1. Six squadron Forts participated today in the group's eighth consecutive operation in eight days, striking at marshalling yards at Troyes, France, without loss or casualties. Escort was "super excellent" and bombers met no enemy fighters and only moderate flak at the French coast on the return trip. Good bombing visually, was reported through 5/10th clouds.

The pilots were: Lts Parkman, Snyder, Ringgenberg, Nelson, Wilson and F/O Haring.

2nd Lt Robert J. Gugenheim was transferred to the 305th BG, at Chelveston, as gunnery officer; Lt Liddle and crew returned from rest home.

2. 2nd Lt Francis B. Broderick, today left for duty with the 91st BG at Bassingbourn; while 1st Lt John M. Deasy, S/Sgt George Vinovich and Hoyt C. Burckhalter, tours complete, prepared to leave for 12th RCD casual pool, Chorley.

3. Deasy, Vinovich and Burckhalter left today, ready for the big ride home.

4. A mission to Berlin was recalled after the ships had taken off.

A new crew, with an average among its men of more than 12 combat missions from the 15th Air Force B-17 groups in North Africa and Italy, was assigned today: 2nd Lts Walter K. Higgins, Orlan D. Carmichael, Herbert W. Burns, James A. Beck; T/sgts John S. Baird, Eddie Delgado, S/Sgts Franklin R. Collister, Robert R. Blair, Sgts Robert H. Thomson and Joyce N. Worley.

The orderly room bulletin board carried a long list of EM's promotions today. To T/Sgt: Henry Baker, Floyd C. Hanson, Rexford W. Hintz and Glen A. Hofert. To S/Sgt: Charles W. Bertwell, Paul A, Burks, Byron A. Carter, George W. Dell Jr., Josiah D. Hank III, Kenneth F. Hitchcock, Francis Lobasso, Lewis J. McGuire, Edwin F. Nichols, Thomas W. O'Brien Jr., Arthur T. O'Malley, Oliver G. Ott, Walter C. Prettyman, Howard D. Prowse, Willard F. Seaman, Thomas E. Snyder and Ernest F. Waggy.

5. Usual garrison duties.

6. Our bombers went after long-range heavy guns near La Glacerie, France, this morning. Flak was moderate and accurate, and F/O Grace, Lt Yates' bombardier, was wounded in the leg. However a 10/10th undercast prevented our bombing. P-47's provided area escort, but no enemy fighters were encountered.

The group operated in two separate contingents, "A" and "B", the latter led by Capt Armsted, with Lt Wilson as his pilot. Lts Stanton and Scarborough aborted, first time for the former and Lt Pluemer's old crew. Others making the run were: Lts Ringgenberg, Flint, Yates, Gnatzig, Barnicle and Snyder.

1st Lt James A. Tyson and his PFF crew, on DS to 305th BG at Alconbury, have been transferred to DS with the 91st BG at Bassingbourn.

7. After a mission to Oldenburg was scrubbed, our Forts this morning took off for Berlin, with the targets in the industrial suburbs. To the combat men Big B is just another city now, but once they sweated over the very prospect of going there.

Today they dropped through solid undercast, good patterns from tight formations. There was a perfect escort and a complete absence of the Luftwaffe. Flak was moderate to intense in the target area, but inaccurate, also intermittent across Europe going in, light and sporadic on the way out.

Our participating pilots were: Lts Wilson, Scarborough, Stanton and Yates. M/Sgt Stormer, navigator, made the run to the city over which he was wounded, wearing his new GI glasses, which he admits look and feel like hell, but which keep him flying.

Promotions today: Vernon W. Nicholson to captain, Charles W. nevius to 1st Lt and gunner Pvt Robert F. Smith to corporal.

8. Another early scrub job, this time was a mission to Luxembourg, then back to Berlin again for all the group but the 535th, which grumbled over assignment to an Air-Sea Rescue patrol for the morning.

Capt Stickel, former squadron navigator, returned from DS at Station #131, Nuthampstead, to find himself and 1st Lt George D. Hooker transferred to the 532nd.

