TARGET: SYNTHETIC BENZOL REFINERIES
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY
16 FEBRUARY, 1945

The synthetic benzol producing refineries at Gelsenkirchen were the targets. The Group supplied the 94th A Combat Wing lead and low boxes with Lt. Col. Francis as Air Commander. The 35 1st Bomb Group comprised the high box. Wing assembly was without difficulty. The Group was n proper position in Division column and flew the Division assembly line 1500 feet above briefed altitude in order to avoid clouds. Course from the end of the Division assembly line to the IF was flown as briefed, except it was necessary for the Group to go 1,000 feet above briefed altitude in order to avoid dense, persistent contrails. The IP was reached on course.

The Group made a run on the primary target, in squadron formation. It was necessary to bomb by G-FI equipment because dense, persistent contrails produced by aircraft of the preceding formation, and fog, made it impossible to perform a visual sighting operation. Cloud coverage was about four tenths, and visibility was extremely poor. The Group was about 1,000 feet above briefed altitude because of contrails and bombs were dropped from 27,000 feet. Bomb results of the lead squadron were fair; no photos were available from the low squadron.

Flak was moderate but accurate. The craft piloted by Lt. Roland H. Brazier, deputy lead of the low box, was hit in No. 3 engine. The right wing folded and broke off, the plane rolled over, went into a flat spin and was on fire. Six of the crewmen did not survive.

Because of weather conditions, the Group landed at another base.