Mission No. 82
4 Jun 1944
Station: 166
Target: Coastal Defences at Gravelines, France
Time Of Take-Off: 14:00 / Time Over Target: 15:15 / Time Landed: 16:20
38 aircraft were dispatched to attack enemy Coastal Defences at Gravelines, France. Each aircraft was loaded with 2x2000LB General Purpose bombs with bombing to be done by flights of 6 aircraft. P-51s of IX fighter command will furnish area cover for 386th and 391st groups. An engine oil leak caused Majka in a/c 865 to return to base after reaching the coast, and Jacobs in a/c 719 turned back over the Channel after losing power in his left engine.
Weather conditions enroute were 4 to 5 tenths cloud, base at 5,000 feet, with visibility of 8 to 12 miles. This improved slightly over the target area.
Results for the 3 flights of the 1st box were all rated as fair with bombs hitting within 800 feet of the target. Results for the 2nd flight of the 2nd box was rated excellent with bombs bracketing and hitting the target, with the other 2 flights of this box rated as good with hits within 500 feet of the target. The formation encountered moderate FLAK from guns mounted in railroad cars in the vicinity of Bourbourgville, with 7 aircraft sustaining battle damage.
Crews reported seeing a lone unmarked B-26 over the French coast heading towards England. Some crews assumed that this was a captured aircraft in use by the enemy. According to some crews, the chicken served recently was very tough and that the feathers should be removed before cooking.

SECTION VALUE
Field Order:86
Reel:B0434
Page Start:688
Mission:82
Date Order Sent:4 Jun 1944
Zero Hour (Day number + Time):041500b
Target(s) (Primary, Secondary, Alternate):5002/E/J/5. 027004.
Fighter Escort:P-51s of IX fighter command will furnish area cover for 386th and 391st groups.
Rendezvous:
Route Out:Base to North Foreland to Furnes to 50d52n/02d38e to target.
Route Back:target turn right to North Foreland to base.
Altitudes:
Initial Point (IP):50d52n/02d38e
Axis of Attack:290 Degrees
Emergency Airdromes:
Intervalometer Setting:50 feet
Bomb Load:2x2000gp fused 1/10 sec nose and 1/40 sec tail, plus 1xleaflet bomb number XG11.
Purpose/Notes/Time Over Target:In no case will any submarine be attacked by any aircraft of this command enroute or returning from target.
OPFLASH
SECTION VALUE
Reel: B0434
Page: 685
Field Order: 86
A(i) Target Ordered: Gravelines C/D
A(ii) Target Attacked: Gravelines C/D
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): 0-0-2-0 (lost power left engine, oil leak)
B(iv) No. A/C Bombing: (primary-secondary-other): 36-0-0
C(i) Time Up: 14:00
C(ii) Time Over Target: 15:15
C(iii) Time Down: 16:20
D(i) No A/C: (missing-destroyed-damaged(cat. B-A/C)-Damaged(Cat. A)): 0-0-0-7
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 to good.
F(i)(A) Enemy Opposition Over Target: nil
F(i)(B) Enemy Opposition Elsewhere: nil
F(ii)(A) Flak Over Target: Moderate, railway flak from Bourbourgville
F(ii)(B) Flak Elsewhere: nil
G. info,Observations, Hot News: lone brown B-26, no markings, seen at 1500 and 1520 leaving the enemy coast at 6000 feet at landfall. Turned south, no apparent trouble, spiral of smoke in channel off Calais; 1525 possibly 2 chutes seen.
H(i) Weather Affecting Bombing: 2/10 to 3/10, base 12000 feet, visibility 12 miles.
H(ii) Weather En Route: 4/10 to 5/10, base 5000 feet, visibility 8 to 12 miles.
I. Bombs On: (primary-secondary-other-jettisoned-returned): 70-0-0-0-6 (2000gp), 1-0-0-0-0 (leaflet)
J. Altitude Of Attack: 11000
View Crew Loading Lists for Mission No. 82
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
Brandon
574
931-F
34
Lowe
574
927-
32
Watson
575
932-T
46
Majka
574
865-D
34
Carson
574
800-C
35
Callison
574
851-U
31
Box #1 - High Flight
Bush
574
832-H
36
Alexander
574
815-W
36
Metelsky
574
839-G
37
Salmon
574
873-U1
37
Garwick
574
841-S
29
Stanfield
575
855-R
45
Box #1 - Low Flight
Newcomer
574
739-O
31
Newman
575
848-N
38
Lowder
574
818-L
29
Kahley
575
843-J
45
Evans
575
833-U
47
Bjork
573
810-W
26
Hartman
573
595-V
17
Box #1 - Extra Flight/Spares
Spare Lead
801-G
19
Spare
806-C
24
Spare
828-L
24

Box #2 - Lead Flight
Miller
572
673-A
8
Barker
572
809-O
16
Koehl
572
812-D
9
Danforth
572
813-J
7
Dewitt
573
831-H
19
Smith
573
634-J1
17
Box #2 - High Flight
Erickson
572
947-U
15
Alexander
572
797-P
16
Walker
572
819-H
13
Dickinson
572
834-B
9
Blute
572
748-Q
6
McCarty
572
836-N
14
Box #2 - Low Flight
Jobe
572
810-C
8
Holliday
573
842-D
28
Jacobs
572
719-F
13
Whitson
572
799-T
15
Fry
573
841-A1
27
Crim
573
978-Q
28
Dillard
573
823-N
21