9. Almost a complete crew finished up with today's run to St Dizier, for a good bombing of the airfield there. There were no enemy aircraft sighted nor did the eney use flak in the target area. Only ground-to-air hardware was near the coast, and this was described as meagre and inaccurate. Fighter escort was very full, as usual.

Participating today were: Lts Pluemer, Flint, Scarborough, Nelson, Snyder, Schobert and Yates, while Parkman had the spare, but no mission.

Lt Pluemer and most (all but Lt Traeger and Sgt Dudgeon) of his crew finished up doday: Lts Schnapps and Stanton, T/Sgt DiNicola, S/Sgts DeLucca, Salazar, Pegg and Bickston; also S/Sgt Tolbert, with Lt Yates's crew. In all, 15 officers and EM throughout the group, completed their tours.

10. The group were credited with a sortie to Rotenburg airfield, Germany, today.

11. They started off today by scrubbing a mission to Munich , then followed up with a 30-ship effort to targets at Bettembourg, Luxembourg and Thionville, France. These targets were picked, with undetermined bombing results, after cloud conditions forced relinquishment of target in Germany. Bombers met some enemy aircraft but our squadron made no claims.

For the 535th these pilots participated: Lts Gnatzig, Barnicle, Schobert, Scarborough, Snyder, Flint, Wilson and Parkman.
Another new crew joined today: 2nd Lts Carl H. Dasso, William L. Watson, Phillip J. Barkett, Norman B. Ison; S/Sgts Anthony P. Madero, Oscar Wright, Sgts Marshall E. Rose, Chester E. Herron, Cpls Paul M. Williams and Leland L. Yelvington.

12. Major Halsey, with a PFF crew led the combat wing to a through-the-clouds bombing of installations at Lutzkendorf today. The target is near Halle, only 14 miles from Munich. Our specific target was a synthetic oil plant and bomb bays were filled with loads of 38 100-pound incendiaries. Bombing believed good in the face of no opposition.

Participating: Capt Armstead with F/O Haring, and Lts Snyder, Schobert, Barnicle, Parkman and Ringgenberg.
F/O Haring's crew left for the rest home today. Promoted were: Charles A. Enos to captain; Edwin Ringgenberg and Joseph R. Scott to 1st Lt.

The squadron softball team beat a visiting outfit 6-1, in a "Salute The Soldier Week" game off base.

13. Some of our ships went to Stettin, and some the Stralsund today in another one of those operations gummed up more or less by the weather. Hazy, broken clouds made bombing results observations in definite, a fact that bothered S/Sgt Shortell, of Lt Putek's old crew, not at all in the face of his finishing up on this one.

No one saw any Jerry fighters over Stralsund, but at Stettin about 50 made passes at the groups below ours. Escort of P-51's was generally red-hot. These pilots took part: Lts Schobert, Snyder, Parkman, Gnatzig, Ringgenberg, Scarborough, Nelson and Haring.

After nearly a year at this base the defense fever is on, and the squadron has assigned seven more men to DS with the 1142nd MP Co. here as part of an expanding station defense unit. All this is a permanent deal, the men living in Site #6 with the MP's and drawing rations through that outfit. This does not have anything to do with the regular mobile defense and unit defense set-ups. Our seven men: Pfc's William E. Dangle, John N. Maglaras, Richard P. Kaczorowski, Mitchell T. Petrovich, George L. Webb, Pvt's Henry T. Jozwiak and Robert Mauzy.

14. To Southport rest homes today: 1st Lts Fayard, Ripperton and Wilson; 2nd Lts English and Hamilton; T/Sgt Andrzejewski, S/Sgts Bird, Boudreaux, Gildin, Helmer, McGee, McGuire, Price and Cpl R.F. Smith.

15. Another mission, to Orly airfield, was scrubbed again this morning. 1st Sgt Charlie Butts, out of hospital after a long illness, today returned to duty from 12th RCD, Chorley.

