Combat Missions Made By

S/SGT. Chas. E. Crawford

Over Enemy Territory
From a Bomber Base in Great Britain
331st Bomb Sqdn.
94th Bomb Group (H)
Bury St. Edmonds, England




Mission No. 1 -- May 24, 1944

Ate at 1:30 a.m., briefed at 2:30, took off at 6:50. Hit "Big B" (Berlin) with ten 500 lb Gen. Purpose Bombs. Flak heavy, but not very accurate. No enemy planes encountered, bombed from 26,000 feet - flew from England at 29,000 to avoid being spotted by our vapor trails. Temperature was -48C, flew with Lt. Vogel's crew in ship 577. Mission was 9 1/2 hours in air, 6 1/2 hours on oxygen. No battle damage to plane or crew.



Mission No. 2 -- May 25, 1944

Ate at 1:15 a.m., briefed at 2:15, took off at 5:15. We bombed Brussels, Belgium from 20,000 ft. Heavy flak, accurate tracking. Got big hole in waist, two ft. behind me. Dropped ten 500 lb Gen. Purpose Bombs. Temp. -45C. Lower ball turret, Upper turret, Radio & right nose guns were inoperative. Flew as crew in 446 - "Lucious Duchess." No Damage (major)



Mission No. 3 -- May 27, 1944

Ate at 3 a.m., briefed at 4:00, took wing at 8:05 after hr.'s delay for weather to clear. Bombed Marshalling yards at Karlsruhe, Germany with five 1000 lb G.P.'s from altitude of 24,000 ft. Good visibility, good hit on target. P-38's, P-51's, P-47's for escort. Heavy flak, and rockets, but evasive action did the trick. Temp. -20C. Flew with Lt. Vogel's crew. Ship 577.



Mission No. 4 -- May 31, 1944

Ate at 3 a.m., briefed at 4, took off at 7:15. Bombed Railway Storage Sidings at Soest, Germany - Good hits. Bombed from 22000 ft. Flak heavy, but not on our group so we had no damage to ship or crew. P-38's, 51's, 47's for escort. Dropped two 2000 lb G.P.'s. Flew as crew - better cooperation than before. Temperature was -21C. Flew in ship 906.



Mission No. 5 -- June 2, 1944

Took off at 1650 (4:50 pm) for an airfield in France, near Versailles. Bombed oil storage tanks at edge of field. From 20,000 ft. Made good hits. Lots of flak, but got no damage to ship or crew. 38's, 51's, 47's for escort. Dropped ten 500 lb G.P.'s. Flew with Lt. Vogel. Temp -25C. Ship No. 185.



Mission No. 6 -- June 3, 1944

Ate at 5 am, briefed at 6, took the air at 8:30. Bombed coastal installations on coast of France, near Boulougne, with twelve 500 lb G.P.'s from 23,000 ft. No flak on our Group. 10 minutes over enemy territory. Couldn't see if targets were hit or not - 10-10 clouds. Temperature -25C. Flew as crew in 922 - "Skinny"



Mission No. 7 -- June 4, 1944

Briefed at 2:15 a.m., took off at 5:50. Bombed Marshalling yards at Versailles from 25000 ft with twelve 500 lb G.P.'s. Good hits. Heavy flak, accurate, got lots of holes punctured No. 4 tank, hit No.2 super charger, hit No.'s 1 & 2 engines. Came home alone on three engines. Flew as crew in 922 "Skinny". Temp. was -32C. 1 1/2 hrs. over E.T., 5 hours 40 minutes entire mission.



Mission No. 8 -- June 5, 1944

Ate at 2:15 a.m., briefed at 3:15, took wing at 5:25. Hit coastal defenses on French coast opposite English Dover. Good hits, used 12 500 lb G.P.'s from 24,000 ft. Temp. -32C. Flew as crew in 456. No Flak, no damage. "Milk Run"



Mission No. 9 -- June 6, 1944

Ate 11:15 p.m. June 5, Briefed at 12:15 a.m., took off at 5:30 a.m. Bombed Lehavve coastal defences on coast of France. Good hits. Altitude 17000 ft, with twelve 500 lb G.P.'s. Flew as a crew in 922. No flak, few rockets, about 35 minutes over E.T. Temp -25C.

D - Day!



Mission No. 10 -- June 6, 1944

Ate 11:15 am., briefed 12:15 p.m., took off 4 pm. Bombed marshalling yards at Caen, Fr. from 14,000 ft. Temp. - 28C. No flak, few rockets. Flew as crew in 922 "Skinny". Fink and Mancini didn't go.

D - Day!



Mission No. 11 -- June 11, 1944

Ate at 12:15 am, briefed at 1:15, took off 4:45, bombs away at 7:17 on coastal guns in France. E.T.R. 8:30. No flak, three rockets. Dropped twenty 250 lb G.P.'s. Flew as crew in 577.



June 12, 1944

Was awarded the Air Medal by Colonel Dougher, Commanding Officer of the 94th Bombardment Group.



Mission No. 12 -- June 14, 1944

Ate at midnight, briefed at 1 am, took off 4:20. Bombed Air Field near Florenn, Belgium. Dropped 20 - 250 lb fragmentation bombs and made real good hit on dispersal area at Field. Bombed from 17,000 ft, Temp -28C. Some flak, no damage. Flew as crew in 922 - "Skinny". Landed at 9:50 a.m.



Mission No. 13 [circled] -- June 15, 1944

Ate 12 midnight, briefed 1 a.m. took off 5:30. Bombed synthetic oil refinery at Mishberg near Hanover, Germany with 10 - 500 lb G.P.'s from 20,000 ft. Flak was very heavy and accurate. We got about 12 holes in 446 - "Lucious Duchess". Flew as a crew. Temp -32C. Landed at 12:20 p.m.



Mission No. 14 -- June 18, 1944

Ate at midnight, briefed 1 a.m. took off at 4:35 am. Target was Hanover, Ger. We accidentally dropped our 10 - 500 lb G.P.'s 8 minutes before target, but hit barracks at an airfield anyway. Alt. 27,000 ft. Temp -33C. Very heavy flak, but we got no damage on 922 - "Skinny".



Mission No. 15 -- June 19, 1944

Ate at 12 midnite, briefed at 3 a.m., take off at 5 am, for an airfield near St. Jean Do Andiers, Fr. with 10 - 500 G.P.'s. Target was too cloudy to bomb so we brought our bombs back. Some accurate flak. Flew in "Skinny" - alt 18,000. All E.M. were really mad at the Co-Pilot - Finkelstein - [censored] - He's no good!



Mission No. 16 -- June 21, 1944

Ate at 12:45 am, briefed at 1;45, take off 5:30 for Big B (Berlin). Bombed with eight 500 lb and 2 incendiaries, from 24,000 ft. Temp. - 33C. Flak was very heavy and accurate. We got 223 holes in 446, "Luscious Duchess", but came in with all four engines, no crew injuries. On oxygen 5 hrs, 45 min.



Mission No. 17 -- June 24, 1944

Ate at 5:15 am, briefing at 6:15, took off at 9:15 for Bremen, Ger. with 20 - 250 lb demolition bombs. Bombed south of the target on the river, from 23,700 ft. Flak wasn't so heavy, but very close, and shook the heck out of us! Flew as a crew in 523. Really a SNAFU mission - formation was in an awful mess before we went over enemy territory.



Mission No. 18 -- June 25, 1944

Ate at midnite, took off at 4 am for S.W. France with 10 parachute bundles of supplies. Dropped them from 300 ft. in a valley between mountains to the French marquis. We were so low, we could see the grateful smiles on their faces as they waved to us. The group was attacked by one FW-190, but P-47's chased him away. Bombardier (Moe) had a close call by flak. Flew as crew in 138 - new ship with only two previous missions on her.



Mission No. 19 -- June 29, 1944

Ate at 12:30 am, briefed 1:30, took off 4:30 for a synthetic oil refinery 11 miles S.E. of Leipzig, Germany. Flak was heavy and accurate, but we got only a few holes in 906. Carried 38 - 100 lb demolitions. Couldn't bomb oil refinery, so we hit marshalling yards 45 miles north of Leipzig. Flew as a crew. 9 hrs 15 minute mission. 6 hours on oxygen. 4 1/2 hours over enemy territory.



Mission No. 20 -- July 11, 1944

Ate 3:30 am, briefed 4:30, took off at 7:50. Went as a crew in 456 to Munich, Germany. Our primary target was a Robot bomb engine plant, but had to hit secondary which was the center of the city. Flak was heavy, but we only got 3 holes. Saw a burst of red flak for first time. Dropped 20 - 250 lb G.P.'s. Mission was 9 hrs 5 mins. English coast sure looked swell!



Mission No. 21 -- July 12, 1944

Ate 4 am, took off at 8:22 for Munich again. Bombed the Robot engine plant today, but not visually, so couldn't see results. Flak was heavy and accurate, but we got no hits. Flew as crew in 456. 9 1/2 hour mission, 6 1/2 hours on oxygen. Landed at 5:30 pm. Had 4 - 250 lb G.P.'s and 6 incendiaries.



Mission No. 22 -- July 20, 1944

Took off at 6:50 am, for Merseberg Germany, a big oil refinery 25 mi S.W. of Leipzig with 10 - 500 lb G.P.'s. Bombing was visual, and we got good hits. Flak was VERY intense and accurate. We had several very large holes and lots of smaller ones in "Skinny" - 922. Vaughan & Bobbie both had close calls. Oxygen system for left waist, tail, & radio was shot out, but we had bottles, so we got along fine.



Mission No. 23 -- July 25, 1944

Ate at 3:15 am, briefed at 4:15, took off at 7:30 for front battle lines five miles S.W. of St. Lo, France. Carried 216 - 20 lb "frags" in clusters of three. We encountered very little and inaccurate flak, no damage to 456 "The Shady Lady", in which we made the mission as a crew. Landed at 1 p.m.



August 13, 1944

My crew made one without me today, and failed to return. They went down near Reims, France, but all got out of the plane except Vaughan, Radio man. Two escaped, the rest made Prisoners of War.
I am to fly two more missions as Photog then return to the States.



Mission No. 24 -- Aug. 15, 1944

Took off at 8:35 for Andorf airfield five miles N.E. of Munster, Germany. We carried 4 - 2000 lb G.P.'s and 4 260 lb I.B.'s. Visual bombing and perfect results. Flak on our group was heavy & accurate. I got two pieces glancing off my steel jacket, one clipped my boot. I flew as cameraman in "Million Dollar Baby" (328) with Lt. Smith of the 410th Squadron, his last mission. Mission 5 1/2 hrs.



Mission No. 25 -- August 18, 1944

Took off at 9:50 for an airfield at St. Dizier, France with 38 - 100 lb G.P.'s. The airfield was one launching the ME 109's with IU 88's attached full of explosives. We bombed from 12,000 ft and made good hits. Mission 8 3/4 hrs. Good mission - I got good pictures. Flew with Lt. Israel of 332nd in 9775 "Frenesi".

MY LAST!

Praise the Lord, the ammunition passed me!



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