B-17: Queen of the Skies
400th Bomb Squadron, 400th Bomb Group (H)
October 7, 1944

Composite Mission Record

#

Plane

City

Bomb Run %

Plane Damage

Pilot

Co-Pilot

Bombardier

Navigator

Engineer

Radio Operator

Ball Turret

Port Waist

Stbd. Waist

Tail Gunner

1

Croix de Guerre

Rotterdam

30

50

Richard

Valentine

Kelin

Smith

O'Brien Me-109 (1)

Ryan Fw-190 (1)

Boone

Roxborough

Pomeroy

Rocca Me-109 (1)

2

Croix de Guerre

Paris

40

469

Richard

Valentine (KIA)

Kelin (KIA)

Smith Me-109 (1) (LW)

O'Brien Fw-190 (1)

Ryan Fw-190 (1) (KIA)

Boone Me-110 (1) Fw-190 (1)

Roxborough (Invalid)

Pomeroy Me-109 (1) (DOW)

Rocca Me-109 (1)

3

Cross of Lorraine

Hamm

0

268

Richard (LW)

Pauley (Invalid)

Krause (KIA)

Smith Fw-190 (1) (KIA)

O'Brien Me-109 (1) Fw-190 (1) (KIA)

Nishida (KIA)

Boone (KIA)

Arsenault (LW)

Martinez (LW)

Rocca (KIA)

4

Lead Magnet

Lorient

30

57

Richard

Foss

Hastings

Kohl

Bong

Curtin

Keane Me-109 (1)

Arsenault

Martinez

Campanella

5

Lead Magnet

Rouen

10

0

Richard

Foss

Hastings

Kohl

Bong

Curtin Me-109 (1)

Keane

Arsenault

Martinez

Campanella

6

Lead Magnet

La Rochelle

abort

114

Richard

Foss

Hastings (LW)

Kohl (Invalid)

Bong Me-109 (1)

Curtin

Keane Me-110 (1)

Arsenault

Martinez

Campanella

7

Lead Magnet

Romilly - S.S.

30

5

Richard

Foss

Hastings

Zylstra

Bong

Curtin

Keane

Arsenault

Martinez Me-109 (1)

Campanella Fw-190 (1) Me-110 (1)

8

Lead Magnet

Braunschweig

abort

279

Richard (LW)

Foss

Hastings (Invalid)

Zylstra (KIA)

Bong Me-109 (1)

Curtin (LW)

Keane

Arsenault

Martinez

Campanella Me-109 (1) Me-110 (2) (LW)

9

Lead Magnet

St Omer

30

0

Richard

Foss

Norman

Steckel

Bong

Curtin

Keane

Arsenault

Martinez

Campanella

10

Lead Magnet

Hamm

20

206

Richard (DOW)

Foss

Norman Me-109 (2)

Steckel

Bong (LW)

Curtin Me-109 (½)

Keane Fw-190 (1)

Arsenault Me-109 (1)

Martinez

Campanella Me-109 (½) Me-110 (1) Fw-190 (2)

11

Lead Magnet

Bremen

abort

45

Foss

Rockford

Norman

Steckel

Bong Fw-190 (½)

Curtin

Keane

Arsenault

Martinez

Campanella Fw-190 (½)

12

Lead Magnet

Lille

0

51

Foss

Rockford

Norman

Steckel

Bong

Curtin

Keane Me-110 (1)

Arsenault

Martinez

Campanella

13

Lead Magnet

Vegesack

30

118

Foss

Rockford

Norman

Steckel Me-110 (1)

Bong

Curtin (Invalid)

Keane Me-109 (1)

Arsenault

Martinez

Campanella Fw-190 (1)

14

Lead Magnet

Paris

10

239

Foss

Rockford

Norman Fw-190 (1) (Invalid)

Steckel

Bong

Chase

Keane

Arsenault

Martinez

Campanella

15

Lead Magnet

Rennes

40

15

Foss

Rockford

Madison

Steckel

Bong Me-109 (½)

Chase Fw-190 (1)

Keane Me-109 (1)

Arsenault Me-109 (1½)

Martinez

Campanella Me-109 (1) Fw-190 (1)

16

Lead Magnet

Lorient

30

62

Foss

Rockford

Madison

Steckel

Bong Me-109 (1)

Chase

Keane

Arsenault

Martinez

Campanella

17

Lead Magnet

Emden

30

97

Foss

Rockford (DOW)

Madison

Steckel

Bong

Chase

Keane

Arsenault (KIA)

Martinez (KIA)

Campanella Me-109 (1) Me-110 (1) Fw-190 (1)

18

Lead Magnet

Romilly - S.S.

30

0

Foss

Savalas

Madison

Steckel

Bong

Chase

Keane

Lopez

Spielberg

Campanella

19

Lead Magnet

Hamm

30

393

Foss (DOW)

Savalas (LW)

Madison (LW)

Steckel (KIA)

Bong (LW)

Chase (LW)

Keane (KIA)

Lopez (KIA)

Spielberg (LW)

Campanella (KIA)

20

Campy's Revenge

Amiens

30

0

Boyington

Savalas

Madison

Ciccarelli

Bong

Chase

Silvestre

Pachuco

Spielberg

Mantle

21

Campy's Revenge

Kassel

20

99

Boyington

Savalas

Madison

Ciccarelli (LW)

Bong

Chase

Silvestre

Pachuco

Spielberg (LW)

Mantle (SW)

22

Campy's Revenge

La Rochelle

30

138

Boyington

Savalas

Madison

Ciccarelli

Bong (LW)

Chase

Silvestre

Pachuco (KIA)

Spielberg (LW)

Mantle (LW)

23

Campy's Revenge

Antwerp

0

169

Boyington (LW)

Savalas (LW)

Madison

Ciccarelli

Bong Me-109 (2)

Chase (LW)

Silvestre

Gonzalez (LW)

Spielberg

Mantle

24

Campy's Revenge

Bonn

0

25

Boyington (POW)

Savalas (POW)

Madison Me-109 (1) (POW)

Ciccarelli (POW)

Bong Ju-88 (1) (POW)

Chase (POW)

Silvestre (POW)

Gonzalez (POW)

Spielberg (POW)

Mantle (POW)

25

Little Wahine

Rotterdam

5

82

Orrick

Malden

Two Rivers (KIA)

Antoski

Marshall Me-109 (1)

Radner (LW)

Cantona

Sanchez

Huston

Lezcano

26

Little Wahine

St. Omer

0

n/a

Orrick (KIA)

Malden (KIA)

Ashwaubenon (KIA)

Antoski (KIA)

Marshall (KIA)

Radner (KIA)

Cantona (KIA)

Sanchez (KIA)

Huston (KIA)

Lezcano (KIA)

27

Dammit Janet

Rouen

0

1

Popeil

Mannix

Seymour

Hunter

Anthem Me-109 (1)

Shearer

Howard

Arellano

Ford

Money

28

Dammit Janet

Liege

0

83

Popeil (KIA)

Mannix (LW)

Seymour

Hunter

Anthem

Shearer

Howard Me-110 (1)

Arellano

Ford

Money

29

Dammit Janet

St. Omer

5

83

Foreman

Mannix

Seymour

Hunter (Invalid)

Anthem

Shearer

Howard

Arellano

Ford

Money

30

Dammit Janet

Berlin

0

134

Foreman (Invalid)

Mannix

Seymour

Berube FW-190 (1)

Anthem Me-109 (2)

Shearer

Howard

Arellano

Ford

Money Me-109 (1) FW-190 (1)

31

Dammit Janet

Reims

20

47

Norton

Mannix

Seymour

Berube

Anthem

Shearer

Howard Me-110 (2) FW-190 (1)

Arellano

Ford (LW)

Money FW-190 (1)

32

Dammit Janet

Paris

abort

47

Norton

Mannix (LW)

Seymour

Berube (Invalid)

Anthem

Shearer

Howard

Arellano

Ford

Money

33

Dammit Janet

Metz

30

46

Norton

Mannix

Seymour

Howe

Anthem Me-109 (3)

Shearer

Howard Me-109 (1) FW-190 (1)

Arellano

Ford

Money Me-110(1)

34

Dammit Janet

Vegesack

30

66

Norton (SW)

Mannix

Seymour

Howe

Anthem

Shearer

Howard Me-109 (½) Me-110 (½)

Arellano FW-190 (1)

Ford Me-109 (½)

Money Me-110 (½) FW-190 (1)

