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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 172 -- December 15, 1944, Friday AM Heimbach, Germany Defended Village
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 172 -- December 15, 1944, Friday AM Heimbach, Germany Defended Village
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Place of Take-Off : A-55 Melun/Villaroche, France A/C Dispatched : 39 Total -- 9 A-20's, 29 A-26's, 1 B-26 (PFF) Modified British System Reference: F-112268 Secondary Target : Suitable Alternate Authorized Summary of Results : Three Window ships, Bombing results Unobserved - 10/10's cloud cover over target area. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 50.63406,6.48123 (50° 38' 3" N, 6° 28' 52" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on The "Coordinates Translator", (NGZ) wF112268) (See Latitude/Longitude Coordinates and Target Identifiers for more information. Note: This coordinate represents the Primary Target Location, the Location actually attacked may differ) |
Mission Loading Lists Transcription
Mission # 172 -- December 15, 1944, Friday AM
Heimbach, Germany -- Defended Village
| 1 671st 44-560 5C-X A-20K Lt Col Willetts, D.L. Lt Royalty, P.G. S/Sgt Connery, T.F. S/Sgt McElhattan, L.D. |
2 668th 44-081 5H-P A-20K Capt Miracle, R.V. F/O McCartney, T.M. S/Sgt Galloway, A.F. Sgt Kaminski, C.J. |
3 671st 41-39239 5C-N A-26B Lt Estes, C.L. Sgt Steffey, R.I. |
| 1 669th 44-075 2A-J A-20K Lt Miller, E.L. Lt Conner, J.K. Sgt Malloy, J.F. S/Sgt Pemberton, J.M. |
2 669th 43-22344 2A-C A-26B Lt Smith, J.F., Jr. S/Sgt Carstens, R.W. |
3 669th 41-39240 2A-K A-26B Lt Robertson, R.B. S/Sgt Cheney, M.W. |
| 4 669th 41-39241 2A-F A-26B Lt DuBose, M.W. Sgt Walters, J.H. |
5 669th 41-39271 2A-R A-26B Lt Hackley, R.H. Cpl Koons, H.A. Pfc Rapacz, H.S. [Rapacz (4th CCU)] |
6 669th 43-22301 2A-O A-26B Lt Martin, E.C. Lt Britt, J.W. Cpl Draft, L.B. |
| 1 669th 44-178 2A-L A-20K Capt Stebbins, B.D. Lt Calloway, A.S. S/Sgt Brown, W.J. S/Sgt McGuire, J.J. |
2 669th 43-22300 2A-P A-26B Lt Greene, W.J. S/Sgt Donnelly, W.W. |
3 669th 41-39252 2A-D A-26B Lt Clark, H.B. S/Sgt Sabadosh, J.W. |
| 4 671st 41-39250 5C-A A-26B Lt Butler, G.S. Sgt McGaughy, W.S. [Returned Early Nose Wheel Would Not Retract] |
5 671st 43-22291 5C-Z A-26B Lt Tripp, W.F., Jr. S/Sgt Mallory, D.F. |
6 671st 43-22313 5C-B A-26B Lt VanRope, R.W. Cpl Graham, R.F. |
| SPARE 670th 43-22334 F6-G A-26B Lt Sewell, J.C. S/Sgt Hummer, J.A. |
| 1 670th 44-073 F6-J A-20K Lt Shea, D.F. Lt Koch, O.R. S/Sgt Burns, D.E. S/Sgt Jackson, W.S. |
2 670th 44-076 F6-Q A-20K Lt Brown, N.G. S/Sgt Ottaviano, J.O. S/Sgt Arnett, W.E. |
3 668th 43-21717 5H-P A-20J Lt Meredith, R.G., Jr. S/Sgt Felkel, J.W. S/Sgt Geyer, J.F. |
| 1 671st 44-185 5C-G A-20K Capt Marzolf, L.A. Lt Beck, J.T. S/Sgt Mahoney, R.J. S/Sgt Davis, H.R. |
2 671st 41-39234 5C-P A-26B Lt Miller, J.H. S/Sgt Galender, J.W. |
3 671st 41-39249 5C-F A-26B Lt Gary, J.C. Sgt Cheuvront, R.W. |
| 4 671st 41-39209 5C-M A-26B Capt Hixon, S.M. Cpl Schmidt, K.W. |
5 671st 41-39237 5C-D A-26B Lt Platter, E.T. Sgt Elliott, F.W. |
6 671st 41-39284 5C-C A-26B Lt Winn, A.J.P. Cpl Davis, W.G., Jr. |
| 1 668th 44-108 5H-M A-20K Lt Stanley, C.S. F/O Blount, J.H., Jr. Sgt Collier, C.B. Sgt Edenburn, J.C. |
2 668th 41-39219 5H-E A-26B Lt Harris, F.W. S/Sgt Hantske, D. |
3 668th 43-22290 5H-L A-26B Lt Jacobsen, O.F. Sgt Gooch, H.I. |
| 4 668th 41-39216 5H-Q A-26B Lt Evans, H.M. Sgt Skeens, C.L. |
5 668th 41-39218 5H-C A-26B Lt Annin, W.W. Sgt Rivard, C.J. |
6 668th 41-39269 5H-K A-26B Lt Buchanan, R.C. Sgt Hindman, R.G. |
| 1 670th 43-22315 F6-L A-26B Maj Conant, H.F. S/Sgt Cianciosi, A.A. S/Sgt Stobert, R.F. |
2 670th 41-39224 F6-E A-26B Lt Turner, E.O. S/Sgt Belcas, J.O. |
3 670th 41-39217 F6-I A-26B Lt McBride, L.R. S/Sgt Blackford, D.S. |
| 4 670th 41-39212 F6-K A-26B Lt Grunig, D.B. S/Sgt Dias, M.E. [Returned Early Landing Gear Would Not Retract] |
5 670th 43-22307 F6-N A-26B Lt Johnson, E.L. T/Sgt Goggin, J.F. Lt Lindsay, G.E. [Lindsay (4th CCU)] |
