Mission#52 December 5, 1943 – Target: Paris

Date: Dec 5, 43

Dispatched: 50 Aborts: 4 Mission: Target support to 80 B-17’s (1st Div)  Field Order: 196

Time Up/Down: 10:17 hrs 13:01 hrs Leader: Major Bailey Target: Paris

Claims Air: 00-00-00 Claims Ground: 00-00-00 Lost/Damaged: 00-00

Group made landfall at Cap Griz Nez at 26,000ft at 11:01 hrs directly behind the 56th Group. Saw four boxes of bombers (20 each box) in Channel to the right. R/V made at 11:28 hrs proceeding on course with bombers above solid overcast until 12:00 hrs when 352nd and 356th Groups came in. Out enemy coast at Cayeux at 12:09 hrs, 28,000ft. No stragglers seen. Able to contact Kenton 2-2. No bombing seen. No e/a seen. On course from what is believed to be vicinity of Bellville to target, one S/E A/C was seen going down in flames. Unable to read controller after mid Channel. Buzz saw whine interfered with transmission throughout mission. Lt. Thistlethwaite and Capt. Rose HQ participated.

350th: Capt Pidduck. T/U 10:17 hrs. T/D 12:55 hrs. Total flight time 2:38 hrs. Squadron entered enemy coast on course at 27,000ft at 11:10 hrs. Proceeded on course to Port St Maxence where R/V was made about 10 mins later at 28,000ft. Followed course to Meaux Villenay where rear box swept west over Paris. Lead box south west over city. Squadron followed rear box over Paris. Both sections of bombers rejoined at Rambouillet, where we left the bombers. Followed course out east of Cayeux. Left turn out of Straits of Dover and then dive north to base. No e/a. No bombers in trouble. Very light flak out over Cayeux inaccurate. Weather over Channel in and out clear. Continent – solid overcast over target. Contrails from 27,000ft Horizontal visibility good, vertical poor. R/T fighter to fighter poor, steady hum and whine, reception rather weak.

Capt	Stanley R.	Pidduck	(Sqdn Ldr)
Capt	John B.	Rose
1st Lt	William J.	Price
2nd Lt	Carl W.	Mueller
Capt	Wilford F.	Hurst	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	William F.	Tanner
1st Lt	Robert N.	Ireland
2nd Lt	Chauncey	Rowan
Capt	Dewey E.	Newhart	(Flt Ldr)
1st Lt	John	Zolner
1st Lt	Wayne K.	Blickenstaff
1st Lt	Tom	Lorance
1st Lt	Roland N.	McKean
2nd Lt	Richard A.	Stearns

351st: Capt Lefebre. T/U 10:10 hrs. T/D 12:55 hrs. Total flight time 2:45 hrs. Squadron took off at Metfield, made landfall at Sangatte at 11:07 hrs, altitude 27,500ft. Proceeded on course to Abbeville where Group leader made an orbit previous to making R/V. Squadron instead of making orbit swung off course to the right and then back into position. R/V was made slightly behind schedule at 11:30 hrs and altitude at the time being 33,000ft. A P-51 group was seen heading north over Amiens after R/V. Squadron took up position as top cover, escorting the bombers to 352nd and 356th R/V. Left bombers at 12:00 hrs, leaving coast at Berck at 12:13 hrs at 27,000ft. No E/A seen at any time. After leaving target area, bombers were seen flying in 4 distinct boxes. No stragglers were seen. R/T remained the same as on previous mission.

Capt	Frederick H.	Lefebre	(Sqdn Ldr)
2nd Lt	Don M.	Hurlburt
1st Lt	Gordon B.	Compton
2nd Lt	William T.	Thistlethwaite
Major	Shannon	Christian*
Capt	Jack R.	Walsh
1st Lt	George N.	Ahles
2nd Lt	Hassell D.	Stump
1st Lt	Vernon A.	Leatherman
2nd Lt	Frank J.	Mincik
1st Lt	William J.	Maguire
1st Lt	Francis N.	King
1st Lt	Frank N.	Emory
2nd Lt	Francis L.	Edwards
2nd Lt	George F.	Perpente
F/O	Cletus	Peterson

*Returned to Squadron from Wing HQ for mission

352nd: Major Bailey. T/U 10:16 hrs. T/D 12:47 hrs. Total flight time 2:31 hrs. Squadron took off as the lead squadron in the Group with Major Bailey as group leader. Squadron crossed the continental coast at 26,000 ft over cape Gris Nez, 3 minutes later than schedule. Proceeded on course to Grandvillers making a sweep to the left in order to R/V with the bombers in the correct place at the correct time. Made left hand turn to Port St Maxe, made right turn and proceeded to Belleville. On the course from Belleville to target, one single engine A/C was seen going down in flames. Made right turn at Breligny and one A/C believed to be an Me109 was seen circling over target area at about 14,000ft; it was making no attempt to attack. 352nd and 356th Gps were seen coming in to R/V at Rambouillet and we made a right hand turn and left the bombers at that point. The bombers were not observed to have dropped their bombs. Proceeded out and left the enemy coast over Le Touquet. Crossed English coast over North Foreland and landed at base at 12:47 hrs. Bombers were well covered over entire route and all fighter support seemed to R/V on time. Bombers were a little more scattered than expected. Three or four bursts of heavy, inaccurate flak was shot up at one flight of our Squadron from Boulogne; it burst at about 27,000ft. Horizontal visibility excellent, an overcast covered the continental coast and target area restricting vertical visibility, the top of this overcast was believed to have been around 12,000ft. Upon returning to base, the field was covered with an overcast, tops around 1,100 ft. R/T air to air communication good. Controller poor. “C” channel was good part of the time.

Major	William B.	Bailey	(Sqdn & Gp Ldr)
2nd Lt	Wilton W.	Johnson
1st Lt	Clinton H.	Sperry	(Abort)	SX-E	42-22466
2nd Lt	Clifford F.	Armstrong
Capt	Thomas J.	Forkin	(FLt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Harry H.	Dustin
1st Lt	Robert A.	Newman
2nd Lt	Glenn G.	Callans
Capt	Raynor E.	Robertson	(FLt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Joseph A.	Schillinger
1st Lt	James N.	Poindexter
2nd Lt	Victor L.	Vogel	(Abort)	SX-J	42-7910
Capt	Wilbert H.	Juntilla	(FLt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Richard V.	Keywan
1st Lt	Gordon S.	Burlingame
2nd Lt	Hildreth R.	Owens
1st Lt	Robert P.	Geurtz	(Spare)
1st Lt	Charles W.	Kipfer	(Spare)

Group Aborts/Early Returns:

42-8380	ABT   belly tank release froze	YJ-A
42-7903	ABT   tach out	LH-?
42-7910	ABT   tach out	SX-J	Lt.   Vogel
42-22466	ABT   belly tank fuel pressure	SX-E	Lt.   Sperry