Lt. William H. Baker's Diary

Navigator, 600th Squadron

Flight Record

1. Ludwigshaffen, Ger.	8:00
2. Mannheim, Ger.	7:40
3. Stutgart, Ger.	7:30
4. Brux, Czechoslovakia	9:10
5. Hamm, Ger.	7:30
6. Osnabruck, Ger.	6:25
7. Cologne, Ger.	6:25
8. Magdeburg, Ger.	8:25
9. Kassel, Ger.	7:50
10. Cologne, Ger.	6:50
11. Brux, Czechoslovakia	8:30
12. Schweinfurt, Ger.	7:55
13. Cologne, Ger.	7:00
14. Cologne, Ger.	6:25
15. Brunswick, Ger.	7:35
[Subtotal]	113:10
16. Munster, Ger.	5:50
17. Hamm, Ger.	6:20
18. Merseburg, Ger.	7:50
19. Merseburg, Ger.	8:20
20. Cologne, Ger.	6:40
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
[Subtotal]
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
Total Combat Flying Hours

Editor’s notes

1. The diary begins with a table laying out Lt. William Baker's anticipated 35 missions.
2. The numbers after the target name indicate the flight time of each mission, example: 8:25 = 8 hours, 25 minutes. Baker wrote his diary in a small pocket notebook. He totaled his number of flight hours (113:10) at the end of the first page of his notebook.
3. Lt. Baker was killed in action on November 25, 1944 returning from Merseburg, Germany.

USA to Nuthampstead

Left Pyote [Texas]	July 7, ‘44
Arr’vd Kearny	July 10, ‘44
Left Kearny	July 19, ‘44
Arr’vd Camp Kilmer	July 21, ‘44
Left Camp Kilmer	July 25, ‘44
Boarded Ship	July 25, ‘44
Sailed	July 7, ‘44
Debarked Liverpool	Aug. 8, ‘44
Arr’vd Stone	Aug. 9, ‘44
Left Stone	Aug. 12, ‘44
Arr’vd Bovington	Aug. 12, ‘44
Left Bovington	Aug. 27, ‘44
Arr’vd Nuthampstead	Aug. 27, ‘44
1st Combat Mission	Sept. 5, ‘44
Av. Losses for my 1st 20 Missions	29 Bombers

Editor’s note:

1. Added title to Lt. Baker's Table.

 

Lt. William H. Baker's Diary

Navigator, 600th Squadron

KIA - 25 November 1944

 

Day to Day Diary - Raids

#1 Ludwigshaffen, Ger. [Ludwifshafen, Germany] - September 5, 1944
Hit I.G. Farben Works – P.F.F.
8:00 Form 1 Time
Synthetic Oil Research Labs
Breakfast 0345
Briefing 0445
Carried 6 – 1,000 lb G.P.’s [General Purpose bombs]
Bomb Alt. 26,000’

Flak was moderate and mostly inaccurate – lost 13 bombers and 10 fighters.

Sept. 6, 1944
Breakfast 0200
Briefing 0300
Big B tar.

Was FW190 plant and marshalling yards – Recalled before engines started – 1100 briefed for F.W.190 Ass’bly plant at Bremen – Scrubbed before take off.

Editor’s note:

1. “Big B tar” meaning that Berlin was the target

Sept. 7, 1944
Gp. Stand down – rain.

Editor’s note:

1. “Gp.” meaning Group
   

Sept. 8, 1944
600th Stood down, thank God – Group got Hell knocked out of it – Not a ship without flak holes – All got back though – Kenny Hasting’s tail gunner killed on his first mission – you guessed it – Ludwigshaffen [Ludwigshafen].

Editor’s note:

1. The tail gunner Baker refers to was Donald B. Colbert of the 603rd SQ. He was killed instantly by a piece of Flak.

#2 Mannheim, Ger. – September 9, 1944
Expected Worst and it happened, Mannheim marshalling yards.

