8th Air Force 951
15 April 1945
Object Number - UPL 19186 - Consolidated B-24 Liberators drop their bombs on enemy installations at Royan, France. 15 April 1945. NARA Ref No. - 342-FH-3A19153-75228AC....
Mission Details
BORDEAUX/ROYAN
Description: FLAK BATTERIES
Notes: 9 strong points are attacked
GUNZBURG and ULM
Description: ESCORT MISSION
Notes: 107 of 108 8th AF P-51s escort Ninth AF B-26s on raids on marshalling yards
ROYAN
Description: FLAK BATTERIES
Notes: 1,348 unescorted bombers are despatched to attack strong points on the French Atlantic coast. This raid and the one immediately below make the sole instances of the employment of napalm bombs by the 8th AF against German ground installations. The results are negligible and HQ recommends discontinuance of the use of napalm against such targets. 4 strong points are targeted on this raid.
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
ROYAN
Description: FLAK BATTERIES
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: The mission was very similar – continental assembly, fly over Paris etc. The I.P. was directly east of the target, however. Our target this time was a road junction about 8 miles from the town of Royan. We were carrying these new, fandangled, gasoline incendiaries. One of them was leaking before we took off and there were gas fumes all over the ship. The skipper asked everyone not to smoke. As we approached our target we could see white smoke drifting over the front. We flew right over Point Grave on the south side of the mouth of Gironde & I noticed that it has been thoroughly bombed. On the second run there was smoke all over the place since about 8 squadrons had dropped their eggs. We dropped ours anyway & miss our target by a hell of a ways. I can't see the object of dropping fire bombs on a road junction anyway.
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 452nd Bomb Group 728th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: waist gunner, toggelier, B-17
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: AF 34 725 400
- Highest Rank: Chief Master Sergeant
- Role/Job: Toglier in WWII; Aircraft Maintenance until 1967 retirement
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot, Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-2057209
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Flight Officer
- Role/Job: Navigator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Diana Queen Of The Chase
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Lucky Lady aka Screaming Eagle
- Unit: 351st Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: D-Day Dottie
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Betty J.
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The Shape
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Virginia Wise, eldest daughter of Lester Allen Wise, who flew as pilot on this mission with Jack Q. Means as co-pilot.
Information from original, hand-written combat logs of Maj. I.J. Barrios dated Feb-Apr 1945.
Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'.
