326th Squadron
Daily Operations Journal

February 1944

1 February 1944
the first day of this short month
ten crews scheduled
weather office guessed the mission would be scrubbed
they were right

*****

2 February 1944
this day found the weather somewhat better for local flying
one flight to Wharton UK, taking Lt. O'Connell to 12th Replacement center.
He completed his tour of missions.

*****

3 February 1944
ten crews started on this mission, #49
following crews were scheduled as follows:

Lt. Wild - 799 - aborted
Lt. Lansing - 532
Lt. Wenger - 975
Lt. Koss - 455
Lt. Jessen - 770
Lt. Nashold - 513
Lt. McMurry [sic] - 536
Lt. Larrivee - 958
Lt. Burnett - H
Lt. Smith - 489

take-off at 0800 for Wilhelmshaven, Germany
bombing was into center of city on a PFF siting

seven hours average time of flight
bombs dropped, 108 500-lb. GPs
altitude of 28,500 feet at 1117 hours

flak moderate and inaccurate

five enemy fighters seen
one Me 109 made single pass without damage to the Forts

no losses and no claims submitted

bombing results unobserved

*****

4 February 1944
nine crews took off today at 0815 hours
two early returns
Lt. Smith - 489
Lt. Larrivee - 799

B-17 #423 was used by the 407th and was MIA
[2 Lt. Lawrence H. Cook, pilot]

crews completing this trip were
Lt. Saunders - 532
Lt. Jessen - 851
Lt. Wenger - 958
Lt. Lansing - 536
Lt. Koss - 455
Lt. Burnet [sic] - 513

city center was aiming point
Frankfurt, Germany, was the PFF target

squadron flew with two groups on this raid
average time of mission was seven and one-half hours

altitude at 26,000 feet

84 500-lb. bombs dropped at 1142 and 1153 hours

no enemy fighters seen

flak very heavy and very accurate

no claims or losses made

figures announced by 8th Air Force
21 bombers and one fighter lost

ten enemy fighters destroyed

*****

5 February 1944
six crews going out today to Chateaudon, France
Germany airfield is target

crews and planes as follows:
Lt. Shevchik - 536
Lt. Jessen - 770
Lt. Wenger - 958
Lt. Smith - 362
Lt. Larrivee - 799
Lt. Koss - 984

weather at target clear
bombing results as seen were hits on a hangar and some strewn around the flight area

altitude for drops was 16,000 feet
load let go was 72 500-lb. GP bombs in train release at 1154

no fighters seen

Our lads had excellent fighter escort

flak moderate and inaccurate

squad. claimed no losses on either side

*****

6 February 1944
crews are going out as regular as clock work these days

today's target for today [sic] is Nancy/Essay, France
airfield used by the Jerries
bombing held for a while due to cloud cover over target area

crews this mission were as follows:
Lt. Smith - 362
Lt. Larrivee - 799
Lt. Clayton - 513
Lt. Lansing - 536
Lt. Nashold - 770
Lt. Koss - 984
Lt. Wenger - 958

six-hour flight
about ten fighters seen, but they made no attacks on our bombers

flak moderate and inaccurate

ending this week the 326th has flown over 100 combat hours

*****

7 February 1944
cloudy weather both here at Podington and in target area
that is a break for our weary ground crews, tired aircraft and wholly bushed out air crews
that was four consecutive days of large launches on our part
What a job.

*****

8 February 1944
target for today Frankfurt, Germany
a city that was heavy into chemical production of many kinds

following crews participated:
Lt. Shevchick [sic] - 984
Lt. Clayton - 513
Lt. McMurray - 387
Lt. Jessen - 770
Lt. Nashold - 958
Lt. Smith - 362

Lt. Shevchik - P
Lt. Thorsen - CP
Lt. Williams - N
Lt. Periolat - B
S/Sgt. Sidders - R
S/Sgt. Stump - E
Sgt. Van Selus - BT
Sgt. Higgins - TG
Sgt. Wall - WG
S/Sgt. Scanlon - WG

Sgt. Scanlon had 37 night missions with the RAF
this raid would be his 16th with the 8th AF

