Got up at 0545 for briefing at 0645. Took off at 0900 and were supposed to assemble at 14000, but they changed it two or three times and the last we heard was to assemble at 21000. When we got to Splasher 5, there was no one in sight and still some clouds and contrails. We chased two or three different formations, but never found ours and we could hear other ships trying to contact them and finally only silence on VHF. Then we decided to work an interception problem and pick them up as they hit the French coast, but when we got there they still weren’t to be seen, so we came home. The mission was to Cologne, Ger., and they really got hit with flak. One bombardier in the 788th was killed, and a navigator from the 790th bailed out of the nose doors for some reason when only 4 minutes from the target. Deardoff landed at Woodbridge, and there is still a crew missing. We met the abortion board at 1930 - Col. Shower (Shower), Smith, Mahoney, Major Holdrege, Beaudry and another major and a couple of 1st Lts . Wrote to Louise and home