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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
European Combat Diary By Lt. Col. James F. Grey James F. Grey was a navigator on B-17s during World War II. Between June 22, 1944 and December 28, 1944 he flew 30 missions as part of the 381st Bomb Group. What follows below are extracts from his combat diary. Mission 1: 28 June 1944; plane: Touch the Button Nell II; target: Reims, France (Oil dump and marshalling yards). Very light flak about 10 minutes inside enemy coast, also light flak around Laon, France. One ship feathered #1 and aborted about 5 minutes from enemy coast. Bomb load consisted of two 2,000 lb G.P. bombs. On the return trip we had to land at Ashfield due to weather closed in at our base. When we landed the hydraulic system in left wheel went out and we called our base for a plane to come and pick us up. Yates came and got us in "Stage Door Canteen." Flying time for Mission #1 was 5 hours. June 29: Took off at 0500, couldn’t find our formation. Flew over the Wash at 28,000 for about 3 hours in a mixup of about 800 Forts and Libs. Flying time, 4 hours. Mission 2: 4 July; plane: The Tomahawk Warrior; target: Tours, France (bridge). Took off at 0430 to bomb a bridge at Tours, France. Continent covered by complete overcast. Couldn’t find target so brought back our two 2,000 lb. bombs. On oxygen 6 hours. First mission that our whole crew flew together. Bond and Godfrey sick. One engine almost went out. Bobrof feathered #4 and left formation. Salvoed his bombs. Flying time, 5 hours. Mission 5: 13 July; plane: Hell’s Angel; target: Munich, Germany. Target at Munich, Germany, city rail yards. Heaviest flak I have seen yet. One piece hit our ship in the nose – scattered glass around but didn’t hurt Mac or I. Fighter hit the 24s behind us. We had P-38s and P-47s for escort flying way out. Flying time, 9 hours. Mission 7: 18 July; plane: Hell’s Angel; target: Peenamunda, Germany near Keil (experimentation center). Took off in our own ship (Hell’s Angel) and blew an exhaust stack on takeoff so had to feather #2 and land and take acft #6115. Happened to be the ship we flew over from Mariette. Target was Peenamunda, an experimentation center and hydrogen peroxide factory. Excellent results, smoke from fires up to 15,000 feet. Very intense flak. Bomb load was 38 100 lb incendiaries. Flying time, 8 hours. Mission 13: 4 August; plane: Hells’ Angel; target: Peenamunda Bomb load was five 1,000 lb. bombs. One ship caught fire and went down over the field area just after takeoff. We counted nine chutes and then watched the plan hit and blow up. After landing we found that there had been ten in the ship and tail gunner had gotten killed. Don’t know who it was yet. Pretty disheartening to start a mission with. Flak heavy at target and also Danish coast. Very good bombing due to CAVU (ceiling and visibility unlimited) weather. Flying time, 9 hours. Mission 15: 9 August; plane: In Like Errol; target: Paris, France (fuel dump). Bomb load twenty 250s. Target was a fuel dump 85 miles south of Paris. We got flak holes all over the ship, several in wing and tail. One just missed McLaren and I got one in the nose almost under my table. Worst flak yet; ship is now in repair shop. Good bombing results; fires with smoke up to 15,000 feet. Flying time, 7 hours. Mission 18: 24 August; plane: Hell’s Angel; target: Leipzig (buzz bomb plant). Bomb load five 1,000 lb. bombs. Target, buzz bomb plant south of Leipzig. We led a squadron. High squadron of the high group. The flak over Leipzig is the worst I’ve seen. Weather was good and we got a clear view of Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin, Hanover, Leipzig and Magdeburg. Saw one fighter blow up over Leipzig. Our objective playing around there was to draw out the new German jet propelled fighter. We saw none. But we passed over an airfield from which 20 unidentified fighters took off. They got the wing behind us. One waist gunner wounded by flak. We had no damage. Results – fair overshot. Flying time, 9 hours and 30 minutes. Mission 20: 27 August; plane: Minnie the Mermaid; target: Berlin (airstrip). Bomb load ten 500 lb incendiaries. Target was an airfield six miles south of the center of Berlin. When we got halfway there we got ordered to take a target of opportunity due to weather and so bombed Enden Harbor, Germany. Just as the bomb bays opened the bomb bay motor caught fire and we had quite a time putting it out. Then the VHF radio caught fire and #1 engine started throwing oil. We had to drop out of formation and almost hit the lead ship’s bombs. The worst luck we’ve had so far. A piece of flak came through the nose and made a hole the size of a baseball. Luckily it missed Mac and I. Flying time, 7 hours and 30 minutes. Mission 22: 12 September; plane: Ship 990 PFF (path finder); target: Brux, Czechoslovakia. Wing lead. Our toughest mission to lead so far, also my first encounter with enemy fighters. ME-109s; four of them flew so close that I could see the pilots plainly (a very good looking plane). No chance to shoot. Encountered them 10 miles north of Berlin. Total distance 1,300 miles. Altitude 28,000 feet. Flying time, 9 hours and 30 minutes. Mission 23: 19 September; plane Ship #127; target: Hamm, Germany. Flew Group lead with Demegalaski and Maj. Taylor. Target was Hamm in the Rhur Valley. Bomb load was two 2,000 lb. bombs. Flak very accurate. Our tail gunner got hit in the back but his flak suit stopped it. The piece went through two cans of ammunition before it hit him. Some stuff! Flying time, 7 hours. Mission 30: 28 November; plane: Ship 196 PFF; target: Rhine (bridge). Bomb load, two 2,000 lb bombs; two 1,000 lb bombs; 2 smoke markers. Target was a bridge across the Rhine halfway between Coblenz and Cologne. The mission was almost perfect. My assembly timing was perfect and I’m happy about it. We bombed G.H. due to 10/10 cloud cover (complete overcast). Weather was clear at 22,000 feet. Nice mission to finish up on. No flak, no fighters. Flying time, 6 hours. One combat tour complete – now home for a while.
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