Lt. Mark J. Woods, Jr.'s Diary

398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association

Lt. Mark J. Woods, Jr.'s Diary
Navigator, 600th Squadron

Woods Mission No. 27

**1 August 1944**
**Target** **Villaroche, France**
Total combat time =183.20 hours Date: August 1, 1944 Mission: # 27 Location of target: Villaroche, France, 20 miles south of Paris, France Type of target: Jet Propulsion airfield Load: 2700 gals of gas & 10-500 lb GP bombs Altitude: 25,000 feet Flight Time: 6:30 hours Escort: P=51s and P-47s area support Force of raid: 5 Groups, we led the Division Position: #3 of low lead Squadron. Opposition: Accurate flak Battle damage: None Results: Hit target as briefed Remarks: Colonel Hunter, our Base Commander was leading. Two direct hits by flack hit him 30 seconds before bombs away. #1 engine caught fire, he held it in there, dropped bombs and then fell out of formation. He got control of his plane, put the fire out and reached the English coast on two engines. The pilots did a very good flying job. He did not make it back to our base, but landed at a fighter field in England. A soldier came running out to the plane, and said " you can't land here, you will have to talk to the Colonel about that". Then the soldier looked up, and said "yes sir."

Notes:

Lt. Mark J. Woods, Jr. was a Navigator on Stanley R. Reed's 600th Squadron crew.
The above transcription was provided by Carolyn Woods and 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 [ ].

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