The third mission came the very next day, September 12th. The target was a small oil refinery at Hemmingstedt in Schleswig-Holstein. Pete Scott didn't fly; he had been assigned Officer of the Day. The route took the crew up the North Sea, bombing south to north, which put them heading toward the Frisian Islands on the way home. A few bursts came up from Heligoland, but no flak reached them and no fighters appeared. All aircraft returned without damage. Five of the six refinery buildings were assessed as destroyed. It was, by the crew's own reckoning, the easiest mission of the early tour.
12 SEPTEMBER 1944 · TUESDAY
Mission 626
Kiel
Bombed Primary
Intended Target
Kiel
Kiel, Germany
Operating Group
93rd BG
2BD
Aircraft Effective
58 / 241
effective / dispatched
Bomb Tonnage
149.5
tons
§ Outcome
0
Ships Aborting
0
Ships Lost
0
Men Bailed Out
0
Men Lost
§ Times & Distance
- Reveille
- 03:00
- Stations
- 07:00
- Takeoff
- 07:35
- Form-Up
- 06:45
- Time Over Target
- 08:30
- Return Time
- 13:25
- Distance
- 1,200 nmi
- Fuel Aboard
- 2,700 gal
- Fuel Consumed
- 1,700 gal
§ Weather
- Cloud En-Route to Target
- Low stratocumulus clouds along the route; skies cleared at the target, allowing visual bombing.
- Lowest Temp
- -2 °F
- Wind Speed
- 35 kt
- Wind Direction
- 140°
§ Bombing & Defense
- Bombing Altitude
- 23,000 ft
- Bombing Run Heading
- 182° True
- Forming Altitude
- 7,000 ft
- Fighter Cover
- 3 P-51 groups
- Bombing Accuracy
- Complete destruction of 5 of 6 buildings at target
Flak Description
A few bursts from Heligoland; otherwise none
§ Sorties · 29 Aircraft Dispatched
Each ship that lifted off, and the men aboard her.
▸ 1 ship carrying your selectionB-24H · 42-95242 · AG · 330th SQDN
Bombed Primary
Pos
Airman
Status
Unknown · 42-50629 · ??-I · Unknown Squadron SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
B-24H · 42-94969 · AG · 330th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
B-24H · 42-50353 · AG · 330th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
B-24H · 42-94970 · AG · 330th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
B-24H · 42-95254 · AG · 330th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
B-24J · 42-109867 · AG · 330th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
B-24J · 42-50505 · AG · 330th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
B-24D · 41-24147 · AG · 330th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
B-24J · 44-40116 · RE · 329th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
B-24H · 42-51078 · RE · 329th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
B-24J · 42-50501 · AG · 330th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Unknown · 42-51075 · AG · 330th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Unknown · 42-91191 · AG · 330th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
B-24J · 42-100334 · YM · 409th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Lead aircraft (circle-1 marker on Pilot)
Unknown · 42-11017 · GO · 328th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Commanding officer 1st Lt. Richard Baginski listed at top of block; left-side pilot entry marked with strikethrough and illegible
B-24H · 41-29586 · GO · 328th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
B-24J · 42-100428 · GO · 328th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Marked with Ø symbol.
B-24H · 42-95095 · GO · 328th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Marked with Ø symbol.
B-24H · 41-29437 · AG · 330th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Marked with Ø symbol.
B-24J · 42-99949 · GO · 328th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Marked with Ø symbol.
B-24J · 42-99994 · GO · 328th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Marked with Ø symbol.
B-24J · 42-50606 · GO · 328th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Marked with Ø symbol.
Unknown · XX-XX426 · YM · 409th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Lead aircraft (circle-1 marker on Pilot)
B-24H · 42-50362 · YM · 409th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Lead aircraft (circle-1 marker on Pilot)
B-24J · 44-10578 · YM · 409th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Lead aircraft (circle-1 marker on Pilot)
Unknown · XX-XX127 · YM · 409th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Lead aircraft (circle-1 marker on Pilot)
Unknown · XX-XX657 · YM · 409th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Lead aircraft (circle-1 marker on Pilot)
Unknown · XX-XX533 · YM · 409th SQDN
Pos
Airman
Status
Additional CP entry 'Maj Hoare, J. W.' listed below this aircraft block at bottom of page — may be an observer or formation command pilot added post-listing.
Sources
Load List
Official record
2nd Air Division · 2nd Air Division Digital Archive · 1944
Mighty Eighth War Diary
Published
Roger A Freeman · Jane's Publishing Company Limited · 1981