"No Mice!"
Mission 53 - 23/24 March, 1944
Berlin - Industry
Outbound. Not attacked until well into Germany. Knocked out the tail turret. Clive stayed in and he spotted the second Me-110 and I immediately began evading. The mid-upper put enough rounds into its fuselage that after his second pass the Kraut had to abort. (Me-110 FBOA - Sgt. Basil Freeborn) Just before starting the bomb run another 110 attacked and did some damage to the starboard outboard fuel tank which fortunately self-sealed and knocked out the heat in the pilot compartment.
Bomb run. No flak, no search light and no wild boars. Target was socked in so bombed on yellow T.I.: our new bomb aimer put us on target with a rough estimate of 20%.
Return. North of Brandenburg freezing in the pilot compartment and dropped to 10,000 feet. Hit by a 110, which, even though I was evading, destroyed the upper turret, but no further damage. Fortunately it was the last attack for the morning. (Apparently too cloudy for light flak to be accurate.)
Landing. Okay
(Signed) F/O Arthur Blackwell (Pilot)
"No Mice!"
Pilot: F/O Arthur Blackwell
Bomb aimer: Sgt. Robert Novak (new)
Flight engineer: P/O Todd Smyth
Navigator: P/O Layton Foxx
W/O operator: Sgt. Stuart Hammond
Mid-upper gunner: Sgt. Basil Freeborn
Tail gunner: Sgt. Clive Southgate