1. The following 2nd Lts are promoted to 1st Lts, effective today: Armstead, Baer, Crosson, Johnston, Keating, Kessel and Malone.

3. Twenty seven group Forts took off at 09.20 hrs today in an Eighth Air Force maximum effort against the docks at Wilhelmshaven.

1st Lt James H. Alexander, of the 533rd, led five of this squadron's ships as the low squadron. In additions Lt Crosson and F/O Noxon flew in the group's "tail-end" composite squadron, making a total of seven 535th ships on the mission. Every ship unloaded 10 500 pound demolition and 14 incendiary bombs over the target area, which lay under a 10/10th cloud cover. No bombing results were observed.

The fighter escort, P-47's and P-38's, was perfect all the way. Flak was of heavy calibre, but meagre and inaccurate. About 25 enemy fighters were seen. Our main group was no bothered by them, although the composite group in which we had ships, caught several passes. Unanimous praise from the combat men for the P-38's, the first time this group has had such a numerically heavy Lightning support. The men were sold on the long-range, aggressive protection. However the Thunderbolt is still their first love and favorite , despite it's limited range.

Participating were: Lts Crosson, Ridley, Hess, Hopp, Baer, Meyers and F/O Noxon.

T/Sgt Edwin R. Meyers, escapee from occupied France, re-assigned to this squadron, from Eight Air Force HQ.

4. A mission was scrubbed today.

5. Col Joseph J. Nazzaro, group commander, flew as 1st Bomb Division air commander today, heading the Eighth AF's raid on industrial Gelsenkirchen, in the Ruhr. A 750 mile round trip.

The squadron's 1st Lt Frank Shimek, rode with Col Nazzaro as co-navigator in "The Spirit of Franklin County, Mo.," a bond-bought Fort operating as a "pathfinder" with another group.

Today's mission was the second in a row in which maximum efforts have been carried out under cloudy weather conditions. The new and secret "pathfinder" technique is making it possible to engage in area bombing when weather conditions was precision bombing impossible.

Incendiary and 500 pounder demolition bombs from more than 400 Forts rained down through the solid undercast on Gelsenkirchen. Bombardiers believe results were "good". Fighter escort was with us all the way and enemy fighters offered only the most meagre opposition. Flak was as thick and of heavy calibre as ever over "Happy Valley" today, and five men, including S/Sgt Clifford Alley of this squadron, returned to base wounded, while one of our ships is missing.
Participating were: Lts Meyers, Baer, Hess, F/O Noxon and Lt Hopp (missing in action), five chutes reported as seen.

MIA crew: 1st Lt Donald K. Hopp, 2nd Lts Walter C. Carr, Marshall E. Tyler, 1st Lt William J. Johnston; T/Sgts Alexander M. Girvan, Roy W. East, S/Sgts Armand R. Richard, Julius F. Greer, Robert G. True and Richard Woodyatt.

6. 1st Lt Inman G. Jobe transferred to this squadron from the 533rd, while new men assigned are: 2nd Lt O.D. Tully; Sgts Doyle C. McCutcheon, Carlton A. Josephson, John F. Healy and Charles J. Culver.

7. The group drew a milk run for its 43rd mission today, 21 Forts took off at 07.30 hrs, returned at 13.00 hrs after dropping their 500-pounders through a 10/10th undercast onto Wesel, Germany. The specific target was the marshalling yards, but cloud cover prevent any observation.

This squadron set four ships as a contribution to the spare element. The P-47 escort was perfect as usual, flak was meagre over the target and non-existent elsewhere, and the Forts truly owned the sky for the day.

The hardest aspect of the entire mission was the extreme cold, 42 degrees below zero, and some of the boys came home with minor cases of frostbite.

Taking part today were: Lts Baer, Hess, Meyers and Ridley.

8. A mission was scrubbed today. New combat men assigned were: F/O Harland V. Sunde, 2nd Lts George D. Giovannini, Roger G. Christiansen. S/Sgts William P. England and J. W. Pagett.

10. A mission was scrubbed today. T/Sgt Edwin R. Myers, escapee, transferred to 533rd. He was the original radio operator on Capt Chapman's present flag ship "Chap's Flying Circus", bailed out over France, when the Fort in which he was flying as a spare gunner was crippled by two Nazi fighters. Myers was a veteran flying with a green crew, whose pilot, Lt Zum, seemed unable to hold formation, according to Myers.

Myers bailed out on 3 Sept, and was back in England late last month, after a little less than two months in friendly Underground hands on the continent. He spent much of that time in Paris, saw few Germans in the provincials sections of France, and was generally well treated by the peasantry as well as the members of the Underground with whom he came in contact.

He watched the bombing of a German factory in Paris from the apartment house in which he was living at the time. He was smuggled out of France by fishing boat, part of a large party of American and English fliers. Probably he will be promoted to M/Sgt and shipped back to the States for interrogation and assignment as in instructor.

Myers was flying his 12th mission the day he bailed out and was officially credited with shooting down the first of the three enemy fighters that jumped his ship that day. He is the group's first escapee.

11. The group put up 23 ships today as part of an entire Air Division which was recalled over Holland. The target was Wesel again, and crews were grumbling on their return of being recalled when only 20 minutes from the bomb run. Clouds formed a 10/10th overcast up to approximately 28,000 ft.

No mission was credited. Plenty of oxygen fatigue and disappointment among the crewmen.

12. M/Sgt Edwin Myers was promoted in the 533rd and re-assigned to the 535th.

13. The entire Eighth Air Force bombed Bremen today, but our group did not participate. It was recalled along with the entire Wing, after the wing leader aborted and undercast obstructed a successful re-formation of the Forts. These recalls are harder on the crewmen than a stiff mission. Officers and men alike are never more bitter than after flying several hours at altitude and sub-zero temperatures, for nothing, as they feel.

