TARGET: SHIPYARD
KIEL, GERMANY
30 AUGUST, 1944

Twenty-five combat wings of the 8th Air Force heavies went out in two operations, eight against No Ball targets in the Pas-de-Calais area, and the remainder against the U-Boat base and shipyards at Kiel and Bremen. The 457th was in the latter operation, its target being Kiel’s shipyard with its 250,000 square feet of facilities.

The mission was PFF. Cumulus clouds became ten-tenths after takeoff, about 50 miles from the English Coast, and that Coverage persisted until the return to the Base.

The Group comprised the 94th A Combat Wing and was led by Major Smith with Captain Russell M. Selwyn as pilot. It was fourth of eight wings on the same target. The route led across the North Sea to a landfall midway between the mouths of the Elbe and Weser Rivers. At the last turn before the IP, the Division swung wide to the right and did not come over the briefed IP, using an alternate a few miles northwest of Hamburg. All three of the twelve-aircraft boxes dropped on smoke markers from 26,000 feet.

Flak at the target was moderate but inaccurate, and no enemy aircraft opposition was encountered. The flight home was uneventful.
August ended with the Group having flown 19 missions for the month.

From the diary of 751st BS gunner Sgt. Albert G. Williams:
“There was a stand down until 9:30 a.m. Then we were suddenly alerted. We hit Kiel and bombed with P.F.F. Flak was lighter than anticipated, but the mission was a long one. When we got back, much to our surprise, we were up for another two- day pass. Kiel was my third mission.”