Captain Alan A. Arlin's Diary - September 5, 1944

398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association

Captain Alan A. Arlin's Diary

Arlin Mission No. 17

**September 5, 1944**
**Target:** **I. G. Farben Industries, Ludwigshaven, Germany**
Mission No. 17 Date – September 5, 1944 Assigned Target – I. G. Farben Industries, Ludwigshaven, Germany Target Attacked – As briefed Results – Unobserved PFF. Later report – Excellent Aircraft Number – E-8031-K (PFF) Bomb Load – 6 1,000 lb. General Purpose Position in Formation – Wing Lead Time – 7 hrs. 40 min. Altitude over Target – 25,000' Casualties – None Damage – None Losses – None Loading List C.A. – Capt. Berry, Kearie L. Pilot – Capt. Arlin, A. A. Bomb. – 1st Lt. Baxter, M.V. Nav. – Capt. Pickett, Paul E. Nav. – 2nd Lt. Brass, Ernest H. Nav. – 1st Lt. Eberhart, J. J. (Mickey Operator) Eng. – T/Sgt. Chmielewski, R. J. Radio – T/Sgt. Ruff, C. F. W. Gun. – S/Sgt. McCort, J. J. Tail Gun. – S/Sgt. Hoffman, A. W. Mission No. 17 Date – September 5, 1944 Really had to work for this mission. Our take off was before dawn in the rain. We were short of time on the assembly and it wasn’t without much sweating and cutting corners that we made the division formation. The weather was foul. There were low, middle and high layers of clouds, making it impossible to make our briefed altitudes. We broke into better weather just in time to make our bombing altitude before turning off the I.P [Initial Point]. The high clouds cleared here and the lower clouds became broken letting us start a visual run. About halfway up the bomb run, a cloud covered the target and we finished it off with PFF [Pathfinder Force]. Flak here was heavy but not too accurate. We had flak for most of the run and for a short time thereafter, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it was across the river at Mannheim. It looked almost as bad as Hamburg over there. Made us all very happy that our target was on this side of the river. The trip back was nice. We started to let down immediately after leaving the target and stayed below the weather that gave us so much trouble on our way in. The clouds below us cleared entirely as we came over the Rhine River, so we let down to 6,000' and took a sightseeing tour of Luxembourg. We were able to see a lot of activity and scenes of destruction from recent fighting.

Notes:

First Lieutenant Alan A. Arlin of the 601st Squadron was the pilot of Rapid City original crew No. 31. On many of his missions, 1st Lieutenant and later Captain Alan A. Arlin was a lead pilot for his squadron or for the group.
The above transcription was provided by David L. Clark.
This transcription is a careful reproduction of the original except for occasional spelling and punctuation changes. In some circumstances, based on relevancy, some material may not have been transcribed.
Clarification of acronyms or special words or guesses of certain words are shown in brackets [ ].

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