Two more new crews were assigned: 2nd Lts Robert G. Beackley, John B. Dann, Donald K. Stewart, Russell B. Roderick; Sgt Louis Levy, S/Sgts Franklin M. Glover, Sgts Edward F. LePage, Joseph L. Lattimore, Joseph C. Ryback and Colin F. Scott.

2nd Lts Wayne E. Hermann, Prince A. Rollins, Harold W. Walkup, James E. Madeu; S/Sgts John P. Ensminger, Robert H. Vandermolen, Sgts Arthur H. Caudill, Edmund W. Orzel, Albert J. Jacob and Virgil A. Walker.

Outgoing tour-of-duty men included: 1st Lts William A. Pluemer and Edwin K. Stanton transferred to 27th Air Transport Group; 1st Lts Julius K. Schnapp and Donald M. Traeger, S/Sgts Wayne B. Pegg, Devertt D. Bickston, Israel A. Salazar, all heading for 12th RCD, Chorley, and probable shipment back home.

16. The Orly airdrome run was again scrubbed this morning. Five mechanics have been re-classified as crew chiefs: Sgts Clarence B. Bankston, John M. Dirrane, Fred J. Ford, Bruce J. Seed and Robert W. Vaughan.

17. A mission to Rotenburg, Germany was scrubbed. More tour-of-duty men left this morning; 1st Lt Gordon D. Baker and S/Sgt John J. Burke have completed their service here and are hoping for the States, via the usual stop-over at 12th RCD, Chorley.

S/Sgt Walter E. McFadden, with his DFC at 25 missions, definitely will get home - for a 30-day furlough - then re-assignment to combat duties, probably with this squadron. Also finishing up and heading for Chorley: T/Sgts James W. Bomar and Lifford E. French (the latter this squadron's second DSC winner) and S/Sgt Vincent R. Shortell.
T/Sgt Valentino L. DiNicola, of Pluemer's old crew, has left for the 36th BS of the 801st BG, Alconbury, for duty as a radio instructor.

18. Usual garrison duties.

19. Back to Berlin again today, where our Forts found flak accurate, though meagre. T/Sgt Floyd C. Hanson and Sgt Nicholas M. Rotz were wounded by shrapnel. The target was the railroad yards and industrial suburbs, which were hit through 4/10th cloud cover. Enemy fighters showed up but were engaged in dogfights, far behind our formations, by the excellent P-38 and P-51 escort. None of the Luftwaffe attacked our ships.

Our pilots made the run: F/O Haring, Lts Barnicle, Yates, Snyder, Ringgenberg, Flint, Scarborough, Higgins, Nelson and Gnatzig, the latter returning to find himself a 1st Lt.

20. S/Sgt Bud R. Church finished up on today's good job on the airdrome at Villacoublay. Although a slight haze covered the ground, bombardiers were able to see their objectives and reports say good hits were scored on buildings, hangars and runways. The field had been hit just before our group arrived by the formation ahead. Flak was meagre, there were no enemy aircraft and out P-47 and P-51 escort were described as perfect.

Today's pilots were: Lts Scarborough, Nelson, Barnicle, Parkman, Yates and F/O Haring. T/Sgt Leo W. Dudgeon, left for the 12th RCD, Chorley.

21. The following 2nd Lts were promoted to 1st Lts: John W. Howland and Lyles B. Nelson. 1st Lt Henry Putek left for 12th RCD, Chorley.

22. Our Forts went after a factory at Kiel today, bombing through a partially obscuring cloud cover in the face of moderate and accurate flak. About 20 enemy aircraft were intercepted by our escort at a great distance from the bombers in the target area.

Bombing effectiveness was not determined by participating crews because of the clouds. The pilots: Lts Higgins, Nelson, Flint, Schobert, Barnicle and Haring.

T/Sgt Hanson and Sgt Rotz returned from hospitalization at Braintree today. Nelson Vredenburg was promoted to S/Sgt; me (Ray Ingham) to Sgt; Lorenz D. Ginger and John R. Rolfe to Cpl.

