time Over Target:
bombing will be done by flights. Avoid Chateaubriant. Group leader will call dive bomber leader on channel B 4 min before TOT and tell them "proceed to target" and will fire double yellow flares at the same time.