381st Bomb Group (H)
War Diary

Roll BO370: Frames 56-78

June 2, 1944

Completing its first "double header" in nearly a year of combat operations, the 381st Bombardment Group followed its morning blow at the Pas de Calais area with an early evening attack on marshalling yards near Villacoublay, just south of Paris.

The target was one of several, both railroad installations and airdromes, which participating combat men observed hit in the Paris outskirts. In addition to indicating another step-up in the already mammoth pre-invasion air war, today's two missions meant for the 381st achievement of an even dozen as its total of consecutive operations without a single instance of early turn-back from a target because of mechanical or personnel failure.

Leading his contingent's 13 heavies this afternoon was Maj. Charles L. Halsey, of 827 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, Cal., flying his "Julie Linda" with Capt. Charles A. Enos, of 2301 Sacremento St., St. Joseph, Mo. Maj. Halsey called the mission "excellent", clear visibility for bombardiers over the target, full American fighter escort all the way and the only sign of enemy resistance was meager flak encountered in the target area.

"Everything went on schedule," Maj. Halsey said, "including a good, long bomb run".

Returning to the base in darkness, the Group held tight formation all the way to the field and were covered by their fighters, on the alert for possible Luftwaffe "intruders", nearly to their destination.

June 2, 1944

Without opposition, twenty three Flying Fortress of the 381st Bomb Group today contributed their share to the Eighth Air Force's attack on German military installations in the Pas de Calais area.

Bombing results are as yet undisclosed.

The 381st operated against the same objective in two separate contingents, led, respectively by pilots 1^st Lt. Howard N. Kesley, of 1705 Mulberry St., Chattanooga, Tenn., and 1st Lt. Irving Moore, of 1641 N. Mariposa, Hollywood, Cal. Participating crewmen from both units told the same story: No flak, no enemy fighters and bombs away from close-flying formations.

All our aircraft returned safely.

June 3, 1944

For the second successive day Flying Fortresses dominated the Pas de Calais' invasion coast, striking at military targets left unprotected by the enemy with unspecified results.

Making its thirteenth consecutive combat operation without an abortive, the 381st Bomb Group followed up yesterday's two in one performance with a six-ship contribution to a composite bomber contingent. Leading was 1st Lt. Charles E. Ackerman, Jr., of 3375 Walnut St., Riverside, Cal., with 2^nd Lt. Nicholas Fedak, of 427 First St., Conemaugh, Pa., as co-pilot.

The group with which the 381st ships flew encountered neither flak nor enemy fighters. Contrails were occasionally nearby, but did not prevent the bomb run's accomplishment as briefed. Returning crewmen said their formation was tight at 'bombs away'.

June 4, 1944

For the third consecutive day Flying Fortresses of the 381st Bomb Group added their strength to the mounting intensity of attack against Nazidom's "West Wall", dropping tons of explosives on the enemy's defense targets in the Pas de Calais area.

Group leader was Capt. Karl Franek, of 820 Ludlow Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio, a squadron operations officer. Crewmen with him agreed that today's operation - the fourth in three days and the 381st's fourteenth consecutive without an 'abortive' was as "nearly perfect as they come in this business".

It was their way of commenting on the complete lack of enemy flak and fighters to hamper the Fortresses. American fighter escort was "the best, as usual".

Over the broken clouds 12 of this group's ships made a long bomb run in tight formation to let the explosives go as briefed.

With the exception of meagre flak seen at a distance and one rocket reported by a crew as bursting far below our formation, Fortresses ruled the skies of Hitler's sunset "ring of steel".

5th June 1944

Thirty nine Fortresses of the 381st Bomb Group, led by Lt. Col. John E. Fitzgerald, Jr., 2808 Chatsworth Blvd., San Diego, Cal., a squadron commander, blasted a tactical target on the French coast today.

A 10/10 cloud cover hid the English Channel from the bombers as they flew toward the French coast, Col. Fitzgerald reported, but the clouds broke over the Continent and the target was observed "from 70 miles away."

An excellent bombing run was carried out, the Fortresses being unhampered by flak. Results are believed to be good. No enemy fighters were seen during the entire flight.

All bombers returned safely to the base. There were no casualties.

June 6th, 1994

Minutes before the Allied troops began the invasion of Continental Europe that marked the opening of D-Day, this morning, huge forces of American heavy bombers poured hundreds of tons of bombs on enemy installations all along the invasion coast.

The bombers were escorted by equally enormous formations of Allied fighters. There were more Allied aircraft taking part in the operation today than had ever been put in the air at one time before. Under command of Lt. Col. Conway S. Hall, of N. Little Rock, Ark., 36 Flying Fortresses of the 381^st Group took part in the first bombing operation of the day, timed to precede, by a few minutes, the Allied landings.

The history making-events were completely hidden from the bombers by clouds. Over the tops of the 11,000 foot solid undercast, the Fortresses flew in good weather without a challenge by the enemy, either from the air or from the ground. Formation after formation made its way to one of the various objectives and dropped its bombs. None reported flak and none saw enemy fighters.

