1. Nine EM left on furlough today.

2. The following combat men were promoted to T/Sgt; Harry F. Dever, Harold C. Kemper, Russell M. Rose and John W. Zappala.

These 18 men to S/Sgt: Joseph J. Balesh, Garland C. Carson, Buren C. Cook, Clyde V. Craig, Lawrence V. Eden, Carroll L. Fischel, Stephen M. Gasper, Russell H. Jevons, Lester P. Larson, Thomas G. Lawrence, Andrew F. Manning, Johnny T. Mills, John E. Moerlins, Melvin Samuels, John H. Sasson, Reginald C. Solway, Paul R. Vanderzee, and Clinton S. Word, Jr.

Also 12 men, including gunner Deverett D. Bickston, were promoted to Sgt, and three Pfcs were raised to Cpl. Three EM left on furlough.

3. A mission against the chemical warfare plant of I.G. Farbenindustrie at Leverkusen was scrubbed today.
Lt Jobe and crew left for rest home today and six more EM left on furloughs.

4. Installations at Kiel were the squadron's target, accomplished in the face of moderate flak and light enemy aircraft opposition. Excellent P-38 escort was afforded over the target and fires were observed in the city after the bombing.
Capt Chapman, former squadron CO and S/Sgt Harrison, the last of Lt Manchester's "TS" crew, completed their tours of duty on this one.

Lt Evans was forced to crash-land his ship near Thetford, Norfolk, on the return trip; Lt Kraut, his bombardier and Sgt Rivera, ball turret, were killed in the landing. Sgts Burkhalter and Rasey were seriously injured.

These six squadron pilots participated: Capt Chapman, Lts Meyers, Urban, Enos, Liddle and Evans.

Major Halsey was sick, and entered hospital today; Lt Ridley returned from the rest home.

Two more new aircraft were assigned: 42-31533 and 42-40017.

5. Visual bombing again was accomplished in the mission against a German airfield at Tours, France. Good hits were made on hangars and workshops and crews reported they saw heavy smoke pouring from the target as the formation turned for home.

There was neither enemy aircraft or flak on the bombing run, P-47s covered the Forts over the target and British Spits picked them up on the homeward journey. Weather was ideal and strike photos show at least half the target area was covered by bombs from the group's aircraft.

S/Sgt Metzner, Lt Jobe's tail gunner, shot down an e/a going in.

Pilots for today were: Lts Jobe, Ridley, Meyers, Smith, Urban and Enos.

6. A mission to "Rocket-gun Coast" , our target of Cocove, France was scrubbed.
It was later reported that Sgts Sasson and Vargo were injured in Lt Evans' crash-landing on the 4th, and are hospitalized at Norwich, Norfolk. 2nd Lt Gayle Messenger was transferred out of the squadron yesterday, to the 32nd General Hospital.

Both officers and enlisted men continued, almost daily, to leave for and return from furloughs, including 1st Sgt Charlie Butts coming back to duty.

Another new B-17G arrived, 42-40025.

7. Today the squadron put up six Forts for the mission against Ludwigshafen. They bombed over a 10/10th undercast and no results were observed. Allied fighter cover -P-47's, P-38's and Spitfires - was perfect all the way, the fighters covering in relays, and enemy fighter attacks on our formation were very light.

T/Sgt Kemper, Lt Smith's engineer, was credited with damaging one e/a and with the group operating as two units, flak reports varied from light to heavy in and over the target area.

Participating were: Lts Ridley (with Capt Lord), Putek, Smith, Jobe, Bartlett and Henslin.

Capt Chapman and S/Sgt Harriman, tours completed, left for the casual pool at Liverpool. S/Sgt Thomas White transferred to the 459th Sub-Depot at Station #130, Glatton, as of 4 Jan.

8. A mission to Brunswick was scrubbed today. Capt Shimek and S/Sgt Rumberger, two more veterans with completed tours, left for Liverpool as the casual pool.

9. Major Halsey left hospital and returned to duty today; two 2nd Lt pilots, Lee W. Smith and Emil L. Urban, were promoted 1st Lt today.

10. Capt Osce V. Jones and 1st Lt George B. McIntosh today were re-assigned to the squadron. They were pilot and co-pilot respectively of the Fort "Georgia Rebel" which was forced to turn back and land in Sweden returning from a mission to Heroya, Norway, last July. The rest of the crew are still interned in Sweden, and living well. The two officers will return to combat duty.

11. This squadron came off fortunately in what was for the group as a whole its roughest mission in many weeks today, the target being an assembly plant just outside Oschersleben, and although our group's bombing was excellent, the best in the Division, it cost seven Forts and crews. The 535th lost none.

Flak was moderate over the target, but fighters were thick there and some came straight through the Fort formations again and again. The group destroyed 28, of which this squadron was credited with four.

Coming off the target the leading 91st BG took the formation over heavy flak installations in the lower Ruhr, in some of the worst off-course flying displayed by a group notorious, here at least, for their leanings in that direction. It was the flak that accounted for many of this group's losses, including such veterans as S/Sgt Robert Osborne and S/Sgt John Crawbuck, of other squadrons, both Silver Star holders.

Our aircraft, finding our field was closed in by heavy cloud upon their return, landed at an assortment of bases throughout south-eastern England.

The eight pilots of this squadron were: Lts Meyers, Pluemer, Putek, Henslin, Urban, Bartlett, Enos and Ridley.