P.F.F.
Breakfast 0330
Briefing 0430
7:40 Form 1 Time
Carried 12 – 500 lb G.P.’s
Alt. 26,000’

Flak intense and very accurate – Too damned accurate. Had flak 3 times lasting 57 minutes. Bob flew his 1st mission with Johnson – went down over target – last heard from at I.P. – Probably made it back to France to crash land. – Lost 23 bombers and 4 fighters today.

Editor’s note:

1. “Bob” is co-pilot Robert L. Davis.

#3 Stutgart, Ger. [Stuttgart, Germany]– Sunday, September 10, 1944
Heinkle Air Craft Engine Factory
Breakfast 0345
Briefing 0445
Form 1 Time 0730
Carried 12 – 500 lb G.P.’s
Alt. 26,000’

Flak was very intense and very accurate – Ship next to us received direct hit – Lost entire belly of ship and went down. – Caught flak for 1:12 – If war’s nearly over Flak gunners don’t know it – Flak getting worse – Every place you looked saw hundreds of B17’s and B24’s and fires all over. – All of S.W. Germany must have been burning – No Flak holes luckily – Haven’t heard from Bob. – Visual tar. [target]

Editor’s note:

1. See next entry for information on ship that took direct hit.

Sept. 11, 1944
Group stand down as just 2 ships out of 57 are able to fly – Know damn well last two days have been rough. – Crew yesterday was Wright’s crew, Flipse was navigator. – All crew lost except co-pilot who will be with us now. – Name is Ham [Hamilton] Mero – No news of Bob.

Editor’s note:

1. Actually, 4 members of the Wright crew survived but became POW’s. David E. Flipse was one of the 4.

#4 Brux, Czechoslovakia. – September 12, 1944
Bombed oil refineries
P.F.F.
Breakfast 0345
Briefing 0445
Form 1 Time 0910
Carried 10 – 500 lb G.P.’s
Alt. 28,000’
On Oxygen 7 Hours

Bob back. - What a mission - over N. Sea thru Ger. past Berlin to draw up Luftwaffe – Told us to expect intense fighter opposition – We got it – There’s still a Luftwaffe. – Couple hundred FW 190’s and ME 109’s came up. – Hit wings ahead and behind us hit hard - Every time an FW 190 made a pass a B17 went down. – Looked awful – B17’s burning, exploding, spinning in – Also saw FW’s explode and P51’s – our fighter’s really looked like angels.– Little Flak over Berlin – mod. to intense Flak at target – some accurate – some batteries very inaccurate. - Right Tokyo Tank out – really sweated out gas. – Landed with about 40 gal. – 398th lost 2 ships again today – total losses 45 bombers and 17 fighters. – [our] bombers knocked down 12 enemy fighters. – They lost 149 fighters.

Sept. 13, 1944
600th Sqdn stand down.

Sept. 14, 1944
Just 4 crews from 600th flying – Not enough ships. – Berlin – scrubbed.

Sept. 15, 1944
Group stand down.

Sept. 16, 1944
Scheduled to go to Holland in support of Air Borne landing – Anti-Personel Fragmentation Bombs – Scrubbed – Invasion next day.

September 16, 17 and 18, 1944
Pass – London.

#5 Hamm, Ger. – September 19, 1944
Marshalling Yards
Breakfast 0630
Briefing 0730
Form 1 Time 0710
Carried 10 – 500 lb G.P.’s and 2 – 500 lb I.B.’s [General Purpose and Incendiary Bombs]
Alt. 25,000’

Bombed in clouds and contrails – could only see near miss Flak because of soup. – Flak was moderate but accurate and only over target. - Lost #4 engine – right wing gas tank and gee box. – Came back alone – Instr. Let down from 8,000’ to 800’. – Target was P.F.F. – Lost 10 bombers.

Base – SP #10 – Debden – Duxford – New Mkt. – Stowe Mkt. – Lowestoff – 51150256 – 50476444 – 50200628 – 50140744 – 50270753 – IP 51200800 – Tar. 51400749 – 51470728 – 51550700 – 50500500 – 51120252 – Clackton – Base.

Editor’s note:

1. Baker wrote the above navigation coordinates in his notebook.

September 20, 1944
Was to have gone back to “Happy Valley” for Happy Birthday – Munitions Storage Depot – Scrubbed – 6 – 500 LB G.P.’s – Breakfast 0615 – Briefing 0715.

Editor's note:

1. "Happy Valley" was along the Ruhr Valley in Germany

September 21, 1944
Gp. Stand down – rain. Went to 0800 briefing tho.

September 22, 1944
Sqdn. flew but we had a crew stand down.

September 23, 1944
Group stand down – weather. Flew practice mission in formation – bombed Wash.

September 24, 1944
Group stand down – rain.

September 25, 1944
600th Sqdn. stand down.

#6 Osnabruck, Ger. – September 26, 1944
Iron and Steel Works
Visual target
Breakfast 0800
Briefing 0900
Form 1 Time 6:25
Carried 10 – 500 lb Incendiary Clusters
Altitude 29,000’

Flak was moderate but very accurate. – Flew our own ship – Flak got main spar in right wing – needs whole new wing – major damage. – Lots of fires. – Did 2 360’s and made 3 passes at target – that’s always fun. – Lost 42 bombers and 7 fighters. – Air Medal mission.

#7 Cologne, Ger. – September 27, 1944
Attacked Henry Ford’s Factory converting vehicles to wood burners.

P.F.F.
Breakfast 0245
Briefing 0345
Form 1 Time 6:25
Alt. 26,000’

Flak over I.P. and target was moderate but accurate. Two exploded not over 10 feet in front of nose. – Thought they had Bill Baker’s name on them. – Cologne is largest city in Ruhr Valley. – Couple hits in wings – slight damage. – Luftwaffe attacked one Group 15 abreast – got 32 out of 36 B24’s and 7 F [fighters]. Lost 42 B17’s

#8 Magdeburg, Ger. – September 28, 1944
P.F.F. Marshalling Yards
Visual target was Oil Refineries
Breakfast 0400
Briefing 0500
Form 1 Time 8:25
Carried 10 – 500 lb G.P.’s and 2 100 lb I.B.’s
Alt. 26,000’

Flak at Koblenz, IP, and target – moderate and accurate as all Hell. – Collected 7 holes – 2 by pilot’s cockpit, 1 #4 prop, 1 #3 engine nacelle knocking out main support for eng and landing gear, 3 in right wing. – One ship in our Group burning badly – 10 man crew, saw 9 jump and 7 chutes open. - Ship exploded then. Lots of bandit’s in area but we had hundreds of 51’s, 38’s and 47’s [our fighters; P-51,P-38, P-47] - didn’t see any enemy fighters. Lost 49 bombers and 12 fighters.

September 29, 1944
Group stand down – rain.

September 30, 1944
Duty Nav. Drew up flight plan and briefed for raid on Marshalling Yards at Munster, Ger. – 600th stood down.

Editor’s note:

1. Baker was assigned as Duty Navigator that day

October 1, 1944
Gp. Stand down – rain.

#9 Kassel, Ger. – October 2, 1944
P.F.F. Motor Works
Visual target was Oil Refinery
Breakfast 0330
Briefing 0430
Form 1 Time 7:50
Carried 10 – 500 lb I.B.’s
Alt. 25,000’

Flak at Koblenz again – Limburg – IP – target. Light except at target where it was moderate and very accurate at all places. – Two holes in waist just over gunner’s head. No bandits encountered – was here [at this location on Sept. 27] they got those 32 out of 36 B24’s. Lost 12 bombers and 7 fighters.

October 3, 1944
Crew stand down – lot of new crews flew.

October 4, 1944
Breakfast 0430 – Briefing 0530 – to go to Marshalling Yards at Cologne. 6 – 500 lb G.P.’s and 6 – 500 lb I.B.’s. Scrubbed because of rain.

#10 Cologne, Ger. – October 5, 1944
P.F.F. Marshalling Yards
Visual target was Ford’s Factory
Breakfast 0445
Briefing 0545
Form 1 Time 6:50
Alt. 27,000’

Due to very dense persistent contrails couldn’t drop on Lead and had no Mickey of our own. – Turned back just past I.P. but got credit for a mission. Caught Flak twice.

October 6, 1944
600th Stand down.