35

Dammit Janet

Rouen

0

0

Norton

Mannix

Seymour

Howe

Anthem

Shearer

Howard

Arellano

Ford

Money

36

Dammit Janet

Saarbrucken

40

0

Norton

Mannix

Seymour

Howe

Anthem Me-109 (1) FW-190 (1)

Shearer

Howard Me-110 (1)

Arellano

Ford

Money

37

Dammit Janet

Paris

40

127

Norton

Mannix

Seymour

Howe Me-110 (1) (KIA)

Anthem

Shearer (frost)

Howard FW-190 (1)

Arellano

Ford (KIA)

Money Me-109 (1) FW-190 (2)

38

Dammit Janet

Schweinfurt

40

57

Norton

Mannix

Seymour FW-190 (1)

Roy

Anthem Me-109 (1)

Shearer

Howard Me-109 (2)

Arellano

Peckinpah

Money Me-109 (1) Me-110 (1)

39

Dammit Janet

Cherbourg

30

15

Norton

Mannix

Seymour

Roy

Anthem

Shearer

Howard Me-110 (1)

Arellano

Peckinpah

Money

40

Dammit Janet

Rennes

30

0

Norton

Mannix

Seymour

Roy

Anthem Me-109 (½)

Shearer

Howard Me-109 (½)

Arellano

Peckinpah

Money

41

Dammit Janet

Amiens

5

57

Norton

Mannix

Seymour Me-109 (1) (LW)

Roy

Anthem Me-109 (1) FW-190 (1)

Shearer

Howard

Arellano

Peckinpah

Money Me-109 (1)

42

Dammit Janet

Romilly - S.S.

30

5

Norton

Mannix

Seymour

Roy

Anthem FW-190 (1)

Shearer

Howard

Arellano

Peckinpah

Money Me-109 (1)

43

Dammit Janet

Abbeville

60

208

Norton

Mannix (LW)

Seymour Me-109 (1)

Roy

Anthem Me-109 (3) Me-110 (1)

Shearer (LW)

Howard

Arellano (KIA)

Peckinpah (LW)

Money (Invalid)

44

Dammit Janet

Reims

abort

10

Norton

Mannix

Seymour

Roy

Anthem Me-109 (1)

Shearer

Howard

Rincon

Peckinpah

Yount

45

Dammit Janet

Normandy

0

10

Norton

Mannix

Seymour

Roy

Anthem

Shearer

Howard

Rincon

Peckinpah

Yount

46

Dammit Janet

Frankfurt

40

0

Norton

Mannix

Seymour

Roy

Anthem

Shearer

Howard

Rincon

Peckinpah

Yount

47

Dammit Janet

Rotterdam

50

55

Norton (KIA)

Mannix (KIA)

Seymour (KIA)

Roy

Anthem FW-190 (1)

Shearer

Howard Me-109 (1)

Rincon

Peckinpah

Yount

48

Long Way Home

Orleans

50

0

Gleeson

Gunn

Stevens

Roy

Anthem FW-190 (1)

Shearer

Howard

Rincon

Peckinpah

Yount FW-190 (1)

49

Long Way Home

Pilsen

abort

255

Gleeson

Gunn

Stevens (KIA)

Roy

Anthem Me-109 (3)

Shearer

Howard Me-109 (1) Me-110 (2)

Rincon

Peckinpah Me-109 (1)

Yount Me-109 (3) Me-110 (1)

50

Long Way Home

Paris

30

25

Gleeson

Gunn

Green

Roy

Anthem FW-190 (1)

Shearer

Howard FW-190 (1)

Rincon

Peckinpah Me-109 (1)

Yount Me-109 (1) FW-190 (1)

51

Long Way Home

Friedrichshaven

abort

160

Gleeson

Gunn

Green (LW2)

Roy (KIA)

Anthem 25 Missions!

Shearer 25 Missions!

Howard (SW) 25 Missions!

Rincon

Peckinpah

Yount FW-190 (2)

52

Long Way Home

Liege

0

40

Gleeson

Gunn

Green

Siegfried

Anthem

Henry

Cahill

Rincon

Peckinpah (frost)

Yount

53

Long Way Home

Leipzig

abort

43

Gleeson (frost)

Gunn

Green

Siegfried

Anthem

Henry

Cahill

Rincon

Lang

Yount (SW)

54

Long Way Home

Munich

0

438

Gleeson (LW)(frost)

Gunn (frost)

Green (LW)

Siegfried (KIA)

Anthem Me-109 (2) (SW)

Henry

Cahill

Rincon

Lang

Yount Me-109 (1) FW-190 (1) (LW)

55

Slam Dunk

Cologne

20

20

Slate

Crockett

Green

Copperfield

Anthem

Henry

Cahill

Rincon Me-109 (1)

Lang

Yount Me-109 (1)

56

Slam Dunk

Mannheim

0

16

Slate (SW)

Crockett

Green

Copperfield

Anthem

Henry

Cahill

Rincon

Lang

Yount

57

Slam Dunk

Osnabruck

30

39

Spacely (LW)

Crockett (LW)

Green

Copperfield

Anthem Me-109 (1)

Henry

Cahill

Rincon

Lang

Yount

58

Slam Dunk

Stuttgart

40

10

Spacely

Crockett

Green

Copperfield

Anthem (KIA)

Henry

Cahill

Rincon

Lang

Yount

59

Slam Dunk

{city}

{bomb}

{damage}

Spacely

Crockett

Green

Copperfield

Prescott

Henry

Cahill

Rincon

Lang

Yount

#

Plane

City

Bomb Run %

Plane Damage

Pilot

Co-Pilot

Bombardier

Navigator

Engineer

Radio Operator

Ball Turret

Port Waist

Stbd. Waist

Tail Gunner

Personnel Record
Name	Rank	Position	Date of Assignment	Status	Missions	Kills	Awards
Richard	CPT	Pilot	1 Jan 43 - 23 Apr 43	DOW	10	0	Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart (3)
Foss	1LT	Co-Pilot Pilot	2 Feb 43 - 5 Jan 44	DOW	16	0	Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Promotion to 1LT (Pilot)
Boyington	CPT	Pilot	6 Jan 44 - 5 Feb 44	POW	5	0	Purple Heart, POW Medal
Orrick	1LT	Pilot	6 Feb 44 - 15 Feb 44	KIA	2	0	Purple Heart
Popeil	1LT	Pilot	16 Feb 44 - 1 Mar 44	KIA	1	0	Purple Heart
Foreman	1LT	Pilot	2 Mar 44 - 14 Mar 44	Invalid	2	0	Purple Heart
Norton	1LT	Pilot	15 Mar 44 - 21 Jun 44	KIA	17		Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart (2)
Gleeson	1LT	Pilot	21 Jun 44 - 1 Sep 44	Invalid	7		Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart (2)
Slate	1LT	Pilot	2 Sep 44 - 20 Sept 44	Invalid	2		Purple Heart
Spacely	1LT	Pilot	21 Sep 44 - Present		2		Air Medal
Valentine	1LT	Co-Pilot	1 Jan 43 - 14 Jan 43	KIA	2	0	Purple Heart
Pauley	1LT	Co-Pilot	15 Jan 43 - 1 Feb 43	Invalid	1	0	Purple Heart
Rockford	2LT	Co-Pilot	24 Apr 43 - 1 Dec 43	DOW	7	0	Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart
Savalas	2LT	Co-Pilot	2 Dec 43 - 5 Feb 44	POW	7	0	Purple Heart (2), POW Medal
Malden	2LT	Co-Pilot	6 Feb 44 - 15 Feb 44	KIA	2	0	Purple Heart
Mannix	2LT	Co-Pilot	16 Feb 44 - 20 Jun 44	KIA	21		Air Medal, Purple Heart (4)
Gunn	2LT	Co-Pilot	21 Jun 44 - 1 Sep 44	Invalid	7		Purple Heart
Crockett	2LT	Co-Pilot	2 Sep 44 - Present		4
Kelin	2LT	Bombardier	1 Jan 43 - 14 Jan 43	KIA	2	0	Silver Star, Purple Heart
Krause	2LT	Bombardier	15 Jan 43 - 1 Feb 43	KIA	1	0	Purple Heart
Hastings	2LT	Bombardier	2 Feb 43 - 4 Apr 43	Invalid	5	0	Purple Heart (2)
Norman	2LT	Bombardier	5 Apr 43 - 1 Nov 43	Invalid	6	3	Air Medal, Purple Heart
Madison	2LT	Bombardier	2 Nov 43 - 5 Feb 44	POW	10	2	Air Medal, Purple Heart (2), POW Medal
Two Rivers	2LT	Bombardier	6 Feb 44 - 12 Feb 44	KIA	1	0	Purple Heart
Ashwaubenon	2LT	Bombardier	13 Feb 44 - 15 Feb 44	KIA	1	0	Purple Heart
Seymour	1LT	Bombardier	16 Feb 44 - 20 Jun 44	KIA	21	3	Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart (2), Promotion to 1LT
Stevens	2LT	Bombardier	21 Jun 44 - 4 Jul 44	KIA	2	0	Purple Heart
Green	2LT	Bombardier	5 Jul 44 - Present		9		Purple Heart (2)
Smith	2LT	Navigator	1 Jan 43 - 1 Feb 43	KIA	3	2	Purple Heart (2)
Kohl	2LT	Navigator	2 Feb 43 - 4 Mar 43	Invalid	3	0	Purple Heart
Zylstra	2LT	Navigator	5 Mar 43 - 4 Apr 43	KIA	2	0	Purple Heart
Steckel	2LT	Navigator	5 Apr 43 - 5 Jan 44	KIA	11	1	Purple Heart (2)
Ciccarelli	2LT	Navigator	6 Jan 44 - 5 Feb 44	POW	5	0	Purple Heart, POW Medal
Antoski	2LT	Navigator	6 Feb 44 - 15 Feb 44	KIA	2	0	Purple Heart
Hunter	2LT	Navigator	16 Feb 44 - 7 Mar 44	Invalid	3	0	Purple Heart
Berube	2LT	Navigator	8 Mar 44 - 3 Apr 44	Invalid	3	1	Purple Heart
Howe	2LT	Navigator	4 Apr 44 - 1 May 44	KIA	5	1	Purple Heart
Roy "Butterfingers"	2LT	Navigator	2 May 44 - 1 Aug 44	KIA	14	0	Purple Heart
Siegfried	2LT	Navigator	2 Aug 44 - 1 Sep 44	KIA	3		Purple Heart
Copperfield	2LT	Navigator	2 Sep 44 - Present		4
O'Brien	MSG	Engineer	1 Jan 43 - 1 Feb 43	KIA	3	4	Purple Heart
Bong	MSG	Engineer	2 Feb 43 - 5 Feb 44	POW	21	7	Air Medal, Purple Heart (3), POW Medal
Marshall	TSG	Engineer	6 Feb 44 - 15 Feb 44	KIA	2	1	Purple Heart
Anthem	MSG	Engineer	16 Feb 44 - 6 Oct 44	KIA	32	26½	Silver Star, Air Medal (2), Purple Heart (2), Promotion to MSG, re-up second tour
Prescott	TSG	Engineer	7 Oct 44 - Present
Ryan	SSG	Radio Operator	1 Jan 43 - 14 Jan 43	KIA	2	2	Bronze Star w/t V, Purple Heart
Nishida	SSG	Radio Operator	15 Jan 43 - 1 Feb 43	KIA	1	0	Purple Heart
Curtin	SSG	Radio Operator	2 Feb 43 - 18 Oct 43	Invalid	10	1½	Purple Heart (2)
Chase	SGT	Radio Operator	19 Oct 43 - 5 Feb 44	POW	11	1	Purple Heart (2), POW Medal
Radner	SGT	Radio Operator	6 Feb 44 - 15 Feb 44	KIA	2	0	Purple Heart
Shearer	SGT	Radio Operator	16 Feb 44 - 1 Aug 44	Tour Complete	25	0	Purple Heart (2)
Henry	SGT	Radio Operator	2 Aug 44 - Present		7
Boone	SGT	Ball Gunner	1 Jan 43 - 1 Feb 43	KIA	3	2	Purple Heart
Keane	SGT	Ball Gunner	2 Feb 43 - 5 Jan 44	KIA	16	7	Bronze Star, Purple Heart
Silvestre	SGT	Ball Gunner	6 Jan 44 - 5 Feb 44	POW	5	0	POW Medal
Cantona	SGT	Ball Gunner	6 Feb 44 - 15 Feb 44	KIA	2	0	Purple Heart
Howard	SSG	Ball Gunner	16 Feb 44 - 1 Aug 44	Tour Complete	25	17½	Purple Heart, Promotion to SSG
Cahill	SGT	Ball Gunner	2 Aug 44 - Present		7
Roxborough	SGT	Port Waist	1 Jan 43 - 14 Jan 43	Invalid	2	0	Purple Heart
Arsenault	SGT	Port Waist	15 Jan 43 - 1 Dec 43	KIA	15	2½	Purple Heart (2)
Lopez	SGT	Port Waist	2 Dec 43 - 5 Jan 44	KIA	2	0	Purple Heart
Pachuco	SGT	Port Waist	6 Jan 44 - 29 Jan 44	KIA	3	0	Purple Heart
Gonzalez	SGT	Port Waist	30 Jan 44 - 5 Feb 44	POW	2	0	Purple Heart, POW Medal
Sanchez	SGT	Port Waist	6 Feb 44 - 15 Feb 44	KIA	2	0	Purple Heart
Arellano	SGT	Port Waist	16 Feb 44 - 28 May 44	KIA	17	1	Silver Star, Purple Heart
Rincon	SGT	Port Waist	29 May 44 - Present		15	1
Pomeroy	SGT	Stbd. Waist	1 Jan 43 - 14 Jan 43	DOW	2	1	Purple Heart
Martinez	SGT	Stbd. Waist	15 Jan 43 - 1 Dec 43	KIA	15	1	Purple Heart (2)
Spielberg	SGT	Stbd. Waist	2 Dec 43 - 5 Feb 44	POW	7	2	Purple Heart (3), POW Medal
Huston	SGT	Stbd. Waist	6 Feb 44 - 15 Feb 44	KIA	2	0	Purple Heart
Ford	SGT	Stbd. Waist	16 Feb 44 - 1 May 44	KIA	11	½	Purple Heart (2)
Peckinpah	SGT	Stbd. Waist	2 May 44 - 7 Aug 44	Invalid	15	2	Purple Heart (2)
Lang	SGT	Stbd. Waist	8 Aug 44 - Present		6
Rocca	SGT	Tail Gunner	1 Jan 43 - 1 Feb 43	KIA	3	2	Purple Heart
Campanella	SSG	Tail Gunner	2 Feb 43 - 5 Jan 44	KIA	16	16	Silver Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart (2), Written Citation, promotion to SSG
Mantle	SGT	Tail Gunner	6 Jan 44 - 5 Feb 44	POW	5	0	Purple Heart (2), POW Medal
Lezcano	SGT	Tail Gunner	6 Feb 44 - 15 Feb 44	KIA	2	0	Purple Heart
Money	SSG	Tail Gunner	16 Feb 44 - 28 May 44	Invalid	17	12½	Purple Heart, Promotion to SSG
Yount	SGT	Tail Gunner	29 May 44 - Present		15	11	Purple Heart (2)

Aircraft Record
Name	Model	Date of Service	Missions	Avg. Bomb Run %	Avg. Plane Damage	Avg. Kills	Status
Croix de Guerre	B-17 F	1 Jan 43 - 14 Jan 43	2	35	260	5	Unfit for further duty
Cross of Lorraine	B-17 F	15 Jan 43 - 1 Feb 43	1	0	268	3	Crash landing
Lead Magnet	B-17 F	2 Feb 43 - 5 Jan 44	16	19	105	2.4	Crash landing
Campy's Revenge 44-8222-VE	B-17 G	6 Jan 44 - 5 Feb 44	5	16	88	1.2	Shot down over Bonn
Little Wahine 43-37744-BO	B-17 G	6 Feb 44 - 15 Feb 44	2	3	41	.5	Shot down by JG-26 (ordnance explosion)
Dammit Janet 42-31113-BO	B-17 G	16 Feb 44 - 20 Jun 44	21	19	50	2.5	Crash landing
Long Way Home 42-40050-VE	B-17 G	21 Jun 44 - 1 Sep 44	7	11	137	3.4	Unfit for further duty
Slam Dunk 44-8039-VE	B-17 G	2 Sep 44 - Present	4	22	21	.8	In service

Mission 1 (8 Jan 43): Uneventful flight over Europe, and on the return. Moderate opposition into the target zone, but the Germans were as lousy shots as we were. They must be cherries too. Bomb run on target, 30%. Not bad for Lt. Smith's first mission. Heavy opposition exiting the target zone. Lots of help from friendly fighters. Much appreciated, as 13 Germans had a go at us. Practice makes perfect: S/Sgt Ryan, the radio operator (go figure!) claimed Croix de Guerre's first kill, a 190! M/Sgt O'Brien (109), the engineer, and Sgt Rocca (109), the tail gunner, also claimed kills. Rocca got his on a passing shot. Took some ribbing about learning how to shoot on the streets of Chicago. One 109 damaged. No casualties. Minor damage (50 Peckham Points) to control cables and rudder. Ask Gen Le May if we can bomb Rotterdam every day ...

