1 - 2. No missions. Usual garrison duties.

3. The pigeons are walking today. Weather was grey and humid at 08.00 hrs, tried to break up about 09.00, finally relapsed into solid overcast followed by rain. No operations alerted.

We heard our second Pilotless-plane about 10.00hrs. The Tannoy broadcast a red alert and at HQ we were able to detect a distant explosion, but no sound of the engine nor its cutting out.

Capt Milton F. Bland today left for the States, granted a transfer and leave to visit his wife critically ill. He has been with us since late January 1943, at Pyote, Texas, and has achieved the position not only of capable doctor but a good friend to every officer and man in the squadron.

His keen medical eye and profound grasp of human knowledge has restored confidence and balance to many a combat man and his sense of humor and ease of manner with all ranks have kept us going through the rough and browned-off stretches. He leaves with the best wishes of all off us. No fortune nor future assignment will be too good for him.

4. We lost Lt Bobrof, a veteran, and his crew today on the mission to La Riche airfield, near Tours. There was neither flak nor enemy fighters, bombing was good and Lt Bobrof was last seen in formation under control with all four engines cooking well. No one can imagine what happened to him.

Six squadron forts and seven crews participated: Lts Metts, Schobert, Beackley, Lang, Hermann, Myerscough and Bobrof.

MIA crew: 2nd Lts Bob R. Bobrof, George J. Devono, Charles D. Cole, Bernard Goodman; T/Sgts George W. Dell, Clinton S. Word, Sgt Edward F. Polski, S/Sgts Kenneth F. Hitchcock and Thomas E. Snyder. (For full story about this crew see a French publication: Epopee D'Aviateurs Americans Dans Le Sud-Vienne Ete 1944 - "Les Oefs Frais" by Christian Richard. ISBN 2-909165-39-6. [DRO]).

5. Another sloppy day so far as operational possibilities were concerned. The overcast broke through the afternoon into a fairly acceptable evening.

6. Major Halsey, with Lt Yates as his pilot, plus eight others from this outfit, led the group, in combat wing strength, to a bombing of robot plane installations at Rely, France, this morning. There was no enemy opposition and the mission was generally treated as routine and uneventful by returning crewmen. Bombing was either dead on or a very near miss. Grid pick-ups like today's job make results difficult to ascertain except from a close study of strike photos or of reconaisance pictures taken later on.

Other pilots were: Lts Gnatzig, Flint, Campbell, Beackley, Tuz, Myerscough, Metts and Hermann.

Another new crew was assigned today: 2nd Lts Fred Davison, Ralph W. Spatz, LeRoy Drummond, Henry S. Tabor; S/Sgts Calistro P. Munoz, Warren R. Wanner, Sgts Thomas R. Jordan Jr., James P. Fitzgerald, W. B. Spurling and Cpl Earl H. Pittman.

7. The squadron contributed ten ships to the group's combat wing strength of 43 bombers which took off this morning headed by Col Leber, Group Commander, for an attack on the Eral Machinewerk, Leipzig.

Visibility was good and a PA1 bombing of the assigned assembly shop target was recorded. Crewmen watched 20 enemy fighters commence a pass in the target area, but got set for nothing when the Jerries changed their minds and peeled off in the opposite direction. The ships took off in the rain and returned to a beautiful sunny day.

Navigator 1st Lt Francis B. Broderick flew with Col Leber in the lead PFF ship; in addition these pilots took part: Lts Schobert, Nelson, Hainzer, Campbell, Beackley, Gillette, Myerscough, Tuz, Lang and Marbury.

We learned today that MIA pilot Bob B. Bobrof has been promoted to 1st Lt, while other promotions were: Theodore Homdrom, squadron navigator to captain, and pilots Forrest L. Campbell, John O. English and Joseph C. Hainzer to 1st Lts.

8. Two separate formations went out this morning, briefed to bomb P-Plane sites near Coubronne-Rely. This squadron furnished the low group, 12 ships led by Lt Gnatzig, assistant operations officer. With the primary completely overcast, the boys picked a main road junction for their attack. The other formation returned to base without dropping their bombs.

Contrails were heavy, adding to the hazards and difficulties both of formation flying and observation of bombing results. There was meagre flak over the French coast, but no enemy aircraft.

Behind Lt Gnatzig were: Lts Nelson, Metts, Hermann, Hatherley and Gillette, and their crews.

9. The group was ordered to bomb St Omer airfield today, but this squadron did not participate in the operation. A 12-ship effort took off through thick undercast, returned to land in pouring rain.

2nd Lt Joseph A. Albers, promoted to 1st Lt.

10. A missions to Etaples, France, was scrubbed today due to the weather. This morning offered continued cloudiness with alternate sunshine, break-throughs, and rain squalls. By mid-afternoon the sky was almost entirely cleared off.

11. Switching from Pas de Calais areas to a blow at Das Reich itself, the group today pulled a PFF attack on Munich, hometown of the Hitler mob. Only 18 ships flew and this squadron contributed seven of those, including the PFF leader, loaned to the pacing squadron. Pilots for today were: Lts Nelson, Beackley, Hermann, Gillette, Hatherly and Demagalski.
Bombing was accomplished through a solid 10/10th undercast in the face of heavy flak throughout the target area.

There were no casualties, our P-47, P-38 and P-51 escort, was thick and expert and the Luftwaffe stayed at home so far as we were concerned.

The boys came home saying there were more Forts over Munich today that they'd ever seen striking a single target before. Every imaginable size and type of bomb, they said was being dropped.

Squadron commander, Major Charles L. Halsey is promoted to Lt Col, as for 7 July. Others who move up from 2nd to 1st Lt are: Elvin F. Anderson, Donald K. Stewart, Lester A. Gillette, William W. Harris, Wayne E. Hermann, Chester E. Hudson, James H. Long, Woodrow W. Lyles, Oscar E. Myerscough, James E. Nadeau, Russell B. Rodrick, Marcus W. Todd, Jr., and Harold W. Walkup.

12. At 09.00 hrs today 36 group Forts, including nine from this squadron, took off in grey, heavily overcast weather. There are a large number of people in Munich who, sometime early this afternoon, probably will not be recognizable to their friends.

Yesterday we participated in the large scale PFF bombing of Munich proper. Today we go back. If the cloudy weather persists it will be some sime before an assessment of bombing damage can be made. However until such time, we shall go on, whenever necessary, with this indiscriminent type of bombing originally practiced and taught so well by the Germans.

Final mission story: cloud cover all the way in and out, so bombing by PFF technique. Our escort was adequate and no enemy aircraft showed up. Flak was moderate and fairly accurate, but there were no casualties.

Pilots for today were: Lts Schobert, English, Myerscough, Demagalski, Hatherley, and Hermann. 1st Lt Broderick "mickey" navigator, flew in the lead PFF ship. A second mission, planned to Fresnoy, France, was scrubbed.

13. A Fort from the 534th, returning early from this morning's mission, lost two engines in addition to the one original faulty power plant and fell on to the LNER railroad tracks about half a mile south of Gate #2, a few minutes before 07.00 hrs.

Three 500 pound bombs went off killing all but the pilot Lt John Houston and the co-pilot, Lt William Scruggs, tearing up a few feet of track and demolishing the ship. The two officers managed to crawl away from the burning ship, which lay at the bottom of a 15 ft cut through a hill, before it exploded. They will recover.

Today's mission, to Munich again, was much like to two previous efforts. Clouds were solid under the bumbers all the way over but broke to approximately 9/10th in the target area. The lead bombardier picked out a large warehouse somewhere in the north end of Munich and used it as his MPI. This was not the briefed visual target, however. Flak was heavy, but there were no casualties and no enemy aircraft opposed the operation.

The following ten pilots participated: Lts Hainzer, English, Flint, Hatherley, Gillette, Lang, Metts, Miller, Hermann and Demagalski.

Pfc Alfred G. (Red) Hersey, Jr., long time squadron ordnance man, left for aerial gunnery training at The Wash, Station #172, Snettisham, Norfolk, this morning. He volunteered.

14. A mission to Merseburg, was scrubbed today. Weather was clear and fair at dawn, but greyed over gradually from about 10.00 hrs and held solid throughout the rest of the day.

The following officers, combat tours complete, left for home: Capt Charles A. Enos, 1st Lts Edwin Ringgenberg, Abraham A. Levine, Richard L. Snyder, Ralph G. Gillham and John C. Bohan.

Three new crews were assigned today: 2nd Lts Edwin L. Stuart, Norman M. Jones, Harry E. Richards, Burton N. Newell, Jr.; S/Sgts Thomas H. Sprung, Peter A. Haramzian, Sgts Alvis D. Kindall, Roy E. Long, Millard C. Neely and Louis A. Perrilloux.

2nd Lts John J. O'Connor, Arthur E. Rehm, James Scott, Stanley A. Milewski; S/Sgts Arthur J. DiMartile, John E. Riley, Sgts Frank W. Brown, Marion O. Heilman, James C. Smith and Ralph T. Stout.

2nd Lt Austin W. Simmons, F/O Arthuth E. Muth, Jr., 2nd Lts John J. Motto, George F. Keller; S/Sgts Charles T. Myers, Robert W. Gray, Sgt Victor H. Groll, S/Sgt Angus N. Johnson, Sgts Richard E. Monohan and Michael A. Sewell.

15. No mission today. T/Sgt Paul R. Vanderzee, top turret gunner and toggeleer, left today for 30 days' rest and recuperation at home and eventually return for a second combat tour.

16. Back to Munich again today, and the same story of heavy weather and hot flak. Oxygen is wearing the combat men down faster than the enemy opposition these days. Heavy contrails plus undercast made formation flying particularly difficult on this one and bombardiers let their stuff go off the PFF leader.

M/Sgt Charles P. Stormer, navigator assigned from the RCAF last December, today was discharged and sworn in as a 2nd Lt. This is none too soon.

17. Three gunners, all of whom have completed their tours, have been attached to the 1142nd MP Co's alert detachment, with which they'll do station night guard duty full time until they can be shipped home, This is a common way of handling the problem of large numbers of finished-up enlisted crewmen who crowd the living sites now. Most of them have been removed to Site #6.

Those involved in this move: T/Sgts Glen A. Hofert, Joseph A. Bearer; S/Sgts Samuel G. Bird, Julius M. Micek, Ralph E. Price, Kermit P. Sessons, Emery H. Naha, Earl G.Metzner, Kenneth W. Schmitt and Bruce M. Tabor.

Lts Ernest L. Campbell, Lyles Nelson, Marcus W. Todd, left today for the 12th RCD casual pool and eventually home.

18. Peenemunde, the German Air Force's rocket and buzz-bomb experimental station on the Baltic Sea, came under attack from this group today, when 38 Forts pouring their stuff into thick, heavy, black smoke of fires started by a wing bombing ahead of us. They're calling the results PA1.

There were no enemy fighters and flak was moderate and inaccurate in the target area. Europe was completely cloud-covered over our inward route, with the targets at Peenemunde showing through the only holes sighted during the whole trip. One crew from the 533rd landed in Sweden.

Participating for this squadron were: Lts English, Beackley, Albers, Demagalski, Gillette, Marbury, Metts, Miller and Rollins. Lt Broderick flew in the PFF lead ship.

S/Sgt Thomas G. Lawrence, finished up, left for home today.

19. Group Forts attacked the German depot-training base at Lechfeld today in the face of negligible enemy opposition. Bombing was good in clear weather; there were no enemy fighters and flak was met in the target area only, where only ships in the rear of the formation caught a few holes.

Today's pilots were: Lts Schobert (in lead) with Barnicle, English, Albers, Hermann, Gillette, Rollins, Marbury, Miller and Metts.

