Mission Details for Berlin (#64)

Briefing

Details

Number: 64
Date: 5/7/1944 12:00:00 AM
Commander: Lt. Col. A.C. Brooks
Crews Briefed: 39
Details: Friederichstrasse Underground Station

Flying Control

Runway: 5
Engines: 0530 Thumbnail image for /Images/Takeoff/Plan05.jpg
Taxi: 0545
Take Off: 0600
E.T.R.: 1401
Notes: Briefing took place at 0230 hours. All 39 aircraft were airborne by 0702 hours. A number of aircraft returned early because of mechanical difficulties; all but two had returned by 1457, one of which landed at another base. One aircraft was unaccounted for.

Debriefing

Aircraft: 39
Lost Over Continent: 1
Lost Other: 0
Summary: This was one of the Group's less successful missions. The 401st provided the Lead and High Boxes of the 94th Combat Wing, and cloud cover over Berlin made bombing by PFF (radar) necessary. Unfortunately, when the lead aircraft opened its bomb bay doors over the IP (Initial Point), a malfunction of its electrical system caused its bombs to be released. Seeing the leader's bombs fall, the other aircraft in the Wing formation dropped their bombs as well. Then, boxed in between Wings ahead and behind them, the 94th Combat Wing was forced to fly over the target with empty bomb bays.
Intense flak over the target resulted in battle damage to two-thirds of 1st Air Division bombers. The 401st lost one aircraft and crew, that piloted by Lt. Browning O. Grimmet (42-39943), which was hit by flak.

Mission Assignments

Squadron Participants