326th Squadron
Daily Operations Journal

July 1944

1 July 1944
seven crews took off for a mission
after a couple of hours flight recalled due to weather

rain kept activities to a minimum for duration of day

2 July 1944
crews flying two high squadrons in high, low groups

Shanks - 697
Hersha - 536
Hendrickson - 227
Brand 121
Roll - 643
Alford - 217

Thomas, a spare, returned

target Blangemon, France
distant flak and now fighter encounters

3, 4, 5 July 1944
nothing to report these three days
adverse weather conditions

6 July 1944
eight crews scheduled, one spare took off for target Couborne, France

crews making this mission:

McCormick - 848
Jones - 614
Gall - 535
Wilson - 121
Hersha - 536
Robertson - 643
Sabin - 697
Reifsteck - 217

Capt. Michelson bombing hit the target with very accurate precision as his bombing is mostly of that fashion.

The general opinion around the office is that he could easily be classed as one of the best in the 8th Air Force.

A word on the Robot Bombs
to this date 2,752 persons have been killed
8,000 injured
London suffering more heavies
2,754 bombs were estimated to have been launched up to this period

first Fort shuttle bombing was completed a couple of days ago
with landings first made in Russia after bombing Germany
then bombing oil refineries in Rumania, landing in Italy
then bombing Germany again with landings at their home base
with Mustangs escorting all the way

on first leg of this trip about 50 Forts lost when Jerry followed through with strafing at Russian bases
First Division did not participate

42-31536 "Jean B" completed her fiftieth mission without a turn back

crews making this mission

McCormick - 848
Jones - 614
Gall - 535
Wilson - 121
Hersha - 536
Robertson - 643
Sabin - 697
Reifsteck - 217

8 July 1944
flying two high squadrons of A and B 92nd Groups
Jones, Johnson and Reifsteck hitting Boix Airfield, France
Sabin, Hendrickson, Henry hitting the robot sites at Pas de Calais

Lt. Sabins' ship, 42-102643, was hit by a direct flak burst
reports that chutes were seen

full crew was
Lt. Sabin - P
Lt. Markello - CP
Lt. Dooner - N
Lt. Johnson - B
Sgt. Moyer - R
Sgt. Nelson - E
Sgt. Ruckreigle - B
T Sgt. Darden - TG
Sgt. Cooksey - WG

9 July 1944
assistant ops officer was promoted to captain

flying lead squadron of high group
hitting target at Chalonnes/Sur Loire, France
pictures brought back show that the bridge was hit
Michelson bombing

crews going in ships were

McCormick-Stroud - 848
Brand - 156
Utt - 614
Wilson - 536
Johnson - 535
Reifsteck - 217
Gall - 697
Hendrickson - 293
Henry - 227

10 July 1944
with a stand down today, raining this Sunday morning

Maj. Word is flown to Edinburgh, Scotland, for an 8 day leave
Col. Brousseau was piloting.
I went along as passenger to meet some old friends met on a furlough last November.
a lovely trip, landing at an air base, Turnhouse
a twenty minute ride from center of city

Capt. Jackson, the Sq. bombardier, has returned from his Zone of Interior rest to start another operational tour

11 July 1944
Monday morning, ten crews took off early for target, Munich, Germany
flying low and high squadrons in low group

moderate, accurate flak
no enemy fighter contacts
all ships returned with but minor damage

Lt. Stroud makes captain
coming to him very unexpectedly
but deserving of the promotion

crews to make the hop today were

Duhamel - 156
Wilson - 536
Utt - 614
Sargeant - 227
Henry - 697
Thomas - 121
Gall - 958
Johnson - 535
Reifsteck - 217
Hendrickson - 299

12 July 1944
seven crews out again for the same target, Munich

Thomas - 293
Brechbill - 697
Maltby - 227
Henry - 121
Reifsteck - 217
Shanks - 299
Robertson - 535
Brand - 614

McCormick flying in lead 40th B Group

bad weather here on return for landing
three ships landed away from base
one ships staying overnight at Oakington with an engine out

flak heavy, accurate

two men injured by flak, Sgts. Nagel and Edwards

one ship crash landed from another squadron

121 parked in at 327th dispersal site
another ship taxiing by rammed a wing into it
putting it out of commission for a couple of weeks

14 July 1944
no mission this date
war on all fronts looks very promising for a quicker end than expected

heavy weather today

15 July 1944
Saturday a practice mission of six crew and a couple of cross country flights

735, a war weary ship, flown to Dudbury

an accident occurred on return of practice mission
Lt. Alford in 898 came in for a landing, but went around again for another try
suddenly his number four engine caught on fire
as explained by Lt. Alford, the tank must have sprung a leak
ship spun in about six miles south of the field
going down in flames
taking with her the navigator, two gunners
Sgt. Horton, radio operator
Sgt. Baker

Lt. Alford - pilot
Lt. Williams - co-pilot
Sgt. Madden, aerial engineer
bailed out at about a thousand feet

16 July 1944
9 crews to Munich, Germany, for the fourth straight raid

crews going
Sargeant - 156
Duhamel - 293
Glasco - 535
Hersha - 697
Johnson - 907
Reifsteck - 217
Utt - 156
Brechbill - 141
Lt. Hendrickson - 227 - aborted

weather bad at target
most of way in, out
making a good formation impossible

fighter attacks hit 907 in tail with 20 mm shells, wounding tail gunner
vertical stabilizer shot up
Lt. Johnson landed ship with a flat tire, doing a very good job

Me 109s were flying under the contrails
then would roll up, make passes

flak intense, accurate

536 landed away from base
Lt. Crosby had his eye injured, but is o.k.