Mission 2 (14 Jan 43): Pardon the late debrief, me and the boys -- what's left of 'em -- had some serious drinking to do. We had another uneventful flight in. Over the target zone, we got hit by three small waves of fighters. Sgt Roxborough (port gnr) was seriously wounded, and the #2 engine knocked out, but S/Sgt Ryan (radio op) claimed yet another 190. Then the feces hit the fan. Flak was only moderate, but that doesn't mean much when it bursts inside your radio room. Despite the extensive damage, Lt Kelin (bmdr) held Croix de Guerre on target, dropping 40% on the bastards that killed Hank Ryan. Due to the BIP, and the #2 engine being out, Croix de Guerre dropped out of formation. It would have been nice if we saw some friendly fighters on the way back, but we didn't. I lost track of how many fighters we faced as Croix de Guerre staggered home, but the scored 32 additional hits, knocking out my control cables, locking up the ball turret, killing Lt Kelin and Lt Valentine (co-pilot), seriously wounding Sgt Pomeroy (stbd waist), knocking out the port aileron and starboard flap, and knocking off what few pieces remained of the radio room. M/Sgt O'Brien (engr) and I landed the plane safely, but Croix de Guerre was a total loss (469 Peckham Points). Awards: Richard (DFC), Kelin (Silver Star), Ryan (Bronze Star w/t V).

Mission 3 (1 Feb 43): From 3rd Army Hospital (Doncaster): As best as I can piece together the events of February 1, this is what happened. Cross of Lorraine did not encounter any enemy aircraft until it crossed over the Dutch-German border. The ME-109 was chased off easily enough, but not until after he knocked our intercom. For want of a nail in the horse's shoe, the kingdom was lost. The new crewmen, and the lack of communications, eventually proved fatal. The #3 engine got knocked out entering the target zone, but I managed to feather it, or none of us would have made it home. Bomb run was off target, 0%, due to multiple flak hits. Then the feces again hit the fan. Two-thirds of the hits we took came on the return trip, most of those over Holland. Lt Smith (bmdr) and Sgt Rocca (tail gnr) both died of multiple wounds, while S/Sgt Nishida (radio op) was killed outright. Rocca got his when two 190's both came in at 6 Level, scoring a combined 10 hits in just one run, knocking out the rudder and autopilot. We also lost the radio, port waist gun and stbd brakes, while Lt Krause (bmdr) was seriously wounded. The lost communications and controls, combined with the pea soup over Deopham Green, caused Cross of Lorraine to crash on landing. Lt Krause, M/Sgt O'Brien (engr) and Sgt Boone (ball) were killed in the crash; while Lt Pauley (co-pilot) was seriously wounded. Myself, Cpt Richard, plus the waist gunners, Sgt Arsenault and Sgt Martinez got lucky. Or maybe not: We'll be back in a few weeks, while Pauley is going home.

Mission 4 (20 Feb 43): After the squadron had such a miserable beginning to the month, we all needed the three weeks off to train up our newbies. Lead Magnet saw enemy planes in every zone to and from the target, but sustained only very minor damage. Most importantly, all my boys came back with the parts they left with. Apparently, using reverse psychology in naming our new ship paid off. Everybody on the crew was on their first mission, other than the waist gunners Sgt Arsenault and Sgt Martinez (and it was their sophomore trip), but we still managed to put 30% of our TNT on target. The newbies were whooping it up over that success, until I reminded them that is what Croix de Guerre had on its first mission. Sgt Keane (ball) claimed a ME-109.

Mission 5 (1 Mar 43): Didn't see a single Jerry until Lead Magnet was aproaching the rail yards. We saw three waves coming in, but they were either picked off by friendly fighters, or attacked some other bomber in the squadron. Despite that stroke of good fortune, Lt Hastings failed to hit the target. Luckily, we didn't hit any civilian targets either. At my command, Lt Hastings will be providing complete details as to what went wrong to his fellow bombardiers in he hopes that both he and they will learn from his mistakes. Lead Magnet saw four enemy waves on the return trip. Most of the enemy again attacked other squadron bombers, but a few did get through. SSG Curtin (radio) appears to have his predecessor's knack for shooting down German fighters (1 Me-109 claimed). Hopefully he won't meet the same end. Lt Hastings also made some slight amends by chasing off a Me-110. Rough landing, but no damage. In fact, out crew chief, MSG Mahoney, did not count a single scratch in Lead Magnet's hide. The reverse naming pychology is still working with the Germans. Hopefully our luck will continue to hold, because apparently the name has attracted the attention of someone in operations with a perverse sense of humor, as Lead Magnet is the Lead ship on our next mission to La Rochelle.

Mission 6 (4 Mar 43): I made myself a promise when I put on these bars that bringing my boys back home alive was more important than dropping bombs on Germans. The dilemma you always face as an aircraft commander is whether you will save more of your men by flying a damaged bomber in formation, or by aborting. I faced that dilemma east of St Nazaire on the way to La Rochelle when Lead Magnet was jumped by five Me-109s. MSG Bong (top) shot down one. Three of the others missed and dove away, but the last one coming at us from 3 high was made of sterner stuff. Totally disabling the control cables was bad enough, but he also knocked out SGT Campanella's (tail) suit heater. I stayed in formation lead. While I thought about what to do, that same 109 came back for a second pass from 1:30 level, putting a few holes in the starboard wing. I made the decision to abort. As we were jettisoning the bombs, the same 109 tried a third pass, from 9 level. The combined fire of five Ma-Deuces finally convinced him to call it a day. As we flew back past St Nazaire, a Me-110 attacked us directly from below, while a 109 tried to t-bone us from 12 o'clock. SGT Keane got the 110, while the 109 missed. As we flew by Rouen, all the flak that missed us three days ago, found us. LT Hastings (bombardier) and LT Kohl (navigator) were both wounded, while SGT Campanella's suit heater took more hits, and his oxygen supply caught fire. Luckily, he was able to put it out. Lead Magnet made it back to base without further incident, though we did have another rough landing. LT Kohl is going home, but at least he has one hand to hold his baby daughter with. Lt Hastings will be back for the next mission and SGT Campanella -- who looked like Elmer Fudd after his shot gun blew up in his face (face black, flight suit burnt and looking like Swiss cheese) -- was miraculously unhurt.

Mission 7 (17 Mar 43): SGT Campanella repaid my decision to abort the last mission by shooting down a Fw-190 and and an Me-110 -- both very dangerous fighters, especially from the rear. Lead Magnet faced light opposition overall, was not hit by flak, and dropped 30% of its ordnance on target. MSG Mahoney, crew chief, only found one minor 20mm hole in the starboard wing. SGT Martinez (port) claimed his first, a 109. I think it is critical that a crew make it to 10 missions, because if it can make it to 10, it will probably have enough experience to make it to 25. Making it through the first 10 missions is the hard part. So far, so good, but we aren't counting our chickens yet. Oh, and SGT Campanella is drinking on my tab.

Mission 8 (4 Apr 43): Even though Lead Magnet was not scheduled to fly on the mission to Abbeville -- thus avoiding the always tough JG-26 (who named them "Kids" anyway?) -- we did not spend our downtime chasing skirts in London. I knew Group Mission 21 would be a test that my young crew had never seen. The only thing close that I had experienced -- and I am the only remaining crew member of the incident -- would be flying back, out of formation, from Paris after an 88 exploded in Croix de Guerre's radio room. Instead, we trained. Hard. From March 18 all the way through the 31st. Then I gave the boys April Fools Day off, a chance to live a life that might not see next week's dawn. We had a few days rest, a lot of briefings, then it was wheels up to Braunschweig.

