chefed

[ChefEd]

B-24J Classy Chassy
B-24J-5-CF-42-64220
Squadron: 78th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: Low
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 10 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 29
This Aircraft: 1
Target: Piacenza, Italy, Marshalling Yard

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Conor Grinsly	1	0	0	RTD	0
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Lincoln Nichols	1	0	0	RTD	1
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Emmanuel Moulder	1	0.5	0	RTD	0
Bombardier	2nd Lt Kirk Vaillancourt	1	0	0	RTD	0
Engineer	T/3rd Julien O'Rourke	1	0	0	RTD	0
Radio Op / Rt Waist	T/4th Rene Harper	1	0	0	RTD	0
NT / Rt Waist	T/4th Zachariah Davila	1	0	PH	KIA	0
Ball Turret	Sgt Jaxton Ingrid	1	0.5	0	RTD	0
Left Waist / NT	Sgt Ismael Deadmon	1	0	PH	LW	1
Tail Gunner	S/Sgt Johnnie Nava	1	0	0	RTD	0
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Dan Hitchcock	3			Skill +0

Bomb Run: On Target, 40 %

Casualties:
T/4 Zachariah Davila, KIA
Sgt Ismael Deadmon, LW, RTD 13 MAY 1944


Peckham Points: 36 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) Day(s) to Repair

Damage:

Bomb Controls	10
Superficial X7	14
KIA	10
Light Wound	2

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Fw-190	10	5	2	1	0	1
Me-109	7	5	0	1	0.5	0
C.205	2	2	0	0	0	0
Me-410	2	1	0	1	0.5	0
G.55	1	1	0	0	0	0
Ju-88	1	1	0	0	0	0

Claims

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Ball	2	0.5	0
Navigator	1	0.5	0
Left Waist	1	0	1

Awards:
Air Medal
None

Purple Heart
T/4 Zachariah Davila, Posthumous
Sgt Ismael Deadmon

Promotions:
None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
The crew of the Classy Chassy and I arrived in theater 4 days ago: the day after the Ploesti raid. It was very disconcerting to see so many empty pads, and so many damaged aircraft. It was even more disconcerting to see so many empty seats in the mess.

As soon as he could, our bombardier, Lt Kirk Vaillancourt, went looking for his brother, Alexis. Kirk returned to the BOQ an hour after heading to S-1 with a distant look in his eyes. His brother’s plane was seen going down near the Yugoslav coast, heading inbound to Giulia. Ten chutes were reported, but no word from the Red Cross, USN, or partisans if they had been found or recovered.

The first hour, or so, of the flight was uneventful. Travelling up the Adriatic nestled in the middle of the squadron, and P-51s continuously visible.

Recrossing the Italian coast at Chioggia we were welcomed by flak, which did no damage to us. South of Mantua we encountered our first enemy fighters, a Junkers 88 and a Fiat G.55, both summarily driven off by our ever present escort.

After the enemy fighters passed through, the squadron was showing a bit too much sky between each bomber.

With the IP close ahead we encountered an FW-190 and a Macchi C.205. The Italian was driven off, and the FW missed, as did we.

Flak was accurate, hitting the nose several times, knocking out the bomb controls, and perforating the skin. I ordered radio op Harper to the bomb bay to release the bombs upon Kirk’s command. As soon as Kirk gave the command, he uttered, “That’s for you Alex.” Harper got to the station just in time for Lt. Vaillancourt’s command. Good teamwork. Later intelligence reported 40% on target.

As we turned from the target to the RP S/Sgt Nava, in the tail, reported the TEC Bob’s Rascals was going down. He and Sgt Ingrid, in the ball, reported ten chutes.

I was about to slip into the TEC when Suzy Q announced they would be filling in TEC. More daylight between the bombers.

Once past the RP the enemy attacks were nonstop all the way to Ferrara.

Our omnipresent little friends did a bang up job keeping many of the enemy at bay.

We were hit by a wave of a solo 190 and three 109s, with three enemy driven off. A wave of two 190s, an ME-410 and a 109 followed with two driven off. During this attack T/3 O’Rourke’s guns in the top turret jammed.

Shortly thereafter another wave of another pair of 190s, a 410 and 1 109 attacked. Our little friends drove off three fighters, while 2Lt Moulder shot down the 410.

No rest for the wicked. Another wave with a 190, another C.205, and a 109 attacked. Two of the enemy were driven off, leaving the 190. The 190 shattered the waist, wounding Sgt Taylor, and killing T/4 Davila. The 190 swung around, making the mistake of coming under the guns of the wounded Sgt Taylor. He and Sgt Ingrid, in the ball, ripped both wings off the enemy fighters, unfortunately to no credit.

Close on the heels of these three fighters, three more 190s and a 109 attacked. Our escorts drove off two of the enemy fighters. Lt Moulder damaged the 190 and Sgt Ingrid shot up the nose of the 109, forcing its pilot to bail.

We hit flak on the coast again, but it was wide and ineffective.

Approaching Giulia, we shot off flares indicating dead and wounded.

An ambulance took T/4 Davila away, and Sgt Taylor headed to hospital after debriefing. Taylor has been cleared to return to flying status immediately. T/4 Davila will be interred in a day or two.

Submitted by,
1Lt Conor Grinsly, Pilot
B-24J Classy Chassy
78th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-17G Barbara Jean
B-17G-20BO-42-31496
Squadron: 80th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: Middle
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 10 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 29
This Aircraft: 2
Target: Piacenza, Italy, Marshalling Yard

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Christopher Sweeney	2	0	0	0	0
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Levi Paris	2	0	0	0	1
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Willis Salazar	2	0	0	0	0
Bombardier	2nd Lt Kash Rangel	2	0	0	0	0
Engineer	T/Sgt Rowan Petersen	2	0.5	0	0	0
Radio Op / Rt Waist	T/3rd Ulises Cardenas	2	0	0	0	0
NT / Rt Waist	T/3rd Flynn Pryor	2	0.5	0	0	0
Ball Turret	T/3rd Omar Mace	2	0	0	0	0
Left Waist / NT	S/Sgt Henry "Honri" Lyons	12	1	AM+, PH	0	0
Tail Gunner	T/3rd Darwin Valdovinos	2	0	0	0	2
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Josia Stanton	25			Skill +0

Bomb Run: On Target, 30 %

Casualties: None

Damage: None

Peckham Points: 0 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) day(s) to refit

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft:

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Fw-190	5	2	0	1	0.5	0
C.205	1	1	0	0	0	0

Claims:

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Top	1	0.5	0

Awards: None

Promotions: None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
Quiet flight. No technical issues with the aircraft.

Only enemy fighters encountered were shortly before the IP, and they were brushed aside quite easily.

The bomb run was smooth, and on target.

No enemy fighters on the return leg.

Submitted by,
1Lt Christopher Sweeney, Pilot
B-17G Barbara Jean
80th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-24J Yankee Diddler (Spare)
B-24D-20-CO-41-24175
Squadron: 78th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: Low
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 10 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 29
This Aircraft: 4
Target: Piacenza, Italy, Marshalling Yard

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1Lt Kirby Pullman	1	0	0	RTD	0
Co-Pilot	2Lt Sampson Waters	1	0	0	RTD	0
Navigator / NT	2Lt Casey Stand	9	0	AM	RTD	0
Bombardier	2Lt Franklin Hendrix	2	0	0	RTD	0
Engineer	S/Sgt Jason Glasser	9	2.67	AM	RTD	1
Radio Op	S/Sgt Theo Morris	7	0	AM	RTD	0
Right Waist	Sgt Gerald Rodgers	6	1	AM, PH	RTD	0
Ball Turret	Sgt Hudsor Rush	6	3	PH	RTD	0
Left Waist	Sgt Lowell Price	11	1	AM+, PH+	RTD 23 JUN 44	0
Tail Gunner	Sgt Morris Fields	7	4.83	AM	RTD	0
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Zander Gabe	1			Skill +0

Bomb Run: On Target, 30 %

Casualties: None

Peckham Points: 20 Peckham Points, Two ( 2 ) Day to Repair

Damage:

Flap Controls	10
Suit Heat System	10

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft:

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Fw-190	2	1	1	0	0	0
Me-410	1	0	0	0	0	0

Claims: None

Awards:
Air Medal: None

Purple Heart: None

Promotions: None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
Almost a milk run, if it weren’t for the Gremlins and the flak. Back out over the Adriatic, headed home, suit heat went out. Worked out, as we didn’t see another enemy fighter the rest of the way back. Sometime during the flight flap controls fritzed. Didn’t know it until the final descent into Giulia.

