15th Air Force

99th Bombardment Group (Heavy) 347th Bomber Squadron

After Action Report 3 Dec 43 Nis, Yugoslavia Marshalling Yards

Charmed Ones Captain Ruper Giles’ Crew

 

Enemy Forces Engaged 1 Bf-109F, 2 Fw-190A, 2 Bf-110G’s

Claims One Bf-110G by Sergeant Repeen

Bomb Run On Target Estimated Hits 30%

 

Captain Giles reviewed the briefing as the group formed up. Objective Railyards in Nis, Yugoslavia; P-47’s short range and P-38’s long range escort; four thousand pound bombload 8x500 pounders tucked into the bombbay. He was leading the second element of the High Squadron, which had an extra ship along for good measure. Lucky seven for all of us he hoped. As they cruised out over the Adriatic, he called out over the intercom, “gunners take a safe bearing, you are cleared to test guns. There was a brief pause, then smell of cordite was evident throughout the Charmed Ones as each fifty caliber fired off a short burst. Check points two and three swept by without incident as they entered Yugoslavia. As they approached the 4th marker a single Bf-109F attempted to make a head on pass, but was chased off by the departing Thunderbolts. Twenty minutes lator as they approached the I.P. Captain Giles called out, “Richard she’s all yours.” Second Lieutenant Gilmore, West Point Class of 42, replied, “I got it, close...close,” the flak burst all around them, despite its medium intensity no hits were scored...”port...Bombs Away!” The formation had tightened up as they made the bomb run and no fighters came close. {OOC rolled driven off by friendlies for both waves}. As they pulled clear of the of the target the Lightnings were busy everywhere and chased off a Focke Wulf that swept in at 1030. A blue grey Bf-110G Nightfighter attempted to hit them from below and pumped a few 20mm cannon shells into the fuselage before Sergeant Repeen in the Ball Turret nicked him and he broke off. The return flight settled down as they departed Yugoslavian airspace and spotted the welcome waters of the Adriac. Everybody was feeling prety cocky until another Focke Wulf ventured in close and got jumped by several Fork Tailed Devils; the German was good as he evaded the big twin boom P-38’s but any thoughts of attacking the bombers were long gone. At the same time yet another Bf-110G nightfighter looking strange with radar antenna protruding from the nose swept underneath the Charmed Ones in a vertical climb. Sergeant Repeen hammered out a short burst and was rewarded with a engine erupting into flames and three parachutes from the stricken German fighter. As they approached Tortella Field, the formation started to split up, the base was socked in with fog, Lieutenant Medicus, the co-pilot, let the big plane slowly circle as other aircraft firing off flairs to indicate wounded on board or with obvious battle damage landed first. Finally he set the big bomber down without incident and taxied to the dispersal point where the crew chief Technical Sergeant Stocker and the planes mascot Kit the black cat had been waiting.  Master Sergeant Wyatt the engineer with a nod from the skipper got out his paints and started to add a single bomb and a tiny Kraut flag to the nose of the ship

ADMINISTRATIVE

Target Nis, Yugoslavia, Marshalling Yards

High Squadron Leading 2nd Element

Flak Medium

Weather over Target Good Base Poor

Mission Intelligence:Zone 2 Water-2, 3 Yugoslavia 0, 4 Yugoslavia 0, 5 Yugoslavia 0

Fighter Cover

Out: Zone 2 Good, 3 Fair, 4 poor 5 Good

Back: Zone 5 Good, 4 Good,  3 Fair, 2 Poor