Date: 29 May 1944

MISSION #27

BASE: Castelluccio dei Sauri

TARGET: Wiener Neustadt, Austria--Wollersdorf Airdrome, aircraft manufacturing and servicing installations

SHIP: Jesse James …808

ESCORT: Forty-seven P-38’s (82nd and 14th Fighter Groups) up to Zeltweg and Fifty P-51’s (31st Fighter Group) from Zeltweg, over target, and on withdrawal.

BOMBS: 10 x 500 lb. General Purpose from 22,000 feet

ENEMY AIRCRAFT: Ten ME-109’s, twenty FW-190’s, twenty to twenty-five ME-110’s, ten to fifteen ME-210’s & ten to fifteen JU-88’s.

FLAK: Intense Volume, Accurate Aim, Heavy Caliber over a large area at the target (86 guns). Encountered flak over Graz and Zagreb as well.

RESULT: Many hits on hangars. Probably destroyed. Factory installations severely damaged. Marshalling yard hit and both choke points cut. Nine single engine aircraft on ground probably destroyed. Highway cut by two bombs.

SORTIES: 2 Total: 37

MISSION TIME: 6:30 Total: 179:45

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NARRATIVE: Today’s mission was a tough one. The target was Wiener Neustadt--lots of flak. BODACIOIUS CRITTER #2 (42-78157 of the 727th) cracked up on the runway on takeoff. No one was hurt. Over the target the sky was filled with all types of fighters. Saw them firing rockets, etc. P-51’s claimed 56 planes. No enemy fighters came close enough for us to fire at. Enemy aircraft were flying through their own flak. I saw one two-engine fighter go down and explode; two parachutes coming out just before hitting ground. I saw one B-24 explode and one go down over target with five chutes coming out.

Thirteen groups were over the target. Wiener Neustadt really burned. I hope it will be a long time before we have to return to this target. I was scared stiff. I really dislike the flak. JESSE JAMES picked up some mean flak holes. One very near the ball turret.