Mission Date: November 26, 1943
BREMEN, SUB YARDS & PARIS
100th BG Mission #: 45
Mission Summary
26 NOVEMBER 1943
OPERATIONS PARIS - BREMEN
The 100th Group sent a regular twenty-one ship formation under Major Elton to Paris, and provided nine aircraft for the composite group raid on-Bremen. In Paris the ball bearing works which produces ninety percent of France's output was to be the target. In Bremen the shipping area where twenty-four subs and five destroyers where reported building was the target. The groups took off at 0754 and 0814 hours respectively.
In the Paris mission our Group flew as low group of the 2nd Combat Wing in the 3rd Air Task Force, Some fifty to sixty enemy aircraft were encountered. equally distributed between FW 190's and ME 109's the fighters impressed with their variety of color schemes ranging from the familiar yellow noses to solid blue, grey blue, solid silver, silver and grey, and afew marked like our own P-47's, For the most part there were no attacks on our aircraft but the attackers were ever evident just above the overcast some 5,000 feet below the formation, At 1045 hours two FW 190's hit our low Squadron from six o'clock low. They were flying in trail and the first one slow-rolled and dived away at about 100 yards. The second came in and dived under the formation. This attack knocked out one of our ships. In attacking another group the FW's seemed to queue up to the right of the formation and make a single pass one after another from about two o'clock, All crew members were impressed by the daring of the enemy pilots. From the coast in the flak was moderate, reaching intensity over the Paris area. Due to the intensity of the overcast which was 10/10 over the target there was no bomb run.
From this raid one of our aircraft did not return. All failed to bomb. Some pilots criticised returning with the bomb load. All felt that the fighter escort was good but thought that they Stayed too far out from the formations.
Those attacking Bremen saw six single engined enemy aircraft but none close enough to identify. Flak was meager to moderate northwest of Bremen. Over the target itself the flak was rendered inaccurate due to smoke screen laid over the city. Seven aircraft bombed the target, one ship bombed target of opportunity in Wilhelmshaven Bay, having left the formation because of engine trouble, and one Ship returned with bomb load being unable to catch the formation. No aircraft from this group are missing.
Following is the list of officers and men missing over Paris,
2nd Lt George W. Ford
OPERATIONS PARIS - BREMEN
The 100th Group sent a regular twenty-one ship formation under Major Elton to Paris, and provided nine aircraft for the composite group raid on-Bremen. In Paris the ball bearing works which produces ninety percent of France's output was to be the target. In Bremen the shipping area where twenty-four subs and five destroyers where reported building was the target. The groups took off at 0754 and 0814 hours respectively.
In the Paris mission our Group flew as low group of the 2nd Combat Wing in the 3rd Air Task Force, Some fifty to sixty enemy aircraft were encountered. equally distributed between FW 190's and ME 109's the fighters impressed with their variety of color schemes ranging from the familiar yellow noses to solid blue, grey blue, solid silver, silver and grey, and afew marked like our own P-47's, For the most part there were no attacks on our aircraft but the attackers were ever evident just above the overcast some 5,000 feet below the formation, At 1045 hours two FW 190's hit our low Squadron from six o'clock low. They were flying in trail and the first one slow-rolled and dived away at about 100 yards. The second came in and dived under the formation. This attack knocked out one of our ships. In attacking another group the FW's seemed to queue up to the right of the formation and make a single pass one after another from about two o'clock, All crew members were impressed by the daring of the enemy pilots. From the coast in the flak was moderate, reaching intensity over the Paris area. Due to the intensity of the overcast which was 10/10 over the target there was no bomb run.
From this raid one of our aircraft did not return. All failed to bomb. Some pilots criticised returning with the bomb load. All felt that the fighter escort was good but thought that they Stayed too far out from the formations.
Those attacking Bremen saw six single engined enemy aircraft but none close enough to identify. Flak was meager to moderate northwest of Bremen. Over the target itself the flak was rendered inaccurate due to smoke screen laid over the city. Seven aircraft bombed the target, one ship bombed target of opportunity in Wilhelmshaven Bay, having left the formation because of engine trouble, and one Ship returned with bomb load being unable to catch the formation. No aircraft from this group are missing.
Following is the list of officers and men missing over Paris,
2nd Lt George W. Ford
T/Sgt Andrew F. Hathaway
2nd Lt Jean B. Pitner
S/Sgt G.B. Jones
2nd Lt Arno B.Plischke
S/Sgt Leo J. Bianchi
2nd Lt Arthur G. Bodei
2nd Lt Arthur G. Bodei
S/Set Carl C. Glasmeier
T/Sgt Max S. Newman
S/Sgt Delton N. King
Bombing Results
Bombing Results:
Aircraft Lost: 1
Crew Lost: 10
Claims of Enemy Losses (CLS): 1
Aircraft Returned:
