REGENSBURG RECOLLECTIONS BY CAPT. FRANK MURPHY
NAVIGATOR ON LT. CHARLES CRUIKSHANK CREW

MPFaley: were you contacted by a gentleman about those zany hats you wore back from Regensburg mission

FrDMurphy: No. I haven't heard from anyone about those weird hats.

MPFaley: you will

FrDMurphy: What happened was that in Marrakech we ran into some Senalgelese soldiers wearing those hats and we swapped ours for theirs. The hat I brought back to England is now in the museum at Thorpe Abbotts.

FrDMurphy: Yes. My hat is at Thorpe Abbotts.

FrDMurphy: The dagger that you see in my waist belt in the photo is also at Thorpe Abbotts. We bought them from street vendors in Africa.

MPFaley: Damn you did some trading over there

FrDMurphy: We were on our way back to England via the ATC (Air Transport Command) and overnighted at the Moumonia Hotel in Marrakeck--Winston Churchhill's favorite hotel. Our airplane was too badly damaged to fly back to the UK. And, yes, we did a lot of haggling with the thieves in Marrakech.

MPFaley: you youngsters took them for everything they had or was it the other way around

FrDMurphy: I think they came out better. That was a way of life with them, but we got what we wanted and it broke the tension we were experiencing after a very difficult mission. It was a very tough day for the group at Regensburg. You know the details.

MPFaley: That was such a tough mission and you had to see so much from where you were in the formation

MPFaley: what did the 350th look like out your window, had to be brutal on the first pass

MPFaley: were you at the side gun in nose

MPFaley: how much time did you have to react to fighters coming in and going from your Nav position too that gun.

FrDMurphy: The Regensburg mission was unbelievable. To be under attack by hordes of German fighters for ten minutes was a lifetime. We took all they had for an hour at Regensburg. It was an eternity. I truly did not think any of us would survive. The 100th was the last group in the wing and low. They came at us from above, below and head on and from the rear. I could only see to each side and from in front but they never stopped coming. We ran out of ammo in the nose and I took off my oxygen mask and we

FrDMurphy: I dragged two boxes of ammo from the radio room through the bomb bay back to the nose==WITH NO OXYGEN---adrenalin will work miracles.

MPFaley: Man, that is a LONG way without OXY

MPFaley: what is the sight you so vividly remember about that mission

MPFaley: one sight that is just etched in your mind

MPFaley: how many spare boxes of ammo did you carry on the plane?

MPFaley: for that mission and on just regular missions

MPFaley: how many boxes did each gun station have

FrDMurphy: We were firing constantly. There was never a letup. It was bedlam--a nightmare. What I remember most is the head on attacks and masses of 20mm time fused shells from the German fighters bursting and walking through our formation. I would turn my head away, close my eyes and await death.

MPFaley: That is terrifying

FrDMurphy: We carried extra boxes of ammo in the radio room. I don't know how much our standard ammo boxes at each gun station had but it was a fair amount. We were just overwhelmed at Regensburg.

MPFaley: never expected that type or length of attack

FrDMurphy: To fly across Germany at its widest point in the summer of 1943 with no fighter escort at all and only 140 aircraft in our task force and taking on the German air force at its strongest was what we were expected to do.

MPFaley: and you did it. Must have been quite a feeling to leave the target and sweat out the Alps and going to Africa

FrDMurphy: The 350th was our high squadron. They had the same day we had in the lead squadron. We did get a respite when we turned south from the target to go to Africa. But, there were German fighters out there and we did not know what to expect. The pressure was never off.

MPFaley: did Maj Egan stay in the CP seat the whole mission and where was Graham on the mission (CP). Was he stood down because Egan was flying the mission?

MPFaley: The 350th was your low squadron, 349th and 351st your high squadron.

FrDMurphy: John Egan was in the nose with Augie Gaspar and me during the heavy fighting and fired the right nose gun. Glenn Graham was in the CP seat the whole time.

MPFaley: REALLY

FrDMurphy: Yes,

MPFaley: during the formation and going to North Africa did he then stand behind Crankshaft and Glenn in the cockpit?

MPFaley: surprised he was not in the CP seat being the CO of the Squadron. Another Question, were you deputy lead that day or was it Veal/Barr

MPFaley: or Cleven/Scott

MPFaley: in case Kidd and Blakely went down

FrDMurphy: We were leading the second element of the lead squadron and were the deputy lead but had no lead responsibility unless Jack Kidd and Blakely were lost. Egan did stand in the cockpit most of the time en route to Africa but did not occupy the right seat. Cleven was the lead in the low squadron.

MPFaley: When you touched down how much fuel did you guys have left

FrDMurphy: I believe we were on fumes. Was told the red lights on all tanks were on.

MPFaley: do you recall the battle damage?

MPFaley: when you landed

MPFaley: and do you remember seeing any crews ditching due too running out of gas or fighters after the target

FrDMurphy: We had lots of bullet holes and skin damage but our big problem was that a cannon shell had hit and severely damaged the main wing spar in our right wing. The airplane was not safe and we left it on the ground in Africa. Yes, I did see one airplane in the Med as we approached Africa. Don't know who it was but it presumably ran out of fuel.

MPFaley: Must have been Van Noy who ditched off of Sicily

FrDMurphy: Could have been, but there were lots of airplanes from other groups up ahead of us.

MPFaley: Quite a story.

FrDMurphy: Yes. Munster was equally terrifying and we did not make it. At both Regensburg and Munster I felt I would not survive but I did. Ann is calling me so must go. But, please give Harry my very best and most sincere thanks for all he has done for the 100th with his incomparable contribution to our marvelous web site. Best to you both. (Note: Frank Murphy is referring to Harry A. Nelson, 100th BG Webmaster)

MPFaley: thank you Sir

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