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Jim P
United States
Sterling Heights
Michigan
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF WAR
HEADQUARTERS 281ST BOMB GROUP (H) VIII BOMBER COMMAND EIGHTH AIR FORCE
EIGHTH AIR FORCE STATION 200 ELVEDEN HALL ENGLAND APO 667
Pilot: 1st Lt. Walter Zabalaoui
B-17: Tru Bella III (B-17F-120-B0 42-30741) GG-A
Squadron: 154th Bombardment Squadron, 218th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
Mission: 82 (Bomber 1)
Date: August 15, 1943
Target: Amiens, France. A/F
Position: Low
Crew Status:
Pilot: 1st Lt. Walter Zabalaoui (9)
Copilot: 2nd Lt. Graham D. Faircloth (3)
Bombardier: 2nd Lt. John N. Mahood (4)
Navigator: 2nd Lt. Hunter H. Flores (1)
Engineer: MSgt. Christopher M. Ritter (3) ***
Radio Operator: TSgt. Tyler R. Savino (4) **
Ball Gunner: Sgt. John Krieger (9) ## *
Port Waist: Sgt. William E. Scott (1)
Starboard Waist: Sgt. Thomas O. Thomas (1)
Tail Gunner: Sgt. John C. Revis (3) ***
Key:
½ = Half an Enemy A/C KIA
* = 1 Enemy A/C KIA
# = 5 Enemy A/C KIA
Bomb Run:
---- Bomb Drop; On Target
---- Accuracy; 20%
Enemy Fighters Encountered: (1=KIA / 1=Prob / 0=Damg)
---- Me109: 1-KIA / 1-Prob / 0-Damg (2 Attacked)
---- Driven-off by RAF Spitfires: 5
Claims:
2nd Lt. H. Flores: (Prob 1x 109 )
Sgt. J. Krieger: 1x Me109
Medals and Promotions:
None
B-17s disposition:
Msgt. Cory Berkely “Tru Bella III” Minimal damage. Damage report as follows: Port Wing root 20% damaged, port elv. Root 33% damaged, Radio out, rear gun turret destroyed and tail gunners heat out. No hits causing wounds, no fatal, none were serious and none of a light nature. Five of ten hits were of a superficial nature (115pts Peckham Points)
Replacements:
None
Mission Description:
Subject: Amiens, France. A/F
15-August-43 Mission Report C4M82-741A
Mission Debriefing:
“Sir we are unaccustomed to this type of run. We made it in and out with nary a scratch and put our eggs square in the pickle barrel…, Sir!”
Zone 2 O/B: No enemy air activity observed.
Target Zone 3 O/B: Three Messerschmitts came up to play. As they were positing for their attack a pair of RAF Spitfires took down one if a compelling display of British marksmanship. The poor bugger never had a chance. One approached from twelve o’clock low flew into the sights of Sgt. Krieger and paid the price. It was observed in a flat spin all the way to the ground by Sgt. Revis. The third bandit working in from 10:30 high manage to navigate the hail of .50cal’s and landed two shells. One disabled the radio and the other went a stray into the wing with no evident damage. Lt. Flores claimed a sever hit on this fighter, which seemed to be true as he didn’t return and our waist gunners sat he was smokinf on the way out.
Flak was moderate and accurate as we took no less than eight shells on the first volley. Resulting in the port wing and elevator roots each taking a root hit. Sgt Revis’s guns were rendered inoperable. Even with all the commotion of the flak Lt. Mahood got a good pattern in the target zone, about 20% or more.
Flak continued to be a nuisance though we escaped damage. But we were buffeted about. We ma our rally point and turned for home…
Target Zone 3 I/B: two more waves of Messerschmitt 109s attempted to attack but our Spitfire friends dispatched the in easy accord, with one disintegrating in mid air. Though they were able to lob a few rockets in our direction we took no damage from this lame attempt of desperation.
Zone 2 I/B: Again we saw no activity in our direction..
Zone 1 I/B: We made base and landed with no further incidents.
Msgt. Cory Berkely tells me that “Tru Bella III” will be ready for next mission. Let’s pray that it is as calm as this one was.
