I remember it being a SNAFU’d mission …climbing…climbing…trying to stay in formation at 30,000 feet …going thru “needless” flak, …etc, etc,… and then hearing some “chatter” and someone saying …”we are way off course”…”target is ???? Degree that way”, … After flying for a considerable amount of time we encountered some breaks in the clouds …and once again a mattering of conversation came over the air. The voices sounded like familiar voices from the “lead” aircraft; …like:…”I know how to read a map” …”I say our target, …Dresden is ahead…and…THAT is where we are going… ” I imagined that…THOSE people up in the lead aircraft were getting so excited and “keyed-up” they were “punching” buttons and transmitting on “guard”, other than “intercom”. Hence a lot of “other people” were listening to…”strange conversations” too.

Stars and Stripes said we “dropped” leaflets… Those were sure “heavy 500 pound leaflets” to my recollection!


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