Occasionally, through the infrequent breaks in the undercast, members of the bomber crews managed to get a look at the water adjacent to the invasion coast, reporting they saw untold numbers of Allied ships on the way to the continent. For the most part, however, the airmen saw nothing but clouds, large numbers of Fortresses, and dozens of sky markers, curving in fantastic, futuristic shapes over the clouds. The bombing was performed by the use of instruments. Results were unobserved.

The air crews, who had been "sweating out" D-Day, were completely "browned off" by the fact that the clouds deprived them of their "box seats" for the invasion. From above the undercast, it seemed incredible that so much could be taking place below while over the clouds it was quiet and peaceful, except for the roar of the myriad Allied aircraft engines.

The targets attacked this morning constitute only the first of a series of objectives set by Eighth Air Force for the day in support of the ground troops. Bombers flying the second edition of the day's "shuttle bombing" plan, took off from here only a couple hours after the lead-off formations.

8th June 1944

Nine Flying Fortress crewmen returned to their home base today in borrowed RAF clothing after surviving a ditching just off the French coast last night in "invasion" waters bordering the beachheads of the Allied Expeditionary Forces.

Grinning and unharmed except for minor cuts and bruises suffered when their Fortress "Our Captain" plunged into the channel at dusk yesterday, the crew told a story giving high praise to the efficiency and skill of the Air-Sea Rescue Service.

"Our Captain" was struck by flak while raining its bombs on an airfield at Lorient, France. Fragments smashed into the No. 4 engine, causing both to start leaking oil and gasoline.

2nd Lt. John A. Martyniak, of 355 Washington St., Taunton, Mass., gave his faulty engines "full boost" to maintain his position in the formation, but the Fortress gradually slowed and began lagging behind. Finally the two engines lost almost all power and the No. 3 engine began malfunctioning.

Lt. Martyniak called by radio for fighter protection. Heading for the Channel, "Our Captain" lost altitude at the rate of 500 feet a minute, but the pilot believed a long glide to England might still be possible and ordered his crew to jettison all moveable equipment except the ball turret.

Navigator 2nd Lt. James G. Manion, 513 Dewey St., Rochester, N.Y. gave the ship's position to the radio operator, T/Sgt Paul E. Stewart, of 1743 N. Luna St., Chicago, Ill., and contact was made with Air-Sea Rescue. As the bomber dropped lower and lower toward the sea, the pilot called off altitude every 100 feet, keeping the Air-Sea Rescue well informed of his Fort's position.

Meanwhile, the rest of the crew except Lt. Martyniak and his co-pilot, 2nd Lt. Richard L. Kellum, of Williamsburg, Ohio, crowded into the radio room and braced themselves according to plan for the imminent ditching.

"Our Captain" struck tail first, then slid into the water on its belly, shaking up the men in the radio room and slightly injuring several of them. Water rushed into the radio room through the camera well so rapidly that it half filled the tiny compartment by the time the men had climbed through the hatch in the ceiling.

Though the huge bomber sank in little less than two minutes, the crew cleared their rubber dinghies from the ship and inflated them, but within a few minutes a pair of British Spitfires had sighted the stranded airmen.

They were now floating in water less than a score of miles from the Channel Islands, where, according to news reports of the day, Allied paratroopers were attacking German defenses.

"But we didn't see any invasion ships near us," said ball turret gunner S/Sgt. Lloyd S. Jackson of 667 N. Howard, St., Akron, Ohio. "We must have been south of their path."

The two Spits were joined by several more British fighters within 10 or 15 minutes, and the aircraft circled above the dinghies, protecting the Americans from possible strafing.

A Wellington bomber arrived at the scene an hour after the ditching. It circled for half an hour, calculating wind and drift, then dropped a motor launch by parachute from an altitude of about 300 feet.

"The launch floated down supported by the parachute," Lt. Martyniak said. "When it hit the water, there were sharp explosions and the chutes were blown clear of the boat. It was beautifully carried out."

"Our Captain" crew maneuvered their dinghies to the launch and climbed aboard. as a safety measure, they tied the dinghies to the rear of the emergency boat, but trying to start the motor of the launch was another problem.

One motor sputtered into action finally, but the propeller became fouled in the dinghy lines and the motor quit. The drenched crew worked strenuously until they managed to start the second motor. After proceeding for about a mile they met a high powered rescue ship and were taken aboard. The motor launch was secured to the larger ship's stern.

"And soon after we started on our way home," Sgt Jackson said, "The same thing happened to that ship's motor that happened to the one on the launch. Its propeller got tangled in a line, and the motor quit. They had another, though, and we came home on that one."

The men were given dry clothing, hot food and medical attention at an Air-Sea Rescue Station in southern England. After a night's sleep, they flew back to the home base aboard the Fortress "Yankee Rebel".

Others in the crew not already mentioned were 2nd Lt., Ray L. Stewart, of 1503 Mt. Vernon, Yakima, Wash., bombardier; S/Sgt Darrel E. Longley, of Newburg, Ore., top turret gunner and engineer; S/Sgt Albert W. Fahey, of 2118 Magnolia St., Sioux City, Ia. waist gunner; and S/Sgt Wayne M. Coffey, of Lenoir, N.C. tail gunner.