Date: 13 june 1944

MISSION #32

BASE: Castelluccio dei Sauri

TARGET: Munich, Germany--Neuaubing Aerodrome

(Bombed Oberpfaffenhofen Airdrome as secondary target just southwest of Munich)

SHIP: Jesse James …808

ESCORT: P-38’s and P-51’s (31st & 325th Fighter Groups) and P-47’s (332nd Fighter Group--Red Tails)

BOMBS: 40 x 100 lb. Incendiaries from 23,400 feet

ENEMY AIRCRAFT: 10 ME-109's, 5 ME-210's, 3 ME-410's, 2 FW-109's encountered. Came in high from 12 o’clock, dove under formation, split into three’s and then attacked from 3 and 9 o’clock level.

FLAK: Very Intense Volume, Accurate Aim, Heavy Caliber beginning at about Hallbergmoos and to the target and within a 15 mile radius of Munich (286 guns). Flak guns were mounted on railroad cars at strategic locations. Flak bursts were black.

RESULT: Smoke and cloud completely obscured target so we bombed another airdrome farther southwest of Munich—Oberpfaffenhofen. Impossible to assess damage due to smoke. A few direct hits on aircraft parked on field.

SORTIES: 2 Total: 45

MISSION TIME: 8:00 Total: 213:45

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NARRATIVE: There was the surge of panic at the intercom call “Fighters, 10 o’clock low.” We were attacked by fighters while on the bomb run. I let go a few bursts at them but they didn’t come in close. There were several other 15th AAF groups over Munich. A ship in a group ahead of us was hit by fighters, exploding its incendiary bombs and sending it down in a mass of flames with parts scattered all over the sky. Area was full of enemy fighters. We were in flak area for the longest time to date. Flak was bursting from 15,000 to 30,000 feet. Flak was terrible. The good Lord was with us again. We got a big flak hole in the plane. It tore through the hydraulic system of my ball turret and soaked me with hydraulic fluid. The waist gunners had to manually crank up my turret and get me out. I will never forget the acrid smells of cordite, 100-octane gasoline and hydraulic fluid. I’ve never been so cold--44 degrees below zero and wet. Surely didn’t want to go today. Just so we got home. On our way back some guns from shore took shots at us. Made it back okay.