We saw a few Me-109s in Zones 4 and 5, but they were either driven off by friendly fighters, or missed and dove away. SGT Campanella (tail) had a chance at some passing shots, but I told him to hold fire to conserve ammo. Zone 6 is where Lead Magnet hit the wall, a wall of five Fw-190s that swarmed over us. (Breaking character: Rolling 15 really sucks.) We missed all but the 190 at 6 High. The 190 at 9 Level knocked out the #1 engine. Not a big deal: we could stay in formation if we jettisoned our ordinance. But the bastard at 6 High held steady, raking us from stern to stem. Our rudder took a hit, the stbd waist gunner's heat was knocked out, the bomb bay doors were jammed, and LT Zylstra (navig) was killed. Now, we got problems: We couldn't keep up with the formation, and we couldn't get rid of the 10,000 pounds of TNT we were sitting on top of. We could fly two more zones to Braunschweig, with the flak and heavy fighter opposition in the low squadron, plus eight zones back, or abort and fly six zones back. It wasn't even a choice: I decided to abort. But first I had SGT Martinez (stbd waist) move up to the nose, to use the heater, so we could maintain altitude, so as not to risk flak setting off the captive ordnance. SGT Arsenault (port waist) could cover both sides like they do in B24s. The two 190s came around for a few more passes, but only caused negligible damage. After turning for home, we got jumped by some 110s and a 109 that been lurking for stragglers. Campy splashed a 110, the others beat feet.

In Zone 5, we took a pretty good hit in the port inboard fuel tank. MSG Bong calculated that we would have just enough fuel to reach Merry Ol'. Boy, was I glad I decided to abort. I don't envy the crew that has to ditch with bombs on board. The same bandits -- three 190s and a 109, yellow noses all -- followed us into Zone 4, over the Dutch coast, then hit us again. Friendly cover, and a lack of ammo on their part, gradually whittled away the German numbers, but not before they knocked out our #4 engine. Friendly cover proved a great help over the North Sea and English Channel, but several bandits still got through, knocking out our port brake and #2 engine. (Leaving us with one engine, the Cliffs of Dover luckily in sight.) The 109 that knocked out our #2 got splashed by Campy on a passing shot, making him an ace. (Demonstrating the Ripple Effect, if I had not aborted the mission to La Rochelle, SGT Campanella would have got frostbite, thus likely not have flown on this mission, and with a less experienced tail gunner none of us would have returned from Braunschweig.) A final 109 had a go at us as we passed over the English coast, walking hits down our fuselage, seriously wounding LT Hastings (bmdr). I knew the landing would be rough, so I had the boys assume crash positions, and try to make Hastings as comfortable as possible. I bounced the Lead Magnet a few times, but managed to stop with the nose just over the end of the runway. With the bombs still aboard, there was definitely some underwear that needed washing. MSG Mahoney, our crew chief says that despite the damage (279 Peckham points) Lead Magnet will fly again! The same cannot be said for LT Hastings, who is being invalided home as the doctors were not able to save his leg. Awards: SGT Campanella (Air Medal and promotion to staff sergeant).

Mission 9 (11 Apr 43): For once, at least in our case, operations prediction of a milk run turned out to be true. A Me-110 tried a vertical attack as we began our bomb run, but neither he nor SGT Keane (ball) scored any hits. Our new bombardier, 2LT Norman, put 30% on target. The same Me-110 -- Keane saw the tail number as it flashed by -- had another go at us as we finished our bomb run, but a friendly Spitfire chased him off. That's it. No damage, no nothing.

Mission 10 (23 Apr 43): 1LT Foss Reporting: I've been flying right seat on Lead Magnet since she joined the 400th two months ago, in late February. That was right after Ora's ... I mean Cpt. Richard's ... previous ship got shot out from under him on the last mission to Hamm. Cpt. Richard and the two waist gunners, Sgt.s Arsenault and Martinez, were the only survivors of that mission. I could tell when the order came down from S3 to return to Hamm, that it weighed heavily on Cpt. Richard. Normally one to buy drinks for the whole crew, he withdrew, spending alot of time writing. To whom, I don't know. He didn't share, and I didn't intrude. In any case, we encountered alot of opposition once we left the range of friendly air cover. At first, our gunnery wasn't too hot. We were starting to take some serious damage when our engineer, MSG Bong got hit. That really seemed to wake the boys up. We had Jerry on the run all the way into the target zone. That's when Cpt. Richard got it. I don't remember what sort of fighter it was, because I was too busy trying to wipe his blood out of my face so I could keep Led Magnet in the air. But I know he got it in the neck: MSG Bong had to go into it to clamp off the vein with a pair of vise grips. It was all pretty much a blur from there. Cpt Richard was alive when we landed, but the docs couldn't save him. Said he lost too much oxygen to the brain. Campy took it the hardest: Said if it wasn't for the Captain, he wouldn't be here today. Our bombadier, 2LT Norman, despite being on only his second mission, shot down two 109's and put 20% on target. SSG Curtin (radio) got ½ a Me-109; SGT Keane (ball) a Fw-190; Sgt Arsenault (port) a Me-109; and Campy in the tail racked up another 3½ kills -- three of them on passing shots! S-1 Addendum: 2LT Foss has been promoted to 1LT, and assumed command of Lead Magnet; 2LT Rockford has been assigned as co-pilot. Crew Chief Report: Port and Stb brakes inop; stbd elevator inop; stbd aileron inop; hits to rudder and stbd tailplane; #2 engine oil tank (sealed); numerous hits to bomb bay; miscellaneous damage. 206 Peckham Pts.

Mission 11 (9 May 43): This was my first mission since taking over the left seat from Cpt. Richard. Cpt. Richard's seat. The one that MSG Mahoney and the ground crew couldn't quite get the blood stains out of. I thought I was prepared, but nothing really ever prepares you for getting jumped by Fw-190s coming out of the clouds right over Dover. Jeezus. We weren't even up to altitude. Friendlies coming back from a tactical mission in France chased two off. I thought Campy and the radio operator could handle the 190 at 6 high, while the top turret and bombadier took care of the one at 12 high. Probably should have directed the top turret to triple-up on the bandit at 6 high. We never even saw the one in a vertical dive. Luckily he missed. MSG Bong and 2LT Norman missed the 190 at 12 high; he missed too. Campy took a passing shot and missed. Campy shot a few pieces off the 190 at 6 high, but not enough to knock him off his run. He got seven hits on us, knocking out Campy's oxygen and putting rounds on our ordinance. (MSG Bong saw the sparks, and has holes in his trousers from the flying slivers.) We really dodged a bullet. No pun intended. The 190 circled around and tried again from 6 high. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice; shame on me. Campy and MSG Bong both got hits on the 190, sharing credit for the kill. Only one zone out, and with no oxygen in the tail, I decided to abort. (45 Peckham points)

(Group stand down)

Mission 12 (5 Oct 43): My second mission as commander went much smoother than the first, much thanks to the RAF. Some pesky 110's followed us from England all the way all the way over the target. SGT Keane in the ball got one that tried to sneak in a vertical climb, and sent him right back down in vertical flames. There was some other riff-raff too, and somewhere along the line one of them mucked up the bomb bay doors. Since the mission was just a hop, skip and jump, I decided to stick with the formation, even though it meant flying through the flak. If the target were Berlin, not Lille, I would of sung a different song. After turning for home, a 109 put some holes in the radio room, knocking out SSG Curtin's heat and the port control cable. With the bombs aboard, I told Curtin to try staying warm, because we were staying in formation. Once over England I dropped down to 10,000 feet, until we got home, making a pretty good landing despite the cable damage. (51 Peckham points)

Mission 13 (18 Oct 43): Light opposition over the Channel and at the approaches to the North Sea. Unfortunately, a 110 snuck through the escorts. It didn't much damage to the ship, but SSG Curtin, back in the radio room wasn't so fortunate. The 110 tried to drink from the same well twice, making a second run from 1:30, but 2LT Steckel (navig) was waiting for him and tore him up with one short burst. Said if the Krauts had hunted deer in Wisconsin, they would have known you wait for the deer the same place you seen him before. Curtin was hurting bad, but the wound closed up in the cold, and didn't bleed much, so we continued on with the waist gunners checking him every so often. Didn't see any more enemy. Until the target zone when on bandit tried to sneak in. He must not have done anything because I don't even remember what type of fighter it was. Flak was moderate, but we didn't get a scratch. Dropped 30% on target, which is the best we've done in awhile. Saw only light opposition until we were almost back to the Channel. What few enemy we saw ended up sleeping with the fishes. (Heard that line in a George Raft movie while we were on stand down.) Got jumped by Richtoffen's entire circus over the Channel, but the Hurricanes got the jump on most of them, chasing off all but three. The two remaining 109s didn't have much heart for a fight, but the 190 was not only fearless, he was good. Damn good. Each time he came around, we got hits on him, and him on us. We got the worse of it though, as my controls were all shot up, and the rudder was hanging by a thread. Cheeky bastard waggled his wings at us as he flew off. Despite the rudder and control damage, we made a good landing. Not sure what kind of landing we'd make if we had all parts working. Curtin will be okay, but he's heading Stateside to rehab the severed nerve in his arm. By the way, SSG Campanella became a double Ace, so he's buying drinks for the whole squadron. Sgt Keane is helping him, as he got his fifth. Not that they know that yet ... (118 Peckham Points) S-1 Addendum: SSG Chase has been assigned as radio operator.

