7th mission: Hanover

Daddy's second trip to Hanover, which endured a total 88 Allied bombing raids during the war:

A very good strike was made on this tank factory complex. Bombs covered the main factory from 300 yards short to 300 yards over. At least five direct hits were made on the MPI. All planes returned safely. Only two had minor flak damage. -- Snetterton Falcons

We bombed Hanover Germany, which was our secondary target. We flew aircraft No, 931 again today. The mission was 7 hours fifteen minutes long. We dropped twelve 500 lb general-purpose bombs from 25,000 feet. No fighter interception and flak was moderate. -- Lyman R Huffman, Jr, 832 BS, 486th BG

Our next mission in our "new" B-17G, A/C 936, was on March 28, to an aero engine factory at Spandau. The crew chief said he had replaced every part of the prop pitch system and, therefore we should have no problem. Once again, #4 propeller ran away at maximum power used during take off but we had little difficulty lifting the aircraft into the air well prior to the end of the runway. We were fit to be tied. It seemed as if no one cared that we were flying a disaster waiting to happen. We were flying as right wingman to the Squadron lead ship and on the way into the target the group leader got slightly off course and inadvertently flew us over a known flack area. Our squadron was flying high squadron in the group formation and we received accurate and tracking flack as we unnecessarily flew over this known flack area on our way to the target. The squadron leader and the aircraft flying of his right wing received heavy flack damage. Captain Gaines, the squadron leader had two engines shot out while Lt. Smith on his right wing, lost one engine. We were the only plane in the element to receive only light battle damage. This was fortunate as we already had one engine acting up... -- Mike Banta, 91st BG