Mission Date: January 3, 1945
FULDA, MY
100th BG Mission #: 243
Mission Summary
ON THIS DAY...January 3, 1945
Twenty-two crews were on the board to fly on the 3rd. You could hear the "0500 briefing"warning and the subsequent groaning ripple through the huts as the boys were awakened by their Squadron orderlies at 0400. Today they would fly to Fulda, with the target of the railroad storage sidings « filled to capacity with some 1500 freight cars and equipment, a large portion of which is probably destined for the Wehrmacht. »
The 13CBW would lead the Division and its ‘A’ and ‘B’ groups would once again be made up of composite groups. The 390BG and the 95BG would supply the lead and high squadrons respectively, with the 100th flying as the low squadrons in both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ groups. Six crews from the 418th squadron would fly the lead flight of the ‘B’ group.
Twenty-two of the 100BG’s twenty-three scheduled bombers took off from the field between 0720-0741 hours. Lifting off into the winter darkness into solid low lying clouds, the pilots had to once again go on instruments to climb to their assembly point altitude. The first squadron taking off fell into formation with the 390th over Buncher 11. The second 100th squadron also had no difficulty rendezvousing with the 95BG, forming into the 13B group.
The wing followed the briefed route across the channel, crossing the French coast on course and on time, but flying under 10/10 cloud coverage the entire route in. It was reported that “slight evasive action was taken up through the narrow flak corridors enroute to the IP…”
Entering Germany near Strasbourg at 1146, the 100th’s formations now over the target, bombed Fulda, utilizing the H2X method, from an altitude of 22,000 feet. Each B-17 released their eighteen 250 pounds of bombs, “plastering” the marshaling yards.
Rowland Hetrick, navigator on the Walker Radke’s fortress was grateful when he landed. It was their #35 and final mission and he recorded, “Today we made our final trip to Germany. I was a little worried but we made it without any trouble. Our Target was Fulda near Frankfurt. It was 10/10 all the way in and out. We had no flak nor fighters. Therefore, it was a milk run as usual. The only thing that was bad was the weather over England. It was extremely rough…”
Over the base that evening, close to a dozen buzz bombs flew over with some bursting close by. All of the 100BG’s air crews were thankful for the alert light glowing that evening, signaling a group stand down for the next day.
Bombing Results
Bombing Results: EXCELLENT
Aircraft Lost: 0
Crew Lost: 0
Claims of Enemy Losses (CLS): 0
Aircraft Returned:
