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HEADQUARTERS 304TH BOMB WING (HV) A-2 SECTION APO 520 16 April 1944
BOMBARDIER'S TARGET GUIDE
GENERAL STATEMENT:
This Bombardier's Target Guide has been compiled and produced by the A-2 Photo Intelligence Section, 304th Bomb Wing, principally for the use of the bombardier. Its contents are classified as SECRET. It is proposed that the Group and is to be guarded in the same manner as other SECRET material. Only for own use. The bombardier is strictly accountable for it, and for the security of its content. Of course, it is not to be taken into the air.
It is designed to fill an important need in the perfecting of bomb team, a method of increasing the absolute knowledge of the target he is going to hit. It is not only to be used in conjunction with the scheduled bombardier training, provided in the time for constant study and reference by the bombardier on his own time, so that familiarity with each target can be developed. Personal interest centered in a theater of operations is to put bombs on specific objectives for the purpose proper and at the earliest possible time must make him willing to use his will to use this Guide and his complete weapon system, working and living with its contents will be more than justified.
PURPOSE AND METHOD OF BOMBARDIER'S TARGET GUIDE:
Precision bombing of pinpoint targets can destroy the will and ability of any enemy to resist. This type of bombing, the specialty of the U.S. Army Air Force, can accomplish a maximum result on the defensive position of the enemy with a minimum area with a minimum effort and at a minimum cost. It is our aim to destroy enemy fighting installations at the most vulnerable and vital points, getting the enemy where it can do the most good. But one must be able to hit the vulnerable points. In order to help achieve this objective this "Bombardier's Target Guide" is submitted as a visual aid to the bombardier, so that a more accurate bombing can have both political and military advantages. More accurate sighting yields maximum effective destruction with a minimum of lost aircraft. It serves as a graphic paper for our air power, and explains to the people whom we would like to understand it, the growing power of the United States Army Air Force. It is the best propaganda we can put out to make them understand that they can't win.
From our experience in actual combat it has been found that bombing accuracy in a theater of operations is effected primarily by the bombardier's knowledge of and familiarity with the target and surrounding terrain. The bombardier comes to the theater well trained. The bombardier may specialize in concentrated or the operation of the bomb sight and bombardier's equipment features of bombing will maintain his position as an operator by necessity of close team work with his pilot and navigator. But especially if he is new to the theater, he has been weak in knowing his target and its features.
At the present stage of the battle on the European Continent, this weakness assumes greater importance than in the past. Deeper penetrations into enemy territory are being made. Our strategic targets are now in the heart of the German Fortress Europe. The targets themselves are individually of increased importance. The consequences of knocking them out are proportionately more grave for the enemy. By the same token, the consequences of missing the targets are more grave for us. A target is missed the point blank system have to be destroyed; if we miss them, for any reason whatsoever, we have to go back and do the job properly. No bombardier wants to be responsible for taking his comrades back for a second time, risking their lives, just because he missed the first time. In addition neither the enemy opportunistic nor good bombing day offers increasing difficulty. Therefore, it is up to the bombardier to make as positive as he can his ability to find and identify his target, and place the cross hairs of his bombsight squarely across the briefed aiming point. No greater contribution than this can be made to the successful operation of this Air Force and the Allied war effort.
This guide is necessarily limited to immediate target areas, and to some extent by the availability of photo coverage. For additional attack data beyond that, landmarks for check points, adequate material is available, through briefing, and various scales. Charts, charts and approach maps should be obtained from P-2. More photos, strips and mosaics are being produced daily and are available as received by each squadron.
The material in this Target Guide has been set up to give, whenever possible, some factual data on each target, and it is important, and how it fits into the military picture. A small scale photograph is presented to give a general view of approach, and a large scale one and perhaps a diagram to permit detailed study.
In order to get this material into the bombardier's hands as speedily as possible it is presented in a loose leaf form, with just a few targets. From time to time targets will be added and the bombardier can easily place them in his folder in the proper sequence.
To the bombardier for whom this material has been gathered together we say: we hope that you will successfully bomb and wipe out objectives of bombing your individual targets. Make full use of the 1:250,000 and 1:500,000 and other maps, charts, flak data, your own IP's, axes of attack, vulnerable points, intervalometer settings and other details of bombing in regard to each target, as they are given to you are called into the briefing room and the target is known, the picture will be a permanent part of you until each job has been done successfully. Don't wait for a target to be assigned. Get to know all the targets you are likely to come. Know these targets as well as you know your own home. The day may come when you could do the job even if you didn't have a piece of target material up there in the nose of your ship. It will not only make you better at the target, but also it will give you confidence for the whole mission.
