The wing sections were on fire and fluttering down like a bat. I realized that I could not get to my chute under similar circumstances so I grabbed it and aRached ane sWe b my hamess. Strange as it may seem, up until that instant, the war seemed more like a game of cowboys and hdian~ Flak was no boger curious multi-colored puffs of ~noke but deadly sorious messages sent up by the (3em~ I did see two chutes open.
Two men were to have bailed out, but I didn't see Lhem. Just before Bombs Away, we got caught in prop wast~ and started down. I thought that we were hit We were betow the formation and caugitt up Wi~t another flight: All waa O.K. but ~e flak waa all around u~. We dropped our bombs and cleared out Our formation was pretty broken up on Lhe way home. We had one engine cut out and landed at ~e 386th. We got it checked and ga~ed, the 386th came in. It had two cra~h landings and two single engine landings. They were hit by f~ghters. We just missed them as Lhey came into the 386th right after we left ~e target
Sunday March 11, 1945 A1t 12,000
#3
AL the base 344~ Group
Today was my ~ird mission. We took off about 1607 today. We climbed through a rough layer of clouds and got separated from the group. Ilpon breaking ~rough the clouds we found our formation about 20 miles away. We poured on ~e coal and caught up. upon hiring ~e Bomb Line we pulled pins and donned flak sui~. I spoRed two strange f~ghters which stayed clear of ~e formation. We were supposed to have 18 gun~ on [arget, but didn't see any flak. We carried ~ixteen 250 pound demolition bomba. . We bombed Wi~en. It was a direct hit according to ~e G. Box (~heck. We l~ad aimed at a [2ailroad 8tation. Upon coming back we had no opposition.We had only 100 gallons of gas left so I transferred ~e Aux gas. We got about twenty f~ve minu~ from ~e f~eld and de~cended independently. It wa~ a very low ceiling of 1000 feet Poor viaibility. flare~ were being shot from everywhere. We [urned on our landing ligh~ and Found out we only had one. We just miased hi~ng another plane. upon entering the traffic pattern we lowered ~e gear. We made our approach and was caught in prop wash. We had only one light and ~e tower f~red two flare~ and almo~t blinded us. We hit on one geartleR]and wi~ one wing down. We f~nally ~raightened out I found out when we got in, my [ail guns were jammed. ~ lucky mi~ion for me I'd say. C;od was with me. :
March 13,1945 A1t 12,600
#4 At the Base 344~ Group
Today was my 4th mission. We were briefed for a rough [target with fifty five fighters and eigl~teen flak guns over the target also twenty one rocket guns. Five guns on the troop line. Our counter battery took care of them. We left for ~e ship about 8:45 we were delayed
W 36-38 P.36