Mission

ON THIS DAY...AUGUST 2,1944

The beginning of the new month had the 100BG under a Stand Down order, while the rest of the 3rd Division’s B17 Groups flew to France on another supply drop to the French Resistance.

Orders had required the number of gunners on crews to be cut from six to five and pilots were making the hard decision as to which gunner would be cut and moved into the “gunners pool.” With the 100th’s recent loss of so many airmen, it was also a priority to get replacement crews operational as quickly as possible. With no combat mission scheduled, Colonel Jeffrey used the opportunity for additional practice and ordered two practice missions for that day. William Crozier on Joseph Ricker’s crew recorded, “Changes in the crew; number of gunners cut to five. Monk moved from waist to tail gunner and Stahl is off crew. We went on two practice missions today. Was air sick on the first one.” “Monk,” twenty-eight year-old Raymond Mainka, a farmer from Texas in his previous life and used to long days also remembered that day when he wrote, “Had two practice missions. Landed at 10 o’clock so we were plenty tired.”

On August 2, having had the chance to sleep in, thirty-two crews had filed into the briefing room at 1145, including the crews of Harry Hempy, David Armstrong and Alf Aske, who had all been assigned to the 100BG just eight to ten days earlier. When the curtain was pulled back from the map, the men were relieved to see that the red string ended in northern France. Briefed for a late afternoon tactical mission to aid the troops on the ground, their Primary target would be a railroad bridge at Beautor, France, between La Fère and Tergnier.

The 13CBW would fly each of its Groups in their own wing formations: 95BG would lead the Division in the 13A, while the 390BG would fly as the 13B. The 13C, would be lead by the 100th's Major Robert Rosenthal, who would fly in the PFF with Austin Dunlap. Major William Thompson would fly this mission with Neal Scott. The 100th’s High formation would be made up of seven of the 100th’s crews and six crews from the 95BG.

Loaded with six 1000 lb GP bombs, take-off over the field was uneventful with all B-17s departing between 1436-1507 hours. As the pilots climbed through the undercast, group and wing assembly was completed successfully and the 100th’s wing entered the Division line at 1639 hours.

After departing the English coast, equipment and radio problems in the 95BG’s command ship forced a confusing change in leadership positions, forcing the 390th’s and 100th’s formations to pass by them with the 390BG taking over the Division’s lead and the 95BG in trail behind the 100BG.

Crossing the enemy coast at 1746 in good wing formation, the 100th’s formation was fired on near the front lines but the lead ship, observing flak bursting around the 390th’s wing ahead, led the formation through evasive action.

Hitting the assigned IP at 20,000 feet, the 100th executed the Plan X peel off with bombs away visually on the primary target at 1902 hours.

Making the Rally Point, the 100th’s formation headed home. Continuing their let down after departing the enemy coast, the English coast was crossed, this time at Orfordness. Although the mission was considered an easy one, with no real flak encountered and no enemy fighters seen, the weather over England would give the pilots a challenge when they encountered a 10/10 undercast covering the base upon their return.

Requiring the need to circle over the field so that the formations could peel off individually, landing did not occur until 2145-2210 hours. Having practiced a late night return the previous evening, the Ricker crew had not expected the weather. Raymond Mainka tells us, “It was a bad time coming into the base. Had to come down to 300 feet altitude to get through the overcast.”

After all B-17s had landed safely, the crews could breathe a little easier and the mission was then thought of as a “milk run.” With the base under a mission alert, the crews prayed for another easy mission.

Scheduled to fly the mission:

Keys, Everitt, Riegel, Delaney, Williams, Chamberlain, Trommer, Scott, Ricker, Streed, Elbel, Bennett, Allen, Geller, Kassebaum, Ransom, Kemp, Tiahrt, Carlton, Stevenson, Kennedy, Rowland, Aske, Ricci, Johnson, Anderson, McEwen, Hempy, Lundquist, WM Ryan, Armstrong, Dobrogowski