#11 Brux, Czechoslovakia – October 7, 1944
Supposedly – actually hit Osnabruck or Munster
Breakfast 0300
Briefing 0400
Time 8:30 – 1,646 miles
Carried 10 – 500 lb G.P’s
Alt. 26,000’

Largest day of air operations in War’s history – 5,000 planes over Ger. – Over 2,000 Amer. heavies. – Over 1,500 American fighters – also RAF. Worst raid yet. Wouldn’t have bet I’d be here tonight if I’d had 100 – 1 odds offered me. Was really sweating out a direct hit – Flak really terrific. Flak came in my window and sprayed my face with glass. Flak through chin turret. Two just missed tail gunner. Tokyo Tank shot out. Major damage, needs new wing and tail – two weeks Sub Depot job.
Flak at 1058 mod. [moderate] and acc. [accurate] S. of Osnabruck. 1102 N. of Herford – 1158 light acc. Flak. 1202 very heavy and very acc. Flak. 1218 Flak. 1235 very hvy and very acc. Flak – hit my window. 1322 mod. and acc. Flak. 1321 mod. and acc. – 2 hits. 1335 mod. and acc. 360’s over Brux and secondary – told to expect heavy fighter oppos. But they didn’t hit us. Lost 51 bombers and 15 fighters.

October 8, 1944
Gp. Stand down – weather.

#12 Schweinfurt, Ger. – October 9, 1944
Oil Refinery for visual but we hit Marshalling Yds. P.F.F.
Breakfast 0800
Briefing 0900
Time 7:55
Carried 10 – 500 lb G.P’s
Alt. 26,000’

Flak mod. but most was inacc. – Lucky! Has 722 guns – more than any other city except Big B. Bandits in area of Koblenz but our fighters took them. Excellent fighter support – even went over target with us. Easiest yet so far as Flak concerned. 1,257 miles. Lost 12 bombers + 10 fighters.

October 10, 11 & 12, 1944
48 hour pass but no missions due to weather.

October 13, 1944
Rain – stand down

#13 Cologne, Ger. – October 14, 1944
Marshalling Yards - P.F.F.
Breakfast 0510
Briefing 0610
Time 7:00
Carried 14– 250 lb G.P’s and 4 – 500 lb I.B.’s
Alt. 26,000’

Flak heavy as Hell and twice as accurate – rougher each time. Flak guns from all over Europe concentrated in Ger. now. 1,000 Forts hit Cologne - hope our boys take it soon. Lost 37 bombers and 9 fighters. 2 holes.

October 15, 1944
600th stood down. [The Group] Hit Cologne again – really caught Hell. Two ships completely destroyed – one crashing and exploding on instrument take off killing all 10 - was Khourie who was with me at Santa Ana in SQ 19. Other receiving direct Flak hit in nose – 12 men killed, one due to Anoxia and 6 wounded. All ships shot up badly.

Editor’s note:

1. Khourie was command pilot that day with 603rd SQ pilot Meyran, their B-17 crashed into the Anstey Church moat. The other B-17 which took the direct flak hit in the nose was piloted by DeLancey of the 601st SQ, George Abbott, his togglier, was killed instantly.

October 16, 1944
Rain – stand down.

#14 Cologne, Ger. – October 17, 1944
Marshalling Yards - P.F.F.
Breakfast 0230
Briefing 0330
Time 6:55
Carried 34– 100 lb G.P’s and 2 – 500 lb I.B.’s
Alt. 27,000’

Cologne again. Flak heavy, intense and accurate, as usual. 1,500 Forts hit Cologne today – 3,700 in 3 days. Ship behind us rec. direct Flak hit in bomb bays just before bombs away – blew up, no chutes, didn’t have a chance. 3 holes, 2 in wing 1 in tail. Lost 13 bombers and 3 fighters.

October 18, 1944
Stood down – not enough ships able to fly.

October 19, 20, 21, 1944
Stood down – no ships one day - weather, but 8th Air Force flew, don’t know why we didn’t fly.

