Mission Story (from an e-mail)

Greetings Art:

I was a copilot with the 573rd on one of these raids. Captain Jimmie Doolittle
was flying lead and we were in the bucket.
As we approached the target with a belly full of surrender leaflets the flak
from the coast artillery guns started to blacken the sky.
We proceeded over the drop point but the bays didn't open so the bomb load of
paper wasn't delivered.
As we came off the target and were still in the air, I thought that we lucked
out again. But lo and behold, Doolittle did a 360 and we were on our way over
the target again!.
I thought that was the most stupid decision I had ever been made and broke
radio silence and told him so.
Later I went on a flak leave on the same order with Doolittle just before the
Battle of the Bulge. He was spending Christmas with his dad. Because of all the
bad weather, there was a backup of crews due to return to their groups. I
though the war would end before my return trip . However. on the day my leave
was up, the private C47 of the General landed in Blackpool to take the two of
us back to duty!
Because I was on leave, I missed the massacre of the 391st on the first mission
when the weather cleared and they were hit by 109s.
Ancient history.

Ed Armstrong


Ancient history never to be forgotten. Thanks.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer