Twelve O’Clock High
Favorite (1949) A classic film, based on true events, about 8th Air Force flight crews. Gregory Peck as General Frank Savage commands the “918th” bomber squadron....
20
Mar
17
Mar
To a Hero
While Herman was out of commission with the ruptured eardrum, his crew flew seven missions. At the end of each flight day those not flying would wait in anticipation for the B-17's to return, counting each one as they appeared in the sky....
16
Mar
Mission 6 – January 7, 1944
The assigned target was I G Farben Industrie plant at Ludwigshafen deep into Germany. This was an important chemical factory, critical to supplying Germany's war effort. An interesting aside is the fact that IG Farben also had a plant near Auschwitz which used slave laborers...
12
Mar
10
Mar
Fighter Escorts
The long-range fighter escorts that Herman refers to in his diary were the P 38's, P 47's, and P 51's. These were welcome competition for the German fighter planes....
09
Mar
Mission 4 – December 30, 1943
The target on this mission was the port city of Ludwigshafen, deep into Germany. The city was at the junction of two rivers and was an important Allied target because of its oil refinery and chemical factories....
06
Mar
Flak
According to Miriam-Webster's on-line dictionary, the word "flak" is from "Fliegerabwehrkanonen" ...