20. In perfect weather but rocked by intense and accurate flak, ten 535th pilots and crews ticipated in the group's attack on an aircraft engine facory at Dessau. Bombing results looked like PA1. Our fighter escort was perfect and no enemy aircraft showed up. No claims, no casualties.

Pilots for today were: Lts Beackley, Myerscough, Tuz, Demagalski, Rollins, Dann, Marbury, Miller, Metts and Davison.
Capt Saul B. Schwartz, squadron S-2 and Group and Station Public Relations Officer and Historian, today received the Bronze Star medal, most recently authorized military decoration, for a year's "meritorious achievement" as a PRO. So for 15 years' newspaper experience - it tends to make good public relations men.

21. Col Leber led the mission to Schweinfurt today, the group's fifth trip to what was once the toughest target in Europe. Weather was good and it looks as though they got their target at last - the small workshop, tucked down between larger factory buildings, where are made the precision instruments without which ball-bearings cannot be manufactured. We had no losses. Heavy flak was directly mainly at other wings; there were no enemy aircraft and our escort was with us all the way.

The squadron sent ten pilots: Lts Yates (with Col Leber), English, Myerscough, Demagalski, Dann, Parkman, Lang, Marbury, Davison and Miller.

A stand down has been ordered for tomorrow. This day has been chilly, the sky filled with thick, rolling, grey clouds, pouring in continuously from the north west.

22. No combat operations for today. The weather holds grey and chilly with intermittent spits of rain.

Capt Theodore Homdrom and 1st Lt Victor Mersinger have left for home, and 1st Lt Joseph D. Keating, Asst. Exec. Officer has been promoted to captain, while 2nd Lt Gayle Messenger, Sq Supply Officer, goes up to 1st Lt.

A new crew arrived today: 2nd Lts Charles O. Todd, Jr., Kenneth McGriffin, Milton A. Hoffman, John E. Wertin; Cpl Kenneth H. Boura, S/Sgt John E. Lowder, Cpls Milton E. LaBarr, Joseph F. Krolocki, Willard G. Marshall and Robert O. Carney.

F/O Joseph D. Grace, wounded and transferred out some time ago has been re-assigned from 12th RCD, Chorley.

23. The stand is down again and the weather holds the same. The following gunners have been transferred to another bomb group: S/Sgt Delbert D. Rasey, Sgts William G. Ezard, Charles E. Johnson, Carl A. Juda, John B. Payne and Leland L. Yelvington. All are spares.

24. Today's mission, in support of American ground action south of St Lo, France, brought forth what should be called a maximum effort even in these days of growing bomb groups. We put 54 ships up from the group, with the 535th providing 13 of them.

Lts Schobert and Gnatzig led one group to a tactical target lightly defended by flak. Bombing results - with the job done on a grid plan - remain in doubt. This is fairly new stuff for us.

A year ago we had perhaps 30 ships flyable, or less if losses over nearly two months' operations are considered. Now we put up, without straining too much, the equivalent of the old combat wing. Three battle groups fly from our group almost every mission now. Participating today, in addition to the leaders were: Lts Beackley, Tuz, Myerscough, Rollins, Herman, Dann, Miller, Metts, Demagalski, Davison, Marbury and Lang.

The latest promotions include: to T/Sgts, former S/Sgts Clarence B. Bankston, Donald L. Coultrip, Meyer W. Johnston, Charles W. Bertwell, Alfred I. Hausen and Richard H. Meier. To S/Sgts, former Sgts Dann V. Clark, Jr., Gerald M. Hickman, Charles W. Newcomb, Robert R. Torbet, Edward H. Brostek, Marvin W. Ford, Henry Meier, Felix Wojcik and George H. Robben. To Sgts, former Cpls Vere D. Clair Jr., Paul E. Miller; and Pvts Edward Bond, Elmer J. Lewis.

25. Today's mission was to St Lo again, and was similar to yesterday's. Again it looked as though American artillery support of our attack had come off as briefed against enemy flak installations. This time 52 group Forts, with 13 of ours, made the run. Bombing was time to occur only minutes before the opening of an American push to break out of the St Lo salient.

