FACSIMILE



                    R E S T R I C T E D

              868TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (H)
             Office of the Commanding Officer


						     APO 719
                   				     10 May 1945.




SUBJECT:    Shipping Strike in Soerabaja Harbor.

TO     :    All Officers and Enlisted Men.

	1. The  following  message  was  received  from  the  Comm-
anding  Office,   XIII  Bomber  Command,  dated  8  May  1945:

FROM:   CO,  BOMCOM THIRTEEN

TO  :   CO,  868TH BOMB SQUADRON (H)

I WISH TO CONVEY TO YOU AND YOUR COMMAND AND ESPECIALLY TO THE TEN
CREWS WHO EXPERTLY EXECUTED THE BOMBING OF SHIPPING IN SOEBRABAJA
HARBOR ON THE NIGHT OF 7-8 MAY 1945.
MY PERSONAL CONGRATULATIONS. THE DARING AND PERFECT COORDINATION
OF THE CREWS RESULTED IN THE DAMAGING OF FIVE 200 TO 300 FOOT UN-
IDENTIFIED ENEMY VESSELS AND STARTING FIVE LARGE AND THREE SMALL
FIRES IN THE NAVAL AND COMMERCIAL HARBOR BASES. THIS MISSION IS
THE LONGEST FLOWN BY A STRIKE FORMATION OF B-24'S OF THE THIRTEENTH
AIR FORCE, OVER A TOTAL DISTANCE OF 2660 STATUTE MILES AS THE
SHORTEST POSSIBLE DISTANCE OVER THE COURSE FLOWN, AVERAGING 17
HOURS 05 MINUTES PER AIRCRAFT. SUCH EXEMPLARY ACHIEVEMENT IS IN
KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE THIRTEENTH AIR FORCES
AND THE ARMY AIR FORCE."

						     SIGNED BRANDT,
						     XIII BOMCOM
							
	2. It  is  indeed  gratifying  to  receive this
commendation as  a  result  of  our  recent  exploit.  The
success  of  this  mission was  made  possible  by  the  efforts
set  forth  and  keen  coordination on  the  part  of  all
members  of  this  organization.

	3. It  affords  me  great  pleasure  to  pass  on  to  you
this commendation with  my  added  feelings  for  another  grand
job  accomplished  by  the  "Snoopers".
	

						   B. E. HARRISS
						   Major, Air Corps
						   Commanding.