AAR Mission: 132
Date: 17 February, 1945 (day mission)
Target: Wesel, Military
Aircraft: Burke and Beyond (3rd mission)
Pilot: William Farnham
Bomb aimer Henry Prentise, Navigator David Bristow, Flight Engineer John Denham, Radio Operator George Harris, Mid-upper Gunner Dennis Tryon, Tail Gunner Anthony D'Witt
For us this mission resulted in no more than a collection of holes in Burke and Beyond and one in John Denham's arm. The short flight to Wesel went well and a single Bf109 at the target was quickly seen off by an escorting fighter; but as we entered our bomb run the flak was fierce and although explosions appeared all around us we took only four pieces of shrapnel — all superficial except for a hit on the starboard wing root. But the buffeting threw us off target in spite of Oboe assistance. As we left the target a few fighters attacked. An Fw190 and accompanying Bf109 were dispatched by the escort; a third Bf109 made it through and hit us with three shells, jamming the port flaps, hitting the starboard aileron and grazing our Flight Engineer's upper left arm. Before he could make another run he was jumped by our escort and was seen going down in flames. The flight home was uneventful and I made a bit of a bumpy landing at base.
Bomb run: Off; 0%
Bomber Damage: 7 hits (4 from flak); 45 points damage repairable by tomorrow.
Flight Engineer will be available for next mission