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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 179 -- December 29, 1944, Friday AM Keuchingen, Germany Road Bridge
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 179 -- December 29, 1944, Friday AM Keuchingen, Germany Road Bridge
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Place of Take-Off : A-55 Melun/Villaroche, France A/C Dispatched : 34 Total -- 6 A-20's, 28 A-26's Modified British System Reference: Q-169999 Secondary Target : No Alternate Targets Authorized Summary of Results : No attack due to weather. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 49.49340,6.58918 (49° 29' 36" N, 6° 35' 21" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on The "Coordinates Translator", (NGZ) wQ169999) (See Latitude/Longitude Coordinates and Target Identifiers for more information. Note: This coordinate represents the Primary Target Location, the Location actually attacked may differ) |
| Date | Report |   |
A/C Serial # Type |
Mis- sion # |
Bomb Sq |
Location | Personnel (Status when available) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 29, 1944 Friday |
AAR 45-12-29-527 |
|
41-39209 A-26B |
179 | 671 | Station A-55 | Murray, Thomas J. Jr. (Not Injured)
DeBower, Delbert H. (Not Injured) |
= Entries having actual Reports available for review. = Entries having additional Images or Photos.)Mission Loading Lists Transcription
Mission # 179 -- December 29, 1944, Friday AM
Keuchingen, Germany -- Road Bridge
| 1 670th 44-173 F6-W A-20K Lt Col Meng, W.J. Lt Powell, V.H. S/Sgt Stobert, R.F. S/Sgt Elliott, F.W. |
2 670th 43-22334 F6-G A-26B Maj Ferris, C.H. S/Sgt Rio, D.J. Brig Gen Backus, E.N. |
3 670th 43-22315 F6-L A-26B Capt Gruetzemacher, R.O. S/Sgt Blackford, D.S. |
| 4 670th 43-22337 F6-O A-26B Lt Hall, R.B. S/Sgt Burger, L.C. |
5 670th 41-39222 F6-S A-26B Lt Errotabere, M. Cpl Bowie, E.A. |
6 670th 41-39224 F6-E A-26B Lt Turman, A.R. Pvt Young, J.O. |
| 1 669th 44-178 2A-L A-20K Capt Morton, R.J. Lt Moore, D.L. S/Sgt Basford, F.P. S/Sgt Hodgson, A.T. |
2 669th 43-22300 2A-P A-26B Lt Butler, G.S. S/Sgt McGaughy, W.S. |
3 669th 43-22301 2A-O A-26B Lt Hackley, R.H. Cpl Koons, H.A. Pfc Stindt, G.S. [Stindt (4th CCU)] |
| 4 669th 41-39229 2A-B A-26B Lt VanMeter, G.C., Jr. Cpl Kirik, S.J. |
5 669th 41-39252 2A-D A-26B Lt Smith, D.E. Cpl DeStefano, R. |
6 669th 41-39244 2A-I A-26B Lt Johnson, R.K. Cpl Brandt, H.E. |
| 1 670th 43-9439 F6-J A-20J Lt Stanley, C.S. F/O Blount, J.H., Jr. Sgt Collier, C.B. Sgt Robinson, J.W. |
2 668th 41-39219 5H-E A-26B Lt Lackner, R.J., Jr. Cpl Musarra, A.J. [Not Airborne Flaps Unservicable Due to Flap Motor Being Dirty] |
3 668th 41-39269 5H-K A-26B Lt Chalmers, J.J. Sgt Fortner, K. |
| 4 668th 41-39214 5H-B A-26B Lt Wright, J.W. S/Sgt Profita, P.J. |
5 668th 41-39233 5H-F A-26B Lt Parkhurst, G.J. Sgt Newman, F. |
6 668th 43-22290 5H-L A-26B Lt Carver, J.H. Sgt Graham, N.M. |
| 1 670th 44-073 F6-J A-20K Capt Atkinson, P.G., Jr. Lt Ackerson, D.G. Sgt Friday, L.R. Sgt Collier, J.L. |
2 668th 41-39218 5H-C A-26B Lt Merritt, T.S. Sgt Basile, A.C. |
3 668th 41-39188 5H-R A-26B Lt Grunig, D.B. Sgt Nowosielski, H.J., Jr. |
| 4 668th 41-39259 5H-H A-26B Lt Downing, W.E. Cpl Lynch, P.R. |
5 668th 41-39264 5H-I A-26B Lt Cook, J.A. S/Sgt Jackson, W.S. [Returned Early Gas Leak Running out of Left Auxillary] |
6 671st 41-39237 5C-D A-26B Lt Bishop, E.G. Sgt Hudnutt, L.W. |
| 1 671st 44-089 5C-R A-20K Lt Greenley, R.E. Lt Basnett, R.J. S/Sgt Fessler, H.S. S/Sgt Brown, R.J. |
2 671st 41-39208 5C-L A-26B Lt Gary, J.C. S/Sgt Cheuvront, R.W. |
3 671st 41-39210 5C-J A-26B Capt Tutt, R.J. Cpl Schwartzapel, D. |
| 4 671st 41-39250 5C-A A-26B Lt Winn, A.J.P. S/Sgt Stephenson, G.G. |
5 671st 43-22313 5C-B A-26B Lt Edstrom, L.W. Cpl Pompa, P.A. |
6 671st 43-22326 5C-W A-26B Lt Miller, J.H. S/Sgt Galender, J.W. |
| 1 671st 44-106 5C-E A-20K Lt Brown, C.J. Lt Kerns, J.E. S/Sgt Sunderland, H.E. S/Sgt Orvold, C.R. |
2 671st 41-39209 5C-M A-26B Lt Murray, T.J., Jr. S/Sgt DeBower, D.H. [Used Air Bottle Nosed Up on Runway] |
3 671st 41-39234 5C-P A-26B Lt VanNoorden, H.M. S/Sgt Steffey, R.I. |
| 4 671st 41-39284 5C-C A-26B Lt Henderson, F.W. S/Sgt Coulombe, P.E. |
5 671st 41-39265 5C-V A-26B Lt Wallman, M. Cpl Hardin, M.F. |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 179 -- December 29, 1944, Friday AM
Keuchingen, Germany -- Road Bridge
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1944"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
Another day of bad weather and the planes got off on the following day, the 29th. When the planes got over the target, a railroad bridge at Keuchinger, they found it buried under a 10/10 cloud cover. No attack could be made. Lt Col Meng, Lt Powell, B-N, and Captain Atkinson, Lt Ackerson, B-N, led the two boxes. As had been noticed on every mission since the German break-through, there were more contrails in the target area, probably from jet fighters. There were no attacks, however. One crew reported a single-engine fighter, resembling an Me 109, that followed the formation to within three minutes of the base. It never closed in enough for combat or further identification. This mission No. 179, was the last mission for the month of December.
Most of our operations during the month had been confined to the task of interdiction to reduce the effectiveness of the German counterattack. In the 16 missions in the month, we had flown individual sorties and dropped [no value shown] tons of bombs.
Thus ended the year 1944, having been operational just a couple of days short of ten full months. Much had been accomplished in these ten months. The skies over England were no longer menaced by enemy planes. The flying bombs, although still used, had been effectively counter-acted by the destruction or capture of most of their launching sites. A well-planned schedule of bombing had opened the way for the landing on Normandy beaches in June. As our troops pushed in toward Paris, Antwerp, Metz, and finally Germany's westward wall, the Siegfried Line, our planes furnished air coordination that made every phase of these advances successful.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 184
Mission #179 - 29 December - Keuchinger Bridge. Thirty-four
planes took off but were unable to drop their bombs due to
weather closing in. Lts. Stanley and Blount, BN, - Lts. Brown
and Kerns, BN - and Lts. Greeley and Basnett, BN, led flights.
Two attempted bomb runs, which netted nothing. All planes
returned safely with no damage.
No missions was flown 30 or 31 December. New Year's
was pretty quiet until the air raid sirens went off again. Foxholes
were filled up. Each tent had its own foxhole, large enough to
accommodate all tent mates. No running water, or heaters,
though.
It was not long after the air raid siren sounded that an
enemy plane dropped bombs, missing everything on the base,
hitting a field apart from our area.
Quite a bit of snow dropped during the month of
December, meaning keeping the runways clear for take-offs and
landings. Jury rigged snow plows were put together by a few
astute and talented GIs, which served the purpose intended.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
Weather over the target prevented bombing on the mission of 29 December which was to be an attack on the Keuchingen road bridge.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
December 29th, 1944
Weather over the target prevented the 416th Bomb Group from bombing on the 29th of December. The target was a road bridge at Keuchingen. The flights made several runs, but could not find an opening in the cloud cover. All ships returned safely.
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[December 29, 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 29, 1944 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress |