HEADQUARTERS
ONE HUNDREDTH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H), AAF
Office of the Operations Officer
APO # 634

DATE: 27 November 1943

SUBJECT: Composite Group Navigational Narrative for Mission of November 26, 1943

TO : Commanding Officer, 100^th Bombardment Group (H) Army Air Forces

1. Flying lead of the high squadron on of the composite group, we took-off from the home base at 0815 hours and rendezvoused over Buncher #8 with the 390^th and 95^th’s squadrons at 0906 hours. The lead group "S’d" along the briefed course to stall for time, left Louth at 1015 hours.
2. AAfter leaving the English Coast I got one "G" fix, and from then on did straight D.R. The group hit the enemy coast in at 1158 hours. I could see only one spot of the enemy coast due to undercast. Just prior to going in our P-47 escort met us off the coast. The lead group missed the I.P. and made a run over the target area of 115 degrees true heading. The flak was at our altitude, 28,400 feet; and there was also a good deal below us. The target could not be seen, but the target area could be located by a ring formed by the smoke pots. There was a break in the clouds, but haze prevented our seeing the target itself. Bombs were away at 1218 hours.
3. After turning off the target, I picked up the town of Oldenburg as we broke through the clouds. From then on out the briefed course was followed; good visibility and few clouds. We left the Dutch Coast over Texel Island at 1317 hours. The composite group hit the English Coast at 1410 hours at Great Yarmouth. Shortly after hitting the English Coast our squadron pulled off and returned to base at 1424 hours; landing at 1435 hours.
4. Formations were good leaving the English Coast out, but very poor over the target and course out. I suggest that lead ships quite making violent turns just after bombs are away, thus spoiling the pattern.

LEONARD A. WICKENS
1^st Lt., Air Corps
Navigator

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