398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association


T/Sgt. Armand Fugge's Diary
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner 600th Squadron

Fugge Mission No. 32

8 August 1944
Target: Troop Concentrations
Cauvicourt, France

August 8, 1944
Got up at 0630. Briefed at 0715. Our target for today was the German troop concentration south of Caen, France. They sure got our ground forces halted. Take off was at 0945 and we bombed visually from 14,000 feet. Flak was extremely heavy and accurate. They threw everything they had from 20 mm to 105's.

I could see those big ones bursting as close as 20 feet out. Dark, red flashes and then a cloud of black smoke, then hear their low roar. I really prayed.

This mission at such low altitude wasn't far from a suicide trip. Went to communion before the mission. Captain Baker got a direct hit and exploded. He was flying ahead of us and as he went down in flames. I looked, hoping someone would get out but I guess they were all killed. (Note: Jerry Fields and Selby Heried survived. January 1991 Flak News.) Gee, it was tough because his wife just had a baby six weeks ago. Fields was his engineer. Thirteen of our planes came home with feathered props. We lost three. Landed OK and shot flares all the way down the taxi strip. Started a half dozen fires.

The group photographer took our picture as soon as we got out of our plane and our ground crew was happy for us, too. At the briefing room the boys tossed me into the pool with all my clothes to terminate my tour. I didn't mind that at all, although I almost drowned. Gee, but I am happy today, knowing that I'll be going home. My last combat mission is passed safely. Thank God!

Mission #32 completed.

Also Printed in Flak News Volume 6, Number 2, Page(s) 10, April 1991


Notes:
  • T/Sgt. Armand Fugge was the Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on Donald Lowe's 600th Squadron crew.
  • The above transcription was provided by Joe K. Mansell.
  • 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 [ ].

The above diary entry has been placed on the 398th Bomb Group Memorial Association web site to share our history with a wider audience. You may view, download, print, copy and link to our content as you wish as long as the uses are personal or educational. 398th Bomb Group Memorial Association web page content cannot be used for commercial purposes nor placed on other web sites whether commercial, personal or educational, unless authorized in writing by the 398th Bomb Group Memorial Association Official Board and/or the author.