401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 203, 3 Feb 1945, Berlin, Germany. Briefing took place at 0300 hours. Aircraft loading was ten 500 pound GP's and 2,780 gallons of gasoline. All aircraft were airborne by 0819; two aircraft were forced to abort, and one spare also returned early. By 1541 hours all but two aircraft had landed. The ship piloted by Lt. C. P. Djernes landed at Woodbridge with low fuel, brakes out and two wounded aircrew; the other ship, piloted by Lt. Myron L. King, was reported that have headed for Russian controlled territory after losing an engine over the target. The 401st put up three squadrons, making up the 94th Combat Wing "B" Group on this mission. As the weather was clear, the target was bombed visually. While the target was obscured by the smoke and fire caused by bombs dropped by the preceding eight Groups, the 401st lead bombardiers used the RAF grid with outlying checkpoints to verify aiming points. The Lead and Low Squadrons were right on target and, while the High Squadron's bombs dropped short, they were still in the immediate area of the MPI. While no German fighters were encountered, the flak was heavy and accurate. Four aircraft received major battle damage and seventeen others suffered minor damage. Lt. Myron L. King, whose B-17 had lost an engine over the target, decided to fly eastward and landed successfully in Russian controlled territory. Only after weeks of inhospitable treatment by our Russian "allies", graphically described in the book, "Portrait of a Flying Lady" by George Menzel, was the crew able to return to Deenthorpe.