Flak around the target was as predicted. Not until after the bomb run did it get the range. Sgt Price, manning the left waist, got his second purple heart. He took a hit to the left upper arm, breaking it.

Our piece of the sky was empty until after the target. Halfway between Piacenza and Venice three bandits attacked. Escorts drove off one, we tagged a second, and the third plain missed us. No damage was taken on our side.

We fired off a flare indicating wounded, and took our place in line, as instructed.

Sgt Price is expected to be out 6 weeks, recovering.

Submitted by,
1Lt Kirby Pullman, Pilot
B-24J Yankee Diddler
78th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-24J Classy Chassy
B-24J-5-CF-42-64220
Squadron: 78th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: Middle
Aircraft Position: TEC
Mission Date: 11 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 30
This Aircraft: 2
Target: Wiener-Neustadt, Germany, Werk No. 1

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Conor Grinsly	2	0	0	RTD	0
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Lincoln Nichols	2	0	0	RTD	1
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Emmanuel Moulder	2	0.5	0	RTD	1
Bombardier	2nd Lt Kirk Vaillancourt	2	0	0	RTD	0
Engineer	T/3rd Julien O'Rourke	2	0	0	RTD	0
Radio Op	T/4th Rene Harper	2	0	0	RTD	0
Right Waist	S/Sgt Kai Vader	1	0	PH	RTD	0
Ball Turret	Sgt Jaxton Ingrid	2	0.5	0	RTD	0
Left Waist	Sgt Ralph Taylor	10	1	AM+, PH+	RTD 13 JUL 1944	1
Tail Gunner	S/Sgt Johnnie Nava	2	0	0	RTD	1
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Dan Hitchcock	4			Skill +0

Bomb Run: On Target, 30 %

Casualties:
S/Sgt Kai Vader, Left forearm grazed
Sgt Ralph Taylor, Left femur broken

Peckham Points: 27 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) Day to Repair

Damage:

Ball Turret Guns	20
Serious Wound	5
Light Wound	2

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Fw-190	2	2	0	0	0	0
Ju-88	1	1	0	0	0	0

Claims: None

Awards:
Air Medal
Sgt Ralph Taylor, 2nd Award

Purple Heart
S/Sgt Kai Vader
Sgt Ralph Taylor, 2nd Award

Promotions:
None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
Flak was the only enemy activity that had an impact on us. We were hit hard in the waist, injuring both gunners, S/Sgt Vader and Sgt Taylor, and knocking out the ball turret guns. Sgt Ingrid was extricated from the turret and took over Sgt Taylor’s position at left waist. Just before the flak rockets lobbed through the formation, but they were way wide.

We did see three enemy fighters as we were recrossing the Yugoslav coast. All three were driven off by our escorts.

Both wounded gunners were taken to hospital. S/Sgt Vader has been cleared for flight duty. Sgt Taylor will be grounded about six weeks due to the extent of his injury.

Submitted by,
1Lt Conor Grinsly, Pilot
B-24J Classy Chassy
78th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-17G Barbara Jean
B-17G-20BO-42-31496
Squadron: 80th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: High
Aircraft Position: TEC
Mission Date: 11 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 30
This Aircraft: 3
Target: Wiener-Neustadt, Germany, Werk No. 1

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Christopher Sweeney	3	0	0	0	0
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Levi Paris	3	0	0	0	1
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Willis Salazar	3	0.25	0	0	0
Bombardier	2nd Lt Kash Rangel	3	0.25	0	0	0
Engineer	T/Sgt Rowan Petersen	3	1.5	0	0	0
Radio Op	T/3rd Ulises Cardenas	3	0	0	0	0
Right Waist	T/3rd Flynn Pryor	3	1.25	0	0	0
Ball Turret	T/3rd Omar Mace	3	0.25	0	0	0
Left Waist	S/Sgt Henry "Honri" Lyons	13	1	AM+, PH	0	0
Tail Gunner	T/3rd Darwin Valdovinos	3	0	0	0	2
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Josia Stanton	26			Skill +0

Bomb Run: On Target, 20 %

Casualties: None

Peckham Points: 13 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) day(s) to repair

Damage:

Superficial 3X	3
Starboard OB Fuel Tank	10

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft:

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Me-109	6	1	0	5	3	2
Fw-190	3	1	2	0	0	0
Me-110	3	2	1	0	0	0

Claims:

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Top	2	0.5	1
Right Waist	2	0.75	0
Bombardier	2	0.25	1
Ball	1	0.25	0
Navigator	1	0.25	0
Left Waist	1	1	0

Awards: None

Promotions: None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
Even above the weather visibility was poor. Just as well, as we saw no enemy fighters until in the target zone.

Approaching the target, we were greeted by a trio of 110s with a 109 tagging along. Two of the 110s were driven off by our escorts. Fire from T/3 Mace, in the ball, damaged the third. T/Sgt Peterson shot down the 109, to no credit

Flak was wide and low. Lt Rangel had a fair bead on the target, dropping 30% effectively.

Coming off the target a pair of 90s and another 109 attacked. We damaged both 190s and shot down the 109. But not before the 109 peppered the airframe and holed the left outboard fuel tank. Thank you, Boeing, for self-sealing tanks. When the 109 came around again, he made the mistake of coming in at 1:30 low. Four gunners were able to target the bandit. All four shared in the kill.

We weren’t done yet, with enemy fighters.

A foursome of 109s attacked as we crossed the Yugoslav coast. Escorts drove off one, and we shot down the remaining three.

Not a bad day’s work. Five enemy aircraft shot down, 30% on target, and everyone made it home unscathed.

Submitted by,
1Lt Christopher Sweeney, Pilot
B-17G Barbara Jean
80th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-24D Maggie’s Drawers (Spare)
B-24D-10-CO-42-40252
Squadron: 78th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: Middle
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 11 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 30
This Aircraft: 2
Target: Wiener-Neustadt, Germany, Werk No 1

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1Lt Kent "Moon Man" Mooney	6		AM	RFD
Co-Pilot	2Lt Edward "Eddie" Cunningham	6		AM / PH	RFD
Navigator	2Lt Charles "Chuck" Powell	3	0		RFD
Bombardier	2Lt Andrew "Andy" Carpenter	1	0		RFD
Engineer	S/Sgt Irvin "Field" Marshall	13	7.58	AM / PH / DFC / Ace	RFD	1
Radio Op	S/Sgt Xavier "Zavey" Williams	6	0	AM	RFD
Ball Turret	Sgt Wallace "Nehi" Wells	10	0.33	AM(2) / PH	RFD
Right Waist	Sgt Woodrow "Woody" Neal	15	1	AM(3)	RFD
Left Waist	Sgt Timothy "Sallie" Salisbury	1	0		RFD
Tail Gunner	Sgt Evan "Sparkle" Fryberger	7	2	AM	RFD
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Elmer Hoffman	4			Avg +0

Bomb Run: On Target, 50 %

Casualties: None

Peckham Points: 55 Peckham Points, Two ( 2 ) Day(s) to Repair

Damage:

Left Tail Plane	25
Right Cheek Gun Jam	10
Top Turret Power	20

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Me-109	6	4	0	2	1.5	0
Fw-190	4	3	0	1	0.33	0
Me-410	1	1	0	0	0	0

Claims

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Top	2	1.33	0
Tail	1	0.5	0

Awards:
Air Medal
Sgt Wallace Wells, 2nd Award
Sgt Woodrow Neal, 3rd Award

Purple Heart
None

Promotions:
Sgt Wallace Wells to S/Sgt

AFTER ACTION REPORT
This mission might qualify as a milk run.

We did face eleven enemy aircraft. Eight were driven off, and three were shot down.

Flak did find us on ingress to target, hitting the starboard tail plane. That buffeting did not affect Lt Carpenter’s aim, as he dropped 50% on target, on his first mission.

On the homeward leg, Gremlins made their appearance. First the right cheek gun jammed up, and later the top turret lost power, which was soon restored. I guess these things can be expected in an older bird.

Submitted by,
1Lt Kent Mooney, Pilot
B-24D Maggie’s Drawers
78th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-24J Gravel Gertie
B-24J-10-CF-42-64272
Squadron: 78th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: High
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 14 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 31
This Aircraft: 1
Target: Porto Santo Stefano, Port Facilities

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Alexis Vaillancourt	16	0	AM++, PH+	RFD	0
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Branson Pope	8	0	AM	RFD	0
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Nash Norman	9	1	AM	RFD	1
Bombardier	2nd Lt Bill Fleming	7	0	AM	RFD	1
Engineer	T/3rd Trevor Beasley	8	2	AM	RFD	0
Radio Op	S/Sgt Bobby Gold	5	0	AM	RFD	0
Right Waist	Sgt Guy Longfellow	6	1	AM	RFD	0
Ball Turret	Sgt Phoenix Shelton	3	0	0	RFD	0
Left Waist	Sgt Miller Rosales	4	1	0	RFD	0
Tail Gunner	Sgt Dane Zamora	6	1	AM	RFD	1
Crew Chief	T/Sgt Virgil Vang	13			Skill +1

Bomb Run: On Target, 50 %

Casualties: None

Peckham Points: 0 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) Day(s) to Repair and refit

Damage: None

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft: None

Claims: None

Awards:
Air Medal
S/Sgt Bobby Gold

Purple Heart: None

Promotions: None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
This is my first mission after being shot down nine days ago.

Upon returning to Giulia, on 11 May, I was subjected to another round of debriefs, and a medical checkup. I was cleared back to flight duty.

I was assigned to a new aircraft, a slightly used B-24J, named Gravel Gertie. She came with a ready crew, minus a pilot. Apparently, he had succumbed to acute appendicitis, and was hospitalized, post-surgery. Being senior, I would retain command of Gravel Gertie.

While at S-1 completing paperwork for my new crew, I was notified that my kid brother arrived a few days ago and assigned to this squadron as a bombardier. He was flying on a mission to Wiener-Neustadt, at that moment.

The next few days were used to get acquainted with my new crew, conduct a few test flights, and get reacquainted with my brother.

For my first mission, post being shot down, one could not have asked for a better result: We had no direct contact with any enemy fighters; flak was wide and ineffective; the bomb run was 50% on target. Perfect.

Submitted by,
1Lt Alexis Vaillancourt, Pilot
B-24J Gravel Gertie
78th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-24J Classy Chassy
B-24J-5-CF-42-64220
Squadron: 78th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: High
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 14 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 31
This Aircraft: 3
Target: Porto Santo Stefano, Italy, Port Facilities

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Conor Grinsly	3	0	0	RTD	0
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Lincoln Nichols	3	0	0	RTD	1
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Emmanuel Moulder	3	0.5	0	RTD	1
Bombardier	2nd Lt Kirk Vaillancourt	3	0	0	RTD	0
Engineer	T/3rd Julien O'Rourke	3	0	0	RTD	0
Radio Op	T/4th Rene Harper	3	0	0	RTD	1
Right Waist	S/Sgt Kai Vader	2	0	PH	RTD	0
Ball Turret	Sgt Jaxton Ingrid	3	0.5	0	RTD	0
Left Waist	Sgt Ismael Deadmon	2	0	PH	RTD	1
Tail Gunner	S/Sgt Johnnie Nava	3	0	0	RTD	2
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Dan Hitchcock	5			Skill +0

Bomb Run: On Target, 40 %

Casualties: None

Peckham Points: 0 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) Day(s) to Repair and refit

Damage: None

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Me-109	2	0	1	0	0	0

Claims: None

Awards:
Air Medal: None

Purple Heart: None

Promotions: None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
The Luftwaffe must really be in dire straits, one can hope. We barely needed a fly swatter on this mission.

We encountered two Bf-109s on approach to the target. We tagged one. Both enemy fighters fired way wide of us, then never to be seen again.

Flak was also ineffective, firing way high of us.

Without those pesky distractions, Lt Vaillancourt dropped 40% on target. God show.

Skies were clear for us post bomb drop, giving us clear skies home.

Even though we were unmolested, several bombers in the squadron were not so lucky, dropping out of formation at various points in the mission.

Submitted by,
1Lt Conor Grinsly, Pilot
B-24J Classy Chassy
78th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-17G Barbara Jean
B-17G-20BO-42-31496
Squadron: 80th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: Low
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 14 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 31
This Aircraft: 4
Target: Porto Santo Stefano

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Christopher Sweeney	4	0	0	RTD	1
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Levi Paris	4	0	0	RTD	2
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Willis Salazar	4	1.75	0	RTD	0
Bombardier	2nd Lt Kash Rangel	4	0.25	0	RTD	0
Engineer	T/Sgt Rowan Petersen	4	1.5	0	RTD	1
Radio Op	T/3rd Ulises Cardenas	4	0	0	RTD	0
Right Waist	T/3rd Flynn Pryor	4	1.25	0	RTD	0
Ball Turret	T/3rd Omar Mace	4	0.25	0	RTD	0
Left Waist	S/Sgt Henry "Honri" Lyons	14	1	AM+, PH	RTD	1
Tail Gunner	T/3rd Darwin Valdovinos	4	0	0	RTD	3
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Josia Stanton	27			Skill +0

Bomb Run: On Target, 50 %

Casualties: None

Peckham Points: 62 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) day(s) to repair

Damage:

#1 Engine Hit	15
#1 Engine Out	25
Right Flap	10
Left Aileron	10
Superficial X2	2

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft:

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Me-109	4	0	1	1	0.5	0
Me-110	3	0	1	2	1	1
Fw-190	1	0	1	0	0	0
Me-210	1	0	0	1	0	1

Claims:

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Navigator	2	1.5	0
Tail	2	0	2
Top	1	0	0

Awards: None

Promotions: None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
Skies were clear, literally and figuratively, as we flew up the Tyrrhenian Sea. No enemy aircraft came near us, until after the target.

Flak was accurate, knocking out engine #1, which we successfully feathered. No sweat. We were already on our target run, so no fears of having to abort or drop altitude.

Lt Rangel, despite or in spite of the buffeting from flak, dropped 50% in the pickle barrel.

We faced our first enemy fighters as we neared the Anzio beachhead. We faced nine enemy aircraft in three waves of three each. We shot down 4, and damaged 3. We took two minor hits in the encounters.

Once we shot down the last 109 and the lone 210, our skies were clear.

