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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 189 -- January 22, 1945, Monday AM Simmern, Germany Railroad Bridge
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 189 -- January 22, 1945, Monday AM Simmern, Germany Railroad Bridge
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Place of Take-Off : A-55 Melun/Villaroche, France A/C Dispatched : 38 Total -- 9 A-20's, 28 A-26's, 1 B-26 (PFF) Modified British System Reference: L-839530 Secondary Target : No Alternate Targets Authorized Summary of Results : Results Unobserved - 7/8 - 10's clouds in target area, three ships dropped Window. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 49.97664,7.51258 (49° 58' 36" N, 7° 30' 45" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on The "Coordinates Translator", (NGZ) wL839530) (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 # 189 -- January 22, 1945, Monday AM
Simmern, Germany -- Railroad Bridge
| 1 671st 44-106 5C-E A-20K Lt Col Willetts, D.L. Lt Royalty, P.G. Cpl Rose, J.W. S/Sgt McElhattan, L.D. |
2 671st 41-39249 5C-F A-26B Lt Murray, T.J., Jr. S/Sgt DeBower, D.H. |
3 671st 41-39208 5C-L A-26B Lt Gary, J.C. S/Sgt Cheuvront, R.W. |
| 4 671st 41-39300 5C-K A-26B Lt Henderson, F.W. S/Sgt Fessler, H.S. |
5 671st 41-39250 5C-A A-26B Lt Ames, W.H. S/Sgt Brown, R.J. |
6 671st 41-39265 5C-V A-26B Lt Edstrom, L.W. Cpl Pompa, P.A. |
| 1 669th 44-075 2A-J A-20K Lt Miller, E.L. Lt Conner, J.K. S/Sgt Malloy, J.F. S/Sgt Pemberton, J.M. |
2 669th 41-39252 2A-D A-26B Lt Renth, E.J., Jr. S/Sgt Moskowitz, L. |
3 669th 43-22306 2A-X A-26B Lt Weinert, C.E. Cpl Francis, R.D. |
| 4 669th 41-39241 2A-F A-26B Lt Allen, J.F., Jr. S/Sgt Getgen, L.R. |
5 669th 43-22354 2A-S A-26B Lt Smith, D.E. Cpl DeStefano, R. |
6 669th 41-39238 2A-M A-26B Lt Hackley, R.H. Cpl Hawk, O.T. [Landed at A-58 Rt. Engine Cutting Out] |
| 1 668th 43-22063 5H-A A-20J Lt Cornell, R.H., Jr. Lt Enman, R.E. S/Sgt Carter, A.E. Sgt Reid, K.A. |
2 668th 41-39259 5H-H A-26B Lt VanRope, R.W. Cpl Klingman, W.H. [Not Airborne Nose Wheel Tire Flat] |
3 668th 41-39269 5H-K A-26B Lt Anderson, C.M. Cpl Deatherage, J.H. |
| 4 669th 41-39271 2A-R A-26B Lt DuBose, M.W. S/Sgt Griffin, D.L., Jr. |
5 669th 41-39229 2A-B A-26B Lt Martin, E.C. Cpl Sumner, W.R., Jr. [Not Airborne Rt. Engine Cut Out Momentarily Immediately before Take Off] |
6 669th 41-39244 2A-I A-26B Lt Poundstone, L.E. Pvt Arendt, E.A. |
| SPARE 670th 43-22334 F6-G A-26B Lt Sheley, S.H. Sgt Paladino, D.V. |
| 1 670th 43-21467 F6-W A-20J Lt Heinke, W.R. Lt McNutt, M.C. S/Sgt VanWert, G.R. S/Sgt Caudell, S.R. |
2 670th 44-614 F6-A A-20K Lt Johnson, E.L. S/Sgt Leahigh, L.L. Cpl Riggs, P.H. |
3 668th 43-22026 5H-M A-20J Lt Colquitt, J.K. S/Sgt Mohr, C.M. Cpl Edenburn, J.C. |
| 1 671st 44-185 5C-G A-20K Lt Pair, H.F. Lt Corum, J.L. S/Sgt Orvold, C.R. S/Sgt DiMartino, A.E. |
2 671st 41-39234 5C-P A-26B Lt Mooney, S. Cpl Buckley, W.C. |
3 671st 41-39237 5C-D A-26B Lt Cocke, J.B. S/Sgt MacCartney, W.A. |
| 4 671st 43-22313 5C-B A-26B Capt Sears, A.C. M/Sgt Wells, J.J. |
5 671st 43-22352 5C-J A-26B Lt Wallman, M. Cpl Helt, A. |
6 670th 41-39223 F6-B A-26B Lt Hlivko, A.E. Cpl Graub, R.E. [A/C Out of Commission for Oil Leak Prior to Taxi Time] |
| 1 671st 43-22023 5C-X A-20J Capt Atkinson, P.G., Jr. Lt Ackerson, D.G. Sgt Collier, J.L. Sgt Friday, L.R. |
2 670th 41-39315 F6-F A-26B Lt Barausky, P.P. S/Sgt Hall, M. |
3 670th 43-22315 F6-L A-26B Lt Gruetzemacher, R.O. S/Sgt Ricketson, J.J. Capt Borman, H.W. |
| 4 670th 41-39235 F6-M A-26B Lt Hall, R.B. S/Sgt Burger, L.C. |
5 670th 41-39222 F6-S A-26B Lt Bishop, E.G. Sgt Hudnutt, L.W. |
6 670th 43-22337 F6-O A-26B Lt Errotabere, M. Cpl Bowie, E.A. |
