Missions Index

Click on the mission number to go to the description in the Journal

No. Date Target Pilot/Crew Result/Comments
1
9/5/43 marshalling yards at Ghent (Belgium) Partridge no losses; on Capt. Dave Sloan's right wing
2
9/8/43 airdrome at Lille-Nord (France) Druhl hit target, no losses; in Sloan's box again
3
9/9/43 gun emplacements at Boulogne (France) N.D. Smith to cover Allied amphibious practice; on Maj. Brier's left wing
4
9/11/43 airfield at Beaumont Le Roger (France) Chuck Enderton got "lost" on the way home; leading high box under Willcox
5
9/23/43 Beauvais Tille airdrome (France) Chuck Boyer Air Medal mission; one of a 72-plane group
Display map of missions 1-5 in a new window
6
9/27/43 airdrome at Conches (France) Enderton saw fighter, B-26 go down; followed 386th; Willcox led his box
7
10/8/43 airdrome near Lille (France)   turned back; controversy about whether mission counted
8
10/9/43 airdrome at Woensdrecht (Holland) Enderton almost lost on the way home as fuel was running low; in second box of 18
9
10/24/43 airdrome Montdidiere (France) Enderton, McAdams as bombardier uneventful; followed 322nd
10
11/5/43 mystery target near Marquis (France) Willcox, McAdams as bombardier Boyer hit, recommended for DFC; leading a box of 18 behind Col. Thatcher's lead box
Display map of missions 6-10 in a new window

 

No. Date Target Pilot/Crew Result/Comments
11
11/10/43 airdrome at Chievres (France) Brier (leader of group) good bombing, no incident; lead group missed because of clouds
12
11/11/43 X target near Martinvast (France) Heninger first experience leading group of 18
13
11/19/43 airdrome at St. Andre (France) Bob Felt lead the group but turned back due to missing rendezvous with fighters
14
11/23/43 (France)
(Moench has only mission this date with target of St. Omer/Longuenesse AD)
Mims saw 2 B-26's go down; had to divert on the way home due to weather; Willcox leading the group
15
12/4/43 airdrome at Chievres (France) Enderton unable to bomb due to cloud cover; Maj. Pratt leading the group
Display map of missions 11-15 in a new window
16
12/5/43 X target near Crécy Forest (France)   couldn't find target, didn't bomb
17
12/13/43 airdrome at Amsterdam Schipol (Holland) Enderton intense flak, including a hit in the nose; lost a plane in the box; 400 Marauders on the mission; Maj. Gould leading the group
18
12/20/43 X target near Vaqueriette (France)   cloud cover, didn't bomb; had to divert on return and landed at West Malling
19
12/22/43 X target near Yvrench (France)
(Moench: Yvrench/Bois de Waripel NB)
Wilcox bad weather; got separated from major formation
20
12/24/43 Yvrench (France)
(Moench: Yvrench/Bois de Waripel NB)
  missed with the main bomb pattern but a few hit the target
Display a map of missions 16-20 in a new window

 

No. Date Target Pilot/Crew Result/Comments
21
12/30/43 no ball near Crécy Forest (France)
(Moench: Yvrench/Bois de Waripel NB)
Enderton, McAdam missed both primary and secondary targets; leading 2nd box of 18 out of 72
22
12/31/43 no ball near Ardres (France)
(Moench: Losterbarne/Ardres NB)
Felt bombed, but missed target; flak over English coast on return
23
1/4/44 near Fruges (France)
(Moench: Fruges Bois de Coupelle)
Boyer leading B-flight; missed coastal entry point; 3 passes over target before dropping bombs
24
1/7/44 near Cherbourg (France)
(Moench: La Glacerie NB)
Enderton leading high box of 18; didn't bomb due to cloud cover
25
1/21/44* Pas de Calais (France)
(Moench: Lostebarne Ardres NB)
Enderton, McAdam DFC mission; leading low squadron first box of 18 led by Major Willcox; saw German fighter at close range
Display map of missions 21-25 in a new window
26
?/?/44** Pas de Calais (France)   no incidents of interest
27
2/5/44*** St. Omer/Frévant (France)
(Moench: Le Grismont NB)
Enderton, Ehalt (gunner) deputy box leaders under Bryan; lost Bryan and Mims
28
2/6/44 Dieppe Forest (France)
(Moench: Escalles Sur Buchy NB)
  bombed with 322nd
29
2/15/44 Beaumont le Roger (France)   first mission with 391st; turned back; Col. Williams leading; Billy in deputy box leader
(30)
2/22/44 Conches (France) Col. Williams, Mac and Chuck leading; didn't count
30
2/24/44 Gilje Rijen (Holland) Col. Williams, Mac, Chuck beautiful day, successful mission
Display map of missions 26-30 in a new window

*date estimated from table in Moench, p.128, not given in Journal.
**cannot estimate date from information given in journal; missions listed in Moench, p.128, are given for January 23, 24, and 29, also Feb. 3
***Click here for more information than the Journal coverage about this traumatic mission

