Loading List 1, Box I




Loading List 2, Box II




Route Map




Primary Target area around MBS Coordinate (NGZ) wF267529
Extracted from GSGS-4416/AMS-M641 Sheet R1 - "Koln" 1:100:000 Military Topographic Map
(Downloaded from Map Archive of Wojskowy Instytut Geograficzny 1919 - 1939,
GSGS 4416 / AMS M641, 651, 671 Germany, Poland, Middle Danube 1:100,000,
Koln sheet)
(Note: This coordinate and map display represent the Primary Target Location, the Location actually attacked may differ)
(Annotated Full Map PDF)

Missing Air Crew Reports, Aircraft Accident Reports, and other incidents

Date	Report		A/C Serial # Type	Mis- sion #	Bomb Sq	Location	Personnel (Status when available)
Feb 25, 1945 Sunday	MACR 12726		41-39238 A-26B	214	669	Kerpen Road Junctions	Farley, John J. (MIA, KIA) Hardesty, Edgar Russell (MIA, KIA)

To view more information regarding an Incident/Report, click on the Report hyperlink.
( = Entries having actual Reports available for review.   = Entries having additional Images or Photos.)
To view an individual's Memorial page, click on the "Name" hyperlink.

Included are Box, Flight and Position; Bomb Squadron; Aircraft Serial Number, Fuselage Code and Model; and Crew Members
transcribed from individual mission Loading List documents by Chris and Mary Adams and Carl Sgamboti.
Some information, such as Squadron, Serial Number, etc. has been expanded from other documents.

Group and Unit Histories

Mission # 214 -- February 25, 1945, Sunday AM
Kerpen, Germany -- Road Junctions

"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1945"
Transcribed from USAF Archives

These two attacks were the beginning of a series of attacks made on targets on the Cologne Plain prior to and during the drive of the American First and Ninth Armies to the Rhine.

Another of these attacks was made on the 25th on the Kerpen road junction. Thirty six planes made the attack, dropping on the lead plane of the first box with excellent results. Bombs covered the aiming points, destroying buildings and cutting or blocking several roads. At least two direct hits were scored on railroad tracks. Moderate accurate flak was fired at the formation from about one minute before the bombs went away until the formation came out over the bomb line on the way back. Six aircraft suffered category "A" battle damage; two, category "AC" and one aircraft was hit by flak over the target. The left engine was knocked completely out of the nacelle and the plane turned over on its back. It went out of control and into a spin. No chutes were seen. The crew, Lt J.J. Farley and Sgt E.R. Hardesty, are listed as MIA. Col Willetts, Lts Royalty and Basnett as B and N, and Capt Pair, Lts Corum and Muir as B and N, led the two boxes.

"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Pages 213 - 214

Mission #214 - 25 February - Kerpen Communication Center. Colonel Willetts with Lts. Royalty and Basnett, BNs and Captain Pair with Lts. Corum and Muir, BNs, led boxes. Lts. Stanley and Blount, BN and Lts. Mish and Shaft, BN led flights. The first box sighted the target without PFF leading and scored an excellent. The second box followed PFF in and dropped on their lead. Lt. J. J. Farley, flying deputy on Col. Willetts took a direct hit on his left engine, knocking it out of the nacelle. Control was lost and the plane spun down. No chutes were seen. Sgt. E. R. Hardesty was the gunner with Farley. Other crew members reported the plane exploded. A piece of the engine struck Lt. Graeber's plane, but he was able to straighten it out and stay with the formation. Flak bursts blossomed out in front of the formation as it neared the target area, and continued on until they crossed the bomb line going home. Eight aircraft were pretty badly damaged, but they all managed to get back to base. The crews counted 27 guns firing at them near the target and 50 east of the target. A formidable concentration of firepower! On take-off, Colonel Willetts could not get his wheels up and did not access the lead. Lt. Mish was supposed to have taken the lead position, but the flights formed up on the deputy, Lt. Farley, instead. One flight from the second box formed up with the first box leaving Captain Pair with only one flight in his box. Colonel Willetts eventually caught up with the formation and assumed the Box I lead. Another first was experienced on the mission, with two newcomers to the 668th squadron flying in the jump seat of the A-26s, "to see how things are done." Lt. Tank and F/O Gunkel flew with Lts. Jacobsen and McCready. Their enthusiasm and excitement was expressed all over the base.

"669th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives

The Kerpen Road Junction in Germany was attacked with excellent results on the morning of February 25th. Once more the 669th Bombardment Squadron had the misfortune of losing one of its combat crews. Lt. John J. Farley and his gunner, Sgt. Hardesty, were reproted [reported] missing in action. The aircraft in which they were flying was seen to have been hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and then to have fallen toward the ground.

On the afternoon of the same day, the Duren area again received a pounding. The Nouvenich Communication Center was bombed by the use of PPF. The results were unobserved because of cloud cover.

"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives

Three more missions were flown on the 24th and 25th against communications centers at Vierson, Kerpen and Morvanich.

Captain Daniel F. Shea left for the United States on 25 February where he was to spend a 30 day leave and then return to the squadron for reassignment to the Ninth Bombardment Division.

"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns

February 25th, 1945

The 416th continued to hammer targets in the Cologne area on February 25th by running two missions against two strongly fortified communication centers. In the morning Colonel Willetts led the formation as a representative of the 671st Bomb Squadron for the last time, having been transferred to Group Operations as Operations Officer the next day.

Colonel Willetts and his bombardier-navigator team of Lt. Royalty and Lt. Basnett scored excellent results against the Communication Center of Kerpon, just ten miles from Cologne. But intense accurate flak took a lot of the joy away from the mission. Lt. Farley of the 669th Squadron, flying deputy lead on Colonel Willetts, was shot down over the target and the ColonelĘs ship received a flak hit at the same time. It was not in a vulnerable spot, however. The aircraft lost was hit in the right engine. The plane turned over on its back and went into a spin. Several crews reported that the aircraft later exploded. A piece of the plane struck the leading edge of Lt. GraeberĘs ship, but he was able to bring the aircraft back in tact.

Flak was first encountered about three miles before the target and continued until the bomb line was reached on the way out. Eight ships in all were battle damaged. Plotted gun positions consisted of 27 heavy guns enroute and 50 heavy guns east of the target.

The mission became snafued just after take-off. Colonel Willetts could not get his wheels up and was unable to access the lead immediately. The formation was supposed to form on Lt.Misch in this case, but instead formed on Lt. Farley. Colonel Willetts finally pulled his wheels up and took over the first box with Lt.Farley his deputy. Another flight of the second box formed in the first box, leaving Capt. Pair with just his own flight and one other. A Pathfinder was dispatched with the formation, but upon entering the target area it was evident that visual bombing could be employed successfully. Therefore the first box dumped their bombs by this method. The center of the pattern was 590 feet east of the DMPI, covering a large part of the town. The Pathfinder dropped on its own and Captain Pair released his bombs either on the Pathfinder or one of the ships in Box I. He did not receive word that the mission was changed from Pathfinder to visual. Hits on rail tracks were made by Capt. PairĘs flights.



Afternoon Mission

"Pure Cake" was the definition given the mission against the Horvenich Communications Center on the afternoon of February 25th, the second tartet of the day for the 416th Invaders. The Group met no flak enroute or at the target and all ships returned untouched. The bombing was by Pathfinder lead. Results were undetermined, as there was no photo or visual observation.

[February 25, 1945], HQ Twelfth Army Group situation map Map showing Western Allies and Axis troop position details in Western Europe as of approximately 1200 hours, February 25, 1945 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress

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