351st Bomb Group

1. Airplane and Crew Assignment Check.
   
2. Time Schedule:

   Low Box
   Stations   –	0425
   Start Engines –	0435
   Taxi     –	0445
   Take Off   –	0500
   Last Take Off Selsey Bill–	0605 - 20,000'

   
   
3. Targets:
   Primary: Gael, France A/D [Airdrome] - 24 miles west of Rennes.
   Secondary: Visual Only – any troop concentration, Railway Bridge, Choke Point, or German Military installation which can be positively identified.
   Last Resort:   "  "
   
   
4. Loading:
   351 “A”: Max. 100 G.P. [General Purpose] 1/10 x 1/100
   351 “B”:
   Composite:
   Nickels [Propaganda Leaflets] in Ship # - P-875
   Chaff: The 144 units of chaff will be released over target area at the discretion of the Group Leader.
   
5. Gasoline Loading: 1900 gallons
   Remarks: ____
   
   

6. Wing Formation	94th (A) CBW	94th (B) CBW	Comp. Group	Comp. CBW
   Lead	401st
   Low	351st
   High	457th

   
   
7. Division Formation:

   Position	CBW [Combat Wing]	Target	Departure Time at Coast
   Lead	41st A	Nantes A/D	0700
   2nd	41st B	Vannes A/D	0703
   3rd	94th	Gael A/D	0706
   4th	1st	Coastal Defenses, Tactical Tgts.	0720 – Beachy Head
   5th
   6th
   7th
   8th
   2nd Division
   3rd Division
   Marauders
   RAF [Royal Air Force]

   
   Remarks: 1st C.B.W. will fly in Individual Groups.
   
   
8. Fighter Cover:

   • [Force]	[Latitude & Longitude]	[Call Sign]
     _________	Complete General Area cover will be given.	Balance

     
     
9. Group Assembly:

   Box	Altitude	Place
   401st Lead	15,000'	Deenethorpe Buncher
   351st Low	13,500'	Deenethorpe Buncher
   457th High	16,500'	Deenethorpe Buncher

   
   
10. Navigator - _____
    
11. S-2 - _____
    
12. Weather - _____
    
13. Special Instructions to Navigators, Bombardiers and Radio Operators:
    Chaff will be released over target area at discretion of Group Leader.
    Do not test fire guns.
    No early or late releases.
    Watch for enemy fighters.
    
14. Squadron Leaders and Group Deputy report to Target Room. All but Pilots Dismissed.
    
15. (A) Code Words –

    PFF Bombing –	Clear
    Visual Bombing -	Clear
    Authenticator –	Red Hot
    Recall -	Tugboat Annie
    Weather Code -	VIBAT
    Release "CHAFF" -	Tin Hat

    
    (B) Call Signs:

    	Call Sign	Flares	Remarks
    351st A	Woodcraft Red	Red	Low
    351st B
    401st A	Woodcraft White	Red Yellow	Lead
    401st B
    457th A	Woodcraft Blue	Green	High
    457th B
    Composite
    1st C.B.W.	Swordfish
    40th C.B.W.	Foxhole
    41st C.B.W.	Cowboy
    Composite C.B.W.

    
    (C)

    U.S. Fighters	Balance
    R.A.F. Fighters
    Bombers	Vinegrove One Three
    U.S. Grnd. Control	Colgate
    R.A.F. Grnd. Control

    
    

    Control Points:		Fighter Reference Points:
    1. English Coast		______
    2. Enemy Coast		______

    
    Remarks: Base Refernce Altitude – 20,000’
    
    (D)

    Colors of the Day
    Time	Color	Letter	Challenge
    0200 – 0800	RG	W	C
    0800 – 1400	RY	I	N

    
    (E) Ships To Monitor [Radio Channels A, B, C & D]
    1. - All except:
    2. - S-512, M-196 (from T.O.) [Take Off]
    3. - L-515, F-124
    4. - Available to all for A/S [Air/Sea] Rescue.
       
16. Let-Down on Deenethorpe Buncher, if overcast.
    351st A   360° Mag. [Magnetic Compass Heading]
    351st B   ___° Mag. [Magnetic Compass Heading]
    401st A   020° Mag.
    457th A   040° Mag.
    
17. Flying Control. –
    1. Taxi Plan.
    2. Emergency Fields. - Tangmere
    3. Landing Aids.
       
18. Special Instructions:
    If equipment fails, Groups will not drop on previous groups bombs, but will attempt to find a visual target.
    41st CBW crystal “Ch. A” will be replaced by 94th CBW crystal.
    Lead & Deputy Lead A/C will T.O. 5 minutes before T.O. time of Group to assure reaching buncher ahead of group.
    T.O. on Green light from tower.
    Lt. Adamiak - be sure to hold until 0500.
    Buncher assembly S.O.P. [Standard Operating Procedure] Deenethorpe assembly – climb on 20° heading to 7,000’.
    

