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For the third day in a row the weather was bad. But by the afternoon the weather had cleared for a while, giving the 8th Air Force an opportunity for a tactical run into Belgium and France. Since the weather couldn't be counted on, Pathfinders were assigned to lead the missions. The 492nd drew the airfield at Berck-sur-Mer, France.
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The Group dispatched 23 of its ships. Three of the crews were new replacement crews that had arrived in North Pickenham during the previous month. There were no aborts. One of the planes wasn't able to release its bombs due to a mechanical failure.
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The Army Air Force reports we've read failed to mention any escorts. One would have to assume they had some, even if the Luftwaffe had been cleared from the area.
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We haven't read anything to suggest what resistance, if any, was encountered. We have read that the 8th Air Force lost two B-17s and five B-24s that afternoon and that another 127 heavy bombers returned damaged. The official 492nd report only says that all of their planes returned intact without any casualties.
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According to Herschel Smith, the pilot of Crew 906, the visibilty over the target was good. They had no problem finding and hitting their target.
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On the way back the crews took another look at what they had seen earlier. They noticed a lot more ship traffic in the Channel waters below. Certainly something big was brewing down there.
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The flyboys began comparing notes of the many ships they had seen in the Channel. Spectulations began as to just when the Big Day was coming. These conversations, of course, were confined to the barracks. The men knew as much about D-Day as the Germans did. They knew it was coming, but didn't know when or where. This was the Group's first indication that D-Day was near.
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Certainly the Germans noticed the increased activity in the Channel as well. That's why these deception bombing raids were so important.
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