Submitted by,
1Lt Christopher Sweeney, Pilot
B-17G Barbara Jean
80th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-17G Barbara Jean
B-17G-20BO-42-31496
Squadron: 80th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: Middle
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 15 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 32
This Aircraft: 5
Target: Nice, France, Marshalling Yard

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Christopher Sweeney	5	0	AM	RTD	1
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Levi Paris	5	0	AM	RTD	2
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Willis Salazar	5	1.75	AM	RTD	0
Bombardier	2nd Lt Kash Rangel	5	0.25	AM	RTD	0
Engineer	T/Sgt Rowan Petersen	5	1.5	AM	RTD	1
Radio Op	T/3rd Ulises Cardenas	5	0	AM	RTD	0
Right Waist	T/3rd Flynn Pryor	5	1.25	AM	RTD	0
Ball Turret	T/3rd Omar Mace	5	0.25	AM	RTD	0
Left Waist	S/Sgt Henry "Honri" Lyons	15	1	AM++, PH+	RTD 12 JUN 1944	1
Tail Gunner	T/3rd Darwin Valdovinos	5	0	AM, PH	RTD 10 JUL 1944	3
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Josia Stanton	27			Skill +0

Bomb Run: On Target, 30 %

Casualties:
S/Sgt Henry Lyons, Tear left calf muscle, RTD 12 JUN 1944
T/3rd Darwin Valdovinos, Broken rib, Inflamed lung, RTD 10 JUL 1944

Peckham Points: 43 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) day(s) to repair

Damage:

#3 Engine Out	25
Serious Wound	5
Superficial 1X	1
Radio Out	10
Light Wound	2

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft:

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Fw-190	3	1	1	1	0.5	0
Me-210	2	0	0	1	1	0
Me-109	1	0	0	0	0	0

Claims:

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Tail	1	0.5	0
Top	1	1	0

Awards:
Purple Heart
S/Sgt Henry Lyons
T/3rd Darwin Valdovinos

Air Medal
1st Lt Christopher Sweeney, First Award
2nd Lt Levi Paris, First Award
2nd Lt Willis Salazar, First Award
2nd Lt Kash Rangel, First Award
T/Sgt Rowan Petersen, First Award
T/3rd Ulises Cardenas, First Award
T/3rd Flynn Pryor, First Award
T/3rd Omar Mace, First Award
S/Sgt Henry Lyons, Third Award
T/3rd Darwin Valdovinos, First Award

Promotions:
None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
Smooth sailing until just past Corsica. #3 engine just quit. No jittering, no smoke, no sputtering, just quit. The prop was feathered, right away. Quickly conferring with Lt Paris, we decided we were too close to turn around.

[OOC: Three random events were rolled, one for engine failure, two for Lady Luck Smiles. All told, rolled #-6 nine times, out of eleven waves faced. Great luck for being out of formation for about 12 zones, and one of them for two turns due to an engine out.]

Between the #3 engine quitting, and the bomb drop, we faced two waves of enemy fighters.

First up was a trio of FW-190s and a tagalong Bf-109. Escorts quickly drove off one of the FWs, while T/3 Valdovinos shot down one from the tail. Our gunnery also tagged the remaining two fighters, driving them off.

The second wave was a pair of Me-210s and another 109. T/Sgt Peterson, top gunner, shot down one of the 210s. Lt Salazar, operating the nose turret, peppered the fuselage of the 109. The remaining 210 stitched us up good. T/3 Valdovinos took a fragment to the chest, knocking him out for the count. S/Sgt Lyons took a fragment to the left calf, hobbling him, but not taking him out. [OOC: Used a Lady Luck to change a KIA to a LW for S/Sgt Lyons. Came in handy.]

The 210 came around again at 6 level. With Valdovinos out, we had no defensive gunnery. We took hits to the right wing root, left aileron, and harmless hits in the radio room. I doubt T/3 Cardenas thought they were harmless.

As we passed through the flak, I had T/3 Pryor pull Valdovinos out of the tail, tend to him, then take his spot at the tail guns.

The old bird took a buffeting, but Lt Rangle put 30 percent on target.

With our bomb load gone, the lightened airframe was able to get back close to cruising speed, though we could not quite catch up with the group. Escorts were still present, so that helped.

The rest of the trip the enemy spent their efforts against the group.

Submitted by,
1Lt Christopher Sweeney, Pilot
B-17G Barbara Jean
80th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-24J Gravel Gertie
B-24J-10-CF-42-64272
Squadron: 78th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: Low
Aircraft Position: Middle / TEC
Mission Date: 15 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 32
This Aircraft: 3
Target: Nice, France, Marshalling Yard

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Alexis Vaillancourt	17	0	AM++, PH+	RTD	0
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Branson Pope	9	0	AM	RTD	0
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Nash Norman	10	1.5	AM+	RTD	2
Bombardier	2nd Lt Bill Fleming	8	0	AM	RTD	1
Engineer	T/3rd Trevor Beasley	9	2	AM	RTD	1
Radio Op	S/Sgt Bobby Gold	6	0	AM	RTD	0
Right Waist	Sgt Guy Longfellow	7	1	AM	RTD	0
Ball Turret	Sgt Phoenix Shelton	4	1	0	RTD	0
Left Waist	Sgt Miller Rosales	5	1	AM	RTD	0
Tail Gunner	Sgt Dane Zamora	7	2	AM	RTD	1
Crew Chief	T/Sgt Virgil Vang	14			Skill +1

Bomb Run: On Target, 40 %

Casualties:
Sgt Miller Rosales, Left leg graze, RT

Peckham Points: 0 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) Day to Repair, Refit

Damage: None

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Fw-190	4	2	1	0	0	0
Me-110	3	1	0	2	1.5	0

Claims

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Ball	1	1	0
Navigator	1	0.5	0

Awards:
Air Medal
2Lt Nash Norman, Second Award
Sgt Miller Rosales, First Award

Purple Heart
Sgt Miller Rosales

Promotions: None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
I wasn’t sure if I should feel good or nervous. Flight pre-check was perfect. Nothing out of place. No leaks. All instruments checked out. On my 17th mission, I felt the odds were about to catch up to me sooner, rather than later. We’ll see.

We faced no enemy aircraft until in the target zone. We faced two waves of Boche, totaling five FW-190s. Our escorts swooped in and drove off three of the interlopers.

We tagged one, which missed us. We missed the last, who also missed us. Lt Norman, manning the nose turret, reported both guns jammed.

Lt Norman spent the next 15 to 20 minutes unjamming both weapons.

Lt Fleming, ignoring the flak, focused on the bomb run. His concentration netted us 40% on target. Good show.

Flak targeting was off on the run in. Not so on egress. We took a hit to the waist, wounding Sgt Rosales lightly in the left leg. Sgt Longfellow dressed the wound, calling in it wasn’t much more than a scratch. That all Purple Heart recipients be so lucky.

We were 20 or so minutes out from the target when Orange’s Other Crate called in, he was dropping from formation. We called in and slid into TEC, in his stead.

As it worked out, any enemy that did show up ignored us for the next several hours, as we headed back to the nest.

Submitted by,
1Lt Alexis Vaillancourt, Pilot
B-24J Gravel Gertie
78th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-24J Classy Chassy
B-24J-5-CF-42-64220
Squadron: 78th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: Low
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 15 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 32
This Aircraft: 4
Target: Nice, France, Marshalling Yard

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Conor Grinsly	4	0	0	RTD	0
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Lincoln Nichols	4	0	0	RTD	1
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Emmanuel Moulder	4	0.5	0	RTD	1
Bombardier	2nd Lt Kirk Vaillancourt	4	0	0	RTD	0
Engineer	T/3rd Julien O'Rourke	4	0.5	0	RTD	0
Radio Op	T/4th Rene Harper	4	0	0	RTD	1
Right Waist	S/Sgt Kai Vader	3	0.5	PH	RTD	0
Ball Turret	Sgt Jaxton Ingrid	4	1.5	0	RTD	0
Left Waist	Sgt Ismael Deadmon	3	0.5	PH	RTD	1
Tail Gunner	S/Sgt Johnnie Nava	4	0.5	0	RTD	2
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Dan Hitchcock	6			Skill +0

Bomb Run: On Target, 50 %

Casualties: None

Peckham Points: 24 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) Day(s) to Repair and refit

Damage:

Superficial X2	4
Left Rudder	10
O2 System	10

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Me-109	5	1	0	4	2.5	0
Fw-190	4	2	1	0	0	0
Ju-88	1	0	0	0	0	0
Me-410	1	1	0	0	0	0

Claims:

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Ball	1	0.5	0
Left Waist	1	0.5	0
Right Waist	1	0.5	0
Tail	1	0.5	0
Top	1	0.5	0

Awards:
Air Medal
None

Purple Heart
None

Promotions:
None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
The Gremlins struck early, today. We were just out over the Tyrrhenian when Lt Moulder reported the nose turret had lost power, Fortunately, it did not take too long for him to remedy the problem, and get power restored.