23. The boys thought they'd hit Saarbrucken, but S-2 says it was Homburg today. At any rate, it was a secondary target, but when the briefed objective, an aircraft components plant in eastern France, was found, 10/10th cloud obscured it.
Capt Armstead, as deputy leader in a PFF ship, followed our group commander Col Leber. Bombing was called good on the city proper, flak was meagre at the target, about 15 enemy aircraft were seen at a distance but did not attack and our escort was perfect again.

Participating were, in addition to Capt Armstead: Lts Yates, Schobert, Flint and Higgins.

24. Today's PFF bombing of Berlin brought up the Luftwaffe, and a so-so operation cost this squadron two ships, flown by Lts Dasso and Higgins, plus their crews. Our squadron had 12 crews in the air, while flak was only seen, not felt, and was meagre at that, but enemy fighters, estimated at 150 hit our formation just off the bomb run and accounted for five groups Forts in all.

In addition to Higgins and Dasso (both missing in action), the following were: Lts Flint, Nelson, Yates, Schobert, Snyder, Liddle, Ringgenberg and Wilson.

MIA crews: 2nd Lts Carl H. Dasso, William Watson, Phillip J. Barkett, Norman B. Isom; Cpl Paul M. Williams, S/Sgts Oscar Wright, Anthony Madero, Sgts Chester E. Herron and Marshall E. Rose.

2nd Lts Walter K. Higgins, Herbert W. Burns, James A. Beck, 1st Lt Robert E. Hughes; T/Sgts Edward Delgado, John S. Baird, Robert H. Thomson, Franklin R. Collister, Donald H. Thomas and Cpl Robert F. Smith.

Gunnery claims were the highest for group and squadron for months. Of the total of 5-2-4, our outfit claimed 1-1-3, making a group total so far 217-30-130.

25. Yesterday, in a "Salute The Soldier Week" softball exhibition game at Haverhill, we beat the 1775th Ordnance Supply Co. by 5-3. Cpl Hugh Bracken, 533rd, explained the game, blow-by-blow, to a crowd of more that 300 paying an interested spectators, who watched the game played on their lawn-smooth cricket field. Or team: Gross, Boguskey, Condit, Wolfe, Banas, Keating, Gray, Bezdecki, Gerberding and Tansey, with Kwietniewski in reserve.

Our Forts did a good job today on the Essey airfield at Nancy, France. Col Leber led in a pre-rest home workout. Flak was meagre, bombing and visibility good, no enemy aircraft and escort excellent.

Pilots were: Capt Armstead, Lts Flint, Schobert, Parkman, Snyder and Haring. After this morning's mission a second, to Munich, was scrubbed.

Sgt Robert Q. Pope, was wounded on the line this morning by a .50 cal slug from an accidentally discharged ball turret gun, and he was taken to the 121st General Hospital at Braintree.

Lt Ringgenberg and crew left for the rest home at Southport; while 2nd Lt Robert G. Hecker sent on DS to 91st BG at Bassingbourn.

26. One year ago today, the squadron boarded HMS Queen Elizabeth at New York

M/Sgt Harold L. Davis, crew chief injured in a bicycle accident some time ago, has been assigned from 12th RCD. He and the following crew chiefs have won Bronze Stars (silver bracelets from the group for their crews) for outstanding maintenance in crewing Fortresses through 30 or more missions without an abort. They are M/Sgts Shanahan, Fitzgerald, Gerberding, Helmert( transferred out), and Edward davis. This decoration is the newest, authorized by President Roosevelt. None of the boys have their actual medals yet, but orders have been received.

27. The 535th missed this one today, against marshalling yards at Ludwigshafen, where flak knocked down a 532nd ship. Bombing reported as good.

