Ruhr
Valley Invaders
by
Nicolas
Trudgian
When the seasoned B-26 crew of the 386th Bomb Group took delivery
of the Douglas A-26 Invader aircraft in September 1944, the arrival
of their new fast attack bombers neatly coincided with a move to France.
Now based at Beaumont-sur-Oise, they were able to penetrate deep into
enemy territory. The three man crews took part in the Battle of the
Bulge, their twin engine aircraft being will suited to their task of
destroying strategic bridges and cutting vital supply lines.
Flying
from there base at St. Trond in Belgium, arriving at high speed over
the busy German rail yard in the heart of the Ruhr Valley, barely skimming
the nearby factory chimney stacks on the way into the target, the A-26
crews of the 386th deliver a devastating blow, leaving a trail of destruction
in their wade. With bombs away, the Invader crews strafe the area with
their battery of ten forward-firing .5 inch machine guns, the roar of
their twin 2000hp engines heightening the tension and confusion on the
ground.
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Signatures
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| Colonel Dick Denison | Dic Denison's first combat missions were flown
during the D-Day invasion in C-47s towing gliders into Normandy
and making casualty evacs. He the transferred to the 386th Bomb
Group flying the B-26 Marauder till converting to the A-26 Invader.
Dick completed a total of 40 combat missions, all A-26 missions
flown as Squadron Navigator . |
| Major Carl Oates | Carl Oates joined the 386th Bomb Group at Great
Dunmow, England in September 1944. Piloting first the B-26 and later
the A-26, he flew 22 combat missions from England, and later from
bases in France and Belgium. Carl was appointed Operations Officer
of the 554th Squadron during the last six months of World War II. |
| Captain Earl Slanker | Joining the USAAF in October 1942, Earl was posted to Europe flying the new B-26F Marauder, assigned to the 386th Bomb Group based at Great Dunmow, in Essex. He flew combat operation in the build up to D-day, later moving to Beaumont, France in October 1944. Promoted flight leader, Earl converted to the A-26 Invader in February 1945, completing a total of 62 combat missions. |
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