Tour Through the Museum Part III
by
Andy Anzanos

In our last Bulletin we covered the Eighth Air Force Bomb Groups display and the Munster Mission display. In this issue we will cover the “Target for Today” mission map located on the right side of the Berlin diorama.

The “Target for Today” map presents a typical briefing map that the combat crews would see during briefing. Curtains would be drawn over the map until all are seated and the doors secured.

The opening of the curtain would reveal the target for today’s mission. In our display we show the 8 March 1944 mission to Berlin. The target is the ball bearing plant at Erkner on the southeast edge of Berlin.

On the map the route into the target and the route out are laid out by ribbon. The IP, initial point of bomb run, and the heavy flak areas are indicated.

On this mission it is planned for the 390th to have a 21-ship formation with three squadrons of seven aircraft each. Another two ships would take-off as spares in case of aborts prior to crossing the channel.

In addition, due to the heavy losses by the 100th Group on the previous Berlin mission, the 390th would send six more of our aircraft to make up the low squadron for the 100th.

All conceivable items of concern are covered during the briefing such as time lines, weather, fighter escorts, enemy fighter locations, anti aircraft gun locations, effect of target impact on the enemy and etc.

The pilots, navigators and the bombardiers break off for their individual more detailed instructions.

The bottom of the map display shows the actual time line for the mission which averaged eight hours and 35 minutes. The crews were awaken at 0530. Breakfast, briefing and flight preparation occurred with take-off at 0900. Crossed the channel at 1147, dropped bombs at 1438 and landed back at base between 1713 and 1740.