401st Bomb Group, Mission No.22, 6 Feb 1944, Caen. Colonel Bowman led the Group on a mission originally scheduled to attack a target at Dijon, France. However, because of bad weather the Group hit Caen airfield, a target of opportunity. Following the mission Colonel Bowman was instructed by headquarters to avoid the Caen area--obviously because it was to be a focal point of the D-Day landing four months later. All aircraft had landed from operational mission by 1603 hours.