Leading one group were Lts Schobert and Barnicle, along with: Lts Beackley, Dann, Demagalski, Tuz, Marbury, Myerscough, Lang, Rollins, Hermann, Miller, Davison and Metts.

M/Sgt Malcolm N. (Moe) Lemire, new line chief, now plays regular sax with the station dance band, "The Rockets". Nice little outfit. Moe is as able with the clarinet as with the saxophone.

26. A mission to Berlin was scrubbed. Two new crews were assigned: 2nd Lts McLendon M. Stallings, Joe B. Grobe, Charles R. Cutter III, Robert H. Cotton; Sgts Erwin O. Glaser, Frank D. Hermance, Orley N. Meritt, George W. Olliges, Cpls William D. Sederwall and Jack E. Booth.

2nd Lts David Sweetland, William G. Haines, Robert M. Francis, F/O Leland H. Doda; S/Sgt Thomas R. Ressler, Sgt James R. Hamilton, Cpls Martin M. Hogan, Charles E. Lynn, Earl E. Amell and Read Shoemaker.

1st Lt Joseph C. Hainzer has left for the States and Pfc Alfred G. Hersey, Jr., sporting brand-new gunner's wings, is back after successfully completing a training course at The Wash, Snettisham, Norfolk. He's checked out as a ball turret gunner, but will fly any gun in order to get in missions.

27. A mission to Munich was scrubbed. No other occurrences.

28. Col Halsey with Lt Yates and eight squadron pilots led the group to Merseburg today, to bomb a synthetic oil plant by PFF with undetermined results. Flak was moderate, there were no enemy fighters and weather, staring with a solid undercast, was what the GI calls "pisspoor"!

Today's other participants were: Lts English, Flint, Rollins, Demagalski, Parkman, Miller, Dann and Lang.

Promoted from 2nd to 1st Lts were: Eugene J. Roberts and Prince A. Rollins. There's a big rash of re-classifications evident in the morning report today, with a total of 28 EM, including 1st Sgt Charlie Butts (from 585 to 502), affected.

29. Back to the same target, at Merseburg, over the same route today. The weather was worse, if possible, than yesterday, but breaking clear over the target. However, Jerry had the big, thick smoke pots out all over the place, so the boys bombed PFF anyway. We experienced little trouble, although flak was heavy to our left. A wing ahead was jumped by 40-50 enemy fighters.

Participating squadron pilots were: Lts Schobert and Barnicle; Tuz, Marbury, English, Hermann, Lang, Simmons, Davison and Stuart, with Lt Broderick flying in the lead PFF ship again.

The squadron came through a successful stand-by barracks and personnel inspection conducted by Col Halsey, 1st Sgt Butts and a small group of officers.

With other groups in the First Division, we have received a presidential citation for our part in the January 11 raid on Oschersleben. We may now - gravel scratchers as well as combat men - wear the blue, laurel-bordered citation emblem, which only about half the ETO seems to be sporting these days. However, Oschersleben was rough, but solid, and we may wear our blue with some pride.

30. The group got a stand down for today. Two promotions sees 2nd Lts John B. Dann and James R. Lang move up to 1st Lts. Both are pilots.

31. The ships began taking off at 08.30 hrs this morning to attack the BMW Aero Motor Works at Allach, seven miles NW of Munich. They went all the way just skimming anvil-topped cumulus clouds at 27,000 ft. The undercast held solid all the way to Allach, where the lead bombardier found what he called the only hole of the day.

Successfully negotiating a quck switch from PFF to visual bombing procedure, he paced the wing to a good job. No opposition from enemy fighters, but flak was moderate.

Leading today were Lts Parkman with Gnatzig; and Tuz, Flint, Miller, Dann, Rollins, Hatherley, O'Connor and Metts. Lt Angevine flew on our PFF ship, #42-97625, "Sunkist Special", flown by Capt Sandman, 533rd CO, who led the wing.