15. F/O Noxon was promoted to 2nd Lt today.

16. We flew a long one today, all the way to a few miles inland on the southern tip of Norway, to bomb the German's only molybdenum mine, near Knaben. It was an uneventful trip, but a long and cold one.

Twenty-three Forts took off, one aborted. Each carried six or 12 550-pound demolition bombs, depending upon whether or no they used a bomb bay fuel tank for the long haul. They went without escort, met only the most meagre flak over the target area, and came home without either claims or casualties.

Because of the heavy and fresh falls of snow, and because of the position of the target, mine housings etc., set deep in a narrow, mountain-rimmed valley, doubt exists as to the exact success of the bombing. It is unlikely the primary target was hit, although enough damage from rock and snow slides may have been caused, even though the installations themselves were not hit by bombs. General estimates of the bombing results - fair.

The five squadron pilots detailed to this mission were: Lts Ridley, Jobe, Baer, Noxon and Meyers.

Eight full combat crews were assigned today, but for are here only temporarily for indoctrination and training, then will be transferred to other groups soon. Those permanently assigned to the 535th are: 2nd Lts Dorman F. Lane, John B. Johnston, Everett S. Anderson, Richard W. Mitchell; S/Sgts John Peanoske, Alphonse A. Melchiorre, Sgts Henry Cramer Jr., William W. Hrapsky, Joseph Fecko and Frank H. McDaniel.

2nd Lts William H. Bartlett, Robert J. Fowler, Nicholas R. Rabay, Robert E. Hughes; S/Sgt Harry F. Dever, Russell M. Rose, Leverett L. Bennett, Sgts Clyde V. Craig, Garland C. Carson and Johnny F. Mills.

2nd Lts Emil L. Urban, George D. Hooker, Francis B. Broderick, Clifford E. Hermann; S/Sgt John Harriton, Sgts Stephen M. Gasper, John E. Moerlins, Thomas G. Lawrence, Harold D. Bankston and Charles D. Middleton.

2nd Lts Lee W. Smith, James W. Sweeney, Harold W. Kaufman, Leonard P. Meier; S/Sgts Harold C. Kemper, John W. Zappala, Sgts Reginald C. Solway, Andrew F. Manning, Lester P. Larson and Lawrence V. Eden.

17. The following promotions were announced: to T/Sgts Allen, Atz, McFarlane, Meyers and Stewart; to S/Sgt Ford, H. Miller and Williams.

18. A B-17F, with more than 100 hours on it, crew chief M/Sgt George W. Their.

22. 2nd Lt Eugene Adkins, gunnery officer, transferred in from the 533rd.

23. A mission was scrubbed today; 1st Lt Hodge was transferred out to Detachment of Patients, 2nd General Hospital; A "chin-turret" B-17G, 42-31097, assigned to this squadron today, crew chief M/Sgt Van S. Morrison.

25. A mission scrubbed today; a B-17E tow target Fort, "Tug Pappy", was transferred in for a training period of approximately 90 days, crew chief, M/Sgt Thomas R. Guinan.

26. Capt Chapman led the group to Bremen today. With a perfect Thunderbolt escort all the way, hundreds and hundreds of Forts and Liberators passed over the be-clouded and smoke-screened city. Crewmen here said they had never seen so many heavy bombers together on one mission. Many of them estimated the number well over eight hundred.

Our Forts took off at 08.25 hrs, the 535th leading a formation of 30 from this base. Temperatures stood at 50 below, and a few cases of frostbite were reported when the ships returned.

Over the target gunners saw about 50 enemy fighters but these went for the Liberators and ignored the Forts altogether. Flak was very light and inaccurate and crewmen seemed to think Bremen was taken by surprise. Bombardiers felt that, because of the tremendous number of bombers up, and covering such a great area, bombing results must have been good. Clouds and smoke, however, were too thick to permit crewmen to see where the bombs fell, or with what effect.
We sent eight ships, flown by: Capt Chapman, Lts Henslin, Hess, Baer, Jobe, Malone, Crosson and Ridley.

Four of our crewmen flew with other squadrons: 2nd Lt Arning - 532; T/Sgt Holmes - 534; S/Sgt M. Miller - 533; S/Sgt Wilkie - 534.

27. Another new crew was assigned today: 2nd Lts Henry Putek, Harvey L. Christensen, Alfred T. Coffman, Conrad E. Blaylock; S/Sgts James W. Bomar, Lifford E. French, Sgts Herbert J. Burgasser, Vincent R. Shortell, Wallace D. Heckman and George Vinovich.

29. Five of our Forts joined the group formation set to attack installation in the Ruhr Valley, but they were recalled just short of the English coast because of unsuitable weather conditions over the continent.

"The Deacon" is back. He is S/Sgt Joseph J. Walters, ball turret gunner on Lt Disbrow's crew, all of who bailed out coming back from the first Schweinfurt mission August 17. The crew came down in Belgium after their ship had its last engine pass out having made most of the trip on two.

Walters fell into friendly Underground hands early, was passed down the continent via bicycle, foot, train and any other convenient mode of transportation, and finally ended up walking over the Pyrenees to neutral territory. He reports all of the crew either POW's or in friendly hands.

According to his reports on "man pools" in Paris and other centers, half the 381st group must be living in occupied Europe or awaiting shipment to England or neutral countries. Many of the officers and men he talks about were considered Killed In Action.

30. S/Sgt Conery, grounded some time ago with frostbitten fingers, today was transferred to HQ and HQ Squadron, 1st CCRC, Bovingdon.