Subject: B-17 Boomerang Barbara, Mission 12

From: [email-masked] (Michael Fitch)
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 94 09:30:19 -0500

SUBJECT: B-17 Boomerang Barbara, mission 12.

        From William J. Watson's diary:

January 24      Twelveth raid - Target Frankfurt - We just got into 
                enemy territory and the raid was scrubbed. We got
                credit for it because we saw some fairly accurate
                flack. Sure glad it was scrubbed. The formation was
                all over the sky. We flew right through one. Almost
                cracked up.

        From Albert Soriano's memoirs:

Mission No.     12              Date    Jan. 24, 1944
Target          Frankfurt, Germany
Time            2:15 hrs        Trip    4:45 hrs                
Altitude        26,200          Temp.   (C) 49 below
Damage          Two small flak holes in the left wing
Memo            Heavy flak met us over the target area. The trip was a
                scenic one. On the way to the target we could see snow
                on the ground. We flew over the mountains where the
                worlds finest canaries are raised.

        From a local British newspaper:

                        Smoke Seen 50 Miles Off After Attack
                                     ----------
        Heavily Defended German Northwest Target in Month's 5th Raid
                                     ----------
        Great formations of American four-engined bombers, protected by
squardrons of fighters, braved thick flak yesterday to strike a spectacular
blow at heavily defended northwest Germany--home of vital industry and
shipbuilding.
        The bombers' objective was described in the preliminary Eighth Air
Force announcement only as "targets in northwest Germany," and at a late
hour last night a more detailed communique had not been issued.
        Returning airmen asserted, however, that their bombs churned up
great black smoke clouds which rose 3,000 feet through the overcast and
could be seen 50 miles away.
                        Likened to Kiel Flak
        "I never saw so much flak," one pilot said, while others compared
the fire to the ack-ack of last June's raid on Kiel, generally spoken of as
the worst Eighth Air Force has met.
        "The sky seemed full of flak for 15 to 20 minutes," one crewman 
declared.
        About 50 fighters were sent up to meet the bombers, but escorting
Thunderbolts and Lightnings kept off most of them.
        It was the fifth major operation of the month for the American air
force, against two for the RAF. Thus, in spite of bad weather, the USAAF at
mid-month has caught up to its usual pace. Twice in the past year it reached
ten missions a month and in November it pushed the total record of 11.
        The raid set sirens screeching throughout western Germany for the
second time within 24 hours. RAF Mosquitoes attacked unidentified objectives
in the same area Wednesday night.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 October 1991 the Air Force eliminated the position of Aerial Gunner.
This terminated 75 years of a Bomber Crew Position that served our nation
with Great Valor and Pride. 
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 E-mail:        [email-masked]