Mission eleven carried the crew to the marshalling yards at Karlsruhe. The route came in over Camiers, through Laon, Nancy, and Luxembourg to the target, returning by way of Stuttgart, Lille, and Ostende. Hughes flew on the flight deck. Over the target the flak was heavy, the crews noting bursts in red, white, and black. Cloud cover was complete and results could not be observed. Three 2,000-pound bombs went down through the overcast. One aircraft was lost and three men with it; seven others had bailed out elsewhere. Their own aircraft, "Maulin Mallard," returned without damage and all crew safe.
05 NOVEMBER 1944 · SUNDAY · STATION 104
Mission 702
Ludwigshafen
Bombed Primary
Intended Target
Ludwigshafen
Ludwigshafen, Germany
Actual Target
Karlsruhe
As bombed
Operating Group
93rd BG
3BD
Takeoff Base
Hardwick
Station 104
Landing Base
Hardwick
Station 104
Aircraft Effective
219 / 454
effective / dispatched
Bomb Tonnage
640.5
tons
ROUTE PLATE · TAKEOFF → TARGET
TAKEOFF · HARDWICK✛TARGET · LUDWIGSHAFEN
Bearing Out
121° T
Bearing In
306° T
Route Length
1,400 nmi
Time Aloft
7 h 30 m
§ Outcome
0
Ships Aborting
1
Ships Lost
7
Men Bailed Out
3
Men Lost
§ Times & Distance
- Reveille
- 03:00
- Stations
- 06:30
- Takeoff
- 07:15
- Form-Up
- 07:30
- Time Over Target
- 09:30
- Return Time
- 14:45
- Distance
- 1,400 nmi
- Fuel Aboard
- 2,500 gal
- Fuel Consumed
- 2,300 gal
§ Weather
- Cloud En-Route to Target
- Solid, wall-to-wall stratus overcast (10/10) from departure to target — complete instrument conditions the entire route.
- Air Temp at Altitude
- -24 °F
- Lowest Temp
- -24 °F
- Wind Speed
- 48 kt
- Wind Direction
- 260°
§ Bombing & Defense
- Bombing Altitude
- 24,000 ft
- Bombing Run Heading
- 87° True
- Forming Altitude
- 14,000 ft
- Fighter Cover
- 4 P-51, 1 P-47 groups
- Bombing Accuracy
- Could not see — 10/10 cloud cover
Flak Description
Heavy at target — red, white, and black flak bursts
§ Sorties · 2 Aircraft Dispatched
Each ship that lifted off, and the men aboard her.
▸ 1 ship carrying your selectionB-24J · 42-109867 · AG · 330th SQDN
Bombed Primary
Pos
Airman
Status
Unidentified ship
328th SQDN
Bombed Primary
Pos
Airman
Status
From William Orient's flight log: aircraft logged as '535-O', B-24H. Carried 2,000-lb bombs to Karlsruhe; flak encountered. Duration 7:00. Aircraft not matched to a DB record - candidates 42-51535 'Misery Wagon' and 44-10535 'Roy's Boys' (both 328th BS, call letter O) unconfirmed.
Sources
Mighty Eighth War Diary
Published
Roger A Freeman · Jane's Publishing Company Limited · 1981