SUBJECT: B-17 Boomerang Barbara, mission 15. From William J. Watson's diary: February 3 Fifteenth raid - Target Wilhelmshaven - Not bad at all. Very light flack and good fighter support. From Albert Soriano's memoirs: Mission No. 15 Date Feb. 3, 1944 Target Wilhelmshaven, Germany Time 2:27 Trip 6:30 hrs. Altitude 23,800 Temp. (C) 39 below Damage A piece of flak thru our oxygen system in the waist. Memo I don't think we will ever have to come back to this target. There were so many planes in the sky and we dropped so many bombs in the port area, that there was nothing else to blow up. We were attacked by a few fighters, but they were not too ambitious in attacking us. We had good fighter escort, P-47, P-38, P-51, gave us good protection. From a local British newspaper: Over 1,100 Planes Blast Enemy Port -- Marauders, Allied Craft In Day-Long Sweeps Over N.W. Europe -- Flying Fortresses bombed Wilhelmshaven, Germany's biggest North Sea port, in daylight yesterday to complete the sixth U.S. heavy bomber mission in seven days. More than 1,100 bombers and long-range fighters flew above almost solid clouds to give the Nazi U-boat center its eighth attack by Americans, as other formations of U.S. and Allied bombers and fighters were staging day-long raids all across the northwestern fringe of Hitler's Europe. Marauders kept up their pounding of secret targets along the invasion coast of France, followed by formations of Allied Bostons, Mitchells, Mosquitoes, Typhoon fighter-bombers and swarms of escorting fighters. Other Typhoons sank three barges off the Dutch coast. In the day's attacks two fighter-bombers were reported missing. Four heavy bombers and nine fighters were reported missing from the day's operations. Fighters escorting the heavy bombers shot down eight Nazis; Fortress gunners, one. Probably Over 700 Heavies The heavy blow of the day's attacks was carried out by a force of probably including more than 700 heavy bombers and was aimed primarily at the vast network of shipbuilding yards and docks which turn out most of Germany's smaller submarines--the 500- and 250-ton coastwise craft which presumably will be used against Second Front shipping. Marine Werft and Deutsche Werke are the two largest yards at Wilhelmshaven, and in one group of their slips 13 submarines can be handled at one time. While the RAF has not hit Wilhelshaven since last April, the USAAF attacked the sub yards last Nov. 3. The first USAAF attack on Germany, Jan. 27, 1943, also was aimed at Wilhelshaven, but the striking force comprised 53 heavy bombers, approxi- mately one fifteenth yesterday's force. Little Fighter Opposition For most of the Fortress groups on the mission it was an uneventful run over solid cloud, with moderate flak and little fighter opposition. Bomber crews were enthusiastic in praising the close fighter cover. The layer of weather which covered the target almost solidly throughout the attack also apparently kept Luftwaffe interceptors grounded, fliers reported. Capt. Arthur F. Briggs, of San Antonio, Tex., deputy commander of a group, who flew in a lead ship piloted by 1/Lt. Alan F. Tucker, of Hood River, Ore., said, "I saw almost nothing today except friendly planes and vapor trails (contrails). There was a little flak, but it didn't bother our group. Over the top of the clouds I could see four wings of B17s going over the target ahead of us. Everybody was making contrails. It looked like a series of twisted bowling alleys. P47s, P38s and P51s played tag around us all the time." 1/Lt. Richard E. Rylands, of Ozone Park, L.I., N.Y., a bombardier who flew as a tail gunner on his 24th mission, said, "Boy, there were a lot of airplanes. I saw at least a couple of hundred bombers behind me, and at no time during the operation did I see less than a hundred of our own fighters forming around us. It gives you a cozy feeling." The attack was the second in two days for the heavy bombers, the sixth in seven days. The big aerial push which has covered targets from the Pas de Calais to deep in central Germany began with a lossless foray against the invasion coast of France last Friday. Frankfurt was attacked the next day, and Brunswick and Hanover on Sunday. Liberators went to the Pas de Calais on Monday, were grounded on Tuesday, but back to northern France again Wednesday. Only 51 bombers were reported lost from the five missions through Wednesday, when two Liberators failed to return. Yesterday's was the third time in a week that the entire striking force numbered more than 1,000 planes. Last night small formations of German intruders attacked southeas- tern England. There was an alert and moderate gunfire in the London area. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Michael R. Fitch DISO/UNRIA (DSN) 850-9961 (614) 692-9961 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ E-mail: nrm1853@rserver3.dsac.dla.mil -or try- nrm1853@131.78.67.2