No. Date Target Pilot/Crew Result/Comments
31
2/25/44 Cambrai (France) Kahley leading high box in formation of 36; group leader took wrong course
32
2/25/44 near Fruges (France) Col. Williams followed the 322nd instead of the 387th; leading 18; didn't bomb due to cloud cover
33
2/28/44 Rosiéres (France) LeFramboise barrage of flak
34
2/29/44 Pas de Calais France) Maj. Miller, 572nd C.O.  
35
3/4/44 Malines (Belgium)   recalled due to bad weather
Display map for missions 31-35 in a new window
36
3/5/44 Lambres (France) Sterngold couldn't bomb due to poor visibility even after three passes
37
3/6/44

Hirson (France)

Morris beautiful day; flew with 323rd
38
3/7/44 Criel railroad yard near Paris (France) Chuck lead 2nd box; couldn't bomb due to cloud cover; saw Eiffel Tower
39
4/23/44 Hesdin (France) Berkencamp lead 2nd box; first mission with 397th; beautiful day
40
4/28/44 Mantes railroad yard (France)
(Moench: Mantes Gasicourt MY)
Kretschmer flew with 599th; couldn't bomb primary or secondary targets due to cloud cover
Display map of missions 36-40 in a new window

 

No. Date Target Pilot/Crew Result/Comments
41
5/2/44 near Le Cateau (France) Enderton beautiful day; successful mission
42
5/10/44 Criel (France) Hughes followed 387th; saw Paris again
43
5/11/44 Beaumont Le Roger (France)   thick haze but was able to bomb
44
5/15/44 Valenciennes (France) McCarthy, Louden flew with 323rd in 72 plane formation; didn't bomb due to cloud cover
45
5/24/44 Dieppe harbor (France) Hamilton  
Display map of missions 41-45 in a new window
46
5/25/44 Liege RR bridge (Belgium) Schulze (new pilot)  
47
5/26/44 Chartres (France) Hamilton leading a group of six
48
5/?/44* no ball near Frevant (France) MacAdam back with 323rd
49
5/31/44 bridge on the Seine (France)
(Moench: Vernon HW Bridge)
Enderton deputy under Sloan
50
6/2/44 coastal gun near Le Havre (France) Sparks leading group of 12
Display map of missions 46-50 in a new window

* Moench lists only railroad and highway bridges as targets for missions dated between the 26th and 31st, so I was unable to find a precise date for this mission based on information in the Journal

No. Date Target Pilot/Crew Result/Comments
51
6/4/44 coastal gun near Fécamp (France) Chuck hit short of target
52
6/6/44 Cherbourg peninsula, Utah Beach (France) Enderton, McAdams D-Day
53
6/7/44 Avrances RR (France) Chuck deputy under Sloan; couldn't bomb due to low clouds
54
6/11/44 Lorigny RR (France) Chuck leading high flight; couldn't bomb due to cloud cover
55
6/12/44 bridge near Dreux (France)
(Moench: Cherisy RR Bridge)
Chuck, Mac leading group of 18; some direct hits on target
Display map of missions 51-55 in a new window
56
6/15/44 near Valognes (France)
(Moench: Valognes FD)
  dropped window
57
6/17/44 fuel dump just west of Paris (France)
(Moench: Senonches FD)
Chuck leading group of 18; heavy flak on exit
58
6/23/44 no-ball near Frévent (France)
(Moench: Prouville NB)
Chuck leading group of 18; aborted over Belgium due to no fighter support
59
7/18/44 troop concentration near Caen
(Moench: Demouville DA)
Sloan lost right engine; made emergency landing at Ford Airdrome
60
7/30/44 St. Lo (France)
(Moench: St.Martin des Besaces)
Sloan Pathfinder mission; first mission from Beaulieu
Display map of missions 56-60 in a new window

 

No. Date Target Pilot/Crew Result/Comments
61
7/31/44 bridge near Rouen (France)
(Moench:Le Manoir RR Bridge)
Satterwhite leading group; difficult navigation
62
8/6/44 island near St. Malo (France)
(Moench: Ile de Cezembre CD)
Satterwhite, Kaiser night mission
63
8/13/44 (according to Moench: Foret de Halouze Bivouc & Airdrome)   "nite fliers"
64
8/14/44 near Cambrai
(Moench: Marseille-en-Beauvais Depot)
  night mission
65
8/17/44 bridge near Beaumont le Roger
(date from Moench, p.235)
  P.F.F.
66*
9/1/44 Brest
(Moench: Brest Gun Battery)
leading 323rd 2 runs in support of ground troops
Display map of missions 61-66 in a new window

* Billy's Officer's Qualification Record lists the number of missions flown with each Squadron, and the total comes to 67! Unfortunately we found no mention of this final mission either in the Journal or in the small notebook where notes for missions 40-66 were listed. It's possible a page of that notebook might be missing, but it's also possible that Billy just neglected to note the final mission information in written form. More interesting information from the Qualification Record form: in 22 of Billy's missions his plane was a Squadron leader, and in 17 others he was a Group leader.

Back to Main Page