Mission

ON THIS DAY...APRIL 28, 1944

At 0400 hours, the crews were briefed for another ‘No-Ball’ mission, this time to Sottevast, a heavy weapons installation S of Cherbourg on the French peninsula. Robert Statchel, TG on the Ed Wolf crew remembered, “The crews could hardly believe their good luck at getting such an easy milkrun, especially as the group would be over land for a very few minutes.”

Twenty-four crews were seated for the mission briefing. After warned about the flak guns in the target area, the new CO of the 100th, thirty-eight year-old Colonel Robert H. Kelly, told the pilots that evasive action was not to be taken on the bomb run if they encountered flak. He wanted the bombings to pay off and evasive action would ruin the bombardiers’ aim.

Scheduled to command the 100th’s formation that day would be two twenty-five year-old pilots, Jack Swartout flying with William Lakin, who would be flying his #25 and last mission before completing his tour of duty. The crews in attendance felt comfortable with Swartout leading them as “it is said that Swartout flew the very best “Leads” in not only the 100th but the entire 3rd Air Division. New crews flying their first missions with Swartout leading were indeed fortunate.”

Each of the B17s to fly had already been loaded up with six 1000 GP bombs as the Gunners began loading their guns before take-off. Just before the scheduled take-off time, there was a change in the Command Pilot and Colonel Kelly had bumped Swartout from the command seat, taking his place. A West Point graduate, Kelly’s last assignment had been in Washington, where he was responsible for “directing the allocation of aircraft” before seeking active service in Europe. Colonel Kelly had flown his first mission with the 100th on April 22 as an observer.

Take-offs commenced at 0700 hours and the Group and Wing assemblies were achieved successfully before the 100th headed across the Channel to France. Although cloud coverage was reported at the target, a break in the clouds was seen just as the French coast was sighted and the Squadrons began a peel off at the IP for the bomb run at 21000 feet.

ROG Vincent Wood recalled, “On the first run, the flak had been fairly light and exploded well below the bombers as they passed overhead.” Colonel Kelly, awaiting another break in the clouds told the 100th’s men, “Hold your bombs. We're going round again.” According to John Miller, “We must have made the longest 360 degree turn in recorded history. Kelly took us far out over the water and it took forever. We came back in on the bomb run at the same speed, same altitude and the same course, flying in rigid formation as Kelly ordered. The Krauts got us good.”

The heavy and accurate flak caused a direct hit on the 100th’s Command ship. “It banked and descended in a spiral under partial control, entering the clouds at about 8,000 feet. The ship was then on fire and was not observed thereafter.” One of its wing ships, flown by James W. McGuire, also received a direct hit. Eyewitness John Miller tells us, "I was flying right waist and I noticed a fine line across the top of my plexiglas…The line wasn't on my plexiglass; it was a fine stream of smoke coming from the number three engine of a b-17 that had pulled out of formation and headed back in the opposite direction. When it was directly in front of me at three I'clock, there was a puff of smoke. I reported, ‘it's detonating.’ As fast as I said that, it went puff, puff, and blew to hell.”

Of the sixty-four ships in the 13th Wing, only fifteen attacked Sottevast while three others attacked a Target of Opportunity. The remaining bombers never dropped their bombs.

At the ETR, those waiting at Thorpe Abbotts for the ships return counted all but two of the ships come in over the field while priority was given to those with injured aboard. Ralph Wright’s ship landed with his wounded BTG John Palmquist, who had a flak fragment pass through his shoulder. In fact, four ships would return with wounded: Pearson with two, Wegrzynek with one, Wilson with one and Wright with two airmen wounded.

Eleven of the bombers would return with battle damage: Harris, Herres, Noordyk, Rice, Roth, Wegrzynek, Williamson, Wilson, Woldt, Wolf and Wright.

Lakin’s and McGuire’s ships however never landed and Major Albert “Bucky” Elton remembered, "I was waiting at the hardstand with champagne to celebrate Lakin's last mission and Kelly's first lead…” The 100BG would lose twenty airmen that day, twelve would be KIA and eight would become POWs. With the loss of the 100th's new CO, LT Colonel John Bennett, who had commanded the 100th prior to Kelly, resumed temporary command of the 100th BG.

Kelly would be posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit, Order of the Purple Heart and the DFC that December.

Crews flying that day: Cowan, Eichen, Harris, Herres, Lakin, McGuire, Major, Mylius, Noordyk, Pearson, Rice, Roth, Ryan, Schwank, Siewert, Townsend, Wegrzynek, Williams B, Williamson, Wilson, Woldt, Wolf, Wright and Zapf