Mission No. 88
8 Jun 1944
Station: 166
Target: Railroad Junction at Valonges, France
Time Of Take-Off: 07:41 / Time Over Target: 09:14 / Time Landed: 10:35
36 B-26 aircraft plus 2 spare aircraft were dispatched to attack an enemy Railroad Junction at Valonges, France. Aircraft were loaded with 8x500LB General Purpose bombs except the 3rd flights of each box which were loaded with 14x250LB General Purpose bombs. Bombing was to be done by boxes of 18 aircraft at 11,500 feet or below the cloud layer. Allied fighters will again be providing area cover for all groups participating. Barker in aircraft 028 turned back at 08:33 due his tachometer and manifold pressure instruments failing.
There was 7/10 to nil cloud cover enroute to the target, and 7/10 to 9/10 patchy clouds at 9,000 feet forcing the formation to drop to around 8,000 feet in order to see the target. Heavy, Intense, Accurate FLAK was experienced over the target damaging 30 of the formation's aircraft, 10 of these seriously.
S/Sgt. Roy J. McKinney of Baehr's crew in a/c 634 received a slight wound when his fingers were cut by flak. Baehr reported that his aircraft was "shot all to hell". Baehr made an emergency landing at Friston airfield near the English coast.
Walker's bombardier in aircraft 747, 2/Lt. Gustav D. Kjosness, bravely closed the bomb bay doors after FLAK severed an artery in his right leg; sadly, he died of his wounds shortly afterwards. Also in Walker's aircraft, S/Sgt. Eldon A. Lukes (EG) was slightly wounded when pieces of an exploding cartridge hit him in the face, and 2/Lt. John N. Nitto (CP) was slightly wounded in the face by shattered plexiglass. Walker's aircraft had 38 flak holes, rad out, hydraulic system shot out, and the right engine caught fire on the ground due to a gas line being cut. Walker made an emergency landing at an unspecified airfield, but probably Friston.
Lowe's navigator in aircraft 808, 2/Lt. J. Callahan was slightly wounded on his face by shattered plexiglass. Lowe reports that the damage will put this ship out of operations for 2 or 3 days.
Bird's Radio Operator/Gunner in aircraft 803, T/Sgt. Robert E. Hammond (Waist Gunner) was also slightly wounded by a plexiglass splinter in his eye. Bird reported that the damage to this ship will keep it out of operations for 1 day.
The 3 flights of the 1st box made 2 runs on the target and dropped as a box with the bombs hitting a road intersection and residential area as a loose concentration 650 feet southwest of the aiming point. Results were rated as FAIR. The bombs of the 2nd flight of the 2nd box were dropped in a tight concentration hitting a road and residential area 650 feet north of the aiming point. Results were also rated as FAIR. After making 3 runs on the target, the bombs of the 1st and 3rd flights of the 2nd box hit a residential area 400 feet east of the aiming point in a loose concentration. Results were rated as GOOD. A total of 184 (500LB) and 176 (250LB) bombs were dropped on the target with the results rated as GOOD overall.
Complaints from the crews concerning the food in both Officer's and Enlisted Men's messes continue. Danforth states that the hot cakes for breakfast were poor to fly on.

SECTION VALUE
Field Order:95
Reel:B0434
Page Start:1592
Mission:88
Date Order Sent:8 Jun 1944
Zero Hour (Day number + Time):080630b
Target(s) (Primary, Secondary, Alternate):4902W/Q/11.
Fighter Escort:Allied fighters will furnish area cover for all groups.
Rendezvous:
Route Out:Base to Beachy Head to to IP to target.
Route Back:target turn right to 49d35n/01d10w to Beachy Head to base.
Altitudes:11500 feet or below cloud layer.
Initial Point (IP):49d18n/01d14w
Axis of Attack:325 Degrees.
Emergency Airdromes:
Intervalometer Setting:100 feet
Bomb Load:4 flights 8x500gp fused 1/10 sec nose and 1/40 sec tail, 2 flights 16x250gp fused 1/10 sec nose only, 1xleaflet bomb number ZG1.
Purpose/Notes/Time Over Target:bombing will be by boxes.
OPFLASH
SECTION VALUE
Reel: B0434
Page: 1590
Field Order: 95
A(i) Target Ordered: Cherbourg/11-C5 and C6
A(ii) Target Attacked: Cherbourg/11-C5 and C6
B(i) Group: 391
B(ii) No. Of A/C Off By Type: 36 B-26 plus 2 spares.
B(iii) No. A/C Failing To Bomb: (weather-personnel-mechanical-other): 0-0-1-0 (manifold pressure too low, instruments went out)
B(iv) No. A/C Bombing: (primary-secondary-other): 37-0-0
C(i) Time Up: 07:41
C(ii) Time Over Target: 09:14
C(iii) Time Down: 10:35
D(i) No A/C: (missing-destroyed-damaged(cat. B-A/C)-Damaged(Cat. A)): 0-0-10-20 (target flak)
D(ii) Enemy A/C: (destroyed-prob. Destroyed-Damaged): 0-0-0
D(iii) No. Crew: (killed-wounded-missing): 1-5-0
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 I ACC
F(ii)(B) Flak Elsewhere: nil
G. info,Observations, Hot News: At 0837 at O-9040 one B-26 crashed into channel.
H(i) Weather Affecting Bombing: 7/10 to 9/10 patchy clouds at 9000 feet.
H(ii) Weather En Route: 7/10 to nil over channel.
I. Bombs On: (primary-secondary-other-jettisoned-returned): 184-0-0-0-11 (500gp), 176-0-0-0-6 (250gp), 1-0-0-0-0 (leaflet bomb ZG1)
J. Altitude Of Attack: 8000 to 9000
View Crew Loading Lists for Mission No. 88
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
Miller
572
673-
Hanlon
572
813-J
Baehr
573
634-
Dickinson
572
972-S
Reynolds
572
008-
Walker
573
747-
Box #1 - High Flight
Schleicher
572
947-U
Alexander
573
252-Z
McCarty
572
836-N
Barker
573
028-Y
Holliday
575
846-
Koehl
575
620-
Box #1 - Low Flight
Jobe
572
811-G
Jacobs
572
799-T
Crim
572
797-
Whitson
573
595-V
Danforth
575
855-
Blute
572
809-
Smith
572
810-C

Box #2 - Lead Flight
Brandon
574
873-U
Horridge
574
927-N
Lowe
572
808-X
Newcomer
574
815-W
Evans
574
739-O
Metelsky
574
964-G
Box #2 - High Flight
Bird
572
803-K
Watkinson
574
818-L
Stanfield
574
720-R
Salmon
574
248-
Majka
574
865-D
Callison
574
851-M
Garwick
574
841-S
Box #2 - Low Flight
Shaffner
573
828-L
Baxter
573
978-Q
Boone
573
841-A
Logan
575
811-V
Bollinger
575
615-A
Dearing
573
802-P