| 1 668th 44-081 5H-P A-20K Capt Evans, H.M. Lt McCartney, T.M. S/Sgt Merritt, O.N., Jr. S/Sgt Skeens, C.L. |
2 668th 41-39188 5H-R A-26B Lt Kenny, J.P. S/Sgt Sittarich, J.J. |
3 668th 41-39331 5H-C A-26B Lt Buchanan, R.C. Sgt Hindman, R.G. |
| 4 668th 43-22321 5H-T A-26B Lt Wright, J.W. S/Sgt Sylva, H.J. |
5 668th 41-39219 5H-E A-26B Lt Nathanson, A.S. Sgt Hicks, C.M. |
6 668th 43-22290 5H-L A-26B Lt Annin, W.W. Sgt Pauker, J.L. |
| SPARE 668th 43-22378 5H-O A-26B Lt Blevins, J.W. Sgt Gentry, F., Jr. [Not Airborne Instruments Out] |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 189 -- January 22, 1945, Monday AM
Simmern, Germany -- Railroad Bridge
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1945"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
In the early morning of the 22nd, 33 planes again attacked the elusive Simmern railroad bridge, dropping 60 tons of bombs through the solid cloud cover. The first box dropped on the PPF plane and the second box bombed the target on ETA. Lt Col Willetts and Capt Pair teamed up again to lead the boxes.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 196
Mission #189 - 22 January - AM - Simmern Bridge. Again! Lt. Col. Willetts and Lt. Royalty, BN led Box I with Captain Pair and Lt. Corum, BN leading Box II. Lts. Evans and McCartney, BN led flights. Lt. Colquitt flew a window dropping ship. Pathfinder B-26s led the formation. Weak inaccurate flak came up on the way to the target, but none was at the target. One plane received minor damage. Bombing was done following the PFF drops and results were not determined. This was another four hour flight, but the A-26s were capable of this longer range, while the A-20s were not.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
Another attack was made on the Simmern Railway Bridge on 22nd January. The results of the bombing were not observed due to 10/10 cloud cover. The first box bombed on Pathfinder and the second bombed on ETA. Later in the afternoon a special mission was sent out to strafe enemy vehicles in the Dusburg area. The bombers were late getting to their fighter rendezvous, but continued into enemy territory and eventually were recalled by "Parade" without making the attack.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
January 22nd, 1945
Running two missions on January 22nd, the 416th Bomb Group ran its total to 190 missions. Take off for the first mission was 1120 when 38 aircraft were dispatched to hit the Rail Bridge at Simmern, 29 miles southwest of Kblenz. The first box, led by Colonel Willetts and Lt. Royalty, bombed on the PFF aircraft. Captain Pair and Lt. Corum, leading the second box, bombed on ETA from visual check points or visual observation due to clouds.
Three window ships escorted the formation and only one ship received battle damage. All crews returned.
While this mission was still in the air work was received in Ninth Bombardment Headquarters of a large motor transport and armored vehicle concentration near Dasburg. Long columns of German vehicles, fleeing eastward from the deflated Nazi bulge, were trapped west of the Our River by damaging attacks of B-26 Marauders on a three span highway bridge at Dasburg, Germany.
The 416th made ready six A-26s, equipped with wing guns to strafe this convoy, but Bomb Division due to weather and failure of escort to rendezvous recalled the formation. Lt.Winn represented the 671st Bomb Squadron on this mission. Flak was not encountered and the ships returned after sundown.
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[January 22, 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 22, 1945 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress |