398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association


S/Sgt. Frank M. Mackey's Diary
Ball Turret Gunner, 600th Squadron

15 March 1945 to 17 April 1945





Mission # 1
 
Mar. 15th  [1945]
Target.  Berlin [Oranienburg]
Bombs.  5-500 GP. [general purpose] 5-500 IB. [incendiary bomb]
Total Time 8:20 [hours and minutes]
Time on Oxygen 6:30 [hours and minutes]
Altitude 23000 [feet]
Had a little FLAK.


Mission # 2
 
Mar. 17th [1945]
Target.   Leipzig [Bohlen]
Bombs.  10-500 HE.  [heavy explosives]
Total Time.  9:35 [hours and minutes]
Time on.  Oxygen 5 Hrs.[hours]
Altitude 25,000 [feet]
Had plenty of FLAK.
Landed with only 95 Gals. [gallons] of fuel.




Mission # 3
 
Mar. 21st [1945]
Target Rheine
Bombs.  12-500 GP. [general purpose]
Total Time 6:20 [hours and minutes]
Time on Oxygen 4:30 [hours and minutes]
Altitude 23,000 [feet]

 
Mission # 4
 
Mar. 22nd [1945]
Target.  Gladbeck [Dorsten]
Bombs. 34-100 GP. [general purpose] 2-500 IP. [incendiary bomb]
Time. 6:10 [hours and minutes]
Time on Oxygen- 4:30 [hours and minutes]
Altitude 23,000 [feet]
Plenty of FLAK and close.




Mission # 5
 
Mar. 23rd [1945]
Target Coesfeld
Bombs.  12-500 GP. [general purpose]
Total Time: 6:00 [hours]
Time on Oxygen 4:45 [hours and minutes]
Altitude 25,000 [feet]
No FLAK.  But # 4 Turpo went out.

About 10 min. [minutes] before IP.  [initial point] had to feather # 4 [prop or engine]. Lost 2000 Ft. [feet] Alt. [Altitude] and was about 3 miles behind formation over target.




Mission # 6
 
Mar. 24th [1945]
Target. Enschede [Twente/Enschede]
Bombs-12-500 GP. [general  purpose]
Total Time 5:30 [hours and minutes]
Time on Oxygen. 4:00 [hours]
Altitude 21,000 [feet]
Had a little FLAK


Mission # 7
 
Mar. 30th [1945]
Target.  Bremen
Bombs- 12-500 GP. [general  purpose]
Total Time 7:10 [hours and minutes]
Time on Oxygen. 4:45 [hours and minutes]
Altitude 25,000 [feet]




Mission # 8
 
Mar. 31st [1945]
Target.  Halle
Bombs.  12—500 GP. [general  purpose]
Total Time.  8:45 [hours and minutes]
Time on Oxygen. 5:30 [hours and minutes]
Altitude 25,000 [feet]

I thought we had it.  Another formation all most [almost] hit us.


Mission # 9
 
April. 4th [1945]
Target.  Rheinstein [Reinsehlen]
Bombs. 38-100 GP. [general  purpose]
Total Time 9:35 [hours and minutes]
Time on  Oxygen. 5:00 [hours]
Altitude 15,000 [feet]

High sq. [squadron] deputy lead
Made 3 runs on target.
And diden’t [didn’t] get bombs away. 
Had two FLAK holes thru [through] right wing.






Mission # 10
 
April 8th [1945]
Target. Derben
Bombs.-10. 500 GP. [general purpose]
Total Time 9:40 [hours and minutes]
Time on Oxygen—5:45 [hours and minutes]
Altitude 24,000 [feet]

Deputy Lead Low sq. [squadron]
Made 3 passes at target.  On the third one we got it.

Col. [Colonel] Daily got a direct hit in tail. Blew it off. 

Lt. [Lieutenant] Wells on are [our] right wing got hit, between #1 and 2 engine [s] blowing the wing off. He went into a spin and blew up about 2,000 ft. [feet] below us.

Our tail got hit and Frenchy got it in the hand and neck.  I see [saw] two ships blow up today. It was a little rough.


Mission # 11
 
April 9th [1945]
Target Munich [Oberpfaffenhofen]
Bombs—34—150 GP. [general purpose]
Total Time.  8:00 [hours and minutes]
Time on Oxygen 4:00 [hours]
Altitude 25000 [feet]

It wasn’t bad today.  But I sweat it out.  After what happened yesterday.




Mission # 12
 
April 13th [1945]
Target. Neumunster
Bombs—10—500 GP. [general purpose]
Total Time 7:45 [hours and minutes]
Time on Oxygen—2:40 [hours and minutes]
Altitude 18000 [feet]

A little rough again today.  A couple of bombs blew up in mid air.

I seen [saw] one plane go down in flames.  8 bailed out before it hit the ground.

Five bailed out of another ship. I don’t know what happened to it. It was ok the last I saw of it.




Mission # 13
 
April 15th [1945]
Target St. Talais, France [Fort Royan, France]
Bombs. 2-2000 # GP. [general purpose] 2-1000 GP. [general purpose]
Total Time 8:25 [hours and minutes]
On Oxygen 2:00 [hours]
Altitude 15,000 [feet]

No FLAK today and it’s a good thing.  We had to make a 360 [degree].

The Navy gave support by shelling the cost [coast]. I guess that’s the reason for no FLAK.




Mission # 14
 
April 16th [1945]
Target. Regensburg
Bombs 16-250 GP. [general purpose] 2-500 I.B. [incendiary bomb]
Total Time-8:30 [hours and minutes]
On Oxygen 3 [hours]
Altitude 25,000 [feet]

Notes
Had plenty of FLAK today.  Didn’t get are [our] bombs away on the first run. Had to make a 360 [degree].  We sure sweat the second run out. I guess we all prayed a little.  I know I did.







Mission # 15
 
April 17th [1945]
Target Dresden
Bombs 12-500 GP. [general purpose]
Total time 9:35 [hours and minutes]
On Oxygen 4:00 [hours]
Altitude 21,500 [feet]

Notes
Today was another rough, one. 

Was to bomb at 24,000 [feet] but we couldn’t stay in formation because of clouds. At 21,000 [feet] it was very hazy and the sky was full of contrails.

There was plenty of FLAK.  A piece came thrue [through] the nose almost hit Helm’s head.

A few minutes after bombs away.  We were attacked by Jet’s (ME-262).  The ship on are [our] right wing got hit pretty bad, but no one was hert [hurt].

Made two 360[degrees] over the target.



Notes:
  • S/Sgt. Frank M. Mackey was the Ball Turret Gunner on Robert D. Nolan's 600th Squadron crew.
  • The above scans were provided by Frank Mackey.
  • The above transcription was provided by Ruthanna Doerstler.
  • 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.
  • Clarification of acronyms or special words or guesses of certain words are shown in brackets [ ].

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