|
|
|
|
Mission No. 167 1 February 1945 Target: Graz Marshalling Yard, Austria The primary target for the first mission in February was the Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery in Austria. The formation led by Lt. Colonel Lawhon, abandoned the primary target because of bad weather and bombed the second alternate target, the marshalling yard at Graz, Austria, by pathfinder with unobserved results. (close the window to return here) Mission No. 168 2 February 1945 Target: Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria Canceled Mission No. 168 3 February 1945 Target: Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria Canceled Mission No. 168 4 February 1945 Target: Regensburg Winter Harbor Oil Storage, Germany Canceled Mission No. 168 5 February 1945 Target: Straubing, Germany Colonel Lawhon also led the second mission of the month. The primary target was the Regensburg Winter Harbor Oil Storage, Germany. Over the Alps the formation picked up a solid undercast and flew through four-tenths cirrus approaching the target area. The bombs were dropped by the pathfinder method. The fact that no flak was encountered where the bombs were dropped and also that there was plenty of flak beyond where the bombs were dropped raised the question as to what happened. Back on the ground, it was figured out from the navigators' logs that the formation had been approximately twenty miles east of course, had mistaken a town south of the Danube as the initial point, and actually bombed the briefed initial point, Straubing, Germany, instead of Regensburg which lay straight ahead on course. (close the window to return here) Mission No. 169 6 February 1945 Target: Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria Canceled Mission No. 169 7 February 1945 Target: Vienna Florisdorf Oil Refinery, Austria Mission No. 169 was part of a double header mission to the Florisdorf Oil Refinery at Vienna. Rider was the Group leader. Photographs show that two of the three boxes dropped approximately two miles north of the target on the East edge of the Strebersdorf Ordnance Depot. The third box down the Danube within range of all the heavy flak of East Vienna and bombed the Zwolfaxing airdrome. No one can explain how all the planes ran down flak alley without a single one being hit. In the assembly area the plane flown by 2nd Lt. Frank M. Brown stalled out and went into a spin. In pulling out of the spin with his heavy load, Lt. Brown lost one of the horizontal stabilizers. Despite this he returned the plane to base and landed safely. Four of his crew members parachuted safely to the ground after the stabilizer had been lost. (close the window to return here) Mission No. 170 7 February 1945 Target: Vienna Florisdorf Oil Refinery, Austria The second half of the double header of 7 February was led by Captain Trommershausser. Photographs show only limited coverage of the strikes which fell two and one half miles southwest of the target in Vienna freight yards. This formation was hit hard by flak which holed six of the sixteen planes over the target and slightly wounded three men. Mission No. 171 8 February 1945 Target: Vienna Central Repair Shops, Austria Zagreb Major Phillips led Mission No. 171 on 8 February 1945. The target was the Central Repair Shops in Vienna. The Group was one of twenty in the Air Force hitting this target by pathfinder. Bomb strike photos show that the target area was completely cloud covered. Nine of the twenty-three planes over the target were hit by flak. (close the window to return here) Mission No. 172 9 February 1945 Target: Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria After Plan Able and Plan Baker had been canceled, Plan Charlie was finally flown on 9 February. The target was the Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria. It was attacked by instrument bombing by a three-plane element of pathfinder equipped planes. Again there was a complete cloud coverage of the target. There was plenty of flak over the target but none of the planes were hit. (close the window to return here) Mission No. 173 10 February 1945 Target: Vienna Florisdorf Oil Refinery, Austria, and Verona Marshalling Yard, Italy Canceled Mission No. 173 11 February 1945 Target: Munich Main Marshalling Yard, Germany Canceled Mission No. 173 12 February 1945 Target: Munich Main Marshalling Yard, Germany Canceled Commendation From: Commanding General, 49th Bomb Wing To: Commanding Officer 461st Bomb Group-- "The highly successful execution of the mission of 8 February under conditions which required a change of plans after the force was airborne is a tribute to capable and versatile leadership. Please express to your leaders and their navigators my pride and appreciation for their accomplishment." "It is with the greatest of pleasure that I pass Gen. Twining's message on to you with my personal congratulations, such a demonstration is indicative of high morale and excellent leadership." LEE 13 February 1945 Target: Vienna Central Repair Shops, Austria, and Maribor Marshalling Yard, Yugoslavia Mission No. 173 finally turned out to be another double header mission, each with a different target. A TWX which was received from the Air Force through channels, however, directed that in the future double header missions should be counted as one mission. The target of the Red Force was the Central Repair Shops at Vienna, Austria. Major Poole led the formation on this mission. The weather was CAVU in the target area but smoke obscured the target which was completely missed by visual bombing. Under ideal defense conditions the Vienna flak lived up to its vaunted reputation. Fifteen of the seventeen planes over the