Enemy fighters finally attacked as we approached the target. We faced two waves of fighters, comprised of four FW-190s and a pair of 109s. Escorts drove off two 190s, and we shot down the pair of 109s. We damaged one of the remaining 190s. The last 190 was unscathed, and did us no harm. However, one of the 109s we shot down got his licks in before we nailed him. On his one pass he damaged our O2 system, and damaged the left rudder.

Flak was inconsequential, allowing Lt Vaillancourt to put 50% on target.

On target egress flak was again useless, as we ran into two more waves of enemy fighters. We shot down the two 109s, while escorts drove off two of the three other fighters. The one remaining fighter had no heart, and pulled away after a pitiful attack run. During this exchange the ball guns both jammed. We were half way down the Tyrrhenian when I got the report that the guns were permanently out of action.

We were opposite Rome when the O2 system finally gave out, and we descended below 10,000 feet. Our little friends were quite active, making it a moot point.

Submitted by,
1Lt Conor Grinsly, Pilot
B-24J Classy Chassy
78th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-24J Gravel Gertie
B-24J-10-CF-42-64272
Squadron: 78th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: Middle
Aircraft Position: Lead
Mission Date: 17 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 33
This Aircraft: 3
Target: Bucharest, Romania, Marshalling Yard

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	Capt Alexis Vaillancourt	18	0	AM++, PH+	RTD	0
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Branson Pope	10	0	AM+	RTD	0
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Nash Norman	11	3	AM+	RTD	2
Bombardier	2nd Lt Bill Fleming	9	0	AM	RTD	1
Engineer	T/3rd Trevor Beasley	10	3	AM+	RTD	1
Radio Op	S/Sgt Bobby Gold	7	0	AM	RTD	0
Right Waist	Sgt Guy Longfellow	8	1	AM	RTD	0
Ball Turret	Sgt Phoenix Shelton	5	1	AM	RTD	1
Left Waist	Sgt Miller Rosales	6	1	AM	RTD	0
Tail Gunner	Sgt Dane Zamora	8	2	AM	RTD	1
Crew Chief	T/Sgt Virgil Vang	15			Skill +1

Bomb Run: On Target, 50 %

Casualties: None

Peckham Points: 8 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) Day(s) to Repair and refit

Damage:

Total	8
Superficial X4	8

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft:

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Me-109	7	2	1	4	1.5	1
Fw-190	4	0	2	1	1	1
Me-110	2	0	1	1	1	0

Claims:

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Navigator	3	1.5	0
Top	2	1	1
Tail	1	0	0
Left Waist	1	0	1

Awards:
Air Medal
2Lt Branson Pope, 2nd Award
T/3 Trevor Beasley, 2nd Award
Sgt Phoenix Shelton, 1st Award

Purple Heart
None

Promotions:
None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
The Gremlins started early. The last thing we needed for a long mission, and us flying lead. #1 engine did not start right away, and when it did it was running rough. She finally caught and ran fine for the rest of the mission. The Gremlins would visit us two more times, before we finally landed.

We faced our first enemy fighter as we crossed into Yugoslavia. A lone Bf-109, who was quickly shown the door by our escorts.

About ninety minutes into the mission the Gremlins struck again. This time the power to Sgt Shelton’s ball turret failed. It was a momentary hitch, quickly resolved by Sgt Rosales. Someone forgot to safety-wire the power coupling. Sgt Rosales and Sgt Longfellow took turns to keep an eye on the coupling, for the rest of the flight.

We did not run into any more enemy fighters until we were on approach to the target. Without escorts all hell broke out.

First up were a quartet of FW-190s, with a tagalong Bg-109. Lt Norman made short work of the 109. We damaged two of the 190s and took a few minor hits.

On the second pass of a pair of the 190s, T/3 Beasley smoked one bandit, while Lt Norman tagged another. Gremlins made their third appearance, jamming one of Sgt Zamora’s tail guns, as he tried a passing shot on one of the FWs.

The next wave was a trio of 109s led by a single FW. We damaged two of the 109s, one by Lt Norman, again, and one by T/3 Beasley. All enemy fighters missed us.

In the flak belt we took a minor hit to the cockpit. Scared the shit out of us, but more bark than bite, fortunately. Lt Fleming took control of the bomber and put 50% on target. (I have flown three missions with the Lieutenant, and he has been outstanding. Twice he put 50% on target, and once with 40%.)

Flak on the egress was also accurate, leaving some sheet metal work for the ground crew on the left wing.

Once past the flak belt, we faced a pair of Bf-110s and another solo 109. T/3 Beasley and Sgt Zamora made short work of one of the 110s, and Lt Norman shot down the 109. Sgt Shelton damaged the remaining 110, who missed us.

Shortly after this last wave, bombs were dropped through the formation. We took no hits or damage.

Sgt Zamora spent the next hour plus working un-jamming his gun. Finally doing so about halfway back through Yugoslavia.

Approaching the Yugoslav coast, a quartet of 109s attacked. Escorts drove off one, Lt Norman and Sgt Rosales each downed a fighter. (Lt Norman and T/3 Beasley are now neck and neck with three credited kills.) Sgt Zamora damaged the remaining 109 as it passed from 12 o’clock to 6.

All quiet after this.

We took our place at the end of the landing queue, landing without problem.

No wounded. A good mission.

Submitted by,
Capt Alexis Vaillancourt, Pilot
B-24J Gravel Gertie
78th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-24J Classy Chassy
B-24J-5-CF-42-64220
Squadron: 78th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: Middle
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 17 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 33
This Aircraft: 5
Target: Bucharest, Romania, Marshalling Yard

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Conor Grinsly	5	0	0	RTD	0
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Lincoln Nichols	5	0	0	RTD	2
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Emmanuel Moulder	5	0.88	0	RTD	1
Bombardier	2nd Lt Kirk Vaillancourt	5	0	0	RTD	0
Engineer	T/3rd Julien O'Rourke	5	2	0	RTD	1
Radio Op	T/4th Rene Harper	5	0	0	RTD	1
Right Waist	S/Sgt Kai Vader	4	0.88	PH	RTD	1
Ball Turret	Sgt Jaxton Ingrid	5	1.88	0	RTD	1
Left Waist	Sgt Ismael Deadmon	4	0.5	PH	RTD	0
Tail Gunner	S/Sgt Johnnie Nava	5	0.5	0	RTD	2
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Dan Hitchcock	6			Skill +0

Bomb Run: Off Target, 5 %
Bomb Bay Doors inoperable, dropped bomb load through bomb bay doors.

Casualties: None

Peckham Points: 20 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) Day(s) to Repair and refit

Damage:

Total	20
Bomb Bay Doors Inop	10
Superficial X5	10

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft:

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Me-109	3	0	1	1	1	0
Me-110	3	0	1	1	0.5	0
Fw-190	1	0	0	1	0.5	0

Claims:

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Top	2	1	0
Ball	1	0.33	0
Navigator	1	0.33	0
Right Waist	1	0.33	0

Awards:
Air Medal
1st Lt Conor Grinsly
2nd Lt Lincoln Nichols
2nd Lt Emmanuel Moulder
2nd Lt Kirk Vaillancourt
T/3rd Julien O'Rourke
T/4th Rene Harper
Sgt Jaxton Ingrid
S/Sgt Johnnie Nava

Purple Heart
None

Promotions:
None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
All enemy activity was in the target area.

