8th Air Force 951
15 April 1945
NARA Ref No. - 342-FH-3A19153-75228AC.
Centre of picture is B-24 41-29340 'Yankee Buzz Bomb' 458th BG.
Harry A. Berger logbook
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.
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.
Connections
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People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-835242
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 571st Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-2059599
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33653313
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
- Role/Job: Togglier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-785510
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Bombardier
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Flak Evader
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Heavy Date
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Miss Hell
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 412th 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'.