The Eighth Air Force stressed strategic bombing. The principle targets were oil refineries, railway marshalling yards, airfields, bridges, ballbearing plants, Messerschmitt and Focke-Wulf factories, and their parts makers.

On November 27, 1944, we engaged in our first trip to a marshalling yard at Offenburg. Our B-24 carried ten 500 pound general purpose bombs and two 500 pound incendiary bombs. The mean point of impact of a marshalling yard makes it a small target. The railroad track that feeds into the yard affords a path to the target. The German anti-aircraft batteries were mounted on flatcars, and they could pound the B-24's with flak, when they started the bomb run along the track.

The mission demanded a visual drop on the marshalling yard. This requirement would have us descend to whatever altitude necessary in order to make a visual bomb run if the weather should be overcast. The bombing altitude must be determined prior to reaching the initial point, which is the start of the bomb run, and it is usually three minutes before bombs away. Very rapid calculations must be made such as true altitude, wind direction, velocity, a stablizer level for the Bombardier before he takes over the bomb run using the C-1 autopilot and the Norden bomb sight.

The flatcars with their guns were waiting for us when we reached the initial point. Fortunately, we did not need to descend below 21,000 feet to see the marshalling yard and the track leading into the target. We would have been easy prey for the German anti-aircraft batteries, if it had been necessary for us to descend. This was the crews fifth mission, and we logged eight hours of combat flight time.