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Dailies of the 324th Squadron
1942
Transcribed by Andy Caswell & Scanned by Mike Banta
324th SQUADRON MISSION REPORTS
(1) Brest 7 Nov. 1942
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS
485 Lt. Morgan None None None None
515 Lt. Fischer None None Minor None
504 Lt. Gaitley Abortive - Guns out
503 Lt. Flanagan Abortive - Followed ships ahead which aborted
Target: Docks & port area
Sq. Losses: None
Gp. Losses: None
Remarks: Two A/C reported direct hits. (14 A/C took off including 7 from the 324th & 7 from the 322nd. 8 bombed target & 6 were abortive. This was the debut mission for the 91st. This is the beginning, which was to become a brilliant record of combat success.
(2) Abbeville 8 Nov. 1942
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS
504 Lt. Gaitley None None Moderate Sgt. Hudson 20 mm in leg
490 Lt. Crumm None None Slight None
506 Lt. Corman Abortive - Ball turret out
505 Lt. Cliburn 0-0-1 None Minor None
Target: Airdrome
Sq. Losses: None
Gp. Losses: None (5 wounded)
Remarks: Capt. Aycock, acting squadron commander of 401st shot in foot.
(3) St. Nazaire 9 Nov. 1942
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS
505 Lt. Cliburn None 2 Considerable Sgt. Richardson - Serious - flak
490 Lt. Crumm None 2 Minor T/Sgt. Wright - Slight - flak
Cpl. Youngblood Slight flak
506 Lt. Corman None None Slight None
515 Lt. Fischer None None Slight None
485 Lt. Morgan None None Slight None
503 Lt. Col. Laurence None None None None
And Major Smelser
Target: Dock gates to submarine basin.
Sq. Losses: None (4 wounded)
Gp. Losses: None (1 dead)
Remarks: Attacked one of best defended gun positions in Europe from altitudes of 8,000 to 10,000 feet. Casualties heavy but objective wiped out with fine precision bombing. Lt. Louis D. Briglia, 323rd, died from his wounds on 9 Nov.1942 at 2040 hours, the first man to lose his life in combat with the 91st.
(4) St. Nazaire 14 Nov. 1942
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS
506 Lt. McClellan Abortive - Gun failure
503 Lt. Garrett Abortive - Gasoline leak in cockpit
Target: Primary - LaPalice - Not attacked
Secondary - Warehouses and munitions buildings
Sq. Losses: None
Gp. Losses: None
Remarks: Results of bombing were good. All A/C diverted to Davidstow because of weather at base. Flak inaccurate at 20,000 feet.
(5) St. Nazaire 17 Nov. 1942
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS
485 Lt. Morgan 0-0-1 None Minor None
503 Lt. Gaitley Abortive - Lost formation
506 Lt. Corman Abortive - Lost formation
515 Lt. Fischer Abortive - Ball turret out
480 Maj. Smelser 1-0-0 None Considerable None
Target: Buildings 40 and 41.
Sq. Losses: None
Gp. Losses: None (2 wounded)
Remarks: Munition dump believed hit. Flak inaccurate, E/A persistent.
(6) La Pallice 18 Nov. 1942
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS
506 Lt. Corman None None None Missed target
503 Lt. Garrett None None None No bombs dropped
515 Lt. Fischer None None None No bombs dropped
Target: Submarine pens
Sq. Losses: None
Gp. Losses: None
Remarks: None
(7) Lorient 22 Nov. 1942
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS
503 Lt. Garrett Abortive - Heated suit malfunction for waist gunner
505 Lt. Cliburn None None None None
515 Lt. Fischer Abortive - Solenoid out on ball turret
Target: Submarine pens
Sq. Losses: None
Gp. Losses: None
Remarks: Target obscured by 10/10 undercast, so bombs brought back. Part of group landed Astcott because of fuel.
(8) St. Nazaire 23 Nov. 1942
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS
503 Major Smelser None 11 Missing Last seen badly crippled off Brest peninsula.
Capt. Jones
505 Lt. Cliburn 0-1-03 Lt. Cliburn & two others (unreadable) wounded.
506 Lt. Corman 1-0-0 5 killed/5 wounded Moderate Crash landed on two engines.
485 Lt. Morgan Abortive from over field - 2 engines failed.
Target: Entrance to submarine basin.
Sq. Losses: 1 A/C missing, 1 destroyed, 11 men missing, 5 killed, 8 wounded.
Gp. Losses: 3 (22 missing, 5 killed, 9 wounded)
Remarks: First A/C lost in group. First disastrous mission. We lost our Sq. Commander, Sq. Navigator and A crew pilot. 322nd lost their squadron C. O. Corman got back but had to make a crash landing on 2 engines with a damaged A/C killing half the crew. No bombs dropped on target.
(9) Lille 6 Dec. 1942
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS
490 Lt. Crumm 0-0-1 None Slight Lt. Leasure, 1 E/A damaged.
515 Lt. Fischer 1-0-0 None Slight S/Sgt. Justice, 1 E/A destroyed.
480 Major Putnam None None None None
Lt. McClellan
485 Lt. Morgan None None None None
Target: Locomotive and carriage works.
Sq. Losses: None
Gp. Losses: None (2 wounded)
Remarks: Some hits on target and some misses.
(10) Rouen 12 Dec. 1942
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS
515 Major Putnam Abortive - Guns out
Lt. Fischer
480 Lt. Cliburn Abortive - Guns out
490 Lt. Crumm 2-1-0 one Slight S/Sgt. Markle - 1 E/A destroyed
T/Sgt. Deboy - 1 E/A destroyed
1/Lt. Kleyla - 1 E/A probable
Target: Primary at Romilly - Not attacked - Weather.
Last Resort: Marshalling yards at Rouen.
Sq. Losses: None
Gp. Losses: None
Remarks: 15 of 19 A/C abortive. 4 A/C dropped bombs in target vicinity - results poor.
(11) Romilly 20 Dec. 1942
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS
515 Maj. Putnam 1-0-0 None None Group leader
Lt. Fischer
490 Lt. Crumm 1-1-0 None Minor Good bombing by 306th Gp. E/A attacking in groups of 4 and 5 from nose.
480 Lt. Cliburn 2-0-0 None Considerable None
Target: Aircraft park (Aerodrome)
Sq. Losses: None
Gp. Losses: 2 A/C missing, 5 wounded, 20 missing.
Remarks: Target successfully attacked despite fierce attacks by E/A, which concentrated on nose. Many hits on target by 91st and 306th. 306th bombs were especially good. We lost Lt. Corson and Lt. English of the 401st.
(12) Lorient 30 Dec. 1942
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS
490 Lt. Crumm None None Moderate Poor formation. Bad navigation. Took us back Over Brest peninsula.
485 Lt. Verinis None None None None
069 Maj. Putnam None None None None
Capt. Gaitley
515 Lt. Fischer 1-0-0 None None E/A concentrating on cripples and stragglers.
480 Lt. Cliburn Abortive - Cap Loose on tank - fuel dissipated.
Target: Submarine installations.
Sq. Losses: None
Gp. Losses: 1 A/C missing, 7 wounded, 1 killed.
Remarks: Bombing fair, casualties high. Major Meyers, C.O. of 401st, died as result of wounds. Lost A/C 449
Lt. Bloodgood of 401st.
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