James Harris Smith, Jr
During World War II, or – "33 Times Over the Reich"
Missions – E.T.O.

If found, please return to: S/Sgt. James H. Smith
100^th Bomb Gp.
351^st Sqdn.
A.P.O. 559
U.S. Army

Contained herewith is a little data that I’d like to keep. Thanks!

Well, today I made my first one and got my first taste of combat. We hit a plant at Sindelfingen, about 10 miles from Stuttgart. We smeared it with 2000,000 incendiaries and Mac says it was really burning when we cleared out.

We were sweating out the fighters since they had hit the two missions before us. But they didn’t show up and since the flak batteries were centered around Stuttgart, it was inaccurate. The group by us, though, really caught some. Think the whole 3^rd Division lost only a very few ships.

Someone left an emergency O₂ valve on in our radio room so we ran short and had to leave the formation over Belgium and rejoin them when they descended. A couple of P-47’s came down with us. The escort was swell.

It was a milk run, all in all, I guess. They broke us in pretty decently. The Jerries tried some new rocket shells that burst around 20,000 and go up like sky rocket. They look pretty rugged but don’t think they’re much good.

Today, we began another one of these 8^th A.F. "triangular shuttle missions". Our mission was to drop supplies to the Poles who are trying to take Warsaw. We went over the target at about 15,000 and believe me the flak was terrific. Some came close enough to hear which is a little too close for comfort. We landed with seven holes in our ship. One piece missed Decker only a few inches in the plexiglass nose. We landed in Russia, at Mirgorad, after about 12 hours in the air.

The 100^th, 390^th, and 95^th lost about 4 ships. Everyone says it’s a miracle. Russia is really strange. Quite an experience. Some fighters hit the 390^th. Got 4 ships, I think.

Got through on the second leg of our shuttle mission today and bombed a plant at Szolnok, Hungary, about 50 miles from Budapest. Really tore it up with demos. The flak was scattered and inaccurate. I think a couple of ships went down but none in our group. Pretty easy one, I guess, but again we sweated out the fighters. One the other two shuttle runs that the 8^th has made, the "Abbeville Kids" have come up and they never go through a formation without getting a ship with their "yellow nosed" FWs. We landed at a 15^th A.F. based in Fodjia, Italy. (Foggia)

Sept. 27

Today, we hit the marshalling yards at Mainz. We were supposed to be "Tail – End Charely" but we sneaked into No. 5 position en route to the target. Meeker got his bombs off o.k. this time right with the lead ship. We bombed P. F. F. through 10/10 overcast and weren’t able to see if we hit it, but I guess we did, for the whole 3^rd division bombed it. The flak was scattered and moderate but there were quite a few rockets. Some burst in the group next to us but I didn’t see any ships go down. It was really cold today.

We hit a Bremen tank plant today. We really did hit this one because I got the location well in mind and saw for myself. The flak was pretty thick over the target area. We were over enemy territory only about an hour and were supposed to get flak the entire time. However, we were well routed or well lead and missed the main batteries. I saw some more groups getting it. It was really cold again today. I don’t know about the losses but our group didn’t have much trouble. We got a piece of flak right in the windshield in Dick and Charley’s faces. Guess they were plenty scared.

This was my 6^th one and makes three straight – and today, we went to Merzbourg. That’s the worse target in Deutshland, next to Berlin. They really did throw up all the ack-ack, that 240 guns could produce and after that the fighters – our ship didn’t get an individual fighter attack but our lead ship got some 20MM holes so they were around. Decker saw a couple of 109’s but they didn’t come in. We were the only ship in the group that didn’t get severe battle damage, only a few holes. Bombed PFF again through 10/10 cloud. Someone said we missed the target. PFF bombing is tough. The flak was the worst yet. A lot of airplanes went down today. I heard six straight flak bursts right underneath us and when you can hear ‘em, brother, they’re right on you.

They gave us a day off due to the weather and dragged us out this A.M. This was the day of the big 200^th mission blowout and we didn’t particularly care about flying. But it was a good mission. Didn’t have any flak over the target and no fighters on our group, but when we came across the coast of Holland we started letting down too soon and some battery was tracking us. They got about 10 bursts up and they were right in there. No ships were lost but they got a big hole in our stabilizer and a couple more small ones. Some guy had his "head up and locked" or it wouldn’t have happened. Target: Bielefeld.

This was the day after our two-day celebration, and there were a lot of "hang-overs" over "der Fatherland" today. We were On O2 about 6 hrs. which really gets tiresome.

We hit the marshalling yards in the center of Kassel and boy, if any of the bombs were off the target the whole town probably went up. The flak was there, from the I.P. to the target and worse onto the Rally point. We got a few holes – one right about 18 inches in front of Dick’s feet and about 4 in. big. Some of the ships bombed the enemy lines when we came over. Charley saw one Fort blow up after diving straight down. Blew up before going into the clouds.

The one today was all the way through a messed up deal. We were supposed to bomb an airfield at Munster. It was as clear as a bell and the only time since I’ve been there that we could have done a good visual job. But the lead navigator got off the beam and there we were circling around by ourselves, just our one group. We couldn’t even find a target or opportunity. If the German fighters had been on the ball we would have been cold turkey and to top that, the Limeys shot at us when we hit the coast before our E.T.A.

Well today we hit the "Big B," Berlin Boy, it was pretty rough. The flak was so thick over the target until the sky was black. The bomb run was 17 minutes long and we got flak the entire time. I got four holes in the waist – 3 about 1-1/2" in. diameter. I looked out my window and saw a half wing come pancaking by. We got 13 holes in our ship. Ha to feather no. 4 and come in by ourselves all the way from the target – Die we sweat! This was our roughest one so far. The fighters came up but didn’t hit our wing.

Another rough one today. Hit Rotia near Liepzig. We caught flak from there, Liepsiz, Merzbourg, Madgeburg, and all around. The flak was as much and more accurate than that of Berlin but didn’t last quite as long. Dick caught flak in the left foot and right leg. No morphine on the ship and the guy suffered all the way back. Has he got guts! Didn’t want to leave his seat. Guess he’ll be laid up for awhile. Also lost our navigator, Kreps, who’s going on a lead crew. Mac had a close one today. Leaned over to take a picture and a piece came through where his head had been. The Good Lord was surely with him.

Ludwigshaefen
We flew our first one today since Ames got hit and since we’ve been in the 351^st. They briefed us for 230 guns at the target but the whole continent was under 10/10 overcast, and the flak didn’t find us. They got on the group next to us tho’ and really poured it on. We went over the target at almost 30,000 which is several thousand feet higher than usual so that might have accounted for some of the inaccuracy. Pretty cold today - - 46˚ F. All in all a good one. Flew with a new co-pilot, nav., bombardier

Today, we had the marshalling yds. at Munster but again we had to do the job PFF through 10/10 cloud. It was a milk run but I doubt if we did any good. My heated suit didn’t get working until we got over the target so I had a pretty cold time of it. There was a little flak but very inaccurate. There were a lot of "bugs" in this new ship of ours but maybe we can work ‘em out. This was No. 13.

Today we bombed an electrical power plant and rail yards at Hanover. There was very little flak in the target area and was very inaccurate again. Our flak carpet seems to be doing a good job because the flak hasn’t been in there for the last three missions. But as long as we do the damage, I’m satisfied. However, we seldom get to do any visual jobs lately and I don’t have much faith in our PFF accuracy. Ames is flying with us again now and it really feels swell having him back in that cockpit with Charley.

Today was a rough one. We went back to Merzbourg and the flak was worse than before. We got a direct hit against my armor plating in the waist and ripped up our stabilizer and about 12 feet of aluminum off the side of the ship averaging about a foot wide. I guess the Lord took care of me. I changed to the right waist enroute to the Dutch coast which probably saved my life. Then I threw the extra equipment bag up against the fuselage which caught several pieces of flak coming at me. Everyone says that I’m the luckiest guy in the world to be alive tonight and I believe it.

Had an easy one today. Had an airfield on the German peninsula in the North Sea for our target. Neumunster was the place. Flew an old crate with 84 missions on it. This was the first time the 8^th has been there, I think. There was hardly no flak but a few J.P.’s were in the vicinity. Didn’t like this ship as the chaff chute was in the waist, forward of the armor plating so I had no protection. Glad we had an easy one for that last one was too rough! Received my first cluster today.

We were briefed to bomb a fort (?) today, one of the ones guarding Metz, in support of the ground troops. However, we couldn’t do it visually so we continued on to the secondary target at Saurbrucken. HI the marshalling yards PFF. Think we hit it. It was a pretty good mission. The crew in our bks. Went down at Ludwigshafen a day or so ago. I’ll be glad when they fill up those beds. They were a really swell bunch of guys and I really hope they’re all o.k. Haven’t heard yet.

Had another tactical today in support of the doughboys trying to take Ershwillen near Aachen. There were 1,400 Forts and Libs from the 8^th, and the RAF, followed by the 9^th A.F., Marauders and Havocs. Guess we fairly smeared the joint. The guys were going to start a big push as soon as we cleared out. Those frag bombs really should have done a job. They threw up a little feeble flak but couldn’t find our group. This one put us over the hump-!!!$**!

Had a fairly easy one today. Bombed railroad yards at Hamm. They threw up a good bit of flak but didn’t find us much. Our C.O., Col Emberson went down but heard he landed safely in Belgium. We’re expecting fighters more and more now for they’ve really been coming up in strength. However, they’re mostly concentrated around oil and when they hit an outfit they usually take a lot of ships. Saw a couple of jets or V-2’s going up today. Look plenty potent – couldn’t tell what they were exactly, tho.

Back to Merzbourg. Looks as if we are going to keep going back to this one until we hit it once and for all. They have twice as much flak as "Big B" now. 385 guns at target not counting in and out. One outfit really got shot up. Some ships missing. Four men injured, 1 killed. Friend of Jonesy our Navigator. Our No. 3 started cutting up just before target and we fell behind the formation and bombed there. There was a ship right over us until just before bombs away. De we sweat!! Rough!!

Recalled when we ran into a front just before the I.P. We were 26 min. passed the sortie line.

The primary target was Cablenz again but the leader decided not to hit it so we went looking for a target of opportunity. Finally got a visual crack at the city of Friedburg. Somebody ahead of us got the yards before we bombed. Good, for I found that we missed the entire town. Our bombing is getting lousy. The fighters were up again but didn’t get to us. The escort was really swell.

The fog held us in for several days but today we got off the ground to help the doughboys against the new Jerry counter offensive. Our primary target was an airfield but we didn’t hit it. We went over it with our doors opened but we closed them and went on to Kaiserslautern, an important supply center, and hit the marshalling yards. The flak was really accurate but wasn’t so much. They knocked one ship out over the line when we went over. So much of the flak is uncharted now since they’re using railroad cars. Think we hit the target – Xmas Eve.

Today, we had Kaiserslautern again for the "C" target. Think we took a little longer run on the target and hit it. Don’t know if we hit it yesterday yet. The flak wasn’t quite as accurate as yesterday and we didn’t catch any when we came over the lines. Most of the Continent that we flew over was covered with snow. Really having a "White Christmas". We set a new record, around 2,000 heavies, for the 8^th and wouldn’t be surprised if we did it again today. Also have had two good visual days so should have had good bombing results – Xmas Day.

This one today was a good mission as far as we were concerned but we bombed Koblenz, our "C" target, through 10/10 overcast. I doubt if we hit it if our bombing was anything like our previous PFF jobs. The flak was there but don’t think that it touched our formation. Fighters have been coming up but they haven’t yet hit the 100^th. It’s really the truth about the "more missions, the more sweat." Tomorrow is a stand down for the 351^st crews.

Kassel again today. PFF bombing and not very much flak. Doubt however, if we hit it. Was a pretty good one. They still can’t hit us very well when they can’t see us.

This was Hamburg and the fighters hit us today. We turned into the city and came down the Elbe River on the way in. They got on us with tracking flak and boy they really poured it on for the entire bomb run. Our wing man went down and carried another crew with him piggy-back. Then FW 190’s & ME 109’s hit us right after the rally point. About 25 of them. I had a few pretty fair shots. Some of the ships we shot at were seen to go down. We didn’t claim any. Our group lost 12 ships. Our roughest and worse day in 1-1/2 months.

[The following note was taped on top of Dec 31. "I flew Dec. 27 1944 as co-pilot with Floyd Henderson. Target Fulda. Henderson was on our left wing at Hamburg, Dec 31, and was shot down as described in Smitty’s diary."]

Hit a place near Kaiserlauturn named "Bad Kruznach." Was really milky. No flak. Bandits in area but didn’t hit us this time. We sweat ‘em all more now.

Today we hit the city of Frankfurt visually. Don’t know about our bombing results but should have been for it was visual. They flaked us up a little but not very much. Saw where some group before us really hit a marshalling yard. Last mission the 100^th made there was one of the best patterns the 8^th has had. Saw strike photos myself. Had to land at Loon Athis, France and refuel. Somebody started throwing cal. 50’s at us when we came across France after dark.

Anwiller
Today, we bombed this little place. No results as yet. Got a little flak from Stuttgart on the way in. Was a nice milk run. Nothing worthy of mention.

Today, they scared us plenty when they briefed us for Cologne. We bombed it PFF, and the flak wasn’t bad at all. We sweat fighters every day now.

Missed this mission along with Kelly and Mac due to circumstances beyond our control.

Boy, we really did sweat this one out. Sending us back to Hamburg on this one was really a low blow. However, no enemy fighters hit our group. They routed us better this time and went over the target with 250? M.P.H. ground speed and only got flak for a total of about 5 minutes. Flak was intense to moderate and accurate. Was a better mission but we really were sweating. Got tracking flak along the Elbe River on the way out.

(2 Excused to Uncontrollable Reasons)
1 – Frostbite (grounded)
1 – Delayed U.K. train arrival from Edinburgh

-end-