398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association


Lt. Robert J. Beckley's Diary
Navigator, 600th/601st Squadron

Beckley's Mission No. 14

12 September 1944
Target: Oil Refinery, Brux, Czechoslovakia

No. 14. Brux (Czechoslovakia), September 12, 1944:

9 hours flying time.

Bomb load 10, five-hundred pound GP bombs.

Our target was the biggest Nazi oil refinery outside the borders of Germany, but it appeared as though the primary purpose of the mission was not to bomb the oil refinery, that was only secondary. To us, it seemed that the object of the mission was to bring up the Luftwaffe for the route took us way up along the North Sea’s coast and then inland on a course straight to Berlin. Thinking we were going to bomb Berlin, the German fighters came up and hit the group ahead of us. They passed us up for we were holding a good tight formation. Every time they made a pass we saw a B-17 spin down. We came within three miles of Berlin, then turned off to head for our target at Brux. The fighters then left us and we encountered only mediocre flak over our target.

Notes:
  • Lt. Robert J. Beckley was the Navigator for the Linn R. Rogers crew.
  • The above transcription was provided by Ann Collins, daughter of Phillip Collins, Ball Turret Gunner on the 601st Saul Marias Crew.
  • This transcription is a reproduction of the original. Spelling and punctuation changes have been made to improve readability. In some circumstances, material may not have been transcribed or was rewritten.
  • Clarification of acronyms or special words or guesses of certain words are shown in brackets [ ].

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