Mission Date: May 1, 1944
WIZERNES (NOBALL) 1ST MISSION
100th BG Mission #: 109
Mission Summary
ON THIS DAY...MAY 1, 1944
The entire base had welcomed the Stand Down on April 30, with the 100th having planned for and flown eleven missions in the past twelve days. However, an alert came through that evening and the mission planners were back at work.
On May 1, twenty-four crews walked in darkness to the 0100 hour briefing. There, they learned that at 0400 hours, they would be taking-off for a night assembly exercise, a pre-invasion practice with their Wing and using the English Coast to simulate a bombing mission. Afterwards, they were told that the formation would descend to 12000 feet at the designated buncher and await a new assembly for the first of two combat missions to also be flown that day.
Led by Fuller, the first combat mission would be to a ‘Crossbow’ V target at Wizernes, in the Pas de Calais region near Saint-Omer. Take-off and assembly were without incidents. However, a heavy overcast prevented visual bombing of the target so the pilots returned to base, still loaded with six 1000 lb bombs. This was to be Wolf’s last mission and it was a “milk run” with no flak or fighters encountered.
Crews flying morning mission: Giles, Greiner, Haralson, Harris A, Harris C, Harrison, Horne, Jesperson, Noble, Riggle, Rogers, Roth, Rupert, Ryan, Schwank, Shelly, Shoens, Siewert, Simmons, Townsend, Wegrazynek, Williams B, Woldt, Zapf. Roth returned early and Giles, Shelly flew as spares
The entire base had welcomed the Stand Down on April 30, with the 100th having planned for and flown eleven missions in the past twelve days. However, an alert came through that evening and the mission planners were back at work.
On May 1, twenty-four crews walked in darkness to the 0100 hour briefing. There, they learned that at 0400 hours, they would be taking-off for a night assembly exercise, a pre-invasion practice with their Wing and using the English Coast to simulate a bombing mission. Afterwards, they were told that the formation would descend to 12000 feet at the designated buncher and await a new assembly for the first of two combat missions to also be flown that day.
Led by Fuller, the first combat mission would be to a ‘Crossbow’ V target at Wizernes, in the Pas de Calais region near Saint-Omer. Take-off and assembly were without incidents. However, a heavy overcast prevented visual bombing of the target so the pilots returned to base, still loaded with six 1000 lb bombs. This was to be Wolf’s last mission and it was a “milk run” with no flak or fighters encountered.
Crews flying morning mission: Giles, Greiner, Haralson, Harris A, Harris C, Harrison, Horne, Jesperson, Noble, Riggle, Rogers, Roth, Rupert, Ryan, Schwank, Shelly, Shoens, Siewert, Simmons, Townsend, Wegrazynek, Williams B, Woldt, Zapf. Roth returned early and Giles, Shelly flew as spares
Bombing Results
Bombing Results: OVERCAST
Aircraft Lost: 0
Crew Lost: 0
Claims of Enemy Losses (CLS): 0
Aircraft Returned:
