Mission

ON THIS DAY...July 18,1944

At the early morning briefing, the 100th’s crews were called to attention as their Commanding Officers strode into the crowded room. Getting right down to business, the S-2 Officer unveiled the map and all eyes immediately followed the red string to the northern tip of Germany where two pins were set.

Seated for their #1 combat mission, Frederick Schaffhausen’s crew, having arrived to the base a few weeks earlier, was prepared but apprehensive as they thought back to the comments heard from other airmen at Stone after finding out about their assignment to the 100th Bombardment Group. Comments such as “Don't unpack your bags, they'll be shipped home soon,” and "Hope we are on the same mission as the 100th, then the fighters will attack them and not us” and "Make sure your will is made out,” only added to the nervousness felt that morning by the crew.

The 3rd Division’s line of heavy bombers would be led by the 13CBW formation, which would also fly a second formation, third in the Division line.

In the Wing's first formation, the 95BG would lead and also fly as the High group, while the 100BG would fly as its Low. Twenty-one of the crews seated were scheduled to fly in this formation, including spares. Major William H. Thompson would fly as Command Pilot in the PFF aircraft. This wing’s primary target would be an oil refinery, located at Hemmingstedt, Germany. Raffinerie Heide, was providing the German navy critical fuel through its two crude oil distillation plants and storage depots. The secondary target would be the port area in Kiel, just fifty-two miles to the east. Any military objective would suffice as a target of last resort.

The other half of the 100th’s crews would fly in the 13CBW’s second formation as the High group to the 390BG’s Lead and Low groups. Robert Rosenthal, who had just been promoted to Major, would fly as Command Pilot in the second PFF ship. Their primary target would be the docks in the Kiel canal, with the same secondary and last resort targets.

All ships departed Thorpe Abbotts between 0434-0511 in the darkness and under a heavy overcast, loaded down with ten 500 lb bombs. Pilot Frederick Schaffhausen recorded, “Boys a little nervous, ball turret operator threw up, felt sick…“ The heavy undercast forced the pilots on instruments, making forming up more even more tedious and Schaffhausen continued, “Too damn many planes that couldn’t be seen. On climb to altitude hit prop wash. Came within 15 degrees of turning plane upside down.“

With the 100th’s pilots making successful and separate wing attachments, the English coast was crossed at Great Yarmouth and the climb to altitude started. Over Heligoland in the North Sea, flak was encountered but it was “never very heavy” and was skirted.

By 0818 hours, the lead formation had reached their IP. Under 10/10 conditions, the turn was made for a bomb run at Hemmingstadt in wing formation. Mickey operator, Dick Johnson on Frank Valesh’s lead PFF ship wrote, “If we could not identify the target on radar, were to continue south and bomb Kiel by radar. The target was covered by clouds but was readily identifiable on radar so a blind run was made. There were three (3) groups involved and the smoke markers from each lead aircraft were close together but we never did learn if we hit anything. There were no fighters, friend or foe.” Bombs were away at 0826 and pilot Harvey Dickert recorded, “Bombed at 17,000 feet through solid overcast. No enemy fighters. Formation was very good, flew #5 in lead squadron…Gravy train after missing several rough ones to Munich while in the hospital.” Charles Slaght, TG that day on Richard Miller’s crew tells us, “Today I flew in place of another sick tail gunner…It was a damn nice mission. The target was completely overcast so to me it was just a long joy rider over the North Sea…”

The 13th’s second formation had continued to the docks on the Kiel canal, where flak was ‘intense, barrage and tracking’ but was fortunately below the 100th’s bombers. Four ground rockets were also seen. The target was covered in complete overcast so a PFF bomb run was required. Unable to observe their target, due to the intensity and positioning of the flak, the crews all felt that they were in fact over the canal. Bombs were away at 0839 hours from 27000 feet and a black smoke was seen coming up through the clouds. After bombs away, an immediate left turn was made to get out of the flak area as quickly as possible.

The rally point was made and the wings reformed, heading back out over the North Sea. Enemy fighters were reportedly seen at 0845 but P-38’s “went after them and they headed for cloud cover.” The weather over England forced the formation to cross the English coast back at Great Yarmouth at the low altitude of 800 feet, to try and get below the clouds.

All of the 100th’s ships returned safely to Thorpe Abbotts between 1050-1129 hours, once again without encountering enemy fighters. Four spare ships flown by Kemp, Keys (100A) and Farcht and Johnson (100B) had not been needed and had already returned.

That evening, the base was alerted for another mission. At 2230 hours, one of Germany’s flying bombs hit near Thorpe Abbotts and Vernon Sheedy in the Quartermaster group recorded, “The best of it was they called Red Alert, but no more than got Red called over the Tannoy and the explosion came. Frank Salvo did get out in a hurry with his equipment on. He was shooting crap and all the boys that were there say it was the fastest they have seen "Commando" Salvo move.”

Crews scheduled to fly: Keys, Allen, Riegel, Rosine, JD Williams, Kemp, Steussy, Rogers, Bert Scott, Herres, David, Carlton, Roediger, Streed, Fitzroy, Jones, Ricker, Phelps, Clark, Kennedy, Delaney, Greiner, Schaffhausen, Miller, Cumming, Kennedy, Major, Seamans, Dickert, Darby, Farcht, Forsythe, Bennett, Ricci, Rowland, Schomp, Mcewen, Johnson, M.