6 670th 41-39223 F6-B A-26B Lt Sheley, S.H. Sgt Tharp, F.M. |
| SPARE 670th 41-39227 F6-F A-26B Lt Carver, J.H. Sgt Stewart, A.B. |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 172 -- December 15, 1944, Friday AM
Heimbach, Germany -- Defended Village
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1944"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
Two days later, on the 15th, the defended village of Heimbach was attacked using PPF equipment. Results were again unobserved due to the 10/10th cloud cover. Lt. Col Willetts and Capt Marzolf led the two boxes which dropped 236 x 250-pound bombs.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Pages 177 - 178
Mission #172 - 15 December - Heimbach, Germany. Lt. Col.
Willetts and Lt. Royalty, BN with Captain Marzolf and Lt. Beck,
BN leading boxes. Lts. Miracle and McCartney BN and Lts.,
Stanley and Blount, BN led flights. Another bombing through
clouds with no results determined. No interference from flak or
fighters, either.
The surprise attack by German forces against St. Vith,
Malmedy, and Bastogne started on 16 December and the weather
closed in, preventing allied planes from taking off to assist
ground troops. Even our base received an alert, causing a doubling
of the guards, and all personnel being armed. Rumors of
enemy paratroopers being dropped near our base persisted, causing
itchy fingers on our guards, causing them to shoot at any
shadow, or whatever moved. German planes were droning overhead,
and we got to wonder how and why they could fly and we
couldn't. Our crews were ever so anxious to get up in the air to
drop frags on enemy concentrations, but weather kept all planes
grounded.
On 20 December we were routed out of bed at 0400 with
the information that enemy were close to attack our base by paratroopers.
Guards were multiplied, and on extreme alert. Our luck
held out and no problems developed.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
Another German defended village, Heimbach, was attacked on the 15th, with eight of our crews taking part. This was another pathfinder mission and the results were unobserved due to 10/10th cloud cover over the target area, so the damage done by the 250 pound bombs could not be determined.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
December 15th, 1944
Lt. Colonel Willetts and Captain Marzolf led the 416th with the aid of pathfinders to the defended village of Heimbach, 7» miles north of Schlieden. The formation dropped through a heavy cloud cover, no photo or visual observation possible. Flak was nil and all crews returned in tact.
Air War against Defended Towns
General Vandenberg, Commanding General of the Ninth Air Force, recently disclosed the reason for so many missions against small defended towns and villages to the rear of the actual battle line. Speaking to crews at a briefing, General Anderson, Ninth Bomb Division head, voiced the views of both Vandenberg and himself in commanding the 416th for the job it has done, and told them yet of the job they had to do.
The numerous towns that the 416th went to the past month were not actually front line strong points, but many were highly important areas in which the front line Germans would retreat for rest after a long period of actual battle. To knock out these positions would leave the battle weary Nazis without a place to recuperate and many of the bombing attacks would catch thousands of Germans in these towns. General Anderson said that this was a very strong factor in the advance of the allied troops. Destruction of these towns would also remove a possible carrier to our troops when they reached these positions.
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[December 15, 1944], HQ Twelfth Army Group situation map Map showing Western Allies and Axis troop position details in Western Europe as of approximately 1200 hours, December 15, 1944 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress |