Date: 11 mar 1944

MISSION #7

BASE: San Pancrazio

TARGET: Toulon, France--Submarine Repair Facilities

SHIP: Sakinshack …256

ESCORT: 10 P-38s from the 14th Fighter Group

BOMBS: 8 x 500 lb. from 21,000 feet

ENEMY AIRCRAFT: ME-109’s and FW-190’s

FLAK: Moderate Volume, Accurate Aim, Heavy Caliber

RESULTS: Considerable damage to target--mostly on harbor installations, dry docks and ships in docks. U-410 and U-380 confirmed sunk.

SORTIES: 1 Total: 9

MISSION TIME: 7:20 Total: 44:05

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NARRATIVE: We’re operating from our new base at San Pancrazio. Since I had no early mission chores, I sat on an ammunition box at the left waist gun window, idly watching the formation shuffle around while we passed over Corsica. The formation moved closer together and I got down into my turret as we neared enemy territory. Soon the casual chatter on the intercom tapered off as the crew prepared for the ordeal ahead. The target was partially obscured by smoke pots. Enemy aircraft did not attack until the end of the bomb run. The spurts of yellow flame winking on the leading edges of their wings looked so innocent. But the white streaks from their tracer bullets streaming toward us scared me. SAKINSHACK shuddered from the concentrated recoil of all 10 of our machine guns being fired at the same time. Our formation leader (PIECEMAKER 42-07725) staggered under the impact of a direct hit in its bomb bay (after releasing the bombs) and was seen to hit the water. No parachutes opened. It’s frightening looking down from the ball turret position. I could see the flak all around me. I could see the parachutes and damaged planes that had been hit and were out of control, some going down and in flames, some with parachutes flitting out, one by one; some with no chutes appearing. I saw dogfights between P-38’s and FW-190’s.