Mission

ON THIS DAY...AUGUST 12-13,1944

On August 12, the 100BG’s wing brethren from the 95BG and 390BG were making their way back to their home bases in England after a bombing raid on Toulouse, ending their Russia-Italy shuttle mission. With most of the men at Thorpe Abbotts enjoying another Stand Down, a practice mission was ordered again for the new crews who returned back to base at 1900 that evening, just as the mission alert light went on.

The next morning, twenty-six crews including Austin Dunlaps’s PFF lead crew, listened intently as the S-2 Officer divulged the target for the day. It would be another tactical mission for the 100BG, in aid of the troops on the ground making their push towards Paris. The Group’s primary target to attack would be a road southwest of Paris, twelve miles from Chartres, with the goal of eliminating exit routes for the retreating Germans. Pilot, Harvey Dickert recorded, “The Germans are in mass retreat through a nineteen mile corridor south of Falaise, the American and British are trying to close the gap but a lot of Germans are getting away.”

The 13CBW would be led by the 95BG, while the 100BG would fly as its High and Low groups. Flying as Command pilot for the 100BG would be Major Robert Rosenthal, who would lead the High, flying in the PFF ship with Austin Dunlap. The Low group would be led by Major Maurice Youngs who would fly with John Giles. Orders called for the bombing at the target to occur by elements rather than wing or group formations.

Various support groups worked very hard and very early to get the Fortresses and crews ready for their missions. The 418th squadron diary tells us that the ordnance and armament groups had already had a hectic morning by the time the crews were trucked out to their B-17s. “Today saw a few hectic hours. The planes were all loaded, ordnance and armament men back in the barracks when it was suddenly decided to change bomb load. So the ordnance and armament were routed out of bed. It proved faster to bomb up idle ships than to unload the readied ships, return the bombs to the bomb dump and then rebomb.” The ships that day would carry thirty-eight 100 lb bombs.

The thirteen ships flying as the High group took off first in 4/10 cloud coverage from Thorpe Abbots between 0950-0957 hours, followed by the thirteen ships flying as the Low group between 0959-1007 hours. The two groups formed up over Buncher 28, then formed up successfully with the 95BG and the formed 13CBW soon folded into the Division line as its 4th wing. The English coast was departed at 1200 hours at Portsmouth and the groups began their climb to bombing altitude over the channel as the clouds began to dissipate.

Crossing the French coast twenty-eight minutes later at 18000 feet, the formations flew on to their target. As the Initial Point was neared, the wing began to spread out to allow for the individual group formations to set up. At 1305 hours, the IP was reached and groups fanned out to allow for element bomb runs.

With no flak encountered, east of Dreux, the bomb bay doors were opened and the twenty-two mile run was made with bombs away visually on the Primary target at 1322 hours except for the High group’s low element of four B-17s flown by George Allen, Charles Baker, William Frazier and Donald Cielewich who were unable to bomb due to a malfunction in Allen’s lead ship. All four aircraft held their bombs, returning them to base.

With the Rally Point made, the French coast was soon departed and the 100BG began their let down in altitude, landing back at Thorpe Abbotts after a five and one-half hour mission between 1513-1535 hours.

That evening, the alert was on again and the Air Executives began preparing for the next day's mission. Fying the next day, some of the Joseph Ricker crew had returned rested from the two day pass ordered by their flight surgeon, Dr. Carroll McCarthy. Although most of the crew stayed in London, three of the crew members went a quieter route. Ricker’s BTG William Crozier recorded into his diary, “Chuck, Kip and I went to Cambridge instead of London and dodged the buzz bombs. Stayed at Guest House Hotel. It was very much more peaceful for Chuck's benefit. But I think we all needed it. Really enjoyed Cambridge. We rented a row-boat and floated up and down the Cam River at the university for several hours. Lots of boaters on the river. Chuck and Kip flirted with the girls in other row-boats. I think we are about to begin feeling human again.” With Chuck Winters just released from the hospital, ‘Doc’ McCarthy knew just what the boys needed to keep them flying and Winters was ready to go.

Crews flying on August 13:

Frazier, Everitt, Giles, Kassebaum, Roediger, Chamberlain, Trommer, Kennedy, C Baker, Tiahrt, David, Delaney, Allen, Daniels, Cielewich, Dickert, Simmons, Johnson, Armstrong, Brown, Miller, Ricci, Anderson, Coleman, Lundquist