Lt. McMurray - P
Lt. Fitzgerald - CP
Lt. Hoffman - N
Lt. Scheiman - B
S/Sgt. Barnett - R
S/Sgt. Buckner - E
Sgt. Merritt - BT
Sgt. Knight - TG
Sgt. Herbert - WG
Sgt. Warner - WG

these crews were MIA

Lt. Shevchik was leading the high squadron after the lead and deputy lead ships aborted the mission
this scattered the group
evidently, the others did not respond to the word to tie onto Lt. Shevchik
in fact, Lt. Shevchick [sic] did not know that they were supposed to form up on him
His ship (Lt. Shevchick [sic]) was hit in the nose at the critical point and then went down

Lt. McMurray also hit, but went into the clouds under control

Frankfurt was proving to be a terror

no bombs were dropped as there was a complete cloud cover over the chemical city
this was a five-hour mission flying at 25,000 feet

flak moderate and accurate

over 30 fighters encountered
both single- and twin-engine types

two of our ships were missing
that's 20 men absent, gone and no immediate word

What a job this is turning out to be.

*****

9, 10 February 1944
I must have been on pass this day. I cannot read the writing on that scratch pad, and I'm not too sure of what day it was, or is.

eight crews briefed for a mission
scrubbed after take-off had been accomplished

nothing much for Thursday
only thing going on was ground school and air crews were cleaning all their guns

*****

11 February 1944
crews making today's mission:
Lt. Saunders - 536
Lt. Koss - 455
Lt. Wild - 958
Lt. Larrivee - 362
Lt. Clayton - 489

Lt. Lewis and Lt. Upson flying with the PFF ship, crew

326th was leading the wing today

target for today supposed to be back to Frankfurt
when PFF ship went out of commission target of opportunity, Ludwigshaven, hit

with overcast sky no bombing results seen

seven hours, 45 minutes used in this raid
altitude 25,000 feet

flak moderate, accurate
15 fighters observed and also a new wrinkle for the Germans, air to air bombing
bombers were being bombed!

one man slightly wounded
no claims and no losses

*****

12-19 February 1944
squadron meeting held at S-2 on security, military courtesy and proper manner of wearing the uniform

weather seems to be much colder than last year

four alerts scrubbed by you know what, weather

Lt. Grumbles returned to pay the boys a visit at the Ops office
he was also sweating out his return trip to the states
having gone down 31 December, it took the Lt. a little over a month to return
he, crew crash-landed near Bordeaux
all came out o.k. and went in their own separate directions
all evadee personnel were automatically returned to the states (Mostly all, that is)

Lt Clough reported as a P/W through a letter from his home

snowed on the 18th and 19th

new ship assigned
tail number 42-31888

ten crews scheduled with four abortions
two of these receiving credit for going in so far, having been attacked by the Germans

these ten crews took off at 0850 hours

on the roster were
Lt. Wild - 362
Lt. Makowski - 352
(the two abortions and early returns but receiving credit were
Lt. Rose - 958
Lt. Clayton - 975[)]

others making the trip
Lt. Koss - 455
Lt. Wenger - 914
Lt. Smith - 489
Lt. Jessen - 770
Lt. Nashold - 623
Lt. Burnett - 180

one crew listed as missing in action:
Lt. Jessen - P
Lt. Alexander - CP
Lt. Austin - N
Lt. Argenbright - B
Sgt. Bingham - R
Sgt. Bell - E
Sgt. Arrouquier - BT
S/Sgt. Brownlee - TG
Sgt. Pietruszewski - WG
Sgt. Conrad - W/G

according to interrogation reports five chutes seen

flying for 8 ½ hours at 19,000 feet
dropped 48 500-lb. GP bombs at 1348 hours

degree of success as observed very good

fighters encountered of the single and twin engined types, Me 109s, Me 410s, Me 110s, JU 88s

gunners made no claims of downings
flak moderate to inaccurate

one ship carried nickels

8th AF: 22 heavy bombers, four fighters
enemy losses guessed at 65 fighters

Last updated 8-4-01 1442 edt (1842 z)

*****

20 February 1944
new ship assigned: 42-31907, "Homesick Angel II"

another ship used on night hops also was assigned: 42-37753, "Mortimer"
this was a depot rebuilt

*****

21 February 1944
three crews flying "fill in" today and two crews flying the Air-Sea rescue search

Lt. Wenger - 958
Lt. Lansing - 536
Lt. Larrivee - 455

to Hopsten, Germany
a seven-hour flight at 19,000 feet
dropping 36 500-lb. G/P

35 enemy fighters seen
moderate to accurate flak was dispensed to our planes
one enemy fighter destroyed

This journal is just going along as a lot of cold facts. There are to be no color stories or connected stories, just the plain facts. I must get on the ball.

another new-old ship assigned today
this one also was used on night hops
it was named "LaPaloma"
tail number 42-37735

*****

22 February 1944
taking off at 0805, these crews made a trip to Aalborg, Denmark, in a light snow flurry:

Lt. Saunders - 536
Lt. Lansing - 532
Lt. Larrivee - 455
Lt. Wild - 362
Lt. Smith - 489
Lt. Clayton - 914
Lt. Rose - 958
Lt. Nashold - 888
Lt. Smith - 489 - aborted

squadron is leading the wing today
success was nil
three runs over the target were required and it still was not hit
this was a more or less diversionary mission
inasmuch as the large bomber force went deep into Germany to bomb aircraft factories

an Me 109 made one beautiful pass through the formation
no damage inflicted on either side
flak meager
entire flight lasted for over eight and one-half hours

*****

23, 24 February 1944
23rd was a quiet day

on the 24th eight crews took off around 0845
flying low squadron, low group was [sic]:

Lt. Lansing - 532
Lt. Larrivee - 907 - aborted
Lt.. Burnett - 888
Lt. Smith - 958
Lt. Clayton - 180 (407th ship)
Lt. Nashold - 362
Lt. Koss - 455

following crew was MIA:
Lt. Clayton - P
Lt. Cavender - CP
Lt. Galbraith - N
Lt. Alexander - B
Sgt. Rahn - R
M/Sgt. Grant - E
Sgt. McDade - BT
Sgt. Zahaba - TG
S/Sgt. Lilly - W/G
Sgt. Smith W/G

this was the third raid on Schweinfurt, Germany
machine shops were again the target
mission flown at 21,000 feet
it was a seven hour and thirty minute trip

70 fighters encountered in a running fight
both going into and out of the target area
enemy ships were both MEs and FWs
five claimed as destroyed, one a probable
flak very heavy, accurate
10,000 rounds of 50-caliber ammo dispensed by the gunners on a long and intense gun battle

one ship carried nickels

success on the target very good

*****

25 February 1944
target for today: Augsburg, Germany
formation was a twin group with the 303rd Bomb Group from Molesworth
targets were Stuttgart and Augsburg
92nd hit the latter target

crews, aircraft making the trip were
Lt. Lansing - 532
Lt. Makowski - 362
Lt. Burnett - 513
Lt. Smith - 958
Lt. Nashold - 623
Lt. Koss - 455
Lt. Larrivee - 907 - aborted

Lt. Nashold - P
Lt. Liles - CP
Lt. Fahlstrom - N
Lt. Butler - B
S/Sgt. Shuff - R
S/Sgt. Richardson - E
Sgt. Keller - BT
Pvt. Rodman - TG
Sgt. Zeman - WG
Sgt. Conners - WG

reported missing in action
reports said there were a number of chutes near their falling plane

assembly plant, airfield hit

weather good

nine-hour flight at maximum altitude 23,000 feet

bombs dropped were 252 65-lb. incendiaries at 1354 hours

60 single-engine fighters encountered
no claims made

flake moderate to accurate

one ship lost due to the enemy fighter action (Lt. Nashold)

results as observed were very good
many fires billowing smoke as the B-17s left the target area

*****

26 February 1944
today a rest period for the boys

last Saturday Lt. Wall's crew was assigned and now another new crew, Lt. Murdock's crew

*****

27 February 1944
today was very quiet except for one ship that was shooting landings

*****

28 February 1944
seven crews were flying today to the Pas de Calais in France

Lt. Wenger - 975
Lt. Makowski - 888
Lt. Upson - 014
Lt. Koss - 362
Lt. Rose - 532
Lt. Saunders - 536
Lt. Larrivee - 638

ground installations hit at 15:37 from an altitude of 14,000 feet
84 500-lb. GP bombs dropped
degree of success unknown due to cloud cover

flak light, inaccurate, but four or five ships damaged

F/O Eaton completed his tour today

radio reports indicated that 223 bombers, 39 long-range fighters lost by Allies
enemy losses, 743 fighters

bombing this month was directed against the Luftwaffe organization
did more damage to these facilities than at any other previous period
all targets at the end of the month were aimed at this result

seven crews briefed for a mission on the 29th, but it was scrubbed even though the weather here was good weather no doubt bad over there

Last updated 12-28-01 1244 est (1744 z)