Missions

TARGET: COMMUNICATION FACILITIES
COLOGNE, GERMANY
17 OCTOBER, 1944

In an all out effort to knock out communication and transportation facilities in Cologne, all three divisions were sent to attack this target again.

With Major Snow as Air Commander and Captain Dale S. Jeffers as pilot, the formation of thirty-six craft comprised the 94th C Combat Wing. Assembly was without incident and the Group flew as briefed; however, from the second Control Point to the IP, the Group flew south of course in order to remain second in the Division formation. The IP was overshot in an effort to attain the bombing altitude, which was 25,000 feet.

Lead crew Capt. Jeffers (Air Commander Maj. Snow)

The lead squadron made the turn onto the bomb run about 15 miles east of the briefed IP. The target area was covered by ten-tenths clouds. The PFF equipment malfunctioned on’the bomb run. The low squadron performed its own sighting and dropped separately. The high squadron dropped on the smoke markers of the lead, since its PFF equipment was also inoperative. At the IP, heavy and accurate flak was encountered. The plane piloted by Lt. Norman M. Chapman was hit by two direct bursts of flak, disabling three engines. A 180 degree turn was executed and the craft left the formation in a glide. Lt. Chapman nursed the plane westward trying to reach allied territory before bringing it down. When he finally had to crash land just short of Allied territory, unfriendly forces took charge of the crew, and they became prisoners of war. Three crewmen did not Survive.