No.102  07/06/44   BERCK A/F

Briefing was at 0430 hours. The assigned target was the airfield at Berck, France. This is located near the coast south of Boulogne and 10 miles north of the Somme River. Weapons were 500 lb. GP bombs and take off started at 0650 hours. While departing the English coast, the bombing altitude of 24,000 feet was reached. The mission was uneventful with bombing results rated as "fair". Landing started at 1050 hours without a loss.

No.103  07/06/44   SOUTRECOURT

Briefing was at 1500 houors. The target was in the Pas de Calais again. Take off started at 1725 hours. The lead Bombardier lost the target during evasive action and due to haze in the area. The Group returned home with their bombs and started landing at 2010 hours with no losses.

No.104  07/07/44   MERSEBERG

Briefing was at 0220 hours and the target was an oil refinery at Merseberg. This was a strategic mission designed to keep as many Luftwaffe fighters as possible deep in Germany away from the invasion area. It would also deliver a blow to the German petroleum plants. Weapons were 100 lb. GP bombs. Take off started at 0450 hours and reached the bombing altitude of 25,000 feet over the Rhine River. At the target heavy flak was encountered, but there were no losses. Bombing results were rated as "good" and the Group started landing at 1250 hours.

No.105  07/08/44   ST. ANDRE DE L'EURE / NOGENT M/Y

Briefing was at 0130 hours. The 447th was split between two Groups on this mission. Lt. Leavitt's crew led the high group of the 4B Combat Wing. J.G. Brown's crew led the low group of the 13C Combat Wing. Both groups were assigned tactical targets in France. The weapons were 1,000 lb. and 2,000 lb. GP bombs. Take off started at 0400 hours and both groups reached their bombing altitudes of 19,700 feet and 18,000 feet. The weather was poor. The high group attacked the airfield at St. Andre de L"Eure, 30 miles west of Paris. The low group attacked the railroad marshalling yards at Nogent. Results of both missions were rated as "good". Landing started at 0850 hours.

No.106  07/11/44   MUNICH

Briefing started at 0500 hours. The target was a BMW plant at Munich. This was a a strategic target designed to destroy military targets in Munich and keep the Luftwaffe away from the invasion area. Weapons were 75 1,000 lb., 100 250 lb. GP bombs, and 735 100 lb. incendiary bombs. Take off started at 0740 hours. The bombing altitude of 26,000 feet was reached as the Group crossed the Dutch coast at the mouth of the Rhine River. Lt. Altman of the 710th Squadron encountered problems as he approached the target. He left the formation and made his way to Switzerland where he landed safely. Lt. Jacobs' plane of the 710th Squadron was damaged at the target area. He also left the formation and headed towards Switzerland with fighter escort. The formations were not bothered by Luftwaffe fighters. Landing started at 1630 hours.

No.107  07/12/44   MUNICH

Briefing was at 0700 hours. The target was again Munich. Weapons were 500 lb. GP bombs and Incendiary bombs. Take off started at 0830 hours and the bombing altitude of 25,000 feet was reached at the mouth of the Rhine River. The target was cloud covered and Flak was heavy. The 447th returned with no losses and landing started at 1720 hours.

No.108  07/13/44   MUNICH

Briefing was at 0330 hours. The target was again Munich. The bomb load was 500 lb. GP and Incendiary bombs. Take off started at 0550 hours. The bombing altitude of 25,000 feet was reached as the Group reached the mouth of the Rhine River. Luftwaffe fighters were  encountered and Lt. R.D. Hilding of the 709th Squadron was hit. He was last seen loosing altitude and escorted to the ground by P-51s. The target was again cloud covered so PFF equipment was used for the attack. Landing started at 1400 hours with Lt. Hawkins firing red flares indicating wounded aboard.

No.109  07/14/44   AREA 10, CADILLAC

Briefing was at 0200 hours. The target was a drop of 452 canisters of equipment and supplies to the Maquis named Operation Cadillac (Area 10) in Southern France. Take off started at 0330 hours. The 447th joined the Division at the south coast of England climbing to 15,000 feet to get over the combat line. They then dropped to an altitude of 1,500 feet to make the drop. The B-17s lowered their undercarriage to restrict their speed while releasing their canisters. On the return. Lt. Hyder had difficulty and landed on the invasion beach in France. The entire crew survived, were picked up, and made operational again. Landing started at 1310 hours.

No.110  07/16/44   STUTTGART

Briefing was at 0330 hours. Munich was again the target. Weapons were 500 lb. GP bombs and take off started at 0550 hours. The bombing altitude of 25,000 feet was reached as the Group crossed the Dutch coast at the mouth of the Rhine River. The inbound trip was uneventful but newly organized Scouting Forces relayed that the target was cloud covered. The decision was made to attack the secondary target, Stuttgart. Flak was heavy but there were no losses. Lt. Barrett bombed Heilsbron and Lt. Helms bombed Lunneville as targets of opportunity. This was the first mission for the Scouting Forces which were P-51's flown by former lead bombers.

No.111  07/18/44   CUXHAVEN

Briefing was at 0200 hours. The target were oil targets in the Kiel, Germany area on the Baltic side of the Danish peninsula. The weapons were 500 lb. GP bombs and take off started at 0430 hours. As the Group reached the German coast, the bombing altitude of 24,000 feet was reached. Scouting Forces relayed that the target was cloud covered, so a decision was made to attack a coastal target at Cuxhaven on the north side of the Danish peninsula. There were no losses and landing started at 1100 hours.

No.112  07/19/44   EBERBACH

Briefing was at 0330 hours. The target was Eberbach an industrial target east of Mannheim. The planes were loaded with 500 lb. GP bombs and take off started at 0530 hours. The bombing altitude of 24,000 feet was reached as the Group crossed the French coast. There was heavy flak at the target and bombs were dropped with "fair" results. Landing started at 1240 hours.

No.113  07/20/44   MERSEBURG

Briefing was at 0430 hours. The target was the Leuna synthetic oil refinery at Merseburg. The aircraft were loaded with 380 tons of 500 lb. GP bombs. Take off started at 0650 hours. Lt. Farson took off in A/C #624 and had a malfunction. His crew moved to A/C #185, took off, and caught the formation completing the mission. When the group reached the Dutch coast they were at the bombing altitude of 25,000 feet. At the target flak was very heavy. During the bomb run, Lt. G.H. Miller's ship was hit and went down. Bombing was visual and rated as "fair". Landing started at 1430 hours.

No.114  07/21/44   REGENSBURG

Briefing was at 0300 hours. The target was to be a Messerschmitt aircraft plant at Regensburg in Southern Germany. One Group was to fly in the high position in the 4A Combat Wing. Another Group was to fly in the high position in the 4B Combat Wing. The planes were loaded with 500 lb. GP and incendiary bombs. Take off started at 0550 hours and the bombing altitude of 25,500 feet was reached as the Group's crossed the French coast. One Group bombed the target Obertraubling and the other Group bombed Prufening in the Regensburg area. Flak was very heavy but the targets were clear so bombing results were rated "excellent". Landing started at 1420 hours with no losses.

No.115  07/24/44   ST. LO AREA

Briefing was at 0700 hours. The code name given to this mission was, COBRA. The mission was designed by the ground generals based on how aircraft were used in WWI. The First Army wanted to blast the German forces in the Peteirs/St. Lo area, then make an assault before the Germans could recover. The Group was to bomb just ahead of the ground troops. 100 lb. GP and fragmentation bombs were loaded into the aircraft. Take off started at 0930 hours and the bombing altitude of 16,000 feet was reached as the Group crossed Normandy Beach. The target are was covered by a haze so an order was given not to drop bombs. A few Groups did. A little less than one third of the dispatched 1,586 heavy bombers released their bombs.

No.116  07/25/44   ST. LO AREA

Briefing was at 0530 hours. The same mission was scheduled as the day before. The weapons were 529-100 lb. fragmentation and 1,134-100 lb. GP bombs. Take off started at 0750 hours and the bombing altitude of 16,000 feet was reached as the Group crossed the coast and battle area. Before the heavies arrived, the fighter bombers started the bombing followed by the medium bombers. To improve visibility the heavies dropped to an altitude of 13,000 feet. Despite all the planning, some bombers dropped their short of the intended target. Approximately 200 ground forces and one correspondent were killed. The heavies were just not precise enough bombing from an altitude of 13,000 feet. Landing started at 1245 hours.

No.117  07/27/44   OSTEND

Briefing was at 0130 hours. The target was the coastal batteries at Ostend on the south Belgian coast. Take off started at 0409 hours. As the Group approached the Belgian coast they found the target cloud covered. The Group returned with their bombs and landing started at 0831 hours.