TARGET: NO BALL

WATTON, FRANCE

19 MARCH 1944

Twenty-four aircraft carried out a No Ball Mission toWatton, a large and important German anti-invasion fortification under construction twelve miles inland from Calais. This facilityWas considered to be one of the oldest and best developed, and possibly the most important structure of this type in the Pas-deCalais area. Major Hoffman was Air Commander and Lt. Bender was pilot.

There was no wing assembly. The Group flew west ofthe briefed course and all craft missed the target. Heavy antiaircraft fire was encountered and thirteen planes were damaged but only one seriously.This was a Sunday afternoon mission. The Group was not alerted until noon, did not take off until 1615, and returnedat 2000. It was a quiet day over the Continent. Only 193 bombers were dispatched to western France.

(Compiler ‘s Note: Though the site of an important anti invasion fortifi cation, the hamlet of Walton was not shown on1944 French maps and is the subject of various spellings in mission reports.)