HEADQUARTERS
ONE HUNDREDTH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H)
Office of the Operations Officer
APO #634
24th February, 1944

SUBJECT: Operations Officer’s report, Mission of 24th February, 1944

TO: Officer Commanding, 100th Bombardment group (H)

1. General Narrative : The 100th "A" Group took off, assembled and flew the route in the same Combat Wing as the 100th "B" Group. For times, route and formation, refer to the Navigational log, Track chart and Formation charts.

2. Aircraft Not attacking: Twenty two aircraft (including one spare) of the "A" group departed this base in formation. Twenty aircraft were "dispatched" and all returned. Aircraft #42-30088 turned back at 1135 hours, 55°12’N 09°00’E altitude 9,700 feet. Aircraft #42-31220 was the "spare" and, after take-off, was instructed to fly with the "B" group.

John B Kidd
Lt Col, Air Corps
Operations Officer

HEADQUARTERS
ONE HUNDREDTH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H)
Office of the Operations Officer
APO #634
24th February, 1944

SUBJECT: Navigator’s Narrative for mission of 24th February,1944

TO: Officer Commanding, 100th Bombardment group (H), Army Air Force

1. The 100th "A" Group flew as the Low Group in the 13th "A" Combat Wing.

2. Route flown: Aldeburgh (4 miles south) at 0905 hours, Wings (13 "A" and "B" already in intact shape; 0909 hours, Buncher #11; 0915 hours, 2 miles west of Splasher #6; 0930 hours, Splasher #5, and departed English coast at Cromer at 0931 hours. After departing coast, wind was obtained with bomb-sight, 50°/30kts. This wind was used for the DR positions. DR position at 1000hours – 53°20’N02°43’E; DR position 1030 hours, 54°25’N06°12’E. At 1131 hours, the Combat Wing crossed the Danish coast just below…… at …, 17 minutes early. At 1150 hours, over the centre of the island of Fyn (Funen). At 1205 hours, crossed over the Great Belt; 1217 hours just below another tip of Jutland. At 1257 hours, DR position 54°50’N 13°30’E; At 1320 hours, at DR position 54°05’N 15°00’E; At 1341 hours started turn to bomb last resort target; DR position 52°55’N 16°55’E (Primary covered by 10/10 under-cast); DR position at 1410 hours 53°10’N 15°40’E; At 1440 DR placed us just north of STETTIN. AT 1505 hours, turned on I.P. and opened bomb-bay doors; DR position 53°40’N 13°10’E; Bombs Away at 1525.5 hours over ROSTOCK. From this point, the Wing "essed out" to the RP at 1529 hours. At 1555 hours, picked up pilotage check point Vejenese Neck ?? and proceeded around to the west of Als, to cross the Danish peninsular. Left the Danish coast at 1624 hours, just north of Sylt. At 1635 hours obtained bomb-sight wind of 40°/35kts; DR position 1700 hours 54°34’N 05°23’E; DR position 1730 hours 54°11’N 03°15’E; RTF 1743 hours (2nd Class) 53°37’N 03°07’E. At 1811 crossed the English coast at Cromer. Arrived in the area of Thorpe Abbots at 1825 hours.

3. Bombing data: Arbitrary I.P. selected by Lead PFF, notification by flares; bombs were away at 1525½ hours; target was totally obscured by cloud cover, but bombs were definitely in the target area.

4. Navigation instruments functioned well, but since there was no GEE in the ship, DR was quite a problem. The ship was a "spare".

5. No exceptional difficulties were encountered, and DR worked fairly well.

2/Lt Burton S JOSEPH
Lead Navigator

HEADQUARTERS
ONE HUNDREDTH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H)
Office of the Operations officer
APO #634
24th February 1944

