Mission No. 50
8 May 1944
Station: 166
Target: Installations at Bonnieres, France
Time Of Take-Off: 17:45 / Time Over Target: 19:10 / Time Landed: 20:25
36 B-26 plus 3 window ships flying in front of the main formation were dispatched to attack enemy Installations at Bonnieres, France. Aircraft in the 1st box were loaded with 4x1000LB General Purpose bombs, with 8x500LB General Purpose bombs in the 2nd box. As per the last mission, bombing will be by flights of sixes on converging axes of attack with RAF Spitfires providing umbrella fighter cover over the target area.
Two aircraft in the lead flight did not take off due to mechanical problems. As one of these was the flight leader, deputy lead Armstrong in ship 012 assumed lead of the first flight. Hazy weather conditions were experienced enroute and over the target area. Lt. Harlow in a/c 848 left the formation mid-channel with his right engine smoking. He returned to England and landed at another airfield.
There was steady and heavy FLAK for 4 to 6 minutes from the initial point of the bomb run to after turning off target. The formation also encountered moderate to intense, Accurate FLAK, the first burst was an intense barrage right in the formation. Over the target, Captain Frank Adams in ship 829 received a direct FLAK hit in his left engine. After bombs were salvoed, the aircraft descended under control until 3 parachutes were seen leaving from rear of aircraft, and 2 from the bomb bay. It was later learnt that all crew had survived and became POWs.
Although the 1st flight of the 1st box made 2 runs on the target, the target was not attacked as parachutes were observed over the target, and the flight leader (Armstrong) decided to bomb a casual target near the primary target. The 2nd flight of the 1st box made 3 runs on the target, but could not identify it and did not drop, although the 3rd flight bombed with results rated as good. The 2nd box flights also made 2 runs on the target, with the results of the 1st flight undetermined, and the 2nd and 3rd flights rated poor. 40 bombs were dropped by the first box and 144 bombs were dropped by the second, with overall results judged as unobserved.
Although window was scattered in front of the formation to confuse the enemy FLAK radar, 24 aircraft suffered battle damage with 2 of these suffering severe damage (Category B). Some crews thought that window was not effective as it should have been scattered at a lower altitude than the formation was flying, others assumed that window was ineffective because the FLAK batteries were aiming visually.
41-35012 (Armstrong and crew) Hydraulic system shot out, landing gear inoperative, belly landing washed ship out.
41-31972 (Martin and crew) Hydraulic system shot out, emergency bottle used, a/c ran off end of runway, landing gear collapsed, ground tore into fuselage, a/c washed out. 2/Lt. Bombardier Wayne R. Palmer was slightly wounded by flying glass caused by flak.

SECTION VALUE
Field Order:45
Reel:B0432
Page Start:585
Mission:50
Date Order Sent:8 May 1944
Zero Hour (Day number + Time):081830b
Target(s) (Primary, Secondary, Alternate):z3096
Fighter Escort:RAF Spitfires will furnish fighter umbrella in Target area.
Rendezvous:
Route Out:Base to Beachy Head to 4 miles South of Berck-sur-Mer to target.
Route Back:turn left to 4 miles South of Berck-sur-Mer to Dungeness.
Altitudes:
Initial Point (IP):Berck-sur-Mer
Axis of Attack:100 Degrees.
Emergency Airdromes:West Malling.
Intervalometer Setting:50 feet
Bomb Load:1 box 8x500gp, 1 box 4x1000gp, 1/10 sec nose fuse, 1/40 sec tail fuse.
Purpose/Notes/Time Over Target:3 window ships will fly with and ahead of formation dropping window as briefed. Bombing will be by flights of sixes on converging axes of attack.
OPFLASH
SECTION VALUE
Reel: B0432
Page: 581
Field Order: 45
A(i) Target Ordered: Bonnieres
A(ii) Target Attacked: 1 flight attacked 5001E/J/334, remainder on primary.
B(i) Group: 391
B(ii) No. Of A/C Off By Type: 36 B-26 plus 3 B-26 carrying window.
B(iii) No. A/C Failing To Bomb: (weather-personnel-mechanical-other): 0-6-1-0 (flight made 3 runs but unable to identify it).
B(iv) No. A/C Bombing: (primary-secondary-other): 25-0-4
C(i) Time Up: 17:45
C(ii) Time Over Target: 19:10
C(iii) Time Down: 20:25
D(i) No A/C: (missing-destroyed-damaged(cat. B-A/C)-Damaged(Cat. A)): 1-0-2-22
D(ii) Enemy A/C: (destroyed-prob. Destroyed-Damaged): 0-0-0
D(iii) No. Crew: (killed-wounded-missing): 0-1-6 ()
E. Results Of Bombing: unobserved.
F(i)(A) Enemy Opposition Over Target: 0
F(i)(B) Enemy Opposition Elsewhere: 0
F(ii)(A) Flak Over Target: moderate to intense accurate FLAK, first burst was an intense barrage right in the formation.
F(ii)(B) Flak Elsewhere: For 4 to 6 minutes steady HFF from IP to after turning off target.
G. info,Observations, Hot News: no.1, 3rd flight, lead box hit in left engine by HFF just as bombs dropped on PT. Peeled out of formation to left and glided down well under control. 5 chutes definitely seen, possible 6.
H(i) Weather Affecting Bombing: hazy.
H(ii) Weather En Route: hazy.
I. Bombs On: (primary-secondary-other-jettisoned-returned): 24-0-16-4-28 (1000gp), 144-0-0-0-1 (500gp)
J. Altitude Of Attack: 12500
View Crew Loading Lists for Mission No. 50
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 #0 - Lead Flight
Schleicher
572
803-
Whitson
572
972-S
Newcomer
574
818-

Box #1 - Lead Flight
Thorn
804-A
13
Sloss
831-H
19
Bollinger
573
825-B
15
Armstrong
572
012-F
14
Baxter
573
890-K
17
Clark
573
943-E
16
Box #1 - High Flight
Boone
574
832-H
27
Dearing
574
839-G
25
Hartman
573
634-J
17
Colsch
572
809-O
3
Goodson
572
947-U
2
Dillard
572
811-G
6
Box #1 - Low Flight
Adams
573
14
Youse
573
830-M
22
Snyder
573
823-N
21
Porter
573
828-L
24
Bjork
572
806-M
1
Dewitt
572
813-J
17
Crim
572
673-A
5

Box #2 - Lead Flight
La Framboise
575
950-A
48
Petrich
575
805-V
49
Tucker
572
797-D
3
Olfson
575
671-L
40
Lakin
575
932-T
48
Harlow
575
848-N
36
Box #2 - High Flight
Kelley
575
827-G
41
Kiedinger
574
835-T
31
Ruble
575
853-F
39
Fleck
575
843-J
36
Smith
574
865-D
34
Sullivan
575
268-K
37
Fry
574
873-U
32
Box #2 - Low Flight
O'Hare
575
808-C
37
Wolfe
575
847-H
40
Martin
575
972-M
41
Schirmer
575
833-U
49
Rutledge
574
851-M
31
Schreiber
574
739-O
31
Box #2 - Extra Flight/Spares
Spare Lead
873-U
32
Spare Lead
931-F
34
Spare
836-N
1