D-Day celebration tomorrow

[ruthabagah]

I couldn't make the trip this year, but I send the kids. Grandpa kept them busy today moving "stuff" around....

[BPTactical]

May we never forget those the participated in the greatest endeavor.

[ruthabagah]

May we never forget those the participated in the greatest endeavor.

+1 and +4413 (total number of allied casualties on June 6th 1944).

[thvigil11]

+1 and +4413 (total number of allied casualties on June 6th 1944).

I've read before that combined casualties on that day were over 10,000. (allies and axis) Sadly, that was also about the daily average on the eastern front for several months during Barbarosa. No wonder the Russians were so pissed when they finally pushed back. Helluva thing though. Don't know what took bigger balls, to step off of those landing craft or to step onto them. May they all find peace and rest.

[HoneyBadger]

Let's not forget these heros!

IIRC, something like 8152 Americans died for the capture of the tiny pacific island of Iwo Jima.

the Germans lost hundreds of thousands just going into Russia. Worst strategic move, EVER.

[rondog]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=77f3AV3IZw4

Turn up the volume and watch this, well worth it.

Yes, these are kids playing this!

[Skully]

Speaking of D-Day got to share this. My Grandfather was a Bomber pilot in WWII, went by Skipper or Buzz. One of his crewman kept a journal of one of his tours with him.

The whole thing isn't too long May 24, 1944 to August 10, 1944, 31 missions total, but would take up multiple posts so just showing certain dates.

(If anyone wants the full journal of all 31 mission I can email it to you, just PM.)




Interesting to read the journal and imagine being there and compare to the history that we know. Note the date of June 5, 1944 , they were not informed yet of the BIG plans but knew something was up weeks before leading up to D-Day.

Mission #6 – #82 Official Record
May 31, 1944 – Bomb Load: (3) 2,000lb. G.P. Bombs
Time of Flight: 4:20

We took off and when we got to the coast of France, the weather closed in. This mission required precision bombing and we could not depend on radar, so we returned to England with our bomb load. I was sweating out landing with these 2,000 pounders, but we have an excellent pilot – he set the plane down smooth as silk. Our target was a rail bridge at Longwy, France. We did get credit for the mission.

Note: When we flew a mission, it was the job of Ed Cooper, our armorer, to pull the pins out of the fuses on the bombs. This he would do after we made our formation and started on the mission. These were cotter pins and Ed was required to keep them in his pocket ’til the mission was complete. The reason was that in case we had to return to base with our bomb load, he could replace them and make the bombs safe again.

Mission #7 – #84 Official Record
June 3, 1944 – Bomb Load: (6) 1,000lb. G.P. Bombs
Time of Flight: 4:30

Today we went after some gun emplacements on the Pas De Clais (Berck Sur Mer.) We really bombed them good. We were getting much flak until bomb hits – after that, no more flak. A short mission.

Mission #8 – #85 Official Record
June 4, 1944 – Bomb Load: (10) 500lb. G.P. Bombs
Time of Flight: 4:00

Today we went after anti-invasion gun emplacements on the coast of France. We saw no flak today. Our bomb hits on the target were good. Der Fuhrer won’t have any use from those guns after this, another short mission.

Mission #9 – #86 Official Record
June 5, 1944 – Bomb Load: (12) 500lb. G.P. Bombs
Time of Flight: 4:00

Today we went after gun emplacements on the coast of France. We’re expecting something big to happen soon – the way we’ve been bombing the coast of France. Bomb hits on the target were good.

Mission #10 – #88 Official Record
June 6, 1944 – Bomb Load: (24) 250lb. G.P. Bombs
Time of Flight: 5:20

Today is "D-Day". We bombed road bridges at Caen, France. Bomb hits were good. When we crossed the Channel, I never saw so many boats in my life. It made me very proud of myself to be there and doing my part in the invasion of Europe.

Note: I later found out that the 704th Squadron led the 446th B.G. that morning and the 446th led the whole 8th AAF. We were the very first Americans over the invasion coast that day.

Mission #11 – #91 Official Record
June 7, 1944 – Bomb Load: (12) 500lb. G.P. Bombs
Time of Flight: 7:00

We went after the railyards at Alencon, France. The idea was to keep the Germans from bringing up replacements and equipment into France. We did a very good job of it. Bomb hits were good. No flak – no fighters.



Note: At this point in our combat career, our group decided that we should be a lead crew. (A lead crew was a select crew that would lead the whole group; also, the group commander would fly with the lead crews.) We were transferred to the 93rd Bomb Group for special training, mostly in radar bombing. Lead crews only fly about one mission in seven, so they are a long time getting their missions completed so they can rotate back state side. We didn’t like this, and Skipper raised such a stink they sent us back to the 446th. We did lose Lt. Warren Smith, our navigator. They made him a lead crew navigator.



Combat Crew #146 was overseas about six months. We flew 31 combat missions with 198 combat hours. We dropped 180,400 pounds of bombs (over 90 tons), plus 1,820 pounds of incendiary bombs. One crew member was killed in action – we had no wounded.

[BPTactical]

Way cool Skully, thank you for sharing that.

[Ridge]

I couldn't make the trip this year, but I send the kids. Grandpa kept them busy today moving "stuff" around....

Is that a Fiesler Storch?

[rondog]

Is that a Fiesler Storch?

Yeah, never seen one with a radial before, but looking on Google Images I saw a couple others with radials.