28. A few days ago, on the 23rd, Lt Bailey, 532nd, in "Stage Door Canteen" got attention for his use of parachutes to slow down his brakeless ship on landing, but today Lt Beackley, on his second mission, with a crew on their first, went to the limit when he came all the way home from Leipzig on two engines, literally on the deck, so close his equipment jettisoning crewmen could see Germans shooting or scurrying, French children waving at them.

Beackley later said every gun on their line of flight must have opened up on them, but they changed course frequently in deception, made it safely home - without the ball turret. The boys gave a lot of credit to escorting P-38's, which stayed with the Fort as long as possible, attracting flak in addition to their regular job of covering the cripple.

Major Halsey, in a PFF, led the group's "A" contingent to Leipzig after Dessau was found cloud covered. His ships found no flak nore e/a, and escort was good. The "B" contingent his Frankfurt, accomplishing excellent bombing on the marshalling yards (verified by crewmen in Halsey's outfit), but running into heavy flak which killed one, and wounded five in the group.

Participating pilots were: Capt Armsted (with Major Halsey), Lts Parkman, Beackley, Nelson, Becker, Flint and Scarborough (with whom S/Sgt Heckman, last of Lt Putek's crew, finished up),

The squadron got another new crew today: 2nd Lts Oscar E. Myerscough, James P. Chisholm, Robert O. Long, John W. Carson; S/Sgt Anthony B. Tabor, Clarence N. Rolla, Sgts Michael J. Cooney, Robert J. McFarland, Lucio Maddalena and Harlie H. Moore, Jr.

29. Our bombers were under very light fighter attack and flak was meagre over Posen, Poland, today as bombs went down on the marshalling yards there. Lt Nelson and crew (with T/Sgt Albert Atz, finisher-upper) came home all alone, across Berlin to the Baltic, then westward after an engine failed. He jettisoned his bombs in the Zuider Zee and made it on in well, for which Atz will vouch any time.

Other pilots were: Parkman, Becker, Haring, Yates, Liddle and Schobert.

2nd Lt Everett L. Scarborough Jr., promoted 1st Lt as of May 21.

30. Lt Yates in "Me and My Gal", which came home burned out in the nose compartment and cockpit after undergoing fighter attack with its same crew recently, maneouvered his ship nearly 20 minutes today so successfully that an out-piloted pack of ME109's failed in their attempt to knock down a sure thing.

The group's target was Dessau, where 50 fighters hit the bombers just after the bomb run. After bombs smashed down on the tank engine plant objective gunners were hard pressed by the first wave of enemy fighters, which ultimately got three of our ships. Yates was knocked out of position when fighters killed one of his engines in the first attack. He stayed out nearly half an hour, diving, zooming, twisting and rolling his ship to eveade attackers and set up his gunners for shots, while the latter did the sort of firing that led themto claime three (evaluated: Vanderzee, one destroyed, Reno, one probable). Escort picked them up in the nick of time, for a second engine went out near the end of the running fight. "Me and My Gal" came home all alone, far behind the formation, on only two, with her crew singing Lt Yates' praise.
Yates and S/Sgt Vanderzee, toggler today, who rode co-pilot after Lt Klutho, with S/Sgt Dixon, top turret, bailed out in the heat of the first fighter attack, have been recommended for the Silver Star. Part of Vanderzee's citation will refer to his actions on a recent mission, when he saved the navigator's life indirectly, and indirectly was largely responsible for the safe return of "Me and My Gal" after 20mm shells from attacking Nazi fighters started a heavy fire in the ship's nose compartment.

T/Sgt Albert Atz is transferred to the 532nd to fly on a relay ship crew; 2nd Lt William J. Doherty promoted to 1st Lt; 2nd Lt Robert F. Wernersbach, formerly MIA, has been re-assigned to the squadron.

31. The group wound up its 20th mission of the month - the highest monthly total so far - with an attack on the airfield at Florrennes, Belgium. The objective was one of last resort, the primary being cloud covered. Bombing results are undetermined. Flak was meagre, there were no enemy aircraft and escort was top class again.

Making the run were: Lts Wilson, Beackley, Parkman, Schobert, Snyder and Nelson.