Death On The North Sea Gunnery Range

"ArtKramr" wrote in message
...
The War Was Over: Death On The North Sea Gunnery Range

It was on the 31st of May, 1945. The USAAC had established a gunnery range
in
the North Sea, It was known as the Blankenburghe gunnery range. We flew
many
missions there attacking a load of target rafts moored in the North sea.
We
would come in low and shoot up the rafts. After enough planes had made
their
passes the rafts were just a bunch of floating sticks and we would head
for
home while the rafts were replaced for the next strafing mission. This
allowed
all the gunners to fire their guns including the pilot who would bring his
package guns to bear. On this mission Harrell Foxx was at the controls.
And as
far as anyone can figure they made their pass and then continued to dive
right
into the North Sea. There were no survivors. We will never know what
actually
caused the crash. Some say it was target fixation. Others claim it was
just the
low altiiude treachery for which the Marauder is so famous. But one thing
we do
know and that just because the war ended, it didn't mean those in the Army
Air
Corps would ever get safely home. On this mission there was Foxx,
Robinson,
Malchiodi, Dmitri, Doyle, Dunn and Stout. Lest we forget.
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What was the weather like Art ?

I once knew an RAF coastal command type and he
reckoned that fine weather and smooth seas were
always dangerous because it was hard to get a
visual cue of how high you really were. He said
they lost aircraft the same way and they did this
for a living.

Keith




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