Length of Mission: 3 hours, 45 minutes. Bomb Load: 12 x 500 lb G.P. bombs. Bombing Altitudes: A - 13,000 ft; B - 12,000 ft. Ammo Fired: 3,360 rounds.

This mission was a classic "milk run" – there were no abortions, there were no casualties, flak was meager and inaccurate at scattered points along the route, there was no fighter opposition, only two aircraft had minor damage and all aircraft returned to Molesworth.

The eight aircraft in the 303BG-A Group lead Squadron dropped their bombs in a wooded area. The low Squadron of seven aircraft returned with their bombs. Four bomb runs were made in the target area, but each time cloud conditions prevented sightings of the target. The bombing altitude was 13,000 feet ("A" Group) and 12,000 feet ("B" Group).

More info on this mission at the 303BG website

36 aircraft assigned to this mission: Completed Mission - 32. Aborted - 2. Scrubbed - 2
42-3051 Corcoran, John J - This aircraft, prepared for the practice mission, was not dispatched on the operational mission, possibly due to insufficient time available to reconfigure it for combat in the "B" group. Pilot for the intended practice mission, Corcoran, did not take part in the combat mission.
42-29688 Smith, Roger Clement - Aborted over GU as prop governor on #4 engine broke and had to be feathered
42-29723 Reed, Merlin H - Aborted B Grp; turned back at 1350 hrs over Beachy Head b/c a/c took off late and could not find a position open in the formation; 12x500GP rtd
42-39991 Courtemanche, Ralph E - This aircraft, prepared for the practice mission, was not dispatched on the operational mission, possibly due to insufficient time available to reconfigure it for combat in the "B" group. Pilot for the intended practice mission, Courtemanche, did not take part in the combat mission.

Broken clouds over the Target area made it difficult for the bombardiers to pick the Targets up. As a consequence, several bomb runs were made by the Squadrons. Bombing results were satisfactory with the only "Shack" made by the low squadrons in "A" Group. Bombing was done from 12,000 feet between 1452 and 1540 hours.

All A/C returned to base by 1716 hours.

The 68ths planes were: #42-7501 piloted by 1st Lt. F.W. Sobotka
#42-7514 0 piloted by 1st Lt. Gary M. Mathisen
#42-7635 Q "Ram It-Dam-It" pilot - 1st Lt. H.R. Howington
#41-23813 V "Victory Ship" and pilot - 1st Lt. A.A. Starring

Our 67th plane #42-99970, piloted by 1st Lt. Cookus, was leading one 44th formation but did not have benefit of PFF equipment so he had to make five attempts to seek a break in the clouds through which to bomb. Failing in this and having already remained much too long in the target area, he turned the Group towards the Channel having decided to drop the bombs there.

Meanwhile, the German gun batteries, having determined the range and altitude while the formation hovered over the target, continued to fire with deadly accuracy trying to add to the four ships they had already downed. This time the shells began to burst around his lead ship. Within 30 seconds the aircraft of Lt. Cookus received seven direct hits. Number one and two engines were completely shot out of the left wing, number three had burst into flames; the catwalk and half the bomb bay were blown away; a burst had blown off half the nose turret the bomb bay set afire the right landing gear shot away and the wings and fuselage perforated with flak in hundreds of places. The Command Pilot, Major W.N. Anderson (506th), the Bombardier 1st Lt. W.W. Cole and the top turret gunner S/Sgt. H. Becker were severely wounded by the flying razor-sharp shell fragments. The Radio Operator S/Sgt. R.J. Trechel, was blown completely clear of the ship, but managed to parachute safely to become a POW. The plane trembled and shuddered violently, but somehow held together. Diving the remnants of the B-24 three thousand feet to escape the intense barrage of flak, Lt. Cookus with superb skill, leveled the craft off and headed for England, trailing smoke and flame.

Capt. Robert L. Ager, Group Gunnery officer and 1st Lt. Henry A. Weiser, Group Bombardier bailed out either over the Channel or near it. Both became POWs. Meanwhile, the wounded Bombardier valiantly battled the flaming bomb bay with grim determination, depending upon his hands to release the majority of the bombs from the twisted wreckage. On the flight deck, Major Anderson, flying his 25th and last mission, was given first aid unsuccessfully as he was fatally injured, while in the waist of the ship, three gunners bravely fought the flames which scorched their bodies as they attempted to jettison equipment.

Just as the coast of England loomed into view, the number three engine exploded, but the gallant ship continued on its course with but one engine still remaining on the ship. Fighting magnificently to keep the craft level and just enough flying speed, Lt. Cookus sighted a plowed field just beyond the shore line near Manston. With great skill and a bit of luck, he brought the twisted wreckage in for a belly landing. Plowing through the soft earth, the ill-fated craft skidded to a stop. Lt. Cookus, his co-pilot 1st Lt. H.K. Holladay and the three badly burned gunners battled the flaming wreckage while they extracted the two remaining crew members trapped in the crushed cabin. The casualties were three men POW, three KIA, and five survived to fight again. Lt. Cole, the brave Bombardier, did not survive. For this extraordinary achievement, Lt. Cookus was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. The log shows that S/Sgt. Trechel was MIA at 1400 hours and Lt. Cole KIA at 1600 hours.

T/Sgt. Archie R. Barlow, Engineer on 1st Lt. H.R. Howingtons Q for Queenie (68th) adds his experiences: We had a midmorning call out and briefing instead of the usual pre-dawn awakening. Our target was in the Pas DeCalais area, which was cloud covered when we arrived and we were on our third run, trying to get a good visual drop from about 12,000 feet when we first saw the German fighter formation. They made the first pass from off our right wing, then climbed ahead to make the next from about 11 oclock, high. They must have raked us with several 20 mm hits - one exploding directly on the nose, killing the Bombardier (1st Lt. W.D. Crowl) and Navigator (1st Lt. Richard J. Kasten), and turning their compartment into an instant inferno. We think the Co-pilot (1st Lt. H.M. Curtis) was killed by the same blast. Another round must have gone off either on, or very near the top turret that I was manning, blowing off the Plexiglas dome cover and sending shrapnel into my left chest and arm. I grabbed the seat release cable and dropped to the floor of the flight deck. The right wall above the radio station was on fire and (T/Sgt. Alvin) Rosenblatt, the radio operator was putting on his chute. He yelled that we had other fires in the waist area and had been ordered to bail out by the Pilot (1st Lt. H.R. Howington).

A quick glance forward showed the Pilot fighting the controls and apparently unharmed. I snapped on my chute, opened the door to the nose wheel compartment and dropped down to be hit by heat and flames blowing back from the nose area. (So I backed up) and stepped out on the catwalk, thankfully noting that the bomb bay doors were open and the bombs had been jettisoned, just as Rosenblatt dropped down from the flight deck. I took one final glance into the cockpit to see the Pilot looking back at me and motioning with one hand for us to jump. I actually jumped with the intention of free-falling for 2 or 3 thousand feet before opening my chute - as we had been instructed to do many times while in training. The idea was to get you quickly out of the combat area and lessen chances of being either ran into or machine-gunned by the fighters. But the falling sensation was such a shock to the system that I couldnt have been more than twenty or thirty feet beneath the plane when I changed my mind and gave a hearty yank on the ripcord. I wanted to know - and immediately - whether or not that chute was good! It was, and the heavy jerk of the canopys opening was welcome relief.

I spent a few seconds trying to stop my wild oscillation, then looked off toward the plane. It was by then some distance off and probably at no more than 2,000 feet altitude. As I watched, it went into a steep glide and hit the ground in a fiery explosion. I saw only one chute between myself and the plane and figured that to be Rosenblatts. (Later learned that the pilot bailed out at too low an altitude and was killed). I came down in a plowed field on the edge of a small village, sprained an ankle in landing but otherwise seemingly OK. An elderly lady, once confirming that I was an American, led me into a nearby wooded area where we came upon (S/Sgt) Charles Blakely, one of our waist gunners. Within 15 minutes German troops were searching for us; walked past us but never saw us!

The group was unable to locate the target due to cloud cover and was forced to turn back. On their way home, they were met by intense flak, which heavily damaged one plane, Merle Lee (42-7584), forcing a crash landing in the UK. There were no casualties.

As the ships came back, three of them gave the field a "medium buzz". These ships were being flown by Major Bishop, Lt. Ward and Lt. KoLieutenants. Lieutenants Ward and KoLieutenants, later left Major Bishop to put on the show alone on ship #639 "Careful Virgin". He came so low the first time that the men on the ground thought of falling for cover. Next time, they started for cover, and the third time they fled, supposedly praying as they went. That ship came so low that a man standing up would have fallen flat, either for his own safety or for fright. Photographers were on hand taking pictures of the "buzz job" and afterwards they showed just what a job it was.