12. The following personnel were assigned: 2nd Lts Henry D. Steele, Robert F. Anderson, Dacil G. Ripperton; S/Sgt Perry E. Beach, Sgt Paul O. Welch and Pvt Wilbert E. Eason. S/Sgt Gugenheim, tour of duty complete, left on furlough today, the first combat man to do so.

13. With the exception of Lt Ripperton, all the men assigned yesterday, were today, transferred to the 533rd; 2nd Lt Remple, and the EM of Lt Baer's crew, left for rest homes.

15. A mission to Gotha, Germany, was scrubbed today. Capt Richard Tansey entered hospital and Pvt Kenneth E. Johnson was assigned.

17. Capt Tansey returned to duty.

18. A mission to Frankfurt was scrubbed this morning.

19. Mission, with bombings planned on a by-squadron basis, to Belleville-en-Caux and St Adrien, on the so called "Rocket-gun Coast" was scrubbed today.

T/Sgt Joseph J. Walters, of Pittsburg, formerly MIA on the first Schweinfurt mission, and a recent returnee was officially transferred to the HQ of the First Air Force, at Mitchell Field, N.Y.

20. Missions to the targets briefed yesterday, were again scrubbed this morning. Sgt Lee W. Dudgeon, aerial engineer-gunner, assigned today.

21. This squadron joined the group today to specifically attack military installations on the French coast near St Adrien. A 10/10th cloud cover blanketed the target and no bombs were dropped, although the other three squadrons were able to accomplish visual bombing.

Nine 535th ships took part, the pilots being: Lts Malone (with Major Halsey), Ridley, Enos, Liddle, Downey, Pluemer, Bartlett, Smith and Putek.

Lt Remple and Lt Baer's gunners returned from rest homes, as Lt Meyers and his crew left for Stanbridge Earls and Bournemouth; Capt Murray, squadron S-2 Officer, left on 8-day furlough.

22. Two more B-17G's were assigned today, 42-39797 and 42-39798.

23. Lt Wilson Cupp and T/Sgt Frost, who completed their tour of duty a few days ago, left for Liverpool, and the big trip back to the States today. They are the bombardier and engineer, respectively, of the last original crew, Captain Chapman's in "Chap's Flying Circus". Only T/Sgt Crowley and S/Sgt Wardell have not finished their tour, when they do so, "Chap's Flying Circus" will have only her crew chief, M/Sgt John Shanahan, and men under him, to keep her flying here.

Pvt Henry T. Jozwiak transferred in from the 533rd.

24. A mission to Frankfurt was scrubbed today. T/Sgt Otto F. Bruzewski, MIA on first Schweinfurt raid, an evader from the continent, was re-assigned to the squadron today.

Lt Carl W. Dittus, bombardier, was placed under arrest and confined to quarters after a brush in the Consolidated Mess Hall last night with Lt Joseph D. Keating, mess hall officer and squadron adjutant, and an M.P. This is the second scrape of this kind for Lt Dittus, who some weeks ago was cleared of charges made against him by an M.P. in London. Lt Dittus has been wounded in action and holds the Purple Heart. No decoration for this combat, however!

25. T/Sgt Crowley, "Chap's Flying Circus's" radio operator for many of her missions, today was discharged and sworn into the AAF as a 2nd Lt. Lt Crowley thus became the squadron's first enlisted man to achieve this distinction. He will soon be transferred to another base as a gunnery officer. S/Sgts Wardell and Gugenheim are awaiting action on similar commissions.

2nd Lt Marion E. Harkness was transferred to the 30th General Hospital today, while six Pvts were promoted Pfc.

26. Another mission to Frankfurt was scrubbed today.

28. A mission intended for Belleville-en-Caux, France, was scrubbed today.

29. Over a solid cloud undercast, the squadron bombed Frankfurt on PFF. Vast numbers of P-47's and P-38's covered the operation, and although some 125 German fighters were up to defend Frankfurt, our group as a whole met very little fighter opposition. Flak was rough, and many ships returned to base battle-damaged, but there were no casualties or claims.

Participating were: Lts Ridley, Putek, Downey, Smith, Pluemer, Bartlett, Tyson and Henslin.

Six EM were transferred to the 7th Station Complement Sq today.

30. In the face of meagre flak, but heavily attacked by about 100 German fighters, the squadron accomplished another PFF bombing over undercast, smashing at Brunswick, only 100 miles west of Berlin.

Lt Baer and crew failed to return. They were aboard the squadron's original B-17F model, "Chap's Flying Circus", from which Lt Baer reported ditching in the upper English Channel. Six Forts here were ready to take off for a search mission when Air-Sea Rescue notified to tower that help was on the way to our crew. No further word at this writing.

Many crewmen feel that a search by our planes, which were ready, might well have saved these men, either from drowning or from being picked up by the Germans.

Participating pilots today were: Lts Henslin, Ridley, Jobe and Baer.

MIA crew: 1st Lt Carl O. Baer, 2nd Lt Robert C. Remple, 1st Lts Malcolm Van Hise, Henry G. Palas; T/Sgts Robert Vogelbaugh, John F. Moore, S/Sgts Philip Phillipuk, John T. Tully, James Rigat and Edward J. Meyers.

Lt Jobe finished up on this mission, while Lt Ridley's engineer, T/Sgt Woodrow Pitts is credited with destroying an e/a; 2nd Lt Crowley transferred to the 457th BG, Station #130 at Glatton, Northants.

31. Another mission was scrubbed today; Lt Meyers and crew returned from rest homes and Capt Murray from leave.