Mission

ON THIS DAY...AUG 28-30,1944

On August 28, the 100BG’s airmen had a Stand Down and were “released for training.” East Anglia was enveloped in bad weather and some of the airmen were content to skip training and remain in their huts. Navigator, James Wright recorded into his diary, “Rained most of the day and we sat around the barracks all day. Had a class or two but I didn’t go.”

In the 418th Squadron area, four enlisted men from Wallace Forsythe’s crew and one from Robert Rosenthal’s crew had returned from their thirty-day furlough in the States after having completed their required number of combat missions. Back on base, their Squadron diary tells us, “Percy Johnson (TTE), Nelson Linke (WG,) John Arrudo (John Codoluto RWG), Peter Buck (ROG) and James Mack (WG)…all are back on the base. They say it hasn't changed much, that the bases in the States are plenty strict with great emphasis on small items. Johnson will be a turret instructor, Linke and Carrudo sight instructors at the gunnery trainers. Buck is to go to the radio trainers. LT Prescott Haralson…remained in England to become the Pilot of a General. Alas, the General had no plane so Haralson became a staff officer.”

That evening, the 100th was alerted for a mission but it was scrubbed and by 2230 hours that night, the airmen were once again “released for training.” The long hours of combat missions took its toll on everyone and S-2 Intelligence Officer, Red Bowman recorded into his diary, “Two nights sleep in succession has made everyone feel better about everything."

On August 29, two practice missions had been scheduled: the early morning practice was cancelled while the afternoon practice mission went up. Although a mission alert had been anticipated, none was received that evening and the men enjoyed yet another night of sleep.

Seated at his desk in the very early hours of August 30, Red Bowman was anticipating the receipt of a mission alert. When none was forthcoming he recorded, “Again no business today. Not even alerted last night. The infantry are really carrying the ball nowadays, and the Air Corps are the forgotten men for a change. Rainy, misty day, low ceiling.”

However, Red’s instincts were confirmed when at 0930 hours, clacking noises emanated from the teletype machine and the 100BG’s next mission was on. One hour later and with little time to prepare, twenty-four crews had been briefed for a mission to northern Germany where the 100BG was scheduled to attack the Focke-Wulf 190 fighter plant located southeast of Bremen.

Leading the 3rd Air Division and the 13A CBW would be the 390BG. The 100BG (100A) would fly as its High group and the 390BG as its Low. Next in the division line would be the 13B CBW, led by the 95BG with the 100BG (100B) flying as its High group and the 95BG as its Low. Captain Mark Cope would fly as Command pilot with one Pathfinder crew while Lt. Neil Scott would fly command in the 2nd Pathfinder aircraft.

Between 1215-1233 hours, the first thirteen B-17s flying with the 390BG, including William Terminello’s Pathfinder, took off first and were followed by the second Pathfinder and the eleven B-17s to fly with the 95BG. Experiencing mechanical problems in his assigned B17, Murray Johnson’s Fortress never took-off. As the groups formed over Buncher 28, Orville Everitt from the 100B formation aborted, also due to mechanical problems.

With assembly completed, the 100A flew on to Buncher 11 where it assembled with the 390BG as the 13A CBW. Meanwhile, the 100B’s formation proceeded to Buncher 23, arriving after encountering aircraft from the first Division and where its pilots were forced to circle due to the late arrival of the 95BG. With the 13B CBW finally assembled, Great Yarmouth was reached and the 13B CBW departed the English coast, twelve minutes late.

Beginning its climb in altitude over the North Sea, the 13A CBW began ’s’ing’ to allow time for the 13B formation to catch up. Encountering heavy clouds, the lead wing would ultimately execute two 360 degree turns “to gain enough altitude to clear the tops of the clouds.” As it climbed, its Low formation straggled behind by six to seven miles and the caught up 13B’s High group, the 100B, had passed the 13A's Low. Nearing the German coast and in the interest of time, the decision was made to have the two formations switch positions so the 100B joined the 13A CBW as its Low group while the straggling 390B took its place as the High in the 13B CBW.

As the enemy coast was crossed, the 100th's two formations flew as the 13A’s High and Low groups and by 1534 hours, had climbed to the unusually high altitude of 26,500 feet in preparation for the bomb run. Making the turn at the Initial Point, the 10/10 cloud coverage would require an attack on the target under Pathfinder guidance and in wing formation.

As the 100th’s Fortresses flew through the intense, tracking and barrage flak, several ships were hit but the gunners below were not accurate. Pilot Frederick Schaffhausen recorded, “Flak up to target heavy but off to the left of the bomb run.” On his #3 mission, Glenn Smiley, ROG in Thomas Anderson’s B-17 tells us, “Flak terrific but not accurate. To left and right of us. Quite a few aerial bombs and hits…Considered a milk run by us…slowly getting flak happy; no battle damage” and NAV Roland Hetrick on Walter Radke’s crew recorded, “…We saw but moderate flak today. It was probably due to the clouds that it was so inaccurate.

Bombs were away on the FW-190 plant at 1558 hours. With no ability to observe their results, the wing formation executed a sharp left off the target as briefed and the bombers were soon out of the Bremen flak.

By 1919 hours, all aircraft had safely landed back at Thorpe Abbotts with the crews feeling fortunate to have had made it through Bremen with such little battle damage and nobody wounded. Roland Hetrick added “Men who had been there before couldn’t believe the lack of flak…” Executing the mission’s orders on such short notice, the 3rd Division’s General Partridge issued a commendation to the 100BG for the “excellent execution of orders” and to “all units within the group for the excellent teamwork displayed.”

A Stand Down order for the 100BG was received that evening and the 418th’s squadron diary recorded “So ends the month. The box score, seventeen missions briefed; fifteen completed, one abortion, one scrubbed.”

Crews flying the mission: Bailey, Heironimus, Carlton, Rake, Allen, Geller, Corley, Thompson, Everitt, Dyatt, Anderson, Urban, Chamberlain, Taylor, Raine, Ellison, Hopkins, Ivosevic, Rowland, Simmons, Schaffhausen, Fabian, Stevenson, M Johnson