Mission No. 23
11 Apr 1944
Station: 166
Target: Marshaling Yard at Charleroi/Montignies, Belgium
Time Of Take-Off: 09:20 / Time Over Target: 11:04 / Time Landed: 12:35
39 B-26 were dispatched to attack a Marshaling Yard at Charleroi/Montignies, Belgium. Each aircraft was loaded with 4x1000LB General Purpose bombs with RAF Spitfires providing fighter escort for the wing. Weak fairly accurate HFF from Nieuport was encountered by one aircraft which turned back just over the enemy coast. No FLAK was encountered by formation. 1 a/c turned back at English coast, mechanical difficulty; 1 a/c turned back at enemy coast, mechanical difficulty; 1 a/c failed to release bombs because all switches were not turned on by the substitute enlisted bombardier.
144 bombs were dropped on the target. Results were judged as poor.
6 aircraft landed at Horham airfield, 2 at Castle Camps, 1 at Tollingham, and at least 9 aircraft landed at Rattlesden at 12:30 due to bad weather at Matching Green. All of the crews that landed at Rattlesden commented that the food that they were given at this B-17 airfield was much better than that available at Matching Green ! Crews also commented that the use of "window" (strips of tin foil dropped from aircraft to confuse enemy ground radar) should be used for every mission.

SECTION VALUE
Field Order:6
Reel:B0430
Page Start:734
Mission:23
Date Order Sent:10 Apr 1944
Zero Hour (Day number + Time):111000b
Target(s) (Primary, Secondary, Alternate):Zb115 (p). MPI: 054030. Zb50 (s). MPI: 029076.
Fighter Escort:RAF Spitfires will furnish escort for this wing.
Rendezvous:(a) With 386 at North Foreland at 11500 feet at zero hour plus 16 min. The 386 group will lead. (b) With fighters at 51d11n/02d30e at 11500 feet at zero hour plus 30 min.
Route Out:North Foreland to Fighter rendezvous to 50d54n/03d26e to 50d12n/03d50e to IP to Target.
Route Back:Turn left to Rally point to 8 miles southwest of Ghent to Nieuport to North Foreland.
Altitudes:
Initial Point (IP):50d10n/04d24e
Axis of Attack:S to N.
Emergency Airdromes:
Intervalometer Setting:50 feet
Bomb Load:4x1000gp, 1/10 nose, 1/40 tail.
Purpose/Notes/Time Over Target:
OPFLASH
SECTION VALUE
Reel: B0430
Page: 732
Field Order: 6
A(i) Target Ordered: Charleroi/Montignies M/Y
A(ii) Target Attacked: Primary
B(i) Group: 391
B(ii) No. Of A/C Off By Type: 39 B-26
B(iii) No. A/C Failing To Bomb: (weather-personnel-mechanical-other): 1 a/c turned back at english coast, mechanical difficulty; 1 a/c turned back at enemy coast, mechanical difficulty; 1 a/c failed to release bombs because all switched not turned on by substitute enlisted bombardier. NOTE: page 731, 6 a/c landed at Horham at 12:30 due to bad weather at Matching Green. Form104a show at least 9 a/c landed at Rattlesden at 12:30.
B(iv) No. A/C Bombing: (primary-secondary-other): 36-0-0
C(i) Time Up: 09:20
C(ii) Time Over Target: 11:04
C(iii) Time Down: 12:35
D(i) No A/C: (missing-destroyed-damaged(cat. B-A/C)-Damaged(Cat. A)): 0-0-0-0
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: poor
F(i)(A) Enemy Opposition Over Target: P
F(i)(B) Enemy Opposition Elsewhere:
F(ii)(A) Flak Over Target: weak fairly accurate HFF from Nieuport by a/c which turned back just over the enemy coast. No FLAK encountered by formation.
F(ii)(B) Flak Elsewhere:
G. info,Observations, Hot News:
H(i) Weather Affecting Bombing: CAVU at 5000 feet.
H(ii) Weather En Route: 2/10 to 3/10 on route in and out closing in after arriving home, making it necessary to use diversionary a/d.
I. Bombs On: (primary-secondary-other-jettisoned-returned): 144-0-0-4-8 (1000gp)
J. Altitude Of Attack:
View Crew Loading Lists for Mission No. 23
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
La Framboise
575
950-A
35
O'Hare
575
808-C
?
Mitchell
575
845-Q
40
Aldridge
575
805-V
49
Wilkinson
575
846-P
Fleck
575
843-J
36
Box #1 - High Flight
Olfson
575
847-H
40
Kelley
575
827-G
41
Wolfe
574
931-F
Schirmer
575
833-U
49
Petrich
575
972-M
41
Jacobi
575
932-T
48
Hollis
927-N1
28
Box #1 - Low Flight
Harkins
575
844-D
38
Alexander
574
807-J1
26
Barger
574
818-L
25
Bush
574
832-H2
24
Horridge
574
798-K
25
Metelsky
574
839-G1
26
Sellers
573
801-G2
19
Box #1 - Extra Flight/Spares
Spare Lead
804-A
13

Box #2 - Lead Flight
Erickson
574
873-U
32
Dickinson
574
852-A
35
Engelking
574
800-C
35
Jobe
572
815-R
4
Hall
572
810-C1
9
Whitson
572
811-G
6
Box #2 - High Flight
Ljunggren
575
853-F
39
Barker
574
851-M
31
Danforth
572
809-O
3
Roeper
574
835-T
31
Alexander
574
841-S
29
McCarty
572
836-N
1
Armstrong
573
830-M1
22
Box #2 - Low Flight
Adams
573
850-R1
24
Shaffner
573
825-B
15
Logan
573
829-C2
4
Porter
573
890-K
17
Snyder
573
823-N1
21
Clark
573
842-D
16
Dearing
573
802-P
18