1st Lt. Walter Zabalaoui
Commanding Officer, B-17F-120-B0 42-30741 “Tru Bella III”
154th BS, 281st BG(H), 3rd Bombardment Wing
Elveden Hall, UK
Mission Note: Yahoo! A true “Milk Run” and we made it home alive!!!
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Randy Dreger
Australia
Sebastopol
Victoria
I love Melissa, but don't tell her. It's a secret if she can find this. Shhhhh....
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Memo:
The crew of Santanico Pandemonium have returned just in time to make take off for this mission.
AAR to be posted shortly.
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Randy Dreger
Australia
Sebastopol
Victoria
I love Melissa, but don't tell her. It's a secret if she can find this. Shhhhh....
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After Action Report (AAR) #82
Pilot: Capt. Seth Gecko
B17: Santanico Pandemonium
Sqdn.: 151st
Mission : 18
Target: Amiens
Position: Low-Low
Crew Status:
Pilot: Capt. Seth Gecko (18)
Copilot: 2nd Lt. Kelly Kelly (6)
Bombardier: 2nd Lt. Lucky Johnson (10)* SW-IH
Navigator: 1st Lt. Ted Raimi (19)**
Engineer: FO Razor Charlie(18)##* Me-110 LW
Radio Operator: SSgt. Ian Ambercrombie (19)
Ball Gunner: Sgt. Kay Sloughter (15)##** Me-110
Port Waist: Sgt. Sam Raimi (3)
Starboard Waist: Sgt. Danny Trejo (2)
Tail Gunner: SSgt. Fred Williamson “Frost” (18)##^
(Mission Number)
* = fighters shot down
^= ½ fighter shot down
# = 5 Fighters shot down (ACE)
Bomb Drop : 0%
Fighters Encountered: 14
Fighters Driven off: 5
Enemy Confirmed Shot down: 2 Me-110
Enemy Probable: 1 Me-109
Enemy Damaged: 1 FW-190
B-17s damage: Moderate – Port Wing moderate damage, leaking fuel tank, navigator equipment out.
Total hits: 15
Peckham Points: 82.
Mission Description:
A quick hop to some French Beach but those German fighters swarmed us the whole time. Some guy must of put a bull’s eye on the port wing, as almost every shell seemed to hit it!
Lucky missed the target after we were rocked by flak. But that wasn’t the worse news. After bombing another couple shells hit us lightly wounding Razor but hit Lucky hard. Medics say he’ll make it but his flying days are over.
Capt. Seth Gecko
Santanico Pandemonium
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Jim P
United States
Sterling Heights
Michigan
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Please Note: Mission 82 has been completed and we are not accepting any more After Action Reports at this time. Mission 83 has now been posted in the Play-by-Forum thread. If you have missed getting your results in for this past mission just proceed to mission 83 and fly that mission. Then you may post your results for that mission in that thread.
END OF MISSION REPORT
All reports from returning planes have been submitted and reviewed. VIII Army Air Force Command reports the following summary results from the mission to attack the enemy facility at Amiens.
Target: Amiens, France A/F
Date: Thursday, August 12, 1943
Bombers Dispatched: 16
Bombers effective: 16 (over target)
Bombers returning to base: sixteen (no aborted mission)
Bombers lost: 0 (0 Cat-E)
Aircraft losses: 0.0% of squadron
Aircrew casualties:
---- crewmen reported KIA: 5
---- crewmen reported with SW: 5
---- crewmen reported with LW: 1
---- crewmen listed as MIA: 0
Reported claims of enemy aircraft kills:
---- Fighters Killed: 19
---- Fighters Probable Kills: 6
---- Fighters Damaged: 10
Percentage of bombs on target within 1000 feet for the squadron: 21.9%
We achieved some outstanding results today. Excellent bomb results as well as bringing everyone home. Though we lost five good men on the mission this one ranks as the least bloodiest to date. Let us pray for similar results over the next series of missions.
Lt. Col. Pfalzstaff
Deputy Commander
Elveden Hall, UK
3rd Bombardment Wing HQ
Summary of Missions to Date:
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Damo
Australia
Hobart
Tasmania
Plastic & Shiney!
Don't try this in a B-17!
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Now you can say it's a milk run.
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Jim P
United States
Sterling Heights
Michigan
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Damjon wrote: Now you can say it's a milk run.
Thanks.... "IT'S A MILK RUN......"
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