SUBJECT: Operations Officer’s Report, Mission of February 24th, 1944

TO: Officer Commanding 100th Bombardment Group (H) Army Air Force

1. General Narrative: The 100th "B" group took off at 0745 hours. By 0815 hours, the Group formation had assembled over field at 2,500 feet. By 0905 hours, the 13th "A" Combat Wing had assembled over Aldeburgh, the 100th "B" Group leading, the 100th "A" Group flying low and the 95th Group flying high – all in good formation. The climb to bombing altitude was begun at 1040 hours, 54º09'N 04º51'E, at 150 I.A.S. 200 feet per minute. Bombing altitude was reached at 1147 hours, the Combat Wing in good formation except for the Low Group, which was strung out. The Low Group had some fighter attacks until they closed up and moved under the Lead group. The enemy coast was crossed at 1133 hours. The briefed I.P. was not reached because of complete 10/10 under-cast. We turned back, made a 360º turn and gave the lead to the 390th Group, as they had the only Pathfinder equipment that was working. They chose ROSTOCK as the last resort and bombed by Pathfinder, the Groups going over the target abreast. After bombing, the other Combat Wings "eased", allowing the 13th "A" Combat wing to resume the lead. The enemy coast was re-crossed at 1624 hours; the English coast was re-crossed at Cromer at 1812 hours. Home base was reached at 1825 hours and the lead aircraft landed at 1830 hours. For times, route flown and formation refer to the Navigators narrative, log and Formation Charts.

2. Aircraft Not Attacking: Fifteen aircraft departed the base in formation, including a Pathfinder aircraft. Fourteen aircraft were "dispatched". Aircraft #42-30152 turned back at 0800 hours, 52º25'N 02º56'E, altitude 1,300 feet. This aircraft was not "dispatched" Aircraft #42-37800 landed at another base. All our aircraft returned.

John B Kidd
Lt Col Air Corps
Operations Officer

HEADQUARTERS
ONE HUNDREDTH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H)
Office of the Operations Officer
APO #634
24th February 1944

SUBJECT: Navigator’s Narrative for 100th "B" Group for Mission of 24th February 1944

TO: Officer Commanding 100th BG (H), Army Air Forces

1. The 100th "B" Group lead the 13th "A" Combat Wing and 3rd Bomb Division.

2. The briefed course and rendezvous points were made good and held all the way across Denmark until we hit a 10/10 under-cast. The 100 "B" group was 17 minutes early at the Danish coast. After crossing Denmark it was straight DR and we flew in to 53º00'N 17º02'E, turning around and tacking on to another Wing at 1340. We bombed on the Pathfinder. After we hadtacked on to this un-identified Wing, we followed very irregular courses. After bombs were away, we again took over the lead and flew a course of 305 degrees getting back on course at 1610 hours, at 5510N 0939E. The briefed course was again followed on leaving the Danish coast, and we made landfall at Cromer at 1812 hours. We were over our base at 1825 hours, and landed at 1830 hours.

3. Bombs were dropped on Pathfinder flares from 18,400 PA, on a TH of 307 degrees at 1526 hours. A run of about four to five minutes was made. Not having a good wind, no ground speed was known and only by working back could I say that the bombs were dropped in the vicinity of ROSTOCK.

4. All equipment worked perfectly; I got GEE fixes on the way back up to 05 degrees 08 minutes E. The radio compass and the flux gate compass worked well.

5. Biggest difficulty was in trying to follow Wing using the Pathfinder because they never held any one heading for any length of time;

Leonard WICKENS
1st Lt Air Corps
Lead Navigator

HEADQUARTERS
ONE HUNDREDTH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H)
Office of the Operations Officer
APO #634
24th February 1944

SUBJECT : Lead Bombardiers Report for 100th BG "B", Mission of 24th February 1944

TO: Officer Commanding, 100th BG (H)

1. The following bombing aids were used: E6B, C2 and the ABC

2. No I.P. was used.

3. Bomb-bay doors were opened 24 minutes before "Bombs away" (1526)

4. We made a straight and level bomb run without taking any evasive action. We flew manually on the bomb run.

5. Flak (moderate to heavy) was the only enemy resistance on the bomb run.

6. There was a 10/10 under-cast on the run.

7. There were no unusual tactics used by the enemy;

8. No visual results of the bombing.

9. No aiming point was used or identified; we dropped on the Pathfinder’s smoke bombs.

10. No alternative aiming point was used.

11. There are no suggested tactical changes.

Joseph ARMANINI
Capt, Air Corps
Lead Bombardier

100th BG 'A' Formation, 24th Feb

100th BG 'B' Formation, 24th Feb