April 1 0th, Ninth Air Force sent its first mission over Czechlovakia . Ninth Bomb Division and 1 9th TAC Thunderbolts raided Eger, 30 miles from Hof. The objective was a bridge being used by the Germans to supply their armies there. Our flight did not hit the bridge but close enough that it is estimated that damage was caused. Other flights successfully destroyed their objective. (now we shall read what Dick wrote about that mission)

April 10, 1945 Mi~ion # 16
AlL 11,000 2-2,000 pound bomb~ G.P.
At the ba~e, Belgium

Today I aorta made thi~ mi~ion for Dotty. Its her birthday and I gue~ it'~ a pre~ent from me to her. A CJerman railroad bridge at Eger. We got up real early thi~ morning to go on the mi~ion but it wa~ delayed. I then went back to my [ent and wrote letter~.The target was in direct ~upporl: of the 7th Army. It wa~ located in Ctechlovakia. We were to get a atar on our ribbon for it but we wont. We took off at 13:33 and headed for the target We only had four fligh~. We were number 4 ~hip in the third flight, in the 1~ box. We formed and to my ~urpri~e a ~eventh ship Joined u~. It wa~ Col. Vanveets ship. We were right on ~chedule and hil: our fighter rende~voua on time. We had P-51 escort. We ~tarted in after our target and were over enemy territory for 50 minute~. We made one run on the bridge.--

W51 -53 P.52