#15 Brunswick, Ger. – October 22, 1944
Motor Works making tanks and tractors - P.F.F.
Breakfast 0645
Briefing 0745
Time 7:35
Carried 6 – 500 lb G.P’s and 6 – 500 lb I.B.’s
Alt. 26,500’

100th mission for Group in less than 6 months. PFF but if Mickey Man had target in screen we knocked Hell out of it because we had a sweet bombing formation. Light Flak at IP and moderate at target, accurate. Told us to expect moderate Luftwaffe opposition at Dummer Lake, intense from there to target - fighters from Berlin and Leipzig. Had Sweet 51 and 47 support and saw no bandits. Really sweated it out but turned out Okay. Field souped in and had to land at Bassingbourne. Lost no bombers – 2 fighters.

October 23, 24, 1944
Gp. stand down – rain.

October 25, 1944
Breakfast 0600 – Briefing 0700 – Carried 6 – 500 lb G.P.’s and 6 – 500 lb I.B.’s. Briefed for Oil Refinery at Hamburg. Scrubbed because of fog.

#16 Munster, Ger. – October 26, 1944
Luftwaffe Engine Assembly and repair Plant - P.F.F.
Breakfast 0700
Briefing 0800
Time 5:50
Carried 6 – 500 lb G.P’s and 6 – 500 lb I.B.’s
Alt. 26,000’

My first milk run. Flak at target only. We were first Group over target and they must not have been set up yet. Tail gunner reported Flak at 0600 o’clock after bombs away. Didn’t see a single burst out of nose – would like 19 more like it in next 19 days [Baker had 19 remaining missions to complete his tour and he obviously wanted to get it over with ASAP!). Group behind us caught moderate, accurate Flak. Lost 1 bomber and 1 fighter.

October 27, 1944
Gp. stand down – weather.

October 28, 1944
600th Sqdn. stand down – was Duty Navigator - Gp. went to Munster. Due to weather had to bomb at 22,000’. We lost 3 ships – several injured. We have 4 empty beds now – Connally, Crowe, Slade, Erickson went down. Direct hit tore entire tail off – no chutes seen.

October 29, 1944
Gp. stand down from 8th Air Force.

#17 Hamm, Ger. – October 30, 1944
Marshalling Yards - P.F.F.
Breakfast 0610
Briefing 0710
Time 6:20
Carried 20 – 250 lb G.P’s
Alt. 29,000’

Flak at target only moderate but inaccurate for once. Quite a lot of white Flak – must be 105’s and 155’s. Weather was terrible as on first Hamm raid – dense persistent contrails and clouds – could hardly see Lead ship. Was briefed for 26,500’ but had to go up over soup. Lost 2 bombers and 6 fighters.

October 31, 1944
Stand down – weather.

November 1, 1944
Stand down - weather

#18 Merseburg, Ger. – November 2, 1944
Synthetic Oil Refineries - P.F.F.
Breakfast 0520
Briefing 0620
Time 7:30
Carried 18 – 250 lb G.P’s
Alt. 25,000’

If I live to be a thousand I will never forget today, but wish I could. Merseburg, Ger., 12 miles W. of Leipzig. I could never stand another like today – I believe it would be a physical impossibility. Flak, very, very heavy and very, very accurate for 25 minutes at target - a horrible sight – solid wall. Sky was black as night – Sun couldn’t shine through. 22 Flak holes in our ship; one under pilot’s cockpit exploding oxygen bottle – 6 in nose – one in Plexiglas nose and out over Hesterly’s head – one in side and out between us – two in my window – one in #1 engine – one in left wing – three in right wing – 2 in bomb bay doors and out radio room roof – one in ball turret – one in tail behind Fowler – 2 in stabilizer – couple more small ones.

Both times when glass in nose was hit I knew we were going to get it. Saw two very close in front of nose and thought sure number 3 or number 4 would be direct hit. Turned my back and pulled my Flak suit up around me – then we got a hummer in the nose. Saw 2 very close out right window, expected 3 or 4 to be direct hits. 2 Pieces in my window – couldn’t take evasive action to miss Flak – it was everywhere.

Flak 3 more times on return – two very near misses picking up a couple of holes. And the fighters – we had 51’s, 47’s and 38’s as they were expecting very heavy fighter opposition. We got it –

ME-109’s and a few jet propelled jobs, they hit our Group today for the first time, the High Squadron - got Capt. Scoffield leading High. While hitting us were also hitting Group ahead and behind us – lasted about half hour. Dog fights all over sky. At any moment could see at least one ship going down – terrific battle – saw two hit a B17 straggler, 17 exploded. Two more Jerries hit another straggler, Fort got both and they exploded.

In Group ahead saw 3 Forts explode within 30 seconds – at same instant saw 4 fighters explode. I saw myself, 7 Forts explode, 12 fighters explode, 5 Forts burning, 6 Forts spinning in, and numerous fighters spinning in. Saw only 5 chutes all together – wouldn’t have had a chance today in a chute though, between Flak and fighters – most horrible thing I have ever experienced. Afraid we’ll have to go back though as we didn’t get it [the target] today I don’t believe - we were 17th Group over target – if it’s like today would sooner shoot myself than go back.

From now on I’m flying because I have to, not because I want to. They told us we’d have 150 fighters from Leipzig and 300 from Berlin. We lost 7 ships out of 36 from our field – that’s 19% loss. Of remaining 29, 16 had major Flak damage. 12 had wounded aboard. Bassingbourne lost 13 ships out of their 36. Lost 41 bombers, 28 fighters. German Air Force lost 208 fighters, 450 enemy fighters encountered.

November 3, 4, 5, 1944
On pass in London. Rocket nearly got us while at Kays house.

November 6, 1944
Stand down – weather

November 7, 1944
Stand down – weather

#19 Merseburg, Ger. – November 8, 1944
Synthetic Oil Refineries - P.F.F.
Breakfast 0330
Briefing 0430
Time 8:20
Carried 10 – 500 lb G.P’s
Alt. 24,000’

Really sweated this one out but it wasn’t bad. Was to go to Politz if not to Merseburg. 3rd Div. didn’t go so we had double fighter support – millions of them. Jerry didn’t come up – guess he knew what he’d get into. Last time “Micky” was out – this time “Micky” was right and we got Flak just 3 minutes or so at target. It was very heavy and very accurate though. I still hope I never go back there again though – Flak and fighters both rough there. Lost 5 bombers, 23 fighters.

November 9, 1944
Crew stand down. They [the Group] had a milk run – no Flak, ME’s

#20 Cologne, Ger. – November 10, 1944
Marshalling Yards - P.F.F.
GAF [German Air Force] fighter base supporting front line troops for visual
Breakfast 0600
Briefing 0700
Time 6:40
Carried 38 – 100 lb G.P’s
Alt. 26,000’

Flak was intense for 4 minutes and very acc. 8 bursts at a time instead of the usual 4 bursts at a time. Navigator killed, don’t know yet which one. Have 147 combat hours now. Lost 27 bombers, 7 fighters.

Editor’s note

1. The navigator who Baker refers to was Norman K. Lovingfoss of the 602nd SQ. He was hit by Flak and died before his crew could return to base.

 

Additional Information

There were no more entries after November 10, 1944. The 398th did not fly from 10 November 1944 until 21 November. On the next 398th mission, Lt. Baker was killed in action on November 25, 1944 returning from Merseburg, Germany.

See also

1. 398th Mission Page: 25 November 1944: Merseburg
2. Hansard Prop Blade Presentation - May 21, 2005 by Wally Blackwell and Sandra Averhart
3. Lt. William Harold Baker Portrait- 1943
4. Return to the Lt. William Howard Baker Diary Index.

 

William Baker Family - 1943 Sunset Drive, Lexington, KY Left to right: Anna (mother), Harold, Margie (sister), Frank (father)

 

Notes

1. Lt. William Howard Baker was the Navigator for the V.A. Hansard 600th crew.
2. The above diary transcription was provided by Lee Anne Bradley, 398th Group Historian.
3. This transcription is a reproduction of the original. Spelling and punctuation changes have been made to improve readability. In some circumstances, material may not have been transcribed or was rewritten.
4. Clarification of acronyms or special words or guesses of certain words are shown in brackets [ ].