398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association


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

Woods
Mission No.
30

8 August 1944
Target
Cauvicourt, France

Total combat time: 204:15 hours

Date: August 8, 1944
Mission #30
Location of target: Cauvicourt, Southeast of Caen, France
Type of target: Starting British drive anti-personnel raid

Load: 2300 gals of gas and 30-260 lb. fragmentation bombs
Altitude: 15,000 feet
Flight Time: 5:15 hours

Escort: Area
Force of raid: 11 wings on our target, we were in 2nd wing
Position: #3 of low squadron of the high group

Opposition: Intense, heavy, accurate flack, lasted 12 minutes
Battle damage: Six moderate flak holes

Results: Hit target
Remarks: Baker got a direct hit in the right wing. The wing exploded and folded back burning. His #4 engine fell off, and then the wing fell away. The plane rolled over on its back and went down burning. 2 chutes came out. We lost 4 planes. A Ju-88 German plane was around, but a P-47s got on his tail. A lot of our planes were shot to pieces.

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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