398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association


Dresden/Prague Mission Recollections
14 February 1945

By Harold Brown
Group Navigator, Lead Squadron

As group navigator I flew about 25 leads – usually with Col. Hunter, Simeral, or Miller.

My only recollection of the Dresden mission is that it was screwed up from the go. Winds were unbelievable and the flight plan was useless. We lost use of RADAR early and missed most checkpoints. We recommended early on that lead be turned over to Deputy, This was done but then lead was given back to us prior to bomb drop.

I could not identify the target as it was off the strip map I was using. I did see a bridge at the edge of a large town and someone calling that we had a bomb pattern “all over the place”.

On the way back – with headwinds – we had ground speed checks of around 75 MPH and we had to land in France to refuel.

I was relieved as Group Navigator and flew my remaining missions with Deputy Leads.


Article transcribed by Lee Anne Bradley, 398th Group Historian, October 2007.


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Printed in Flak News Volume 20, Number 1, Page(s) 5, January 2005

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