Mission No. 69
25 May 1944
Station: 166
Target: Railroad Bridge at Liege/Renory, Belgium
Time Of Take-Off: 08:57 / Time Over Target: 10:50 / Time Landed: 12:14
38 B-26 aircraft were dispatched to attack an enemy Railroad Bridge at Liege/Renory, Belgium. Each aircraft was loaded with 2x2000LB General Purpose bombs with bombing to be done by flights. The formation proceeded to Eastchurch for their rendezvous with the 386th Bomb group and then to North Foreland for the rendezvous with their P-47 fighter escort.
Weather conditions were 8 to 10 tenths cloud cover over channel, 6 tenths over the enemy coast which decreased to 2 tenths over the target. Cassiday (797) went out about 5 to 8 miles from the English coast, but had to return because of trouble with his left engine. Dillard (820) also returned because his right engine appeared to be using too much gas.
When the formation made landfall at the enemy coast, it encountered Heavy, Weak, Inaccurate FLAK from Ostend. FLAK over the target area was rated as Heavy, Intense, Accurate and 15 aircraft received battle damage. FLAK caused damage to Bollinger's (890) hydraulic system and left tire, and he was forced to make a crash landing back at base. His tail gunner (Sgt. M. J. King) and co-pilot (2/Lt. W. T. Wardesnsky) were both slightly wounded, although it is not clear whether these injuries were caused by FLAK or the landing. Harkins (743) was seen to leave formation over the target and appeared to have the aircraft under control. Harkin's ship received major damage to its right engine and wing spar. He later made an emergency landing at RAF Manston apparently without his crew sustaining injury.
65 bombs were dropped and the results were rated as very good. Olfson (827) had one bomb that did not release over the target which, when salvoed, hit a warehouse near the end of the bridge !

SECTION VALUE
Field Order:70
Reel:B0433
Page Start:1093
Mission:69
Date Order Sent:24 May 1944
Zero Hour (Day number + Time):250930b
Target(s) (Primary, Secondary, Alternate):GSGS 4040 sheet 69 (p). Z140 (s).
Fighter Escort:fighter escort will be P-47s.
Rendezvous:with 386th group at Eastchurch at 11500 feet at zero hour plus 18 min. the 386th group will lead. With fighters at North Foreland at 11500 feet at zero hour plus 25 min.
Route Out:base to B/R to F/R to Furnes to 50d18n/05d32e to 50d24n/05d52e to target.
Route Back:turn left to Nivelles to Furnes to North Foreland.
Altitudes:on leaving target drop to 10000 feet.
Initial Point (IP):50d24n/05d52e
Axis of Attack:320 Degrees.
Emergency Airdromes:
Intervalometer Setting:50 feet
Bomb Load:2x2000gp fused 1/10 sec nose and 1/100 sec tail.
Purpose/Notes/Time Over Target:bombing by flights.
OPFLASH
SECTION VALUE
Reel: B0433
Page: 1091
Field Order: 70
A(i) Target Ordered: Leige/Renory
A(ii) Target Attacked: Leige/Renory
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): 0-1-3-0 (crowded out over target)
B(iv) No. A/C Bombing: (primary-secondary-other): 34-0-0
C(i) Time Up: 08:57
C(ii) Time Over Target: 10:50
C(iii) Time Down: 12:14
D(i) No A/C: (missing-destroyed-damaged(cat. B-A/C)-Damaged(Cat. A)): 0-0-1-14 (target flak)
D(ii) Enemy A/C: (destroyed-prob. Destroyed-Damaged): 0-0-0
D(iii) No. Crew: (killed-wounded-missing): 0-2-0 (slight)
E. Results Of Bombing: very good. 1 a/c salvoed, 1 bombs would not release and hit a warehouse near end of bridge.
F(i)(A) Enemy Opposition Over Target: nil
F(i)(B) Enemy Opposition Elsewhere: nil
F(ii)(A) Flak Over Target: HF I ACC
F(ii)(B) Flak Elsewhere: HF W INACC from Ostend at landfall.
G. info,Observations, Hot News:
H(i) Weather Affecting Bombing: 2/10 clouds, no haze, good visibility.
H(ii) Weather En Route: 8/10 to 10/10 cloud cover over channel, 6/10 over enemy coast decreasing to 2/10 over target.
I. Bombs On: (primary-secondary-other-jettisoned-returned): 65-0-0-1-8 (2000gp). One a/c landed away from base.
J. Altitude Of Attack: 12000
View Crew Loading Lists for Mission No. 69
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
7
Youse
573
830-M
22
Colsch
572
834-B1
8
Boone
573
801-G
19
Dillard
573
820-S
22
Goodson
573
804-A
26
Box #1 - High Flight
Thorn
573
822-O
23
Cassiday
572
797-P
16
Baxter
573
943-F
27
Dooley
572
811-G
6
Bollinger
573
890-K1
17
Dearing
572
812-D
9
Box #1 - Low Flight
Logan
573
825-B
25
Boylan
573
828-L
24
Sloss
573
831-H
19
Snyder
573
823-N
21
Fry
572
815-R
13
Smith
572
813-J
7
Crim
572
673-A1
8

Box #2 - Lead Flight
Kelley
575
847-H
40
Wolfe
575
846-P
39
Schirmer
574
832-H1
36
Harkins
575
743-Q
41
Martin
574
739-O
31
Lakin
575
853-F
39
Box #2 - High Flight
Mitchell
575
671-L
40
Harlow
572
836-N
14
Wilkinson
575
855-R
45
O'Hare
575
808-C
44
Rutledge
574
927-N
32
Schreiber
574
807-J
36
Box #2 - Low Flight
Olfson
575
827-G
41
Jacobi
575
932-T
36
Petrich
574
838-B1
35
Jannsen
574
839-G1
37
Kiedinger
574
841-S
29
Sullivan
574
840-R1
29
Fleck
574
851-M
31
Box #2 - Extra Flight/Spares
Spare Lead
806-M
14
Spare
836-N
14
Spare
798-K
37