Mission

ON THIS DAY...JUNE 8,1944

At 0030 hours, the 100th’s briefing Officers were notified of the transmission of ‘Field Order 259.’ Ready for the lead crews pre-briefing at 0215, their planning had been completed and the crews were told that the Group would be attacking Tours, France.

At 0315, the main briefing commenced and twenty-four crews listened as Captain John Bowers briefed them for the day’s mission. With a Primary target at Tours, their MPI would be a large steel bridge supported on fourteen piers across the River Loire. By taking the bridge out, they would disrupt the rail and road conduits that the Germans were using to move re-enforcements to the beach head.

Additional bombing runs had been authorized and were at the discretion of the Wing leaders. With no Secondary target designated, Last Resort targets were “any bridge, road center, rail center, enemy transport, enemy troops or any military objective not within the bomb line.” Zero hour would be 0800.

With their route laid out on the map, warnings were given about the twenty-two heavy guns that would defend Tours, with some guns possibly located on boats in the River and its tributaries. The men were also warned to avoid Rennes, St Brieuc, St Malo and the Channel Islands where defensive guns were also located.

The 3rd Division would fly its 4th, 13th, 45th, 92nd and 93rd Combat Wings. The 13 CBW would split into an ‘A’ and ‘B’ wing with the 100BG leading the 13B as well as flying as the High squadron. The 390B would complete the 13B as the Low Group. Leading the 13B Wing would be Major Magee Fuller flying with Wallace Forsythe. The High would be led by Raymond Monrad.

Loaded up with two 2000 lb GP bombs in addition to 2300 gallons of fuel, take-off for the bombers was scheduled for 0500 hours under difficult circumstances. Pilot William Terminello, flying in the 100th's Lead formation recorded, “After being briefed that we would have very little weather, we found on take off poor visibility and had to climb on instruments to 23,000 feet, which is not easy in any mans land…”

Many of the ships had problems in assembling due to the 9-10/10 cloud coverage from the English Coast to within ten miles of the target, causing a number of abortions. Ships flew around lost and either aborted or eventually tacked on to other Groups. The 100th’s command ship, arriving on time to the assembly point, only broke out of the clouds at 27,000 feet. According to Fuller, “There were 3 A/C in wing formation. We circled over Beachy Head for approx 1/2 hour, formation was completed at 0738.”

The wing formation completed however, consisted of a mixture of aircraft from various Groups, including five B-24s found flying around on their own. Scheduled to fly in the Lead group, William Terminello tells us, “Broke out overcast @ splasher 6; no other A/C of 100 gr around; was time to be at buncher 11 so headed out for Beachy Head, arriving there @ 0710 hrs, 21,600’; many A/C milling around so we circled B. Head until 0715 hrs, then started off for Buncher 11, then saw 96th group coming along so we filled in vacant spot (#2 of low squadron).” 

Seymour Eichen’s ship ended up leading the High squadron of the 388BG. Ultimately aborting from the 13A formation were: Fory, Gustafson, Neu and J.D. Williams, all unable to locate their formation. After letting down through a hole in the clouds thinking he was over England, Gustafson’s ship had actually let down over the Calais area at 2000’ and was promptly fired on by 20 mms, receiving direct hits. With their B17 seriously damaged, Gustafson and his CP Nemerowski tried to make it home.

Meanwhile, the 100th’s ‘B’ formation had formed up without four of its ships: Steussy aborted, Chadwick left the formation early due to a break in his gas transfer lines, Kohler formed up with the 390th and Woldt formed up with a composite group made up of 390th and 95th’s B17s.

In the target area, the flak was meager to moderate but mostly inaccurate. Reaching the target first was the 100B, dropping at 0830 hours from 23200’ while the ‘A’ makeshift group dropped at 0835 from 22000’ altitude. Kohler and Woldt’s ships would drop with their respective formations at 0845 from 21500’.

By 1140 hours, the ships were returning back to base after a seven hour mission. All except Gustafson, who had limped his B-17 back to England, landing at the 390th’s base. His TTE Robert Fife, injured in his leg when Gustafson’s ship was riddled by flak was hospitalized. The men were beat by the stress of the weather on top of the number of missions flown in a row. TG Robert Stachel on Wolf's crew recorded into his diary, “At 1700 hours today had flown 5 missions in 102 hours with 10 hours sleep and a catnap here and there. We were told that until the invasion got a foothold, we’ll get no passes and will fly anytime - that we will continue our missions over the 30 mark. When things get normal, all who have flown over 30 will go home or move from the base…” 

All base personnel were relieved to be notified of a Stand Down order for the next day.

A Group:

Lead: Fuller/Forsythe, Fory, Anderson, Major, Rowland, Neu

High: Eichen, Gustafson, Terminello

Low: Rake, Williams, Woodall

B Group:

Lead: Monrad, Woldt, Wolf, Schomp, Cumming, Kohler

High: Chadwick, Brewer, Steussy

Low: Gibbons, Elbel, Dunlap