In late February 1944, after several weeks of bad weather, the Eighth Air Force launched an all-out assault on the German aircraft factories during what came to be known as the ‘Big Week.’ The 93rd went to Gotha on the 20th, then to Achmer on the 21st. After a day of bad weather, the Traveling Circus went to Gotha again on the 24th, followed by Furth on the 25th. The combined efforts of the Eighth Air Force B-17 and B-24 groups managed to severely cripple the German aircraft industry, cutting actual production to less than half of that planned for March.

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After Big Week, the Eighth Air Force turned its attention toward the most important target in Germany: Berlin. A huge strike launched on March 3 was canceled after the bombers were airborne, but one B-17 group failed to get the word and continued on to become the first American bombers to hit the German capital, doing little damage but creating great material for the press. Three days later, a 730-plane force of B-17s and B-24s went to Berlin, escorted by 796 fighters. Sixty-nine bombers (including 16 B-24s) did not come back from the Eighth’s most costly mission of the war. On March 8, Eighth Air Force bombers went back to Berlin a second time and met less opposition.

Throughout April, the 93rd flew deep penetration missions against targets in Germany, plus strikes at V-2 rocket bases in the Pas de Calais. In May, the group began operating in support of the upcoming invasion of occupied Europe, bombing targets in France and Belgium. On June 6, 1944, the Traveling Circus joined other Eighth Air Force bombers in pounding the beaches of Normandy in advance of the invasion.

After the invasion, some B-24 crews, including some from the 93rd, were put to work flying ‘trucking’ missions–the aerial resupply of ground forces. Dropmasters from the Ninth Air Force Troop Carrier Command replaced waist gunners on missions in which bundles of supplies rigged for parachute drop replaced the bombs normally carried. Airdrop missions called for low-altitude flying in the face of intense ground fire, bringing back memories of Ploesti for some 93rd personnel. Some of the most important trucking missions were flown in support of General George Patton’s Third Army during its breakout from Avranches and the subsequent dash across France.

The 93rd Bombardment Group continued performing its primary mission of bombing enemy targets right up to the end of the war. On April 25, 1945, the Traveling Circus flew its last mission of the war, the 391st time that 93rd crews had faced the enemy. The 93rd’s 391 missions were the most flown by any Eighth Air Force heavy-bomber group, making the Traveling Circus the Eighth’s most productive bomber group. The 93rd is also recognized as the most traveled group in the Eighth. Boomerang was the first B-24 to complete 50 missions. During the group’s combat tour, the 93rd earned two Presidential Unit Citations. After the end of the war in Europe, the 93rd returned to the United States to be re-equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses. Before the Traveling Circus could be redeployed to the Pacific, World War II came to an end.

This article was written by Sam McGowan and originally appeared in the May 1997 issue of World War II magazine. For more great articles subscribe to World War II magazine today!

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