SUBJECT: B-17 Boomerang Barbara, mission 13. From William J. Watson's diary: January 29 Thirteenth raid - Target Frankfurt - Took off before daylight and we almost ran head on into another 17 - Missed our wing about 3 ft. We got over the target and the flack was heavy but low. Had good escort, lost 39 forts - Milk run but was so long. We were all so tired when we got back. From Albert Soriano's memoirs: Mission No. 13 Date Jan 29, 1944 Target Frankfurt, Germany Time 1:49 Trip 7:00 Altitude 24,700 Temp. (C) 44 below Damage None Memo This is our second trip to this target. Our first trip took four hours and forty five minutes. This one took seven hours. The reason was that we were bucking a 120 mile an hour gale wind. This made our ground speed 83 miles an hour. In other words we were what you might call sitting Ducks. We had bad weather all the way to the target and back. Sgt. Baldock has been part of the crew for a while now, as waist gunner. From a local British newspaper: Forts, Libs Again Bomb NW Reich -------------- Travelers in Stockholm Say Berlin Attacked By Lone Planes -------------- Flying Fortresses and Liberators attacked targets in Germany in daylight yesterday. The first official announcement last night said only that the bombers "hit targets in northwest Germany," but Berlin radio reported a heavy attack on areas in the central Reich as well. It was the fourth day of operations for the heavy U.S. bombers in the new year. Attacks on Jan. 4, 5 and 7 also included targets within the Reich itself. In Stockholm, travelers arriving from Berlin said the German capital was bombed by isolated planes between 11.30 AM and 12.15 PM yesterday. German radio said American bombers were over central Germany about that time. While some Fortress and Liberator groups, cruising above clouds in northwestern Germany for targets of opportunity, reported almost no fighter opposition, other formations came back to British bases with descriptions of some of the most bitter dogfights of the war. German radio reports told of intense battles across wide stretches of Nazi sky and claimed that the bombers, making their first penetration of central Germany since the Schweinfurt attack of last Oct. 14, were "dispersed with heavy losses." Unescorted, Nazis Say The German reports said the U.S. bombers which went to the central Reich were not escorted by fighters, and that Nazi interceptors hacked at the formations all the way from the coast. The Nazis claimed "the American attack was dispersed and directed against several places with comparatively weak effect." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Michael R. Fitch DISO/UNRIA (DSN) 850-9961 (614) 692-9961 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ E-mail: nrm1853@rserver3.dsac.dla.mil -or try- nrm1853@131.78.67.2