Heading into the target, three Me-110s attacked. We damaged the first and third. The third sent rounds through the cockpit, knocking out the bomb bay doors’ controls and the brakes. Coming in for a return attack, T/3 O’Rourke shattered the enemy’s cockpit, killing all on board.

With the bomb bay doors closed, we dropped our bombs through the doors. The result was 5% on target.

Coming off of the target we faced two more waves of enemy fighters.

The first wave was a trio of Me-109s. We damaged the second of the three, while the third was the only one to score any hits, which were (luckily) harmless in the bomb bay. As that fighter came around for a second pass three sets of guns shredded the fighter, shooting him down. No chute was seen.

Following these three, a single Fw-190 attacked. T/3 O’Rourke shot the 190 down, cutting off its right wing like a buzz saw.

Submitted by,
1Lt Conor Grinsly, Pilot
B-24J Classy Chassy
78th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-17G Barbara Jean
B-17G-20BO-42-31496
Squadron: 80th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: High
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 17 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 33
This Aircraft: 6
Target: Bucharest, Romania, Marshaling Yard

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Christopher Sweeney	6	0	AM	RTD	1
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Levi Paris	6	0	AM	RTD	2
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Willis Salazar	6	1.75	AM	RTD	0
Bombardier	2nd Lt Kash Rangel	6	0.25	AM	RTD	0
Engineer	T/Sgt Rowan Petersen	6	1.5	AM	RTD	0
Radio Op	T/3rd Ulises Cardenas	6	0	AM	RTD	0
Right Waist	T/3rd Flynn Pryor	6	1.25	AM	RTD	0
Ball Turret	T/3rd Omar Mace	6	0.25	AM	RTD	0
Left Waist	Sgt Sidney "Sid" Beck	17	0.5	AM++	0	0
Tail Gunner	Sgt Albert "Tiny" Plimson	9	2	AM	0	0
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Josia Stanton	27			Skill +0

Bomb Run: On Target, 30 %

Casualties:
None

Peckham Points: 0 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) Day(s) to Repair and refit

Damage: None

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft:

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Me-109	2	0	0	2	1	1
Me-110	2	0	1	1	0	1

Claims:

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Tail	1	1	0
Ball	1	0	1
Radio Room	1	0	1

Awards:
Air Medal
None

Purple Heart
None

Promotions:
None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
Tucked away in the middle of the squadron we saw no enemy action enroute to the target.

About half-way through Yugoslavia, Rosie had an engine fire, and dropped out of the lead, and headed home. Homey Bin slid into the lead and led us to the target.

We saw no direct enemy action until approaching the target. We were attacked first by a pair of 109s then a pair of 110s. We shot down both 109s, one of the 110s, and damaged the remaining 110, while taking no damage.

Flak in and out of the target was ineffectual. Lt Rangel put 30% on target.

For the remainder of the mission we were left alone by any enemy fighters.

Submitted by,
1Lt Christopher Sweeney, Pilot
B-17G Barbara Jean
80th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-17F Bonnie (Spare)
B-17F-90BO-42-30233
Squadron: 80th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: high
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 17 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 33
This Aircraft: 18
Target: Bucharest, Romania, Marshalling Yard

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1Lt Nathaniel "Nate" Sutherland	19	0	AM(3) / PH(2)	RTD	0
Co-Pilot	2Lt Thomas "Tommy" Weston"	11	0	AM(2) / PH	RTD	0
Navigator / NT	2Lt Forrest "Candy Man" Sweet	12	1.33	AM(2) / PH(2)	RTD 19 MAY 1944	0
Bombardier	1Lt Jack "John" Dawkins	25	0	AM(3) / PH(3)	RTD	0
Engineer	M/Sgt Emile "Plug" Putman	22	6.5	AM(4) / DFC "Ace"	RTD	0
Radio Op	S/Sgt Zander "Ham" Berger	16	0.5	AM(3)	RTD	0
Right Waist	Sgt Woodrow "Woody" Neal	17	1.33	AM(3)	RTD	0
Ball Turret	Sgt Gavin "Irish" O'Callahan	14	4.67	AM(2)	RTD	0
Left Waist	S/Sgt Henry "Honri" Lyons	16	0.5	AM(3) / PH(3)	RTD 20 JUN 1944	0
Tail Gunner	Sgt Morris "The Imp" Fields	10	4.83	AM	RTD	0
Crew Chief	T/Sgt Axel O'Connor	1			Skill +1

Bomb Run: On Target, 40 %

Casualties:
1Lt Nathaniel Sutherland, LW, Shoulder laceration, RTD
2Lt Forrest Sweet, LW, Head laceration, RTD 19 MAY 1944
S/Sgt Henry Lyons, SW, Broken ribs, RTD 20 JUN 1944

Peckham Points: 228 Peckham Points, Eight ( 8 ) Day(s) to Repair and refit

Damage:

Total	228
Superficial X6	6
#2 Engine Hit X2	25
#2 Engine Out	25
#2 Engine Fire, Extinguished	25
Right Landing Gear Out	25
Engineer O2 Out	10
Bomb Bay N/E X2	10
Light Wound X2	4
Serious Wound X1	5
Land W/Gear Out	83
Navigator Heat	10

Landing: Crew Safe, Crash landing with landing gear out, Bonnie reparable in 8 days.

Enemy Aircraft:

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Me-109	8	2	2	2	1	0
Fw-190	2	0	0	1	1	0
Me-109(Ro)	2	0	0	1	0	0

Claims:

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Navigator	3	1.33	0
Top	1	0	0
Ball	1	0.33	0
Bombardier	1	0	0
Right Waist	1	0.33	0

Awards:
Air Medal
1Lt Jack Dawkins, 5th Award

Purple Heart
1Lt Nathaniel Sutherland, Second
2Lt Forrest Sweet, Second
S/Sgt Henry Lyons, Third

Promotions:
None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
Today’s crew for Bonnie was cobbled together, today. Cobbled together with a very experienced crew members. No second guessing, every man knew his job.

We faced no enemy fighters until the target area.

We were first met by a trio of Me-109s. On the first pass we missed the first, who subsequently knocked out Lt Sweet’s heat. Lt Sweet, manning the nose chin turret, shot down the second 109. No chute was seen. The third 109 hit us good. He raked us wing tip to wing tip. He knocked out the right landing gear, set #2 on fire, and took out M/Sgt Putman’s O2.

On the second pass the first 109 missed us, as we missed him. M/Sgt Putman shot down the third, again no chute was seen.

A second wave of a pair of 109s attacked, with neither side causing any damage.

Lt Dawkins put 40% on target, before we dropped out of formation to thicker and warmer air.

Exiting the target, a 190 led a pair of 109s against us. We damaged the first 109 and shot down the second. It was a team effort with four crew members hitting the enemy fighter, killing the pilot, while rendering the fighter useless in the process.

At this lower altitude, we were shot at, it seemed, by every German soldier in Yugoslavia. We were halfway through Yugoslavia when I took a piece of shrapnel to the shoulder, causing a minor cut.

Reaching the Yugoslav coast, the Luftwaffe gave it one more try. Another 190 ed the way, this time for three 109s. We had some escorts at this altitude, driving away two of the enemy fighters. Lt Sweet got credit for shooting down the 190, giving him 1 and a third kills for the mission. The remaining 109 wounded Lt Dawkins and S/Sgt Lyons, before being driven off with damage.

Crossing the Adriatic, we tended to our wounds.

It was upon approach when we learned that we had no right landing gear. We were too low to bail out, so we all rode her in, in crash positions.

When the dust settled, no one suffered further injury. Word is Bonnie will fly again.

1Lt Dawkins has just completed his 25th mission. Soon, he will be heading back to the States to sell War Bonds.

Submitted by,
1Lt Nathaniel Sutherland, Pilot
B-17F Bonnie (Spare)
80th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-24J Classy Chassy
B-24J-5-CF-42-64220
Squadron: 78th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: High
Aircraft Position: Lead
Mission Date: 22 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 34
This Aircraft: 6
Target: Latisana, Italy, Railway Bridge

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Conor Grinsly	6	0	AM	RTD	0
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Lincoln Nichols	6	0	AM	RTD	2
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Emmanuel Moulder	6	0.88	AM	RTD	1
Bombardier	2nd Lt Kirk Vaillancourt	6	0	AM	RTD	0
Engineer	T/3rd Julien O'Rourke	6	2	AM	RTD	1
Radio Op	T/4th Rene Harper	6	0	AM	RTD	1
Right Waist	S/Sgt Kai Vader	5	0.88	AM, PH	RTD	1
Ball Turret	Sgt Jaxton Ingrid	6	1.88	AM	RTD	1
Left Waist	Sgt Ismael Deadmon	5	0.5	AM, PH	RTD	0
Tail Gunner	S/Sgt Johnnie Nava	6	0.5	AM	RTD	2
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Dan Hitchcock	7			Skill +0

Bomb Run: Off Target, 5 %

Casualties: None

Peckham Points: None
One ( 1 ) Day(s) to Repair and refit

Damage: None

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft: None

Claims: None

Awards:
Air Medal
S/Sgt Kai Vader
Sgt Ismael Deadmon

Purple Heart
None

Promotions:
None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
Our greatest foe today was the weather. Poor visibility, and a small target threw Lt Vaillancourt off his game: 5% on target.

Submitted by,
1Lt Conor Grinsly, Pilot
B-24J Classy Chassy
78th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-17G Barbara Jean
B-17G-20BO-42-31496
Squadron: 80th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: Low
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 22 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 34
This Aircraft: 7
Target: Latisana, Italy, Railway Bridge

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Christopher Sweeney	7	0	AM	RTD	2
Co-Pilot	2nd Lt Levi Paris	7	0	AM	RTD	1
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Willis Salazar	7	1.75	AM	RTD	0
Bombardier	2nd Lt Kash Rangel	7	0.25	AM	RTD	0
Engineer	T/Sgt Rowan Petersen	7	1.5	AM	RTD	0
Radio Op	T/3rd Ulises Cardenas	7	0	AM	RTD	1
Right Waist	T/3rd Flynn Pryor	7	1.25	AM	RTD	0
Ball Turret	T/3rd Omar Mace	7	1.25	AM	RTD	1
Left Waist	Sgt Sidney "Sid" Beck	18	0.5	AM++	0	0
Tail Gunner	Sgt Albert "Tiny" Plimson	10	2	AM++	0	1
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Josia Stanton	28			Skill +0

Bomb Run: On Target, 95 %

Casualties: None

Peckham Points: 0 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) Day(s) to Repair and refit

Damage: None

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft:

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Me-109	2	0	1	2	1	0
Re.2005	1	0	1	0	0	0

Claims:

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Ball	1	1	0
Left Waist	1	0	0

Awards:
Air Medal
Sgt Albert Plimson, 2nd Award

Purple Heart
None

Promotions:
None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
2Lt Rangel won’t be buying his own drinks, for a while. Intelligence says he put about 95% on target today. Talk about pickle barrels.

We flew a charmed mission, today. Rain, or no rain, it couldn’t have been much better.

The flight up the Adriatic would have been boring, if it weren’t for the fact we were flying into harm’s way. Nothing but clouds and rain around us.

The flak was indeed heavy at the target, but well below us in the high box.

A combination of luck and skill allowed Lt Rangel to put 95% in the box. He bracketed the bridge good.

Pulling off of the target we were met by a pair of Messerschmitt 109s and an Italian Re.2005 Sagittario. We missed the 109 at 12 high, but he missed us as well. The 109 at 9 o’clock was shot down by Sgt Beck and T/3 Mace. Only Mace was given credit, much to Beck’s dismay. T/Sgt Peterson and T/3 Pryor riddled the Sagittario but good, putting the Italian pilot off of his game, and missing us.

The rest of the flight was as quiet as the first part. Landing at Giulia was tricky, but we landed safely, with no trouble.

Submitted by,
1Lt Christopher Sweeney, Pilot
B-17G Barbara Jean
80th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-24J Gravel Gertie
B-24J-10-CF-42-64272
Squadron: 78th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: High
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 22 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 34
This Aircraft: 4
Target: Latisana, Italy, Railway Bridge

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Mission	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	2nd Lt Branson Pope	11	0	AM+	RTD	0
Co-Pilot	Capt Alexis Vaillancourt	19	0	AM++, PH+	RTD	0
Navigator / NT	2nd Lt Nash Norman	12	3	AM+	+RTD	2
Bombardier	2nd Lt Bill Fleming	10	0	AM+	RTD	1
Engineer	T/3rd Trevor Beasley	11	3	AM+	RTD	1
Radio Op	S/Sgt Bobby Gold	8	0	AM	RTD	0
Right Waist	Sgt Guy Longfellow	9	1	AM	RTD	0
Ball Turret	Sgt Phoenix Shelton	6	1	AM	RTD	1
Left Waist	Sgt Miller Rosales	7	1	AM	RTD	0
Tail Gunner	Sgt Dane Zamora	9	2	AM	RTD	1
Crew Chief	T/Sgt Virgil Vang	16			Skill +1

Bomb Run: On Target, 30 %

Casualties: None

Peckham Points: 14 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) Day(s) to Repair and refit

Damage:

Total	14
Superficial X2	4
Right Wing Flap Out	10

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft:

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Fw-190	2	0	2	0	0	0
Me-410	1	0	1	0	0	0

Claims: None

Awards:
Air Medal
2Lt Bill Fleming, 2nd Award

Purple Heart : None

Promotions: None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
I am still getting used to my role as Squadron Exec. It is true, what they say: Paperwork is the grease that makes the Army run.

Flying my second mission as Exec, I was able, for the first time, to watch the performance of the squadron. I took my position at the back of the squadron, just in front of Alley Oop in the tail position. From there I could observe, and command (if necessary).

For this mission I had Lt Pope take the left seat. This would allow me to observe his flying skills, which were not in doubt, as well as keep an eye on the squadron.

The S-2 predictions for the missions were pretty spot on. We saw no enemy fighters until after the target, and flak was indeed heavy at the target.

Delta Rebel reported taking flak hits severe enough to leave formation.

Weather conditions were also accurate, with 10/10 cloud cover for 80% of the mission, including back at Giulia. Despite, or in spite of, the heavy cloud cover, Lt Fleming put 30% on target, keeping his bombing average above 40%.

Making our hard left turn from the target, and heading to the RP, we saw our first enemy fighters. Without escort, the crew proved their worth as aerial gunners. We were attacked by a pair of FW-190s and an ME-410. We shot down none of them but hit all three.

Through the hail of .50 caliber rounds, one of the 190s managed to get a few hits on us. The most damaging hit was the knocking out of the right flap. The most alarming hit was the shell that passed through the nose, missing both LTs Norman and Fleming. LT Norman was heard mumbling something about laundry, a little while later.

One of our rookie pilots drifted out of formation during this melee and clipped the tail of Alley Oop. (I may have to fly with the errant pilot next mission.)

Back out over the Adriatic, Palpatatin’ Pam reported loss of heat, and was dropping to warmer air.

The return flight was quiet, except for the whistling through the new holes in the nose. With no landmarks to guide us over the cloud covered Sea, we (silently) hoped the Group lead’s navigation was on par.

We eventually reached Giulia. I had LT Pope circle the area until our last Squadron plane landed.

Now, on to intercept LTs Dyck and Cuddy, from Alley Oop.

