No Mice!
Mission 55 - 27/28 March, 1944
Leipzig - Aircraft Industry
Outbound. Over coast Me-110 put quits to bomb release mechanism and raft was destroyed, also bomb aimer received slight wound. Kraut came back one too many times and Freebie handed him a ticket to hell. (Me-110 Destroyed – Sgt. Basel Freeborn). The next 110 attack came about 150 miles from target. Knocked out no. four engine; destroyed tail gunner oxygen and put holes into the tail plane. I feathered prop; dropped to 10,000 feet and continued.
Bomb run. No search light and no enemy aircraft but hit by flak, which furthered damaged starboard wing and rudder, pilot compartment peppered with shrapnel, and starboard ammo box was damaged. Bomb run was off and we hit nothing. (Sgt. Novak’s third trip and with wound and flak his manual release was not what it should have been.)
Return. No enemy encounters
Landing. Okay
(Signed) F/O Arthur Blackwell (Pilot)
No Mice!
Pilot: F/O Arthur Blackwell
Bomb aimer: Sgt. Robert Novak (slight wound)
Flight engineer: P/O Todd Smyth
Navigator: P/O Layton Foxx
W/O operator: Sgt. Stuart Hammond
Mid-upper gunner: Sgt. Basil Freeborn
Tail gunner: Sgt. Clive Southgate