Mission No. 152
26 Aug 1944
Station: 166
Target: Troop River Crossing at Rouen, France
Time Of Take-Off: 17:38 / Time Over Target: 19:11 / Time Landed: 20:35
38 B-26 aircraft loaded with 18x260LB M-81 Fragmentation bombs were dispatched to attack an enemy Troop River Crossing at Rouen, France. A heavy concentration of enemy transport and tanks in target area are jammed along roads at river side attempting to cross by ferry. Dive bombers have been attacking for several days but cannot cope with so large a concentration. Two groups of 98th Wing have similar target one mile east and one group of the 97th Wing will attack directly south of the 391st's target. Troop line runs west to East Lisieux to Elbeuf. None of our forces north of this line. Spitfires of 11 Group will provide cover in the target area.
Stubbs in a/c 813 made a crash landing after his aircraft experienced an engine failure on take-off. Thankfully, the crew survived and only sustained minor cuts and bruises although the aircraft was declared beyond repair. Willis and crew, flying as a spare in aircraft 295, went to Selsey Bill with the formation but turned back as they were not required. Dickinson in a/c 806 also returned from Selsey Bill because his right engine was cutting out. The remaining 35 aircraft proceeded towards the target.
Weather conditions enroute were 10/10 cloud cover over southern England, with a break in the clouds about 15 miles beyond English coast. This improved to hazy with four to six miles visibility over the target area.
No FLAK was encountered enroute, the formation encountered Heavy, Moderate to Intense, Accurate FLAK over the target area. 22 aircraft sustained battle damage. 2/Lt. Clyde W. Nelson, Kiedinger's co-pilot in a/c 615, was slightly wounded by flak.
A concentration of bombs from the 1st flight of the 1st box fell about 400 feet E of the Designated Mean Point of Impact across warehouses, roads, and railroad tracks starting fires on roads. 2 a/c accidentally released early hitting about 2 1/2 miles SW of the Target Area across road and railroad. A concentration of bombs from the 2nd flight fell about 2,200 feet NE of the Designated Mean Point of Impact across river and and warehouses along river. Results were rated as GOOD and GROSS respectively. The Photo Interpreters were unable to assess the bombing by the 3rd flight as the target was obscured by smoke on the photographs.
No photo coverage for the 1st flight of the 1st box was available due to evasive action. A dispersed concentration of bombs from the 2nd flight fell about 1,000 feet NE of the Designated Mean Point of Impact across roads and warehouses with probable hits on motor vehicles. A concentration of bombs from the 3rd flight fell about 2,800 feet NE of the Designated Mean Point of Impact into smoke of previous flight with probable hits on warehouses along river. Results were rated as FAIR and GROSS respectively.
Whitson in a/c 719 dropped out after the 1st bomb run and headed toward St. Valery. He was later seen going SW along the French coast toward the beach head on a single engine. Whitson later landed at one of the Forward Operating Bases in Normandy. He stated that his right engine was out. Metelsky in a/c 839 landed at A-13 (394th Bomb Group) on account of an oil leak on the return route. One tachometer was out and the right engine cylinder head temperature was too high. Alexander in a/c 819 was seen flying on a single engine over the Channel under control. He later landed at RAF West Malling.

SECTION VALUE
Field Order:241
Reel:B0437
Page Start:1104
Mission:152
Date Order Sent:26 Aug 1944
Zero Hour (Day number + Time):261900b
Target(s) (Primary, Secondary, Alternate):Rouens
Fighter Escort:Spitfires of 11 group will furnish area cover.
Rendezvous:
Route Out:base to Selsey Bill to 4917n0007w to 4909n0012e to 4917n0041e to target.
Route Back:turn right to 4929n0120e to 4943n0113e to 4953n0042e to Selsey Bill to base.
Altitudes:
Initial Point (IP):4917n0041e
Axis of Attack:60 degrees
Emergency Airdromes:NULL
Intervalometer Setting:50 feet
Bomb Load:18x260 M-81 frags inst nose only.
Purpose/Notes/Time Over Target:Bomb by flights.
OPFLASH
SECTION VALUE
Reel: B0437
Page: 1096
Field Order: 0
A(i) Target Ordered: Rouen
A(ii) Target Attacked: Rouen
B(i) Group: 391
B(ii) No. Of A/C Off By Type: 38 B-26
B(iii) No. A/C Failing To Bomb: (weather-personnel-mechanical-other): 0-0-2-1 (2 mechanical: 1 a/c crashed on take off due to engine failure, 1 a/c returned from Selsey Bill due to engine cutting out; 1 other: spare returned from Selsey Bill), 3 a/c landed away from base.
B(iv) No. A/C Bombing: (primary-secondary-other): 35-0-0
C(i) Time Up: 17:38
C(ii) Time Over Target: 19:11
C(iii) Time Down: 20:35
D(i) No A/C: (missing-destroyed-damaged(cat. B-A/C)-Damaged(Cat. A)): 0-1-0-22 (1 destroyed, crashed on take-off; 22 Cat A damaged, flak at target)
D(ii) Enemy A/C: (destroyed-prob. Destroyed-Damaged): 0-0-0
D(iii) No. Crew: (killed-wounded-missing): 0-1-0
E. Results Of Bombing: good.
F(i)(A) Enemy Opposition Over Target: nil
F(i)(B) Enemy Opposition Elsewhere: nil
F(ii)(A) Flak Over Target: HF M to I ACC
F(ii)(B) Flak Elsewhere: nil
G. info,Observations, Hot News:
H(i) Weather Affecting Bombing: hazy, four to six miles visibility.
H(ii) Weather En Route: 10/10 cloud cover over southern England. Break in clouds about 15 miles beyond English coast.
I. Bombs On: (primary-secondary-other-jettisoned-returned): 620-0-0-0-50 (260frag)
J. Altitude Of Attack: 12500 and 11500
View Crew Loading Lists for Mission No. 152
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.

All aircraft associated with an Accident or Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) for this mission are shown in red. Click on taxi code for details.


Box #1 - Lead Flight
Earll
572
803-K
7
Love
572
815-R
16
Alexander
572
819-H
9
Dickinson
572
806-M
14
Brockway
572
947-U
15
Hanlon
572
812-D
9
Box #1 - High Flight
Roeper
572
811-G
6
Stubbs
572
7
Koehl
572
799-T
15
Danforth
572
810-C
8
Crim
572
740-V
16
Chatellier
572
808-X
13
Box #1 - Low Flight
Whitson
572
719-F
13
Fry
573
820-S
21
Penney
575
837-N
39
Dewitt
572
748-Q
6
Harlow
575
025-S
47
Kiedinger
575
615-A
41
Willis
575
295-O
46

Box #2 - Lead Flight
Bird
574
931-F
34
Garwick
574
807-J
36
Stanfield
574
720-R
31
Newman
574
010-A
30
Watkinson
573
148-D
24
Lowe
573
747-F
18
Box #2 - High Flight
Bush
574
815-W
36
Wolfe
574
866-X
31
Metelsky
574
839-G
37
Evans
574
597-P
32
Spangler
575
576-V
38
Morris
575
268-K
44
Box #2 - Low Flight
Watson
574
873-U
37
Lowder
575
844-D
38
Ryan
575
743-W
40
Majka
575
833-U
47
Hillier
575
843-J
45
Breesman
575
620-B
44
Lakin
575
932-T
46
Box #2 - Extra Flight/Spares
Spare Lead
822-O
24
Spare
820-S
21
Spare
830-M
28