TARGET: RAILROAD BRIDGE
HUY, BELGIUM
18 AUGUST, 1944

Targets today for heavy bombers were of a tactical nature, the Eighth Air Force sending seventeen combat wings aloft to attack bridges, airfields, fuel dumps, and one aero-engine plant, in France and Belgium. The 457th’s target was a railroad bridge over the Meuse River at Huy, 15 miles southwest of Liege, Belgium. The bridge, a 350-foot long span of partly temporary wooden construction, was on a main supply line to northern France.

Forming the entire 94th A Wing and flying fifth in the Division line, the Group was led by Lt. Col. Hoffman with Lt. Brannan as pilot. Crossing the enemy coast at Overflakkee, it turned due south into Belgium to a point southwest of Brussels, where it swung eastward again. The bomb run was in this general direction.

All three boxes made visual runs but five-tenths cloud cover and haze made aiming point identification difficult. However, the patterns of the bombs dropped by the 1 2-aircraft formations from 25,000 feet covered the bridge. After the target the Group headed north-northeast to the Dutch border, then withdrew across Holland to Overflakkee. No flak or fighters were encountered at any time.

Duration 5 hours and 40 minutes

Sgt. Albert G. Williams, 457th/751st gunner: Everyone on our crew went today except me. They only fly a nine-man crew. I hear it was a milk run. They hit a town in Belgium called Hoei. A bridge just outside the town was the target. They demolished it!

Lt. Edwin B. Benson, 457th/749th bombardier: Mission 1. Huy, Belgium. R.R. Bridge, Meuse. Time 5.40. High. No FLAK