This would have been a long way to go for our first combat operation. However, we'd barely gotten into the danger area when a Ju-88 attacked from below. I was amazed by how much minor damage Candy could take. Quarterman, our bomb aimer, didn't consider it so minor, as he was hit and lightly wounded. I took evasive action, and Quarterman thought he hit our attacker, but it was all fruitless. Nesbitt, our tail gunner, was hit and lightly wounded, too. The 88's third pass disabled our starboard aileron, but more importantly, destroyed the intercom. With more than three-quarters of the flight ahead of us, it wasn't worth the risk with Nesbitt unable to warn me of approaching nightfighters, so I jettisoned our load and turned back.
I soon heard Nesbitt's gun firing at a Me-110 trying to sneak up behind us. Our mid-upper guns were knocked out before I cold take evasive action, but further damage was superficial.
After landing at the base, we discovered that our raft had been cut up, and there were rather worrisome holes through the bomb bay.
W/O Michael Nelson
Pilot, Candy
July 17, 1944
101 Peckham Damage Points