Submitted by,
Capt Alexis Vaillancourt, Pilot
B-24J Gravel Gertie
78th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF

[ChefEd]

B-24J Naughty Nanette
B-24J-15-CF-42-64366
Squadron: 78th Bomber Squadron, 509th (H) Bombardment Group
Squadron Position: Low
Aircraft Position: Middle
Mission Date: 23 MAY 1944
Mission Number: 35
This Aircraft: 1
Target: Ebreichsdorf, Germany, Aircraft Factory

Crew

Position	Rank / Name	Missions	Kills	Awards	Status	Stress
Pilot	1st Lt Thiago Maurin	4	0	0	0	1
Co-Pilot	Capt Alexis Vaillancourt	20	0	AM+++, PH+	RTD	0
Navigator	2nd Lt Solomon Villanueva	5	2.33	AM	0	0
Bombardier	2nd Lt Cayson Cain	5	0	AM	0	0
Engineer	T/Sgt Robert Bryan	4	2	0	0	0
Radio Op	Sgt Hector Rojas	5	0.5	AM	0	0
Right Waist	T/3rd Trenton Yates	4	0.5	0	0	0
Ball Turret	S/Sgt Rohan Copeland	3	1.5	0	0	0
Left Waist	T/4th Griffin Shields	4	2	0	0	1
Tail Gunner	T/4th Azrael McMillan	3	0.5	0	0	1
Co-Pilot/NT	2nd Lt Emmanuel McGowen	4	0	0	Supercargo	0
Crew Chief	S/Sgt Nigel Heuston	7			Skill +0

Bomb Run: On Target, 30 %

Casualties: None

Peckham Points: 34 Peckham Points, One ( 1 ) Day(s) to Repair and refit

Damage:

Total	34
Superficial X7	14
Bomb Controls	10
Pilot O2	10

Landing: Safe

Enemy Aircraft:

Type	Encountered	Driven Off	Damaged	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Me-109	18	4	3	6	5.5	0
Fw-190	7	1	3	2	0	0
Me-110	3	1	1	1	1	0
Me-210(Hu)	2	1	0	1	0.5	0

Claims:

Position	Claimed	Awarded	Probable
Top	4	1.5	0
Co-Pilot/NT	4	2	0
Tail	1	1	0
Ball	1	1	0
Right Waist	1	1	0
Left Waist	1	0.5	0

Awards:
Air Medal
Capt Alexis Vaillancourt, 4th Award
2Lt Solomon Villanueva, 1st Award
2Lt Cayson Cain, 1st Award
Sgt Hector Rojas, 1st Award

Purple Heart
None

Promotions:
None

AFTER ACTION REPORT
When the 4x4 dropped me off at the pad for Naughty Nanette the crew were already assembled.. I was flying with them today because, in mid-flight, they clipped the tail of Alley Oop. This was purely an observation of the functioning of the crew. ”I hope this isn’t on my account.” Lt Maurin replied, “Yes and no, sir.” “Very well, lets get to it.” Each member of the crew went about their business doing their preflight checks. The ground crew were wrapping up their tasks, including fueling, panel checks, tire checks, and final safety check of our bomb load.

Start up , taxiing, and take off went smoothly. Lt Maurin commented that the crew chief, S/Sgt Heuston, was seen hovering over his crew like a mother hen when they were doing their last checks. “Sorry to put everyone to such bother, on my account.” “No bother, sir.” “You can call me Alex when we are flying.” “Yes, sir, … er, Alex.”

Capt Alexis Vaillancourt

---

As the squadron formed up, we took our assigned position (at Capt Vaillancourt's request) at the back of the squadron, just in front of the TEC.

The skies were clear of enemy aircraft and flak until we hit Hungary. It felt like we kicked the hornets’ nest.

We were first greeted by an FW-190 with a Hungarian ME-210. The 210 at 12 o’clock was driven off by our escorts, while the FW came diving from straight above. T/Sgt Bryan, in the top turret clipped the FW in the nose and sent it on its way.

On the heels of the first pair of fighters, came another FW-190 in a vertical dive and another Hungarian ME-210 at 12. T/Sgt Bryan shot down the 190, with a chute observed. 2Lt McGowen, manning the nose turret, downed the 210, with two chutes seen.

We were another 30 minutes in when a trio of FW-190s attacked. Escorts drove off one at 3 o’clock. The remaining pair both came in from 12. T/Sgt Bryan shot down one of the 190s, for his second, but without any credit. The remaining 190 was clipped by Lt McGowen. As it passed behind us, by T/4 McMillan, in the tail, hit its engine, causing it to leave a dark trail of smoke behind it as it flew off.

Shortly after the last 190 flew off, trailing smoke, rockets streaked through the formation. We took a superficial clip to the left wing.

Passing the IP a threesome of BF-110s attacked. Escorts drove off two. Lt McGowen clipped the remaining 110 in the wing, but not downing it. As it passed, T/4 McMillan got another nose hit. The plane turned over and headed to the ground. One chute was seen.

Immediately following the 110s an FW and a pair of 109s attacked. Escorts drove off one of the BFs. Lt McGowen shattered the cockpit of the 190 but got no credit for the kill. T/Sgt Bryan finally got a credit when he downed his third enemy fighter of the mission. The pilot was seen bailing out.

Flak looked like a black carpet. Heavy as advertised, but offline, missing us by a wide margin.

Lt Cain got a good bead on the target, dropping 30% inside the bull’s eye.

The enemy fighters weren’t done with us, yet.

Pulling left toward the RP, a pair of 109s lined up for an attack. Both were driven off by our escorts.

While most of our escorts were busy with the first two 109s, five more attacked. We didn’t have enough guns to bear. One BF was driven off by escorts. One BF was shot down by Lt McGowen, shattering its cockpit, killing the pilot. T/Sgt Bryan and T/3 Yates shot down a BF at 3 o’clock, with T/3 Yates getting half a kill.

T/4 McMillan’s guns jammed, in the tail. Most unfortunate. That was the only enemy fighter to cause any direct damage. He knocked out my O2, and left a lot of holes for the tin smiths to patch.

The last enemy 109 was making a vertical dive but failed to hit us.

Clear of enemy fighters, I radioed I was dropping to thicker air.

T/4 McMillan spent the next 30 minutes attempting to clear his jammed .50s. He finally reported they were fully out of action.

We were about halfway through Yugoslavia when a quartet of BF-109s attacked. No escorts were to be seen at our altitude. With the tail guns out, and the 109 attacking from above, we had two enemy fighters we could not defend against. Of the remaining two enemy fighters, we completely missed them. We were fortunate as all four enemy fighters missed us, as well, and left empty handed.

As that quartet flew off a pair of FW-190s and a lone BF-109 attacked. We missed the 190 at 12, damaged the 190 at 1:30. Lt McGowen got another kill, shooting down the 109 at 12.

We had a short respite until we hit the Yugoslav coast. Four BF-109s attacked. Escorts were once again absent.

On their first pass T/3 Yates’ waist gun jammed, and T/Sgt Bryan damaged the 109 they were firing at. That 109 created more holes for the tin smiths and knocked out the Lt Cain’s bomb release controls. Finally getting some action, S/Sgt Copeland, in the ball, ripped up the right wing of one 109, causing the pilot to bail. We had another attack from above, but he missed. Lt McGowen clipped another 109, damaging it, and causing the enemy to miss us.

The first 109 came around for another attack from 9 o’clock high. T/4 Shields and T/Sgt Bryan shared in the victory by shearing its right wing, and shattering the cockpit, killing the pilot.

Back out over the Adriatic, T/3 Yates reported his jam was cleared.

Finally, back on the ground, the crew began calling Lt McGowen “Lt Wild Bill” for his shooting prowess, with four claims and two confirmed. This is not counting the number of enemy fighters he damaged without shooting down.

Once we were done with shutting down Nanette, exiting the plane and handing her over to the ground crew, Capt Vaillancourt came and shook my hand, and the hands of each crewman. He expressed his appreciation at the professionalism and capability of the whole crew. He said he would be privileged to fly with us again.

Submitted by,
1Lt Thiago Maurin, Pilot
B-24J Naughty Nanette
78th BS, 509th BG (H), 15th AF, USAAF