1. General Narrative. Twenty aircraft, including the GH aircraft [Equipt with GH radio navigation system] and a flying spare, took off at 0500 – 0512 hours. The scheduled assembly for the Low Group was 13,500 feet, but after various changes by the weather ship and the Combat Wing Air Commander, the Low Group finally made assembly at 21,000 feet with considerable difficulty.
    After assembling, the Low and Lead Groups proceeded on the briefed course over England. The briefed times at Splasher 11 and the departure point were made good. Departure from the English coast was made at 22,000 feet.
    The route to the target was flown as briefed. The Combat Wing Leader overshot the IP [Initial Point of Bomb Run] before turning, and after the GH operator in the lead aircraft of the Low Group made corrections, a collision course with the Lead Group was being flown. As a result, the Low Group abandoned the attempt to bomb and called the Combat Wing Air Commander for permission to make a second run on the target. Permission was granted and the necessary maneuver, a 270° turn was executed. On the first run over the target, it had been sighted through a break in the clouds.
    As the turn was made, the Low Group Leader did not know if he could again pick up the target through the same hole in the clouds and so did not call the deputy lead ship to take over for visual bombing. However, it was possible to sight the target a second time. A very short run was made, the formation dropping on the bombs of the lead ship. Bombs were dropped just as the formation was rolling out of a turn. This caused scattered hits. Some late releases also caused the bomb pattern to spread. Hits were observed on the northern edge of the field.
    Before the departure from the target area, thick soup had moved in and the three groups lost visual contact with each other. The low group came out alone, flying inside (east) of the briefed course on instruments.
    The Low Group broke out of the soup at mid-channel and started the let-down. A layer of 8/10 cloud over England was encountered. When a large hole was found, the group let down through it. There was some scattering of ships during this procedure, but they quickly assembled into group formation and proceeded to base without further incident.
    About forty bursts of inaccurate flak was observed southwest of Caen. Enemy aircraft opposition was nil.
   
2. Aircraft Not Attacking. Twenty aircraft, including one flying spare and a GH ship, took off at 0500 – 0512 hours for the Mission of 10 June, 1944. Aircraft 42-97492, pilot Lt. Woodrum, returned from Splasher 11 with the report that he had been unable to contact the formation after take-off. Aircraft 42-31711, pilot Lt. Edwards, returned to base as briefed. This aircraft had been scheduled as a flying spare and turned back when there were no unfilled positions in the group formation. The remaining eighteen aircraft continued as indicated in the General Narrative and attacked the primary target.
   
3. Aircraft Lost. No aircraft were lost on the Mission of 10 June, 1944.
   
4. Group Leader. Major Leonard B. Roper, flying in the GH aircraft, led the Low Group of the 94th Combat Wing formation.
   
   

Group: 351st
Target: Gael, France
Method of Bombing: Visual & G.H.
Altitude: 20,000’
Direction of Attack: 68° Mag. Heading
Wind Direction: 285°
Wind Velocity: 32 MPH
Bombardier’s Narrative: The 351st Bombardment Gp.(H) bombed on the “G.H.” ship. The “G.H.” ship made a visual run instead of a “G.H.” run. Bombs were away at 0852 hours on a magnetic heading of 68°. Hits were seen on the north side of the target.

[Signed:] Manuel J. Giswein, Jr., 1st Lt., Air Corps, Deputy Lead Bombardier

1. The target for the group was the airfield at Gael, France. Photo coverage is good but there is some haze.
2. The bombs covered a long, narrow area along the Northern edge of the landing ground. The heaviest concentration is along the perimeter track. Approximately 15% of the bombs landed on the landing field near the northern edge.
   1. The pattern measures 4,747 feet by 1,717 feet with the MPI 1,600 feet to the left of the briefed MPI.
3. Bombing was done by GH ship on a visual run.

1. The following comments were made by crew members during the mission of this date:

    508th Squadron
A/C 798-H: Two nose guns are not held up properly by suspension cable spring and cause injury to crew in nose when in use; it was reported once before but nothing has been done.

    511th Squadron
A/C 216-Y: Suggest that bombardiers have ball turret man check to see if anyone is underneath especially when ship is out of formation. – Lt. Zotollo.
A/C 571-X: P-47’s came toward us head-on, out of the sun; if they had come much closer, our gunners would have opened fire on them. – Lt. Bland.

