The ninth mission took the crew south to the marshalling yards at Kaiserslautern. The formation assembled over London and crossed the coast at Boulogne, tracking through Lens, Douai, and Valenciennes to the target. The return ran out through Luxembourg, Trier, Mons, and Ostende. Flak was meager but accurate on the bomb run. Cloud cover was complete and Hughes again handled the bomb drop without a bombardier. Whether the bombs found the yards was impossible to say. The aircraft came back clean, and all crew were safe. Elsewhere in the formation, three men had bailed out.
14 OCTOBER 1944 · SATURDAY · STATION 104Bombed Primary
Mission 676.Kaiserslautern.
Kaiserslautern, Germany
Intended Target
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern, Germany
Operating Group
93rd BG
2BD
Takeoff Base
Hardwick
Station 104
Landing Base
Hardwick
Station 104
Aircraft Effective
117 / 117
effective / dispatched
Bomb Tonnage
330.8
tons
The cost.
§ Outcome
0
Ships Aborting
0
Ships Lost
3
Men Bailed Out
0
Men Lost
The route.
§ Takeoff to Target
Bearing Out
124° T
Bearing In
309° T
Route Length
1,215 nmi
Time Aloft
6 h 00 m
Operational data.
§ From the Debrief
Times & Distance
Reveille04:00
Stations08:25
Takeoff09:15
Form-Up06:00
Time Over Target11:15
Return Time15:15
Distance1,215 nmi
Fuel Aboard2,500 gal
Fuel Consumed2,100 gal
Weather
Cloud En-Route to TargetThin stratus layer (2/10) beneath a complete (10/10) stratocumulus overcast — heavy cloud cover throughout.
Air Temp at Altitude-20 °F
Lowest Temp-20 °F
Wind Speed71 kt
Wind Direction230°
Bombing & Defense
Bombing Altitude22,500 ft
Bombing Run Heading172° True
Forming Altitude13,000 ft
Fighter Cover3 P-51 groups
Bombing AccuracyCould not see — 10/10 cloud cover
Flak
Flak from gun positions on the bomb run; otherwise meager
The formation.
§ 2 Aircraft Dispatched
Each ship that lifted off, and the men aboard her.
Unidentified ship
Sources.
§ Provenance
Mighty Eighth War Diary
Roger A Freeman · Jane's Publishing Company Limited · 1981
Published