Mission 14 (1 Nov 43): Light opposition over the channel and most of France. In the target zone, the Spitfires magically changed into Focke-Wulfs. Lots of them. We had a reporter tagging along, and he said he counted 10 190's in two waves, making a total of 16 passes. ("Ten of 'em -- I almost ran out of fingers and toes!", Robert White, Life, 14 Nov 43.) I sure as hell was to busy to count. Got walking hits twice, chewing up both wings pretty bad. No control surfaces left on them: All they were good for from then on was lift ... which under the circumstances no one was complaining about. They also wounded our navigator, 2LT Steckel, and knocked out the bombardier's heat and release mechanism. 2LT Norman got a 190 with his nose gun, his third kill since April. Despite being colder than a witch's tit, and having to manhandle the Lead Magnet into position, 2LT Norman performed a miracle and put 10% on target. Got jumped by another 190 and four 109's after the RP. They must have run out of 190's, cause we'd already seen 'em all. They got the radio, so there was no way with the damage we'd taken, I was going to drop out of formation and risk dropping the Magnet in Channel. Not at this time of year, no way. Then the black skies cleared, and we didn't see another swastika the rest of the way home. Rough landing, but not bad considering. Unfortunately, Norm got frostbite, and had to have a hand amputated, so he's heading back stateside. It was still a sterling performance on his part, and deserves recognition. (239 Peckham Points) Crew Chief Report: Flap control inop; port flap inop; port and stbd aileron inop; engine #2 oil tank (sealed); bombardier heat inop; bomb release inop; stbd ctrl cable inop; radio inop; bombardier & navigator oxygen (leaks); wings got more holes than Bernie Kernan's head; miscellaneous hits to tail and bomb bay. Don't know how, but it will fly again. S-1 Addendum: Air Medal awarded to 2LT Norman; 2LT Madison has been assigned as this crew's fifth bombardier.

Mission 15 (14 Nov 43): Flew as a volunteer guest with the 401st today, as one of their planes couldn't make it. I took a crew vote before volunteering, and it was unanimous as the boys thought that they'd be that much closer to home. Anyway, Goering must have heard about those new P-51s the fighter jockeys are getting, because Lead Magnet once again saw only light opposition over the channel and most of France, both in and outbound. The Luftwaffe concentrated over the target, where we got hit by two waves before dropping our load, and two waves after. The inbound defense was the most effective, getting all the hits the Magnet sustained on this mission, but that's not saying much. Campanella got a 190 on a passing shot, while SSG Chase (radio op) caught a 190 in a vertical dive. It just vaporized. MSG Bong in the top turret said he saw the tracers go right up the 190's engine cowling cannon. 2LT Madison, our new bombardier, looks like a keeper as he put 40% on target. Exitting the target, we got jumped by a wave of four 109's. We got hits on all four: SGT Keane (ball) bagged one at 9 Level, SGT Arsenault (port waist) bagged one at 9 High, MSG Bong gots hits on one at 3 High, while SSG Campanella got another a passing shot. The one trailing smoke thought better of a second pass, and beat feet. A second wave came in, but they had little heart for a fight, especially after Bong and Arsenault split a kill on another 109. That's pretty much it. Pea soup over Deopham Green -- there ain't much to see there anyway -- but it didn't make a difference as we made a no-bounce landing. (15 Peckham Points) Crew Chief Report: A few holes in the forward superstructure and starboard wing that we had fixed before first call.

Mission 16 (20 Nov 43): Back with the 400th today after showing the 401st how it's done. Got hit by two waves, both head-on, over the Channel Islands. A couple got chased off by air cover, MSG Bong bagged a 109, and that was pretty much it. Another wave came at us as the Magnet crossed over the coast of Brittany, but they were all chased off by cover. Those first couple of waves seemed more like probing attacks: As if the Germans were checking to see if we were awake and the formation was tight. Like they were waiting. I told the boys to stay on their toes, because I had a funny feeling. Got hit by three waves inbound to Lorient. First one was head-on, again, and again a few were chased off by cover and the rest beat feet. (Though a 109 did increase our pucker factor when he put a few rounds in the bomb bay.) Second wave was a lone 190: He got some hits on the port wing, but Campy in the tail put even more holes in him, and he dove away trailing heavy smoke. Third wave was also head-on by 109s, but not much happened. Flak was light. Lt. Madison continued his beginner's luck, dropping 30% on target. Got hit by three more waves after the RP. All head-on, of course. The first was another probing attack, the second was picked off by other bombers. A 190 in the third wave put more rounds in the bomb bay and knocked out the radio on his first pass, then shot up the ball turret on his second. SGT Keane was unhurt, but the same could not be said for the turret, which locked up. I told the waist gunners to try kicking it free, if we got a break. Luckily, a P-47 chased the 190 off before he could see if third time is the charm. In zone 5, a wave of 109s hit us from all sides, but didn't do any damage. One final wave made an appearance over the English coast, but were picked of by other bombers. The landing wasn't one of my better efforts -- I may have been too concerned about Keane in the ball -- but I still got it down in one piece. That's it. I wish they could all be like this. It's wierd with the Magnet: It's either feast or famine. We either get ripped a new one, or barely get a scratch, but never in between. Extended air cover made a huge differance. I counted a dozen Germans driven off by friendly fighters. By the way, someone needs to tell G-2 that it looks the Germans are trying some new 109 tactics, at least against F's. Still, we wouldn't trade the Magnet for anything. (62 Peckham Points) Crew Chief Report: Radio needs to be replaced, turret mechanism inop, some holes here and there. We'll have it fixed by tomorrow morning.

Mission 17 (1 Dec 43): This was our first mission to Emden. While S-3 predicted it would be tough, the Magnet held up pretty well. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for three of her crew, including SGT Arsenault, SGT Martinez and 2LT Rockford. Outbound, we had light opposition all the way through Zone 6. Campy got 190 on a passing shot. All our problems happened in Zone 7, before the target, over the target, and after we turned for home. Before the IP, we got hit by two waves. On the first one, a 190 making a head-on pass got a one-in-a-million shot that somehow killed SGT Arsenault, our port gunner. On the second wave, SGT Chase, the radio operator, exchanged heavy fire with a 190 in a vertical dive. Chase drove off the 190, but not before the kraut walked hits all down the Magnet's fuselage. No serious structural damage, but SGT Martinez, the starboard gunner, took some slivers in his side while 2LT Rockford, the co-pilot, had his right arm taken off by a 20mm. MSG Bong put on a tourniquet, and Rockford insisted on staying at his station. Over the target we got hit by multiple flak bursts, which put some holes in the wing and tail, but 2LT Madison held his nerve to put 30% on target. After we turned for home, I had SGT Chase check on Martinez who was no longer responding. Chase sounded pretty shaken, only saying that the flak got Martinez. By then Rockford had passed out, so I had 2LT Madison join me in the cockpit. We got more help from the escorts on the way back, but Campy still managed to splash a 110 and 109, making him a triple-ace. The base hospital did all it could, but Rockford died on the table. Arsenault and Martinez were the longest serving crew on the Magnet, at 15 missions the last surviving members of the ill-fated Cross of Lorraine, so this isn't going to be a very happy Christmas. (97 Peckham Points) Crew Chief Report: Patching the wing and replacing the port elevator won't be a problem, but I don't look forward to cleaning out the waist section. S-1 Addendum: Written Citations to 2LT Rockford and SSG Campanella; 2LT Savalas assigned as co-pilot, SGT Lopez as port gunner and SGT Spielberg as starboard gunner.

Mission 18 (10 Dec 43): This was this crew's second trip to Romilly. Eleven missions later, MSG Bong, Sgt Keane, SSG Campanella and myself are the only remaining crew members -- and in March I was still a copilot. Smooth sailing all the way into the target zone, when a Me-109 jumped us in a vertical dive. We missed. He missed. That was it. Even a moderate flak curtain didn't put a hole in the Magnet. 2LT Madison did the business, hitting the target for the fourth time in his four missions, putting 30% of our ordnance in the bullseye. We turned for home and guess what? Yeah, another 109 in a vertical dive. We missed. He missed. That was it. Again. Smooth sailing all the way back to Deopham Green, which we assumed was somewhere below us. That was some seriously thick fog. I just pointed and hoped and got lucky when the runway showed up underneath us. Crew Chief Report: Damn officers always interrupting my poker game ... (0 Peckham Points) S-1 Addendum: 2LT Rockford's citation from the last mission has been reviewed and subsequently upgraded to a Distinguished Flying Cross.

