Ain't No Lady
Mission 72: Tours (Aircraft)
28/29 May, 1944
Outbound: We met a Me-110 soon after crossing into France. His first pass he hit us in the port wing but did little damage. On his second pass mid-upper gunner, Wheatfield, blew away a large part of his tail section and his shots went wide. The next encounter was shortly before we began the bomb run and before the Jerry even had a chance to fire our tail-gunner hit in some vital area because the 110 went down like a flaming rock.
Bomb run: We avoided the lights, and escaped with no flak hits, or wild boars. Bomb run on; 30%
Return: Leaving the target we were pretty well peppered by a very good pilot: two shots into the starboard wing root, raft destroyed, tail plane controls were shot up, damage to the ammo line, and tail gunner took a grazing hit to his shoulder, and various other hits. The next Me-110 who followed up immediately (maybe his partner) hit the mid-upper (a light wound to his thigh). On his second pass he knocked out the oil to No. 2 engine. We were able to put the fire out with the first charge; he hit us in numerous other locations but did no significant damage. And then perhaps it was his over-confidence that did him in because he made a short turn in front of us and our bomb aimer caught him just before the approach and blew him away.
Landing: Fine (on three engines)
Victories:
Destroyed: 2 - Me-110's: Sgt's. Archie Bellows and Cyril Barrette
FBOA - Me-110: Sgt. Less Wheatfield
Casualties:
Minor wounds: 2: Sgt's. Les Wheatfield and Archie Bellows
(Signed) F/O Chris Donovan, Pilot
Ain't No Lady
Pilot: F/O Chris Donovan
Bomb aimer: Sgt. Cyril Barrette
Flight engineer: Sgt. Felix Helms
Navigator: P/O Ralph Langley
W/O operator: Sgt. Giuseppe "Gus" Moretti
Mid-upper gunner: Sgt. Les Wheatfield
Tail gunner: Sgt. Archie Bellows