398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association


Captain Alan A. Arlin's Diary

Arlin Mission No. 16

August 26, 1944
Target: Synthetic Oil Plant, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Arlin Mission No. 16
Date - August 26, 1944
Assigned Target - Synthetic Oil Plant, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Targets Attacked - None
Results - Nil
Aircraft Number - N-8129-A
Bomb Load - 8- 1000 lb. G.P. [General Purpose]
Position in formation - Lead of High Group
Time - 6 hrs. 30 min.
Altitude over Target - 31,500 ft.
Casualties - None
Damage - None
Losses - None

Loading list
C.A. - Capt. Arlin, A. A.
Pilot - 1st Lt. Dalton, Hollis L.
Co-P. - None
Nav. - 1st Lt. Anderson, Earl W.
Bomb. - 1st Lt. Veley, Lester B.
Eng. - T/Sgt. Baker, Cova P.
Radio - T/Sgt. Johnson, Gene
W.G. - S/Sgt. Alves, Alfred
B.T. - S/Sgt. Kanable, Harold W.
T.G. - S/Sgt. Durst, William K.

Arlin Mission No. 16
Date - August 26, 1944

This is been a very bad day. Nothing went right to day, it would've been better if we hadn't bothered about getting up this morning.

Had several delays in take-off due to the weather. Finally getting off we had more trouble in getting into division formation. After milling around and screaming on the radio we got squared away and headed out.

We went in unusually high today and that added to our trouble and discomfort. The formation was poor and hard to handle and on top of that everything in the ship was the thoroughly frozen up including the windows and the pilots.

Making the I.P. [Initial Point] we went in to Happy Valley expecting the worse and worse was there. The flak was thick enough to land on but due to our great height we weren't hit too bad. The Low Group got way back out of position so I cut them out and came in ahead of them directly against S.O.P. The visibility was exceptionally poor, looking at the ground was like looking down a well. It was barely visible straight down and to make the target impossible to identify the whole area was very effectively covered with a smoke screen. After boiling around to the flak for over 20 minutes we gave up and headed for the secondary target further to the north. We picked the secondary target up all right and made a good run on it but due to a malfunction of our bomb racks our bombs didn't go away so that was a dry want run. Everyone was pretty well disgusted by this time.

Being the C.A. I had some quick decisions to make. I decided against going back on the secondary again so we've made a run on a target of opportunity in Holland. Again our bombs wouldn't release so I had the Deputy takeover the lead. The ground was covered by 5/10 clouds. The Deputy flubbed around for awhile and didn't do any good. So I took over the lead again and brought the formation home, bombs and all. The ships that had engines out or were short of gas dropped their bombs in the sea, the rest of this brought them back.

All in all it was a lousy day. The only good thing was the fact that we were able to get through all that flak without losing any ships or having anyone injured. For that I am thankful.

Acronym Note: The term C.A. stood for Command of the Aircraft, or Aircraft Commander in conversations.

Notes:
  • First Lieutenant Alan A. Arlin of the 601st Squadron was the pilot of Rapid City original crew No. 31. On many of his missions, 1st Lieutenant and later Captain Alan A. Arlin was a lead pilot for his squadron or for the group.
  • The above transcription was provided by Dave Jordan.
  • This transcription is a careful reproduction of the original except for occasional spelling and punctuation changes. In some circumstances, based on relevancy, some material may not have been transcribed.
  • Clarification of acronyms or special words or guesses of certain words are shown in brackets [ ].

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