308th Fighter Squadron Mission Briefing
“Higher
command informed Group Headquarters where it was going, when it was going, what
it was going to do, whom it was going to escort, the rendezvous point, the
target and all the details of the mission. This
was received by Group Headquarters, usually, about four to six hours before
take-off time. As soon as these
combat orders were received, the operations officer and the intelligence
officer, and these duties were rotated among the intelligence officers of the
Squadrons and the Group, planned and plotted the mission on a large map on the
wall of the briefing room two hours before take-off time.
There, they were briefed in detail; first, by the leader of the mission;
second, by the intelligence officer as to what they may expect to encounter in
the way of flak and enemy aircraft and the reason for the target; third, by the
weather officer.”
from HISTORY
OF THE 31st FIGHTER GROUP
by Rolland G. Lamensdorf, Major, USAF (Ret.)