Mission Date: April 16, 1945
ROYAN/POINT DE-GRAVE GND DEFENSES
100th BG Mission #: 303
Mission Summary
ON THIS DAY...APRIL 16, 1945
The 100th would go back to Royan and the Bordeaux area for the third straight day. S-2 Intelligence revealed that their first Priority target for the day would be Point de Grave near Royan with no Secondary Priority target noted. Expecting no flak at the target, the crews however, were authorized to make second runs on Point de Grave.
The 13 CBW would fly second in the Division line, led by the 390th. The 100th would fly as the Wing’s ‘B’ group and the 95th would fly its ‘C.
Leading the 100th’s formation would be Wooten/Hutchinson in the Command ship with Robbs/Blanding leading the High squadron, Wofford the Low and Wilson/Evans the Low Low squadron.
No longer carrying the napalm bombs, thirty-eight aircraft took off from Thorpe Abbotts carrying twelve 500 lb. GP bombs in patchy fog. Assembly was over Buncher 28 at 2000 feet, although the Wing assembly was not completed until crossing the French Coast due to the 100th and 95th BG’s reportedly becoming entangled with each other at Ipswich with each BG blaming the other for being either late or early.
At the target, the weather conditions were good with downward visibility of twenty to thirty miles. All of the 100th’s ships released on the first Priority target between 1122-1124 hours from 15300-14600 feet altitude, except for Arthur Leader’s ship who had to jettison two bombs into the Bay of Biscay due to a bomb rack malfunction.
As expected, no flak was encountered on this mission. Only a large burst of smoke and flame was observed in the target area from a possible ground rocket.
All ships returned to Thorpe Abbotts with the crews reporting the mission as another “milk run.”
Bombing Results
Bombing Results: MISSED
Aircraft Lost: 0
Crew Lost: 0
Claims of Enemy Losses (CLS): 0
Aircraft Returned:
