Arlin Mission No. 25
Date – December 15, 1944
Assigned Target – Marshalling Yards, Kassel, Germany
Target Attacked – As Briefed.
Results – Unobserved (PFF)
Aircraft Number – M-8373-K
Bomb Load – Ten 500 lb. G.B.; Two 500 lb. I.B.
Bombing Altitude – 28,000 feet
Time – 8 hours 15 minutes
Position in Formation – Wing Lead.
Damage – None
Casualties – None.
Losses – None.
Loading List
C.A. – Petersen, T. J., Major
Pilot – Capt. Arlin, A. A.
Nav. – Capt. Pickett, P. E.
Nav. – 2nd Lt. Kozak, S. V.
Bomb. – 1st Lt. Baxter, M. V.
Mickey – 2nd Lt. Lathrop, Robert Y.
C.P. – 2nd Lt. Buffalow, Billy W.
Eng. – T/Sgt. Chmielewski, R. J.
Radio – T/Sgt. Catterlin, Richard W.
W. G. – S/Sgt. Carter, C. M.
W. G. – S/Sgt. Hoffman, A. W.
Mission No. 25
Date – December 15, 1944
We briefed this morning for the marshalling yards at Kassel in Germany. It looked like a good mission all the way except for the weather, which looked like a scrub. The weather briefing predicted 10/10 clouds with high tops and moderate persistent contrails at altitude. The weather on return was to be right on the ground with visibility down to 1/4 mile. The flak guns at the target didn’t look too bad. There were to be 94 guns in the area, 80 in the range.
The take off and assembly were normal. We made the division assembly with very little trouble. We took up a direct heading for the usual corridor across Holland and straight into Dummer Lake. Here, we turned South to the I.P., which was about 50 miles due West of the target. On leaving the target, we turned South again and passed through the flak corridor between Koblenz and Frankfurt. Here, we turned West, crossed the lines, and came on home. We were at bombing altitude just after hitting the Holland coast, but due to extreme contrails, we were forced to go up a couple of thousand feet above our briefed altitude. On leaving the target, we let down to 24,000 feet and maintained this altitude until passing our lines, then let down on top of the weather about 13,000 feet and came on home.
The weather during the entire mission was as briefed: high clouds and heavy contrails. On returning to the base, the clouds were from 900 to 5,000 feet, 10/10 coverage. We had to circle Debden until called down, then we broke up the formation and made individual instrument let downs. On breaking out under the cloud layer, the visibility was very bad, about 1,500 feet. We made circles of Debden, Bassingborne, Ridgewell, and our home base. We landed at Bassingborne on instructions from our flight control. Came back to the base by truck.
The bombing was done PFF through 10/10 clouds, and the results were unobserved. The only enemy opposition encounterred was some flak off to our right as we passed by Amsterdam, and a few scattered bursts two thousand feet below us over the target. Not a ship in the formation received a scratch.
The mission was definitely a milk run. The worst part was the heavy persistent contrails all the way, and the foul weather on the return to the base.
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