Lt. Robert J. Beckley's Diary

398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association

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

Beckley's Mission No. 35

**3 January 1944**
**Target:** **Marshalling Yards, Cologne, Germany**
No. 35. Cologne, January 3, 1945: 6 hours 45 minutes flying time. Bomb load 12 five-hundred pound GP bombs. The primary target was a railroad junction vital to the German supply line to their front. We were unable to hit the primary due to the cloud coverage so dropped our bombs PFF on the marshalling yards of Cologne, just ten miles east of the primary target. The flak at the target was heavy, but inaccurate. It was bursting all hell loose at about 15,000 ft. while we were merrily dropping our bombs at 25,000 ft. I couldn’t understand their inaccuracy; they usually didn’t waste much of their flak. No fighters were reported to be in the area so it was a soft run all the way. I flew this mission with Palant’s crew.

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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