Sgt. Goldstein suffered anoxia from a faulty oxygen mask

weather at base beautiful

848 flown by Capt. Hardin to Edinburgh
picking up Maj. Word coming back from leave

Capt. Kincheloe's friend flying a Mosquito gave a good buzz job over the office

two newly assigned ships today
43-37847
42-98005

17 July 1944
short mission into France today
Ainzy

eight crews lead, low squadrons of high group

Capt. Kincheloe and Lts. Jones, Robertson, Markham, Horn complete tour, and Sgts. Miller, Dubock, Gerry

very warm day

railroad bridge hit with very good results

enemy opposition nil

crews going

McCormick - 614
Brand - 848
Robertson - 713
Jones - 156
Reifsteck - 217
Henry - 958
Hersha - 293
Thomas - 227

18 July 1944
seven crews

Glasco - 614
Sargeant - 227
Thomas - 828
Hendrickson - 958
Reifsteck - 217
Hersha - 293
Brechbill - 156

Maj. Word, Lt. Karyonen in Combat Wing "A"

all ships returned from a nine-hour flight
no encounters today

flak intense over Danish coast on return

Sgt. Brady, nose gunner for Lt. Hersha, wounded by flak
putting him out of status for quite a few weeks

848-S was a newly assigned ship to squadron

19 July 1944
group sends out 12 aircraft to bomb near Paris
this squadron did not fly

five new crews that came in three days ago are going thru a six day period of training
not having gone thru any training at Bovingdon #1 CCRC

20 July 1944
Thursday's target, Kothen, Germany
participated in by nine crews
lead, low squadrons

McCormick-Stroud - 848 M
Utt - 614
Duhamel - 293
Gall - 847
Henry - 326
Hendrickson - 227
Hersha - 005
Johnson - 535
Reifsteck - 217

bombing on PFF

no casualties

light flak
no enemy fighter encounters

one new crew assignment

21 July 1944
Friday, flying three high squadrons in each group
squadron is being built up to a 24 crew strength
has been very near there for the past couple of weeks

Gall - 614
Duhamel - 293
Johnson - 535
Hersha - 005
Thomas - 848
Brechbill - 536
Sargeant - 101
Bone - 847
Reifsteck - 217

Capt. Harding, Lt. Gisriel flew in PFF to Ebelsbach, Germany

light flak
no enemy fighters
for the past several weeks the Luftwaffe have been absent except for a few lone fighters

another new crew in today

22 July 1944
seventh new crew in today

stand down all day
weather very heavy

23 July 1944
stand down
weather still very bad, but clears up for a practice mission of six ships this afternoon

Lt. Gisriel, Sgt. Tracy replace Lt. Wiley, Sgt. Hirsch on PFF crew at Chelveston

24 July 1944
with the war on the ground being slowed down, 13 crews go out today
flying lead squadron of the 40th "A" Wing
several flying in 40th "C" composite

Utt-Mahone - 848
848 has been our best lead ship to date with a beautiful AFCE set

Shanks - 614
Brand - 005
Hersha - 848-S
Thompson - 582
Bone - 121
Gall - 535
Duhamel - 293
Hendrickson - 958
Sargeant - 227
Johnson - 847
Henry - 536
Thomas - 217

target was just ahead of the American lines
some bombs were dropped short on our own troops
extent of damage not known, but it was very demoralizing for a short time

bombs dropped in a spread formation with lead ship dropping a colored smoke bomb
other ships dropping on it
however, with the few bombs that did drop short and those that did not, as written up by Correspondent Ernie Pyle, the German Troops were beyond all help
with bombing from air, pounding from ground troops

The battle for the liberation of France starts a phase which we will see later has started here at the lines of St. Lo.

25 July 1944
twelve crews out again today to the St. Lo area bombing the Hun's lines

flying 40th "A" Group lead was Utt (848-H) with
Shanks - 614-H
Duhamel - 293-B
Sargeant - 227- P
Thomas - 582-D
Reifsteck - 217-L
Hersha - 848-S
Thompson - 121-G
Brechbill - 958-K
Gall - 536-O
Glasco - 005-A
Bone - 847-C

on this raid the Jerry put up light flak
but no fighters

26 July 1944
weather restricts flying to local activities
some practice bombing

27 July 1944
mission scrubbed early this morning
weather heavy with rain--
a stand down for the rest of the day

a Black Widow fighter landed at the base this evening with Lt. Michelson popping out of it
he came back after navigating a ship to another base to pick up equipment from one ship that landed away after a mission

28 July 1944
nine crews leading high group
and one spare came back early

Capt. Stroud, flying as AC with Wilson - 848-M
Shanks - 005-A
Bone - 847-C
Maltby - 582-D
R. Smith - 227-P
Cooke - 535-F
Glasco - 614-H
Gravelle - 217-L
Johnson - 697-N
Lindstrom - 848-S

Major Word flew in the 40th "C" leading the wing

Capt. Michelson made it today from 1st Lt.

moderate flak
with wing ahead catching all the fighters

29 July 1944
They just won't let them rest.

a heavy rain to open the day
then in afternoon 8 ships out on a practice mission
and to the range for bombing practice

Capt. W. P. Kincheloe, our asst. ops. officer, on his way home thru #12 Replacement Center

30 July 1944
bad weather today and no flying

31 July 1944
Major Word, Lt. Rafferty flying in PFF ship with group
squadron is not flying

target was Munich
no losses

Last updated 9-27-02 2104 est (0104 z)