Mission 19 (5 Jan 44): 2LT Savalas reporting. I wasn't looking forward to Hamm. 1LT Foss said Arsenault and Martinez -- before they bought it two missions ago -- had occassionally spoken in hushed tones about the Cross of Lorraine's sole mission back in February of last year. It was to Hamm, and Arsenault and Martinez were two of the only three survivors from that ship. Being in the low squadron further increased our pucker factor. "At least we aren't lead ship", we said ... Magnet got jumped by eight 109s over the Channel: CAP got one, we damaged two others, and shot down three (Keane, Spielberg broke his cherry, and Campy in the tail on a passing shot). Slight damage to the starboard wing. Four more 109s had a go at us as Magnet passed over the Dutch coast: CAP got three and we damaged the other with taking any in return. Two 110s were lurking over the Dutch-German border: CAP got one, Campy damaged the other. By the time we'd dealt with them, we could see Hamm in the distance, the flak already dotting the sky. We saw some bandits lurking around the flak box, but they attacked other ships in the formation. The 88s had us bracketed, with bursts rocking both wings, with thankfully little effect. Despite having his aim thrown off, 2LT Madison kept his streak alive, putting 30% of Magnet's ordnance on target. After we turned for home, we got jumped by a 110, which missed, and a 109 which walked hits across both wings. I told 1LT Foss that the #4 fuel tank was losing pressure. When the 109 made a second pass from 9 Level, MSG Bong drove it off with heavy damage. Seconds later a 110 tried sneaking up from beneath us, but was driven off by CAP. After clearing the target zone, 1LT Foss had the crew count off; everyone responded but SSG Campanella in the tail. SGT Chase reported back that Campy was pretty messed up and might not make it. Just then two more 110s had a go at us, but were driven off by CAP. 1LT Foss told Chase to stay in the tail, and do what he could for Campy. Then it was four 190s: Two were driven off by CAP, the others knocked yet more holes in the wings, knocking out Magnet's starboard aileron. They came around for another pass, and we got damage on both, but they tore up the top turret before they headed home. MSG Bong escaped injury, so 1LT Foss had him replace SGT Chase in the tail. We were losing enough fuel that an SOS signal was a distinct possibility. As we approached Amsterdam, Magnet got jumped by a mixed bag. A 109 and 190 missed, and we got damage on another 190, but a 110 attacking from 6 Low dropped hits all over the ship. The worst news was the radio was tore up -- and us with maybe enough fuel to make an emergency strip on the English coast. I was hoping for the P-51 base at Leiston, as we didn't have enough fuel to make even the B-24 base at Halesworth. Luckily there weren't any bandits over the North Sea or the Channel. It sure would have been nice if some of those P-51s had greeted us like the four 190s did when the coast was in sight. All four got hits on us, one of them walking down Magnet's fuselage. 2LT Madison reported that he had been hit, but that 2LT Steckel had got it worse, plus the starboard cheek gun was out; SGT Spielberg said he'd been hit, and SGT Chase said the rafts had been holed. Then the 190s came around for another pass -- all from the front. Boy, what I wouldn't have given for a nose turret right then. Two missed, but the other two got hits, including holing the #3 fuel tank. The pair of 190s made one last pass, one from the front, one from the rear. Campy would of made a joke if he'd been able, poor bastard. The 190 in front missed, but the one in the rear chewed up the tailplane. After they gave up, I fired off the flares, and tried lowering the landing gear. Only the starboard gear came down. With the fuel tanks bone dry, MSG Bong didn't have time to try manually lowering the port landing gear. We went in damn near sideways, bounced hard, and cartwheeled down the short strip towards the P-51s. Remember when I said Arsenault and Martinez had talked about the last mission to Hamm? It ended the same way today. I never want to see that sonofabitchin' place again. Crew Chief Report: Bomber irreparably damaged. I hate this job ... (393 Peckham Points) S-1 Addendum: Purple Hearts awarded to the following airmen: SGT Chase, 1LT Foss, SGT Keane, SGT Lopez, 2LT Madison, 2LT Savalas and SGT Spielberg. 1st oakleaf cluster to Purple Heart awarded to MSG Bong, SSG Campanella and 2LT Steckel. Distinguished Flying Cross posthumously awarded to 1LT Foss for bringing his crippled plane back to England, saving the lives of five airmen who would have otherwise been lost at sea. Silver Star posthumously awarded to SSG Campanella for exceptional service from 2 Feb 43 - 5 Jan 44, during which time he shot down 16 enemy aircraft greatly contributing both to the defeat of the enemy and the survival of his crew mates. Bronze Star posthumously awarded to SGT Keane for service 2 Feb 43 - 5 Jan 44, during which time he shot down 7 enemy aircraft, contributing both to the defeat of the enemy and the survival of his crew mates. Air Medal awarded to 2LT Madison for putting 30% on target despite flak damage. Replacements: CPT Boyington (pilot), 2LT Ciccarelli (navigator), SGT Silvestre (ball), SGT Pachuco (port waist) and SGT Mantle (tail).

Mission 20 (12 Jan 44): CPT Boyington reporting. This was my first mission after training these guys in Arizona the last two years. You can teach 'em how to fly, but you can't teach 'em how to deal with flak. I know the guys who survived the last mission were looking forward to a break. MSG Bong, the longest serving guy on the crew christened the new ship "Campy's Revenge". Anyway, enough about me. The mission. Didn't see any bandits over the Channel. MSG Bong said it looked like the Germans were holding their fighters back. Over the coast a wave came in, but we didn't see any action. Then a 110 tried sneaking in from underneath. We missed, he missed. Approaching the flak box, a third wave had a go: Three 190s from the front and right. 2LT Madison got a chance to try out the new nose turret. We got one 190, but it was 2LT Ciccarelli that nailed him with a cheek gun. They missed, then it was into the flak box. It was moderate, and we avoided damage. Bomb run was on target; 30% landing in the o-ring. (I'd heard about Madison's accuracy.) After the RP, a 190 showed up but was chased off by our escorts. Saw two more 109s over the Channel, but they also got picked off by our escorts. Clear skies over Deopham Green. Smooth landing. Crew Chief Report: I still miss the Magnet ... (0 Peckham Points)

Mission 21 (15 Jan 44): CPT Boyington reporting. Kassel was about as easy as a Ruhr mission can be. Well, except for three of the boys picking up Purple Hearts. No opposition in zones 2-5, either inbound or outbound. A 109 and 110 made desultory passes in zone 6 outbound. Flak was heavier than expected, taking out the autopilot and wounding Mantle in the tail. Despite being shook up, and having a sluggish bird, 2LT Madison still put 20% on target. That's seven straight for him. The kid's a cool customer. After the RP another 109 and 110 made passes. The 109 must have been a flight cadet, but the 110 walked hits down the fuselage on his first pass and smoked my instrument panel on the second. Like I said before, nothing much after that ... until the landing. I'm sure ya'll saw it. Turns out the landing gear wouldn't come down. We did though. It was kind of dicey for while, but I held it together and in the end the only damage was to our shorts. Crew Chief Report: I don't do laundry. (99 Peckham Points) S-1 Addendum: Purple Heart awarded to SGT Mantle. 1st oakleaf cluster to Purple Heart awarded to 2LT Ciccarelli and SGT Spelberg. Recommend 2LT Madison for lead crew program.

Mission 22 (29 Jan 44): No resistance until Zone 5. A pair of 190s made a cursory pass. Didn't see any other Germans until the target zone. First wave was Ju-88s. What the hell? In any case, it was another case of "You don't hit me; I don't hit you." The second wave was 109s, probably expecting easy pickings after the Ju-88s. Same story: A wash. Got through the flak box without a scratch. Madison hit the target for the eighth time in his eight missions, which has got to be some kind of record. Got jumped by five 109s after the RP. We missed, but one of the Krauts put a few holes in the waist and port wing. No harm, no foul. Resistance continued to increase as we distanced ourselves from the target, both in quantity and quality. In Zone 7, two more 109s had a go at us. Madison bagged his first bandit. The other 109 walked hits down the fuselage. I had windshield all over my lap. Mantle reported a slow leak in his oxygen. Zone 6 was worse yet. 4 109s made multiple passes. The waist was hard hit. Worst of all was SGT Pachuco getting killed. It's bad enough, but it's really hard when it happens to a kid that young. You know? That was about it, excet for a friendly fire incident in Zone 3. Somone needs to tell those bozos in 402nd that we aren't the enemy. Heating system also went out on final approach. Any word on Madison's application for the lead crew program? I think the kid could hit the moon with a BB gun on a cloudy night. Crew Chief Report: S-4 will be busy: Norden site, windshield, bomb release, intercom, heating system and ball MG need replacing. Other minor damage. (138 Peckham Points) S-1 Addendum: Purple Heart awarded to SGT Pachuco. 1st oakleaf cluster to Purple Heart awarded to SGT Mantle. 2nd oakleaf cluster to Purple Heart awarded to SGT Spielberg and MSG Bong.