target were hit, one man was wounded, and one plane was lost. The lost plane was piloted by 2nd Lt. Francis X. Fink. It lost altitude rapidly coming off the target and when last seen was being covered by the P-51 escort. Captain Veiluva led the Blue Force in attacking the marshalling yard at Maribor, Yugoslavia. Here, too, the weather was CAVU and here, too, the bombing was done visually. The mission was scored at 28.3 percent. Eight of the eighteen planes over the target were hit by flak and two men were wounded. Upon returning to the base, 2nd Lt. Robert M. Kelliher, 765th Squadron, entered the left hand traffic pattern with his No. 2 engine feathered. While circling the field he lost No. 1 engine and with the left wing down slipped into a crash landing in which his navigator, 2nd Lt. Donald Williams, was fatally injured. Blue Force (close the window to return here) Mission No. 174 14 February 1945 Target: Mooshierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria Another double header mission, this time with the Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery as the target for both Forces. Despite the scattered clouds and the partially effective smoke pots, the Red Force, led by Major Phillips, bombed visually. The aiming point was hit but only 7.1 percent of the bombs were plotted within 1,000 feet of the briefed aiming point. Only two planes were hit by the moderate flak. The Blue Force was led by the new Operations Officer of the 765th Squadron, Captain Thackston. This formation bombed by pathfinder. This formation escaped flak damage over the target. (close the window to return here) Mission No. 175 15 February 1945 Target: Vienna Penzinger Marshalling Yard, Austria Again, a double header mission, Vienna, and ten-tenths cloud coverage. Again pathfinder bombing and unobserved results. Again good protection against the flak by the cloud coverage. Major Poole, who started out leading the Red Force, was forced to abort. The lead was taken over by the Deputy, Captain Cooper. Only one plane in this formation was hit by flak, but a man on that plane was wounded. Major Mixson was the leader of the Blue Force. No flak damage was sustained, but oxygen failure cost the life of Corporal John O. Moore. (close the window to return here) Mission No. 176 16 February 1945 Target: Rosenheim West Marshalling Yard, Germany On 16 February the Group finally came through with a superior bombing mission when Major Baker led a large formation against the Rosenheim West Marshalling Yard in Germany. A concentrated pattern of bombs fell across the east half of the small marshalling yard with many hits on freight cars, through tracks, and the choke point. With CAVU weather and no flak the formation returned to base without having sustained any damage. (close the window to return here) Mission No. 177 17 February 1945 Target: Trieste Shipyards, Italy The primary target for Mission No. 177 was the Schwechat Oil Refinery near Vienna. Because of an ordered delay in take-off due to weather over the Alps, the formation finally got off at 1110 hours. Due to the delay, the target of last resort, the shipyards at Trieste, Italy, became the primary target. The formation was led by Captain Roberts. A great deal of damage was done to the target but the pattern was scattered with the result that the mission was scored at 24.1 percent. A large war vessel which was in the harbor at the time was hit. This ship was later identified as the Italian battleship Cavour and attacked by the Royal Air Force. (close the window to return here) Mission No. 178 18 February 1945 Target: St. Valentin Tank Works, Austria (No Credit) On 18 February the Group took off to attack the Tank Works at St. Valentin, Austria. Over the Adriatic the formation ran into a solid bank of clouds with bases at 8,000 and tops at 30,000 feet. Turned back by these clouds, the planes returned their bombs to base. No mission credit was allowed. Mission No. 178 19 February 1945 Target: Vienna South Station Area, Austria With Mission No. 178 the Group missed another opportunity to register a satisfactory visual bombing score at Vienna. The target was the South Station. North of Judenburg, engine failure forced the formation leader, Major Poole, to leave the formation. After the bomb load had been dropped on a target of opportunity at Wolfsburg, Austria, the plane staggered back to base on two engines. Captain Thackston, who had been flying the Deputy lead position, took over the formation lead. Bad weather split up the formation and only fourteen planes bombed the primary target for a discouraging score of 3 percent. Three of the planes over Vienna were holed by flak and two men were injured. Nine airplanes which had lost the formation made a visual run on the dry docks at Fiume, Italy, but completely overshot the target. (close the window to return here) Mission No. 179 20 February 1945 Target: Fiume Shipyards, Italy Thick Cirrus at the head of the Adriatic with tops over 23,000 feet compelled the Group leader, Major Mixson, to abandon the Bolzano Marshalling Yard, Italy, as a primary target on 20 February 1945. The second alternate target, the shipyards at Fiume, Italy, was bombed visually for a score of 37.3 percent. The main concentration of bombs fell in the built-up area near the docks with hits on the docks, warehouses, and harbor jetty. This mission resulted in three cases of frostbite, an unusual experience for the flying personnel of this Group. (close the window to return here) 21 February 1945 Target: Vienna South Station Area, Vienna Another target in the concentrated Southeast section of Vienna was missed by the pathfinder methods on 21 February. The target was