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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 178 -- December 27, 1944, Wednesday AM Eller, Germany Railroad Bridge
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 178 -- December 27, 1944, Wednesday AM Eller, Germany Railroad Bridge
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Place of Take-Off : A-55 Melun/Villaroche, France A/C Dispatched : 29 Total -- 7 A-20's, 22 A-26's Tactical Target Dossier: 5007E/B/6 Illustration : 5007E/8/1 Illustration Ref : 035039 Secondary Target : No Alternate Targets Authorized Summary of Results : Three Superior, two Excellent scores. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 50.10094,7.13762 (50° 6' 3" N, 7° 8' 15" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on Google Maps, Visual match to Strike Photo) (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 # 178 -- December 27, 1944, Wednesday AM
Eller, Germany -- Railroad Bridge
| 1 669th 44-178 2A-L A-20K Capt Hulse, D.A., Jr. Lt Conte, R.F., Sr. S/Sgt Burland, A.J. S/Sgt Heath, K. |
2 669th 41-39252 2A-D A-26B Lt DuBose, M.W. S/Sgt Walters, J.H. Brig Gen Backus, E.N. |
3 669th 41-39244 2A-I A-26B Lt Allen, J.F., Jr. S/Sgt Carstens, R.W. Lt Johnson, R.K. |
| 4 669th 41-39229 2A-B A-26B Lt Behlmer, R.L. Lt Britt, J.W. S/Sgt Donnelly, W.W. |
5 669th 43-22300 2A-P A-26B Lt Smith, D.E. Cpl DeStefano, R. |
6 669th 43-22301 2A-O A-26B Lt Willard, J.A. Cpl Hinker, C.V. |
| 1 671st 44-185 5C-G A-20K Lt Brown, C.J. Lt Kerns, J.E. S/Sgt Sunderland, H.E. S/Sgt Mahoney, R.J. |
2 671st 43-22313 5C-B A-26B Lt Remiszewski, A. S/Sgt Miguez, J.H. |
3 671st 41-39250 5C-A A-26B Capt Sears, A.C. M/Sgt Wells, J.J. |
| 4 671st 44-106 5C-E A-20K Lt Lackovich, J.J. Lt Muir, R.C. S/Sgt Connery, T.F. S/Sgt McElhattan, L.D. |
5 671st 41-39237 5C-D A-26B Lt Spires, J.W. Sgt Davis, L.E. |
6 671st 41-39210 5C-J A-26B Capt Nielsen, L.C. Cpl Schmidt, K.W. |
| 1 670th 44-073 F6-J A-20K Capt Monroe, H.A. Lt Kirk, R.L. S/Sgt Kidd, W.L. Cpl Willever, E.J. |
2 670th 43-21467 F6-W A-20J Capt Jackson, C.R. Lt McNutt, M.C. S/Sgt Burns, D.E. Sgt Harris, M.C. |
3 670th 43-22315 F6-L A-26B Maj Conant, H.F. Cpl Kubjalko, A. |
| 4 670th 43-22334 F6-G A-26B Lt Rooney, R.J. Sgt Caudell, S.R. |
5 670th 43-22337 F6-O A-26B Lt Popeney, H.V. S/Sgt Arnett, W.E. |
6 668th 41-39269 5H-K A-26B Lt Brown, N.G. S/Sgt Ottaviano, J.O. |
| 1 669th 43-22024 2A-E A-20J Capt Stebbins, B.D. Lt Calloway, A.S. S/Sgt McGuire, J.J. S/Sgt Brown, W.J. |
2 671st 41-39265 5C-V A-26B Lt Clark, H.B. S/Sgt Sabadosh, J.W. [Not Airborne Engine Cutting Out. Losing 250 RPM] |
3 671st 41-39208 5C-L A-26B Lt Street, M.S. S/Sgt Sharp, R.P., Jr. |
| 4 671st 41-39234 5C-P A-26B Lt Sorrels, D.W. S/Sgt Triber, H.I. |
5 668th 41-39264 5H-I A-26B Lt Martin, E.C. Cpl Draft, L.B. |
6 668th 41-39218 5H-C A-26B Lt Hackley, R.H. Cpl Koons, H.A. |
| 1 670th 43-9439 F6-J A-20J Lt Mish, C.C. Lt Shaft, R.E. S/Sgt Clark, C.J., Jr. S/Sgt Roberts, J.H. |
2 668th 41-39219 5H-E A-26B Lt Harris, F.W. S/Sgt Felkel, J.W. |
3 668th 43-22290 5H-L A-26B Lt Roberts, W.H. Sgt Hood, A.R. |
| 4 668th 41-39214 5H-B A-26B Lt Jacobsen, O.F. Sgt Gooch, H.I. |
5 668th 41-39233 5H-F A-26B Lt Carver, J.H. Sgt Graham, N.M. |
6 668th 41-39269 5H-K A-26B Lt Annin, W.W. Sgt Hicks, C.M. |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 178 -- December 27, 1944, Wednesday AM
Eller, Germany -- Railroad Bridge
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1944"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
Weather prevented a mission on the 26th. On the 27th, however, five flights took off to bomb the Eller railroad bridge over the Moselle River. The crews reported that the bridge was swallowed up in the smoke from the 1000-pounders. Out of the five flights, three scored superior ratings and two, excellents. However, even with such superior bombing, photo reconnaissance showed the bridge still standing. The approaches had been hit heavily and a 34-car train was caught at the entrance to a tunnel just off the bridge. The bombing could not have been more accurate; it was just one of those cases where the bombs fell through the framework of the high span and exploded in the water without causing any visible damage to the structure. Captain Hulse, Lt Conte, B-N, and Captain Stebbins, Lt Calloway, B-N, (who scored his second successive superior) led the two boxes. There was no flak.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 183
