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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 182 -- January 5, 1945, Friday PM Simmern, Germany Railroad Bridge
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 182 -- January 5, 1945, Friday PM Simmern, Germany Railroad Bridge
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Place of Take-Off : A-55 Melun/Villaroche, France A/C Dispatched : 31 Total -- 7 A-20's, 22 A-26's, 2 B-26's (PFF) Modified British System Reference: L-840531 Secondary Target : No Alternate Targets Authorized Summary of Results : Unobserved due to 10/10 Cloud coverage. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 49.97754,7.51397 (49° 58' 39" N, 7° 30' 50" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on The "Coordinates Translator", (NGZ) wL840531) (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 # 182 -- January 5, 1945, Friday PM
Simmern, Germany -- Railroad Bridge
| 1 668th 43-22063 5H-A A-20J Maj Price, R.F. Lt Hand, A.R. S/Sgt Pfenning, G.H. S/Sgt Fetko, C., Jr. |
2 670th 44-073 F6-J A-20K Capt Monroe, H.A. Lt Kirk, R.L. S/Sgt Kidd, W.L. S/Sgt Teran, A. |
3 668th 43-22290 5H-L A-26B Lt Hale, W.L. S/Sgt Bentzler, D.H. |
| 1 669th 44-178 2A-L A-20K Lt Blomgren, J.E. Lt Johnson, G.G. S/Sgt Donnelly, W.W. Sgt Kruger, C.J. |
2 669th 43-22367 2A-K A-26B Lt Hackley, R.H. Cpl Hawk, O.T. [Not Airborne Mud on Windshield] |
3 669th 41-39229 2A-B A-26B Lt Street, M.S. S/Sgt Hodgson, A.T. |
| 4 669th 41-39271 2A-R A-26B Lt Willard, J.A. Cpl Hinker, C.V. |
| 1 670th 43-21467 F6-W A-20J Lt Singletary, R.B. Lt Rosenquist, A.E. S/Sgt Wiggins, H.G. S/Sgt Cianciosi, A.A. |
2 670th 43-22296 F6-D A-26B Lt Johnson, E.L. T/Sgt Goggin, J.F. |
3 670th 41-39222 F6-S A-26B Lt Bishop, E.G. Sgt Harris, M.C. |
| 4 670th 43-22334 F6-G A-26B Lt Brown, N.G. S/Sgt Ottaviano, J.O. |
| 1 668th 41-39259 5H-H A-26B Lt Colquitt, J.K. S/Sgt Mohr, C.M. |
2 668th 41-39188 5H-R A-26B Lt Carver, J.H. Sgt Graham, N.M. |
3 668th 41-39269 5H-K A-26B Lt Buchanan, R.C. Sgt Hindman, R.G. |
| 4 668th 43-22378 5H-O A-26B Lt McCready, T.D. S/Sgt Lemonds, W.E. |
| SPARE 671st 41-39250 5C-A A-26B Lt Edstrom, L.W. Cpl Pompa, P.A. |
| 1 670th 43-9439 F6-J A-20J Capt McNulty, G.M. Lt Forma, W. S/Sgt Fuehrer, W.F. S/Sgt Lagerman, K.G. |
2 670th 44-173 F6-W A-20K Capt Atkinson, P.G., Jr. Lt Ackerson, D.G. Sgt Collier, J.L. Sgt Friday, L.R. |
3 668th 41-39264 5H-I A-26B Lt Wright, J.W. Sgt VanGalder, D.W. |
| 1 671st 44-106 5C-E A-20K Lt Brown, C.J. Lt Kerns, J.E. S/Sgt Orvold, C.R. S/Sgt Sunderland, H.E. |
2 671st 41-39210 5C-J A-26B Lt Eastman, D.M. S/Sgt Eaton, A.B. [Could Get Only 1" of Flaps.Changed to 326 "W". Too Late to Take Off] |
3 671st 41-39211 5C-K A-26B Lt VanNoorden, H.M. S/Sgt Steffey, R.I. |
| 4 671st 41-39234 5C-P A-26B Lt Henderson, F.W. S/Sgt Coulombe, P.E. |
| 1 669th 41-39244 2A-I A-26B Lt Allen, J.F., Jr. S/Sgt Carstens, R.W. |
2 669th 41-39252 2A-D A-26B Lt VanMeter, G.C., Jr. Sgt Kiker, C.M. |
3 669th 41-39241 2A-F A-26B Lt VanRope, R.W. Cpl Klingman, W.H. |
| 4 669th 41-39333 2A-Q A-26B Lt Martin, E.C. Cpl Sumner, W.R., Jr. [Not Airborne Rt. Mag on Left Eng Lt Mag on Rt. Eng. Cutting Out] |
| 1 670th 43-22315 F6-L A-26B Lt Hall, R.B. Pvt Finnell, D.O. |
2 670th 41-39235 F6-M A-26B Lt Warren, J.R. S/Sgt Stroup, C.C., Jr. |
3 671st 41-39284 5C-C A-26B F/O Green, J.A. Cpl Rorbakken, R.R. |
| 4 670th 41-39224 F6-E A-26B Lt Merritt, T.S. S/Sgt Gatti, R.J. |
| SPARE 671st 41-39237 5C-D A-26B Lt Mooney, S. Cpl Buckley, W.C. |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 182 -- January 5, 1945, Friday PM
Simmern, Germany -- Railroad Bridge
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1945"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
Evidently the bombs dropped on the 2nd had straddled the bridge, for on the 5th, 28 planes attacked it again. This time there was 10/10 cloud cover over the target. The P.P.F. plane got off course, so the first box, led by Major Price, Lt Hand, B-N, dropped on ETA from the I.P. on their second run. The second box, led by Capt McNulty, Lt Forma, B-N, stayed with the PFF plane and bombed on it. The results on the bombing were unobserved.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 192
Mission #182 - 5 January - Simmern Bridge. Major Price and Lt. Hand, BN led Box I with Captain McNulty and Lt. Forma BN leading Box II. Lts. Brown and Kerns, BN led flights. The target was cloud covered, PFF B-26s led but the first leader was off course. Second Box dropped on PFF but results were not obtained. All returned safely with only one aircraft having been hit by flak.
"668th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
On 5 January we attacked the same target [Simmern railroad bridge], this time from above a cloud cover and with PFF ships in the lead. Results were undetermined.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
Again on the 5th, ten of our crews took part in a twenty-eight plane attack on the Simmern Railway Bridge. The first box dropped on ETA through 10/10 cloud cover after the pathfinder aircraft had gotten off course. The second box bombed on the PFF. Results of this mission were unobserved.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
January 5th, 1945
The 416th went back to the Simmern Rail Bridge on January 5th with Pathfinders. The Invaders hit the bridge three days before with damaging results. Reconnaissance photos showed the rails destroyed, but the four span, 146-foot bridge still in tact. Considerable importance is attached to this span because it is the only one open at the present time for traffic southwest from the area between Koblenz and Mainz. Bombs went away at the appointed spot, but there was no photo coverage or visual observation due to clouds. All ships returned safely, with only one aircraft battle damaged.
The following crews participated: Lt.C.J.Brown Lt.L.W.Edstrom Lt.S.Mooney Lt. J.E.Kerns Cpl.P.A.Pompa Cpl.W.C.Buckley S/Sgt.H.E.Sunderland S/Sgt.C.R.Orvold Lt.H.M.Van Noorden Lt.F.W.Henderson
S/Sgt.R.I.Steffey S/Sgt.P.E.Coulombe
This was the 51st mission for S/Sgt. Phillippe E. Coulombe who joined the Squadron with his pilot, Lt. Henderson, in May of 1944. His armorer gunner, S/Sgt. Griswold, finished his tour the past month.
January 11th, 1945
Twenty-eight aircraft were dispatched mid-day on January 11th to again hit the Simmern rail bridge, still on the only line from Koblenz to the battleˇfront. One Pathfinder ship was used, but its equipment failed over the primary. The PFF Bombardier selected railroad tracks near the town of Alsey and the Invaders dropped on his lead. Results were just fair.
The crews at their bombing level reported a temperature of 27— below zero, and all the men had a slight touch of frostbite. Weak flak was seen, but all the ships returned without battle damage.
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[January 5, 1945], HQ Twelfth Army Group situation map Map showing Western Allies and Axis troop position details in Western Europe as of approximately 1200 hours, January 5, 1945 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress |