Robert N. McLean, Jr. Mission on September 12, 1944

September 12, 1944

“That’s all brother”

Mission #48,49 –target Allach Motor Works at Munich in Germany.  Takeoff 0630 Bailout time 1030 (0400) Total combat hours (270:35).  Remarks:

1.     Lt. Click as pilot, Capt Beth as co-pilot, we were to lead the group

2.     Plane developed a tail flutter and crew was ordered to bail out over the middle of the Adriatic about 50 miles north of Vis.  All men abandoned ship

3.     Air-sea rescue picked up seven men – the other four, Lt. Florczak, Lt. Hawkins, Sgt Lange, and Sgt Aronowitz were never found.

4.     The rescue plane, a Catalina, tried to takeoff on a rough sea and cracked up

5.     We were re-rescued from our rafts by an LCI (British) which shelled the Catalina

6.     We were brought to Vis – six men left for home the next day.

7.     Lt Morgenbesser, who had been in water the longest (4 hours) went by C-47 to Bari for hospitalization with pnenmonia – released Sep 23.

8.     Entire crew awarded purple heart

9.     All men who had missions in the forties were excused from further combat flying

10.  Double mission credit granted

11.  Our original crew is all through flying now except Lt. Clark who has four missions left at this writing

12.  Casualties – four

13.  Statistics – total bomb tonnage (183,600 lbs)(91.8 tons)

14.  Spent 3 days in Rome

Robert wrote a second account of that day in 1944: