0011 3rd Mission ------- Feb. 23, 1945

 

Our target was Elsdorf, about ten miles west of Cologne and just over the bomb line. Our total time in enemy territory was eleven minutes. I was really glad to go on this one. It was to be short, we had B-38’s covering the (lead?) and our own artillerymen would be shelling it while we bombed. The Artillary’ smain target s were to be flak positions. We had eighteen ships, all were carrying two, two thousand pounders. We were to drop **Christmas decorations**, to pull thier radar becasue we were going to bomb through an overcast, by pathfinder --- we hit our I. P. and dived to get speed and started throwing tinsel. There were no clouds, whatsoever, therefore the **tinsel** was of no value at all. The didn’t shoot at our three ships much, thank goodness, they were waiting for the formation behind us. I would have hated to have been in that formation because they got the hell shot out of them. Although it was doing no good, we flew around throwing window out. The would get our rande and toss a few at us, I was in the nose so I would tell Red to turn, dammit turn! It wasn’t the Artillery’s fault tht we were getting shot up for they were really throwing a barrage at the Gerrys. Most of our planes were hit, but we made it back ok. Once again I hit that Cognac. I still want a milk run.

http://www.motorbooks.co.uk/notes.asp?bookid=84561

Master Bombers: The Experiences of a Pathfinder Squadron at War 1944-1945

"The Pathfinders were the corps d'elite of Bomber Command, the command that had been leading the fight back against Germany even before the fall of France in 1940. Formed in July 1942, the Pathfinder force was tasked with marking targets and leading bomber formations to the right place at the right time in order to cause maximum devastation to the enemy. Pathfinder crews consisted of members who had flown a minimum of 45 operational sorties and while they were no doubt the best of the best, the force was made up of individuals from all ranks and backgrounds.

Even amongst these elite there were gods, and these took the form of the master bombers.The Master Bomber, as the name suggests, was the aircraft in charge of the whole attack, it was the Master Bomber who determined the accuracy of the target indicators dropped by the primary visual markers, and what further marking or illumination was required. It was the Master Bomber that would transmit instructions over VHF radio to the main force telling them what coloured markers to ignore and what to bomb, exhorting them on to greater consistency. It took the proverbial nerves of steel to obit high above the bomber stream over the target area, in constant fear of attack from fighters or flak, sometimes for over an hour."

 

** christmas decorations & tinsel** I believe this was strips of aluminum foil or something similar, that would fool German radar.