1. The following malfunctions were reported on the Mission of 10 June, 1944.
   1. A/C 43-37534 – (All Electrical) Nineteen bombs dropped as briefed and nineteen were returned to base. The A-4 release skip station feature failed.
   2. A/C 42-102955 – The right handle on the ball turret door snapped off.
   3. A/C 42-97066 – Released six stations in train and the rest were salvoed. The rack selector relays burned up.
   4. A/C 42-107216 – Two bombs on one station were returned to base. The station had not been cocked.
   5. A/C 42-31875 – Leaflets on the right side released in train. Nineteen bombs on the left side were salvoed without delay. The ship checks out OK with the same number of stations cocked on each side. It is recommended that ships carry either all leaflet bombs or all explosives.
   6. A/C 42-107124 – Eight bombs on the right inboard rack were returned to base. The ship checks out OK. However, the A-2 release immediately below bombs will be changed.
2. Ten (10) all electrical ships were used.

1. Following is the disposition of bombs on the Mission of this 10 June, 1944.

Aircraft No. 7492 Squadron - 511   Pilot - Lt. Woodrum
Time of Abortive - 0720   Location when Aborted - Splasher #11 (Point E)
Reason - Could not find [Triangle J] Group
Disposition of Bombs: Bombs returned
Altitude At Time of Aborting: 22,000’
Enemy Opposition Encountered - None
Remarks: No excuse
[Signed] C. R. Woodrum 2nd Lt.

1. Call Letter and Last Four numbers of A/C in each Squadron:

   a. 94th Combat Wing   Low Group
   Sqdn 508th A/C: 7066–O, 7534–L, 7798–H, 7349–B, 7843–C, 2971–J, (1711–F Spare)
   Sqdn 509th A/C: None
   Sqdn 510th A/C: 2955–P, 7512–S, 7196–M, 7124–F, 7515–L
   Sqdn 511th A/C: 7216–Y, 7571–X, 1238–A, 1748–V, 7492–B, 1875–P, (7524–D Spare)
   P.F.F. Sqdn 359 A/C: 7291–W

   
   
2. Target: Z-344
   
3. W/T and R/T Operational Call Sign of each Squadron:

   Squadron	508 [Call Sign]	W/T TVW R/T CARLTON		Squadron	510 [Call Sign]	W/T KHN R/T TIPSTAFF
   Squadron	509 [Call Sign]	W/T MCP R/T HOTMINT		Squadron	511 [Call Sign]	W/T PRR R/T PARTNERSHIP

4. a. Low Box: Taxi – 0445; Take-Off – 0500; E.T.D. Field – 0500
   b. ____ Box: Taxi – ____; Take-Off – ____; E.T.D. Field – ____

5. Time:	Height:	Place of Crossing English Coast: (OUT)
   0706	20,000 Ft	Selzey Bill

6. Time:	Height:	Place of Crossing Enemy Coast: (IN)
   0730	20,000 Ft	49°21'N-00°40'W [Coast Line 5 miles N of Bayeux, France]

7. Time:	Height:	Place of Crossing Enemy Coast: (Out)
   0916	20,000 Ft	49°52'N-02°50'W [Mid-Channel 30 Miles N of Island of Guernsey]

8. Time:	Height:	Place of Crossing English Coast: (IN)
   0928	14,000 Ft	Portland Bill

9. E.T.R.(Estimated Time of Return) Base: 1017 Hours
10. MF/DF [Medium Frequency/Direction Finder] Section: "N"
11. Bomb load of Each A/C: Low Box
    508 Squadron: Maximum [Number of] 100 # G.P. [General Purpose] 1/10 Nose x 1/100 Tail [Fuses]
    509 Squadron: Maximum [Number of] 100 # G.P. [General Purpose] 1/10 Nose x 1/100 Tail [Fuses]
    510 Squadron: Maximum [Number of] 100 # G.P. [General Purpose] 1/10 Nose x 1/100 Tail [Fuses]
    511 Squadron: Maximum [Number of] 100 # G.P. [General Purpose] 1/10 Nose x 1/100 Tail [Fuses] (1875-P Nickels)
    
    
12. Fuel Load of each A/C: 1900 Gallons
    
13. Group Leader:
    a. Low Box: Name: L.B. Roper Rank: Major A/C: 7291-W   Sqdn. 359th
    b. ___ Box: Name: ___ Rank: ___ A/C: ___ Sqdn. ___
14. Passengers, if any: (Full Name, Rank, A/C and Squadron Passenger flying with)
    Edward W. Maschmeyer O-21629 Col. 7291-W 359th