Mission 23 (3 Feb 44): Saw a lone 109 as we crossed the Belgian coast, but he was chased off by a P-51. As we approached the target, JG-26 made their second appearance in as many missions. Maybe S-3 ought to consider a more circuitous approach to the target? It's not like we're flying to Moscow. We got the fuel. Anyway, it was five 109s -- all around, including on top. The one at 6 high got picked by a P-51, and Spielberg in the waist messed up another one. Two of the remaining four missed, but the other two came around for second helpings. All told we lost the radio, bomb controls and the tail turret was jammed. Who said flak was light? We got hammered. Heavy damage to the starboard wing, which starting spewing fuel. Madison tried his best. If anybody could have hit the target, he would have, but between the messed up controls and the bird bouncing all over the place all he got was a corn field. After the RP, we got hit by three waves. P-51s chased off two 110s in the first wave and a 109 in the second. Starboard wing took more damage before the P-51s came back to nab the remaining 109s. Third wave was two more 109s. Bong, up top, splashed one making him an ace. The other 109 shot up the nose, before Bong splashed him as well. Remainder of the flight was uneventful. I didn't even realize until we landed that I'd been hit. Send my regards to the Mustangs. Crew Chief Report: Ordered bomb control assembly and navigation equipment, replaced engineer oxygen, repaired brakes, plugged leak in #4 fuel tank, patched a bunch of holes. (169 Peckham Points) S-1 Addendum: Purple Heart awarded to CPT Boyington and SGT Gonzalez. 1st oakleaf cluster to Purple Heart awarded to 2LT Savalas and SGT Chase. MSG Bong recommended for Air Medal.

Mission 24 (5 Feb 44): Campy's Revenge MACR: 44-8222-VE was observed being attacked by two Ju-88s 5 km northweast of Bonn. Its starboard wing became rapidly enveloped in flames. 10 parachutes were seen. Post War testimony of MSG Bong: We got bounced by a 190 over the middle of Holland, but he missed and dove right past us towards the 402nd. Two 110s tried sneaking up on us, but escort chased off one, and Mantle in the tail got the other, his first. That was it until the target zone. Two waves, four 109s in the first. 2LT Madison nailed one with the nose turret, the others missed, continuing on their merry way. Second wave was a pair of Ju-88s, both from 3 o'clock. I shot down one, and Silvestre in the ball blew the crap out of the other. Unfortunately, those 88's are tough customers. The wingman gave better than he got, punching a big hole in the #3 fuel tank. CPT Boyington just started to turn for home, when the starboard wing caught fire. The bailout alarm rang. And me with four missions to go! All 10 of us made it out okay, with front row seats to the group bombing the hell out of Bonn. Crew Chief Report: Unfortunately, I don't have nuttin' ta do tonight. S-1 Addendum: POW Medals awarded to CPT Boyington, 2LT Savalas, 2LT Madison, 2LT Ciccarelli, MSG Bong, SGT Chase, SGT Silvestre, SGT Gonzalez, SGT Spielberg and SGT Mantle.

Mission 25 (12 Feb 44): Little Wahine, a new ship in the 400th, volunteered to fly this mission in place of the 402nd's Black Light Special, which was on standdown. Old man didn't say why, and we weren't asking. We just wanted the opportunity to break in on a short run. 402nd was high squadron, so we were also hoping that at least the flak wouldn't be quite so bad. We saw our first bandits crossing the Dutch coast: Three 109s from the front. I heard some pinging around my feet, but didn't feel any fresh air. Two came back for more, with one being chased off by a Mustang. Damn them boys are fast. Heard some pinging up top. Leftover came back for a third run from 9 level. Sanchez in port waist sprayed him, plus we had the ball and top turret on him. All the shooting in three passes and not one hit on the krauts. Needless to say Heinz was three times lucky, severing the starboard cable, knocking out the staboard waist gun, and chewing up 2LT Antoski's navigation equipment. Being high squadron didn't help, as flak killed 2LT Two Rivers, our bombadier, on approach. 2LT Antoski still did a fine job wrestling Wahine to put 5% on target. We saw two waves after dropping our eggs. First was chased off by other 402nd bombers, second was a lone 109 at 6 high. TSG Marshall, up top, sent him straight to Valhalla. All clear to the Channel, when a 190 dove straight down on Wahine. Nothing much came of it, so he came back around from 12 high. Never wanted to see 20mm cannons blinking at me. Still nothing. So he made another 12 o'clock pass. Stubborn bastard. Finally another Mustang showed up to chase him off. Safe landing. Crew Chief Report: Not much to report beyond what the skipper said. (82 Peckham Points) S-1 Addendum: Purple Heart awarded to 2LT Two Rivers and SGT Radner. 2LT Ashwaubenon assigned as replacement bombardier.

Mission 26 (15 Feb 44): It may be only a hop, skip and jump to St. Omer, but JG-26 was waiting for us when we got there. 109s from 12 high, 3 high, 9 high and 9 level. I was glad we had two waist gunners, unlike the B-24 boys, so we had coverage on all four. Too bad we missed the guy at 3 high. Thanks, Chief, for giving my wife and kids that note I left behind. (1LT Orrick welcoming MSG O'Boyle at the Pearly Gates, Oct. 2001.) Crew Chief Report: It's never a good sign when you get a note from a guy before a mission. Scuttlebutt says Little Wahine never knew what hit her. S-1 Addendum: French Underground reports no remains recovered. Purple Hearts awarded to 1LT Orrick, 2LT Malden, 2LT Ashwaubenon, 2LT Antoski, TSG Marshall, SGT Cantona, SGT Sanchez, SGT Huston and SGT Lezcano. 1st oakleaf cluster to Purple Heart awarded to SGT Radner.

Mission 27 (22 Feb 44): Well, we didn't exactly distinguish ourselves on this mission (0% on target), but everybody came back in one piece. Great cover from the Mustangs (6 bandits chased off). Crew Chief Report: I hate to disagree sir, I did find one bullet hole in the starboard wing. (1 Peckham Point)

Mission 28 (1 Mar 44): 2LT Mannix, copilot, reporting. We were relieved our second mission was a short one. A 110 and 109 had a go at us over western Belgium, but nothing much came of it. Wish I could say the same for the two 190s that jumped us outside the flak box. The wingman got picked off by a Mustang, but the lead made a head-on pass. I'm here talking to you because that 190 left pieces of the skipper all over the cockpit. I was lucky to only get nicked, though I wasn't thinking that at the time. Another Mustang chased him off, before he could make a bad situation worse. We were pretty shook up, because none of us had ever seen anything like ... that. So, our bomb run was off target. Three 110s were waiting for us after the RP. Worst damage was the rudder stopped responding. Nothing much happened after that. This ain't like flying crop dusters. Crew Chief Report: Rudder hanging on by a thread; several oxygen bottles need replacing; numerous small holes. (83 Peckham Points) S-1 Addendum: Purple Hearts awarded to 1LT Popeil and 2LT Mannix.

Mission 29 (7 Mar 44): 1LT Foreman, pilot, reporting. One wave inbound to target zone. Five 109s, 3 chased off. They missed; good thing because the nose turret jammed. Flak threw off our aim; 2LT Seymour estimates 5% on target. Krauts were waiting for use when we turned around. Three waves. Accurate fire from a tight defensive formation got some hits, a few of which were on us. Not like the krauts needed any help. Despite extensive holing, nothing critical got hit, except 2LT Hunter. Doc says he's going home. Crew Chief Report: Replace oxygen in tail turret; repair extensive damage in bomb bay, including door servos. (83 Peckham Points) S-1 Addendum: Purple Heart awarded to 2LT Hunter.

Mission 30 (14 Mar 44): 2LT Mannix reporting. We encountered our first resistance over the Channel. Five 190s, which chased us over the Dutch coast. Janet's gunners were on fire, knocking down two. Five more 190s