the South Station Area, but the bombs fell beyond the target near the banks of the Danube River. Intense haze interfered with correct target identification. The formation got off to a bad bomb run when they overshot the initial point at Michelbach and ran into the Moosbierbaum flak area. The second section did not believe the first section had corrected far enough to the right on the bomb run and left the formation. The first section turned out to be correct on course but wrong on rate. The second section over-corrected and bombed the Wiener Neudorf Aircraft Engine Factory near Modling, Austria. Seven of the planes in the first section were hard hit by flak and three of them failed to return to base. The three planes lost were flown by the Group leader, Major Robert K. Baker, 1st Lt. Dewey E. McMillen, and 2nd Lt. Josiah R. Hooper. All three of these planes headed for safe territory east of the Russian bomb line. One wounded man aboard another plane was returned to base. Major Baker became the second Squadron Commander in the history of the Group to become missing in action. The deputy lead position in the formation was flown by Major Poole. This was his fourth consecutive mission to Vienna. (close the window to return here) Mission No. 181 22 February 1945 Target: Kempton Marshalling Yard, Germany Colonel Lawhon took off in the lead of a thirty-plane four box formation to attack the marshalling yard at Ingolstadt, Germany, on 22 February. Due to impassible weather he was compelled to abandon the primary target and search for a target of opportunity to be bombed visually. The target selected was the marshalling yard at Kempton, Germany. The choke point of the target was well hit but the mission was not scored by the Air Force because the target was a non-briefed one. Six airplanes were damaged on this mission and three men were wounded. (close the window to return here) Commendation FIFTEENTH AIR FORCE
To: All Groups, Fifteenth Air Force 1. The Commander in Chief, Mediterranean Allied Forces, has sent the following cable to this headquarters dated 22 February 1945:
2. I am happy to pass General Eaker's message to all units of this command and to add my own sincere congratulations and commendations. /s/ Nathan F. Twining, Major General, USA Mission No. 182 23 February 1945 Target: Knittelfeld Marshalling Yard, Austria On 23 February impassable weather over Germany prevented the Group, led by Captain Roberts, from reaching its primary target, the marshalling yard at Amstetten, Germany. The absence of flak at the first alternate target, the marshalling yard at Knittelfel, Austria, made it possible for the Group to make three bomb runs over a four-tenths cloud covered target. On the third run the bombs were dropped for a score of 49 percent. The roundhouse and the through tracks were well covered. (close the window to return here) Mission No. 183 24 February 1945 Target: Bolzano Marshalling Yard, Italy - (No Credit) On 24 February a twenty-eight plane formation took off to bomb the marshalling yard at Bolzano, Italy. Bad weather over the whole area north and west of Zara prevented the Group from finding any target which could be bombed visually. After five hours and 45 minutes of flying time, the planes returned their bombs to the base and no mission credit was allowed. Mission No. 183 25 February 1945 Target Linz South Main Marshalling Yard, Austria Captain MacDougall led Mission No. 183 against the South Main Marshalling Yard at Linz, Austria. Smoke from effective smoke screens and from previous bombing necessitated pathfinder bombing despite CAVU weather. The results were unobserved. (close the window to return here) Commendation To: All Concerned The Commanding General is gratified to pass the following message of commendation received from General H. H. Arnold, Commanding General, Army Air Forces, to all units of this command.
BY COMMAND OF MAJOR GENERAL TWINING
Mission No. 184 26 February 1945 Target: Trisanna Railroad Bridge, Italy Canceled Mission No. 184 27 February 1945 Target: Augsburg Marshalling Yard, Germany The target for 27 February was the seldom assigned marshalling yard at Augsburg, Germany. The formation, led by Major Phillips, dropped 1000 pound bombs by the pathfinder method with poor results. The flak was extremely intense, accurate, and heavy. Thirteen of the twenty-six planes over the target were holed. (close the window to return here) Mission No. 185 28 February 1945 Target: Ora Marshalling Yard, Italy The busy month of February ended with another double header mission. The target for both Forces was the marshalling yard at Ora, Italy. Major Roberts, still flushing from his promotion, completed his tour of combat duty by leading the Red Force on this mission. The bombs were dropped visually on this "hot" target for a score of 15.6 percent. Nine of the sixteen planes over the target were hit by flak and one man was wounded. Captain Trommershausser led the Blue Force which turned in a score of 28.1 percent. Fortunately the flak was not accurate on this Force and only three planes were holed. Blue Force (close the window to return here) Red Force (close the window to return here) Commendation FIFTEENTH AIR FORCE
To: All Groups, Fifteenth Air Force 1. Lieutenant General Joseph T. McNarney, CG MTOUSA, has cabled this headquarters as follows:
2. In addition to General McNarney's message, similar commendations from CG AAF/MTO and CG AAF have been previously passed to all units. The work of all personnel which made these sustained operations possible is a source of much gratification to me. N. F. TWINING |
|
Send mail to
webmaster@461st.org with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
