Mission

ON THIS DAY…JULY 8, 1944

After a rough mission to the oil refineries on July 7, the crews were praying for an easier mission the morning of the 8th. Seated in front of the covered map at 0100 hours, the twenty-six crews were relieved when S-2 Officer Charles W. Terry revealed the target in the first of his two briefings that morning.

The 100th would be flying a tactical mission to Clamecy, France, ninety miles west of Dijon where they were to attack a railroad bridge on a main supply route headed to Normandy. There would be no designated secondary target but last resort targets could be “any airdrome, marshalling yard, RR bridge, enemy column or convoy on the road,” with the added stipulations of a visual sighting and not near any built-up areas.

The 13CBW would lead the Division’s column and would itself fly four formations, each with two groups of twelve ships. The 100th would fly two groups in the 13A formation and the lead group of the 13C. The 95BG would fly 13B and the 390BG as 13D. Following would be the 45A, 45B, 4A and 4B Wings.

Leading the 3rd Division would be LT Colonel John M. Bennett, flying as the Command Pilot with Frank Valesh. Woldt, Ransom, Greiner, Kohler and Darby would complete the Lead while the High, led by Major Spielburg flying with Terminello would include Keys and Gallagher as his wingmen. The Low would be led by Zapf with Kennedy and Luther Bennett. Ricci would fly as their spare.

The 13A Low group would be led by Herbert Howard flying as Command Pilot with Charles Harris. Mcewen, Paul Jones, Ryan, Miller and Rowland would complete the lead squadron. The High would be led by Forsythe with Anderson and Johnson as his wingmen while the Low led by Rake, would be completed by Streed and Allen. Major would fly as this Group’s spare.

With no known defenses at any of the targets, second runs were being authorized for all of the 13th’s formations while on their route in, they were to avoid the defenses at Chartres, Chateaudun and Orleans/Bricy. With the briefing ended, the crews filed out to ready their ships while Terry prepared for his second briefing of the day.

By 0145 hours, the last thirteen crews had checked in with the attendance man guarding the door. Terry told these men that they would be flying as the lead group in the 13C with the 447BG. As their Primary, they would target a railroad bridge at Joigny, France, almost due north from Clamecy’s targeted bridge and on the same supply route.

Maurice Youngs would fly as Command Pilot with Austin Dunlap. Brewer, Trommer, Rogers, Waters and Jones would complete the Lead squadron. Smith would lead the High with Gibbons, Clark and Kassebaum while the Low would be led by Woodall, with Roediger and Phelps. Bert Scott would fly as their spare ship.

With all of the 100th’s ships taking off successfully between 0325-0407 hours, Allen was the first to abort, turning back over the field due to a broken exhaust stack on his #3 engine. Over Ipswich, Bennett's command ship received the message that weather was closing in over the primary targets, so targets of opportunity should be identified and attacked.

As the formations continued on towards France, the ships of Kohler, Darby, Keys, Miller, Major and Bert Scott would all return early to the base either as unneeded spares or unable to catch up with the formation. The 390BG would have thirteen of their ships abort the mission.

Spending slightly more than an hour in enemy territory, targets of opportunity had been identified. The 100A bombed a railroad junction at Le Lentie, the 100B attacked a railroad bridge at Bourth and the 100C bombed the same railroad junction at Le Lentie, destroying the junction.

With the 13C’s bombs away at 0702 hours under perfect visibility and no flak, they made a 360 degree turn to slowly pick up the 447BG in the Low. Dunlap's report tells us, “Low group did not drop on our target and went out on their own. We did a second 360 turn to try and reform our wing. Low group leader would not rejoin us and we could not relocate him so we turned on course out.”

Landing back at Thorpe Abbotts between 0810-0837 hours, the crews were grateful for the “milk run.” ROG Emmett Schmitt recorded, “Our shortest and easiest mission ‘so far,’” while his copilot, Keith Lamb remembered, “This was a good deal. I wished for about ten more like this right in a row.”

That evening, the men of the 100 BG were alerted for a two day Stand Down. For some, there would be four hour practice missions each day while the fortunate others would hustle their requests in for forty-eight hour passes to London.