Considerable thought, work, and effort have been put into this presentation - if it can render unnecessary just one return trip into enemy territory, if it can help one bombardier to put his bombs squarely on a target that otherwise might have been missed, it will have justified itself.
HEADQUARTERS 304TH BOMB WING (HV) A-2 SECTION APO 520 16 April 1944
SUBJECT: Bombardier's Target Guide.
TO: S-2, 454th Bomb Group (HV). S-2, 455th Bomb Group (HV). S-2, 456th Bomb Group (HV). S-2, 459th Bomb Group (HV).
Forwarded herewith is the first copy of "BIG SHOTS - LIFE'S GUIDE", which the A-2 Photo Intelligence Section has compiled and produced for the use of the bombardiers of this Wing. The introduction explains fully its purpose and use.
Due to limited production facilities, it is possible to produce only five copies of the GUIDE for each Group, the other four of which are being forwarded under separate cover, and are intended for distribution to the lead bombardier of each squadron. This first copy is intended for the Intelligence Officer, for his own use. As this GUIDE is suitable for all operating bombardiers, the Group Commander may designate such additional copies can be produced by each Group. It is suggested that each bombardier in the Group be provided with a copy for his own use, the object in mind when the GUIDE was planned.
To facilitate reproduction, the negatives from which these prints have been made are available at the Wing A-2 Section (P. I.) and will be loaned out to each Group on their request. Procedure for obtaining the use of these negatives for reproduction in the Group photo laboratory is to submit requests will be granted in order of receipt. A Group S-2 Officer will compete in the matter of responsibility for the negatives, speaking for them as he would for a secret document, and will be responsible for their return, as well as for their security as long as they are in the hands of the Group. They will be returned within forty-eight hours. All or part of the possible enumerated angles of delay will be available, and every effort will be made to facilitate the prompt return to the next source, so that a minimum of delay need be experienced by any one Group desiring these prints made from these negatives are to be immediately distributed to bombardiers and entered into a binder similar to this master copy as these negatives furnish an index of possible future aid; they are to be regarded as most SECRET, and that fact is impressed on all those who handle them, which number should be strictly limited. No prints are to be left loose, and the guides themselves are to be kept in a secure place along with other intelligence with presenting regulations for safeguarding secret documents. It is also suggested that some place of safe-keeping, such as the squadron orderly room, where there is continuously maintained duty personnel and where a lock-box or safe is available for the bombardiers' use, be designated as the place of safekeeping for all the GUIDES in a squadron. Security arrangements should be such as to facilitate prompt hand exhibit to frequent use of the BOMBARDIER'S TARGET GUIDE.
The Wing A-2 Photo Intelligence Section will continue to produce new target material for insertion into the GUIDE. Some of the pictures now contained therein become obsolete because of the successful completion of mission involved, or for other reasons, and should be removed and destroyed. To make sure that target material is not destroyed before its usefulness is passed, the Wing A-2 Section will send out official notification periodically to the Group S-2s as to when a specific picture is obsolete, and may be removed and destroyed.
Many of these pictures are suitable target material for use in the aircraft on missions. The photos in the GUIDE are not to be removed for that purpose, as an adequate number of additional prints will be furnished each Group for use on missions.
Comments on this BOMBARDIER'S TARGET GUIDE and suggestions for the improvement of the type and presentation of material contained therein will materially aid the Wing A-2 Section in the production of future target material. The Wing A-2 Section hopes to hear from each Group, and especially from the bombardiers, plans for editing its usefulness and how, for future material can help in turning out target identifiers guides which they will find useful.
It is hoped that this GUIDE will be received by the Group Bombardiers as it is intended, as aid to increasing their ability to identify their targets, to lead the Group thoroughly through any fog blinds or flat views, to the point that every objective can be readily identified when that one critical moment comes when the cross hairs of the bomb sight must be lined up with the aiming point with unerring accuracy.
H. V. WILLIAMS, JR., Lt. Col., Air Corps, A-2.
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