398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association


S/Sgt. John Veenschoten's Diary
Radio Operator/Gunner, 603rd Squadron

Veenschoten Mission No. 9

8 September 1944
Target Ludwigshafen, Germany

Target – Ludwigshafen, Germany
Date – September 8, 1944

We bombed a chemical works through intense anti-aircraft fire. The Germans put up a terrific barrage of very accurate flak. We received one hundred and fifty four holes in our ship. All the rudder control cables on the left hand side of the plane were shot away. I tried holding them together but the pilot said he could fly the plane without them so I let go. One Tokyo and number three gasoline tanks shot up and throwing gasoline, one engine feathered. There were holes in the plexiglass nose, several holes in the waist section and the tail section shot up badly. The tail gunner hit in the back but his flak suit saved him. The shot went through the reinforced tail, ammunition box, parachute and into his flak vest. About ten minutes after we left the target number three engine caught on fire. Somehow the pilots got it out and kept the ship from blowing up. We dropped out of formation and with one good engine and one with about half power we limped home alone. God bless the B-17.

Notes:
  • S/Sgt. John Veenschoten was a Radio Operator/Gunner on Howard W. Rehme's 603rd Squadron crew.
  • The above transcription was provided by Wally Blackwell.
  • 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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