Robert N. McLean, Jr. Mission on July 5, 1944

July 5, 1944 – Wednesday

“Too long to Toulon”

Mission #24 – target – submarines and sub pens at Toulon in France. Takeoff 0750 Landing 1630 (0840) total combat hours (119:40) Load 5000 lbs Purpose – to destroy German subs and their installations in order to reduce Nazi sub activity in the Mediterranean.  Remarks:

1)     Sgt. McLean was still grounded.  Sgt  Graf acted as engineer.  A waist gunner borrowed from another crew was a substitute

2)     Most members of the crew took Benzedrine tablets which reduces fatigue and is effective for six hours

3)     This mission was our sixth in four days

4)     Target was effectively bombed despite a smoke screen

5)     Flak was heavy and fairly accurate.  No fighters encountered

6)     This marked the first time that we had gone over the same target twice.  However on our last visit to Toulon, we jettisoned our bombs in the sea.

7)     This was the longest mission we have yet flown 0840

8)     No casualties

9)     Statistics – total bomb tonnage (79,800)(39.9 tons)

10)  We received one slight flak hit but couldn’t locate it

11)  Entire crew grounded by flight surgeon

12)  Lt. Morgenbesser suggested to S-2 additional rest for overworked crews.

376 ARCHIVES

The website 376bg.org is NOT our site nor is it our endowment fund.

At the 2017 reunion, the board approved the donation of our archives to the Briscoe Center for American History, located on the University of Texas - Austin campus.

Also, the board approved a $5,000 donation to add to Ed Clendenin's $20,000 donation in the memory of his father. Together, these funds begin an endowment for the preservation of the 376 archives.

Donate directly to the 376 Endowment

To read about other endowment donation options, click here.


My Trip to San Pancrazio

October 2019


Reunion

NOTE change in month !!!

DATES: Oct 26-29, 2023

CITY:Tucson, AZ

HOTEL: Double Tree Suites Airport hotel

7051 South Tucson Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85756

520-225-0800


Click here to read about the reunion details.

previous reunions


For Sale

The Other Doolittle Raid


The Broken Wings of Zlatibor


The Liberandos


Three Crawford Brothers


Liberando: Reflections of a Reluctant Warrior


376th Bomb Group Mission History


The Last Liberator


Full Circle


Shadows of Wings


Ten Men, A "Flying Boxcar," and A War


I Survived Ploesti


A Measure of Life


Shot Down In Yugoslavia


Stories of My Life


Attack


Born in Battle


Bombardier's Diary


Lost Airmen


Langdon Liberando