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took off to attack the Nantes Rail-Road Bridge, France. There was a 3/10 cloud
undercast over France, but there appeared a break in the clouds of twenty miles
over the target giving visibility of eight to ten miles. On the bomb run between
19:56pm to 19:57pm the 1st box ran into moderately accurate flak, but bombed
without losing any Marauders. The 2nd Box met heavy accurate flak, the lead
ship SS-L dropped its bombs before it was hit by flak. With the left engine on
fire it banked steeply to the left with the left wing breaking off and the plane
going into a spin to crash just south of the river. One chute was seen at
19:57pm, a second crew member was seen to leave the B-26 but his parachute
failed to open. S/Sgt Jack Chidester and S/Sgt Wilbuen Hampton later returned
as evadees.
