 “This mission was known as ‘Pandemonium over Pilsen’, or ‘the big mix-up’. This was the final mission of the 8th Air Force, which took place on April 25, 1945. Our target was the Scoda Works armament plant at Pilsen, Czechoslovakia. We were to only bomb the target visually, however, clouds drifted over the target, so we had to go around. We had to keep circling, there was a lot of confusion, plus, we were getting peppered by flak. Our number 3 engine was hit; it started to smoke, so we feathered it. We went around a couple of times, but we were not able to keep up with the formation. We were finally able to drop our bombs on the target, and our navigator plotted a direct course back to base. We headed towards home alone, but soon eight P-51 Mustangs pulled up alongside us and escorted us back to England. While they were escorting us, some of them would drop down to strafe a target, then would come back up and continue to escort us. Somehow, we arrived back at base ahead of the group, even with only three engines. We took a direct route while the group must have made a wide turn off the target before heading back.”
Outhouse Mouse
“We were the final crew to fly ‘Outhouse Mouse’. We flew it longer than any other crew, and we flew it to the end of the war. It was an unusual occurrence to have ‘Outhouse Mouse’, with 139 missions, and ‘Nine-O-Nine’, with 140 missions, parked next to each other at Bassingbourn. Both of them set records. The ground crews for both those planes must have been excellent mechanics to keep those two planes flying. On one mission, we returned in ‘Outhouse Mouse’ with 53 holes in the plane. Some of our missions were real milk runs, while on others, the Germans would lay the flak right in your lap.” |
“My first mission was on February 14, 1945, to Dresden, Germany. We didn’t make it as we lost the number one engine, but we did make it into Germany. We aborted near Munster, salvoed our bombs, and returned through the Ruhr. We caught five flak bursts in the right wing. What an experience for my first mission. We got knocked out of formation by another squadron trying to get out of the way of the flak. We still got credit for the mission as we dropped our bombs on the marshaling yards. I can remember seeing the Luftwaffe fighters coming up to attack us, and watching the fighter escort go after them. This was a controversial mission to Dresden due to the firestorms caused by bombing the city.”