Mission #178 - 27 December - Eller Bridge. General Backus, Commander of the IX Bomber Command elected to lead this mission with Lt. Conte, as BN. Flight leaders were Lts. Brown and Kerns, BN, - Lt. Lackovich and Lt. Muir, BN. With 29 aircraft loaded with 1000 pound bombs, we were after a main bridge and tunnel used extensively by German Forces. The bombing scored three superior, and two excellents. This pleased General Backus tremendously. Aerial reconnaissance showed the bridge intact but the approaching tunnel was rendered unserviceable. No enemy fighters or flak was encountered. Enemy troop trains were stalled and damaged in the tunnel entrance.
"669th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
The vitally important Eller railroad bridge was attacked on the 27th. Captian Hulse, Lieutenant Conte, B-N, led the formation and scored excellent results. Captain Stebbins, Lieutenant Calloway, B-N, leading the second box, scored superior results. Yet with all of this superb bombing, photo reconnaissance later showed the bridge still standing. The bombs had straddled the structure. Oddly enough on such an important target, there was no flak.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
The 27th brought a mission of five flights to bomb the Eller
railway bridge over the Moselle River. Six of our crews took part and
bombed with 1,000 pound bombs to achieve a superior rating. However,
in spite of the fact that the bombs hit right in the middle of the
target area and reports were that they had knocked it out, photo
reconnaissance showed the bridge to be standing.
The long silent Luftwaffe burst into activity with the German
breakthrough. Air raid alerts were sounded every evening around chow
time and usually a couple of times during the night. Enemy
reconnaissance planes were reported over the field on two occasions.
TWX's began to pour in from higher headquarters on recognition of
enemy agents, plans for destruction of equipment, and warnings to
properly barricade all vital installations.
About 0200 hours on the 27th an enemy raider circled the field
once and then came in for a strafing job with its twenty millimeter
cannons. Several men who had gotten out of bed when they first heard
the aircraft saw it coming in and thought it may have been a JU-88. No
damage was done to equipment and no one was injured.
The enemy break-through progressed to a point where it became
advisable to draft plans for a six-hour emergency evacuation plan
which could be put into effect if needed. The group was put on this
alert and was ready to move out if necessary.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
December 27th, 1944
The "Bridge Busting 416 th" put all their thousand pound eggs within a radius of one thousand feet of their target, the railroad bridge at Eller which spans the Moselle River 25 miles southwest of Koblenz, at mid-day on the 26th of December. Five flights bombed the bridge with three superior and two excellent ratings. The structure was completely blanketed with the bombs, and although the bridge still stands, it was rendered unserviceable by the accurate job of bombing. General Anderson again commended the Group for the superior bombing results and said it is a mystery how the bridge still stands after the severe pasting it took. He further said that there was no doubt in his mind that the bridge was and would be unserviceable for a long time.
Lt.Brown and Lt.Kerns represented the 671st . Bombs of their flight fell on a hill and covered the approach to the railroad tunnel with possible damage to the tunnel. Flak or enemy fighters were not encountered.
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[December 27, 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 27, 1944 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress |