15th Army Air Forces; WWII
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Mission 742

HEADQUARTERS

82ND FIGHTER GROUP

Office of the Intelligence Officer

Apo 520

6 August 1944.

MISSION NO. 742    95th, 96th, 97th Squadrons                           Ploeseti area, Rumania.

NARRATIVE REPORT

  1. MISSION AND TARGET:  Fighter sweep of Ploesti area on return from Russian base at Poltava.
  2. AIRCRAFT AND CHRONOLOGY: 30 P-38’s took off at 0815 hours; 4 returned early (2 mechanical, 2 escort); 26 over target area at 1055 hours; 26 down at home base at 1335 hours.

 

Took Off

Early Returns

Over Target

Down

95th

13

3

10

10

 

96th

8

0

8

8

 

97th

9

1

8

8

 

30

4

26

26

 

  1. ROUTE: As briefed: Poltava to rendezvous at Kirovograd, 128 miles; to Tiraspel 170 miles; to Ploesti area, 225 miles; to Danube River bend, 174 miles; to home base, 407 miles. Total mileage: 1104 miles.
  2. RENDEVOUS, FORMATION, AND ASSAULT: 29 P-38’s made rendezvous with P-51’s at 0915 hours over Kirovograd at 8,000 feet. 97th Squadron was on the right with 95th on left and 96th pilots divided between the two. P-51’s were from 1,000 to 2,000 feet aboveP-38’s.
  3. RESULTS OF BOMBING:  None
  4. STRAFING: (a) Destroyed: 1 HE 111, 9 locomotives, 4 RR tank cars, 30  box cars, and a camouflaged B-17.

 Damaged: 10 “dead” locomotives, also miscellaneous RR tank cars and rolling stock.

                                (b) Individual Results:

 

Locomotives

Miscellaneous

 

Destroyed           Damaged

Destroyed

Major Gardner

2                                      1

 

Lt. Hill

                                         1

 

Lt. Frost

2

 

Lt. Noel

1

 

Lt. Loehr

1

 

Lt. Col. Mason

2

 

Lt. Gordon

1

2 RR tank cars

Lt. Hood

 

2 RR tank cars

Misc. Pilots

 

30 box cars.

 

 

 

            This strafing was centered around the three railroad lines leading into Craiova. Where no individual credit is given, the strafing damage was accomplished by more than one pilot.

  1. A B-17 camouflaged under nets in wheat field 3 miles north of Bala (4425-2410) was strafed and set on fire.
  2. One HE 111K strafed and destroyed on grass field near Craiova by Lt. Frost of 96th Squadron.

7.ENEMY AERIAL ACTIVITY: None

8.FLAK:  IAH at front lines. MIH at Barlad. SIH from Ploesti area. Other sporadic flak en route. Much of the flak was coming up through clouds – obviously radar directed.

9. SIGNIFICANT OBSERVATIONS: Stringy smoke screen just starting at Ploesti as our formation arrived.

10.WEATHER: 6/10 at 15,000 feet from front lines to Ploesti; 3/10 at 15,000 feet west of Ploesti. 7/10 to 8/10 over Yugoslavia with local showers.

11. AIR SEA RESCUE: None.

12. RADIO SECRUITY: Satisfactory.

13.FRIENDLY A/C IN TROUBLE:  None.

14.E/A DESTROYED BY OTHER GROUPS: None.

15.VICTORIES AND LOSSES:

            Victories – None.

            Losses – 2 P-38’s slightly damaged by flak.

16. SORTIES: Twenty-six (26) effective sorties.

17.FORMATION AND FLIGHT LEADERS: 97th & 96th: Lt. Col. Mason (formation leader), Lts. Hood, Carper, and Loehr. 95th: Major Gardner, Lts. Pape, Cavanaugh, and Harman.

18.COMMENTS:      Lt. Pape completed  50th mission.

                                    Very noticeable hum in radio just before planes reached front lines; possibly from enemy ardar picking up formation.

19.CORRECTIONS TO TELEPHONIC REPORT  (a) Target time 5 minutes earlier. (b) One HE 111K destroyed on ground (see Paragraph #6).

/s/ David Weld,

/t/ DAVID WELD,

Major, Air Corps,

Intelligence Officer.

 

                                   

           

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