US 9th Air Force Bases In Essex 1943-44 (Aviation Heritage Trail) by Bowman Martin

Author:Bowman, Martin [Bowman, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2010-10-26T16:00:00+00:00

A-20 Havoc Angel II in the 645th Bomb Squadron, 410th Bomb Group, at Gosfield. L-R: Chester Dunaj, Earl Bever and Fred Yoos. Kneeling is William Dorward the ground crew chief. Dunaj, Bever and Yoos were lost on the mission to Brest in September 1944. (USAF)

On the mission to the Amiens marshalling yards on 27 May 1944 the 410th dispatched thirty-eight A-20G and five A-20 J aircraft in two boxes. They arrived over Amiens early and attempted to carry out the mission as briefed. Crossing the town and with the marshalling yards in their sights, both boxes released their loads. The lead box of the first wave dropped roughly in the right place, if a little short – but all the following boxes, in both attacks, scattered bombs not on the marshalling yard but across the built-up areas of Amiens, wrecking many houses and causing inevitable casualties. Few if any bombs from the following boxes fell where they were intended. One A-20G in the 647th Bomb Squadron, flown by Lieutenant Richard K. Robinson, was shot down by flak. That same evening the 410th and the two other A-20 Groups returned to Amiens. At 2105 hours two boxes of Havocs for their bombs away. The A-20G-35 piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Warren A. Thompson in the 647th Bomb Squadron was hit by flak and fire took hold in the left engine nacelle. The Havoc dropped out of formation but the crew was lucky to abandon the aircraft in good order, all members coming down not far from a flak battery at Bray-sur-Somme.

A-20G/H 6Q-V in the 647th Bomb Squadron, 410th Bomb Group. (USAF)

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