TARGET: GERMAN POSITIONS
ST. LO-PERIERS, FRANCE
24 JULY, 1944

The United States First Army, after overrunning the Cotentin Peninsula and storming Cherbourg, had regrouped on the north side of the straight road running from St. Lo to Lesay. It was now poised for a break-out into the French countryside to the south, and the Brest Peninsula.

Fifteen hundred eighty-six heavy bombers of the Eighth Air Force were called upon to assist in the grand drive. They were to saturate the area south of the road from St. Lo to Periers with bombs for a depth of one and one-fourth miles. In this all out effort, the 457th Group was directed to supply three twelve plane boxes and eight aircraft for an additional high composite box to compose the entire 94th Combat Wing B Force. Major Watson led the formation, with Captain Dozier as pilot. Considerable interference was encountered during the assembly, when three separate B-24 wings flew through the gathering formation.

A direct route to the front lines was flown. The four boxes reformed abreast for the run to their assigned areas at 17,000 feet altitude. These covered a rectangle 4 314 miles wide by 1 314 miles deep. The cloud cover below was almost complete. The coast was crossed with the target area sixteen miles away and still the clouds persisted. As no landmarks were visible the course could not be checked and corrected.

Finally the formations came out into the clear about a mile north of the road, thirty seconds time for bombs away. All boxes were about a half mile to the right of their aiming points, but could not turn left because of crowding and the abreast formation. As American troops were 1500 yards away from the road, the bombardiers in the lead ships waited to release until they were sure bombs would not fall short. All bombs were away except those in the low box. The other three boxes reformed and made a 360 over the channel waiting for the low box to go back over the target area. On this second run, the clouds had moved over the German positions and no release was made..

At this moment the entire operation was cancelled. Only 487 of the 1586 bombers had dropped their bombs.