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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 220 -- March 3, 1945, Saturday AM Giessen, Germany Ordnance and Supply Depot
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 220 -- March 3, 1945, Saturday AM Giessen, Germany Ordnance and Supply Depot
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Place of Take-Off : A-69 Laon/Athies, France A/C Dispatched : 40 Total -- 39 A-26's, 1 B-26 (PFF) Modified British System Reference: G-688214 Secondary Target : Eller Bridge (L-570665) Summary of Results : Unobserved due to cloud cover. Three Window A-26's. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 50.58816,8.70936 (50° 35' 17" N, 8° 42' 34" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on The "Coordinates Translator", (NGZ) wG688214) (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 # 220 -- March 3, 1945, Saturday AM
Giessen, Germany -- Ordnance and Supply Depot
| 1 669th 43-22521 2A-N A-26C Lt Col Napier, J.G. Lt Moore, D.L. Lt McQuade, R.J. S/Sgt Sharp, R.P., Jr. |
2 668th 43-22523 5H-N A-26C Capt Stanley, C.S. F/O Blount, J.H., Jr. Sgt Windisch, R.P. |
3 668th 43-22378 5H-O A-26B Lt Smith, D.E. S/Sgt Kirik, S.J. |
| 4 669th 43-22354 2A-S A-26B Lt Jordan, C.S. S/Sgt Jensen, K.F. |
5 669th 41-39252 2A-D A-26B Lt Renth, E.J., Jr. S/Sgt Moskowitz, L. |
6 669th 43-22381 2A-Q A-26B Capt DuFault, W.F. S/Sgt Vorce, K.E. |
| 1 671st 43-22497 5C-E A-26C Capt Tutt, R.J. Lt Beck, J.T. Sgt Schwartzapel, D. |
2 671st 41-39250 5C-A A-26B Lt VanNoorden, H.M. S/Sgt Hinson, A.H. [A/C Out. Starter burned out] |
3 671st 41-39239 5C-N A-26B Lt Hlivko, A.E. Sgt Graub, R.E. |
| 4 671st 41-39237 5C-D A-26B Capt Sutton, L.J., Jr. S/Sgt Gilliam, D.C. |
5 671st 41-39209 5C-M A-26B Lt Eastman, D.M. S/Sgt Johnson, R.J. [A/C Out. Rudder damaged in collision with ______ [?]] |
6 671st 41-39332 5C-P A-26B Lt Milhorn, G.L. S/Sgt Davis, H.R. |
| 1 671st 43-22498 5C-R A-26C Capt Pair, H.F. Lt Corum, J.L. S/Sgt Brown, R.J. |
2 671st 41-39297 5C-T A-26B Lt Fero, D.A. S/Sgt Rojas, A.A. |
3 671st 43-22356 5C-C A-26B Lt Winn, A.J.P. S/Sgt Stephenson, G.G. |
| 4 671st 43-22313 5C-B A-26B Lt Herman, A.E. S/Sgt Barber, F.E. |
5 671st 43-22419 5C-Z A-26B Capt Nielsen, L.C. Sgt Goldberg, L. |
6 671st 41-39300 5C-K A-26B Lt Graeber, T.E. Sgt Appleman, M. |
| SPARE 668th 41-39325 5H-L A-26B F/O Swap, F.W. Sgt Meliniotis, N. |
| 1 669th 43-22487 2A-J A-26C Lt Heinke, W.R. Lt Rosenquist, A.E. S/Sgt VanWert, G.R. S/Sgt Kidd, W.L. |
2 668th 43-22385 5H-D A-26B Lt Sewell, J.C. S/Sgt Gatti, R.J. S/Sgt Hummer, J.A. |
3 668th 41-39213 5H-A A-26B Lt McCready, T.D. S/Sgt Profita, P.J. S/Sgt Lemonds, W.E. |
| 1 669th 43-22492 2A-E A-26C Lt Miller, E.L. Lt Conner, J.K. Lt Johnson, G.G. S/Sgt Pemberton, J.M. |
2 670th 43-22501 F6-W A-26C Lt Grunig, D.B. Lt Morris, B.C. S/Sgt Dias, M.E. |
3 669th 43-22351 2A-F A-26B Lt Willard, J.A. Sgt Hinker, C.V. |
| 4 669th 43-22344 2A-C A-26B Lt Turner, D.O., Jr. S/Sgt Reyes, M.R. |
5 669th 41-39271 2A-R A-26B Lt Martin, E.C. Sgt Draft, L.B. |
6 669th 41-39244 2A-I A-26B Lt Depner, A.W. Sgt Gillespie, R.H. |
| 1 668th 43-22505 5H-Y A-26C Lt Mish, C.C. Lt Shaft, R.E. S/Sgt Roberts, J.H. |
2 668th 41-39305 5H-U A-26B Lt Blevins, J.W. Sgt VanGalder, D.W. |
3 668th 41-39361 5H-M A-26B Lt Parkhurst, G.J. S/Sgt Jordan, D.W. |
| 4 668th 43-22321 5H-T A-26B Lt Colquitt, J.K. Sgt Hood, A.R. |
5 668th 43-22495 5H-G A-26C Lt Drum, E.B. Sgt Schwartzkopf, J.R. |
6 668th 41-39335 5H-W A-26B Lt Zeimet, L.R. Cpl Ray, R.K. |
| 1 670th 43-22503 F6-X A-26C Lt Brewster, F.S. Lt Dennis, L.W. S/Sgt Clark, W.O. |
2 670th 43-22307 F6-N A-26B Lt Downing, W.E. Sgt Neal, D.E., Jr. |
3 670th 41-39215 F6-R A-26B Lt Green, J.A. Sgt Kubjalko, A. |
| 4 670th 43-22330 F6-P A-26B Lt Popeney, H.V. S/Sgt Arnett, W.E. |
5 670th 41-39205 F6-M A-26B Capt Borman, H.W. Pfc Finnell, D.O. |
6 670th 41-39224 F6-E A-26B Lt Wallace, J.F. Sgt Plant, R. |
| SPARE 669th 41-39263 2A-G A-26B Lt Hayter, E.R. S/Sgt Basford, F.P. |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 220 -- March 3, 1945, Saturday AM
Giessen, Germany -- Ordnance and Supply Depot
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1945"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
The Giessen ordnance depot was attacked on the 3rd through a solid cloud cover. For the third day running, enemy flak guns were silent. Lt Col Napier, Lts Moore and McQuade, B&N, and Captain Miller, Lts Connor and Johnson, B&N, were the box leaders.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Pages 220 - 221
Mission #220 - 3 March - Giessen Ordnance Depot and
Germany Army Quartermaster Hdqs. Lt. Colonel Napier with
Lts. Moore and McQuade, BNs and Captain Miller with Lts.
Conner and Johnson, BNs led the two boxes. Captain Pair and
Lt. Corum BN, Captain Tutt and Lt. Beck, BN, - Lt. Stanley and
F/O Blount, BN, plus Lts. Mish and Shaft, BN led flights. Lt.
McCready flew a window dropping plane. Bombs were released
through cloud cover. Another milk-run?
This day - 3 March - is the first anniversary of the first
mission flown from England to the French coast. The experiences
of the year have made the group a considerable assist to the
war effort and earned a reputation of fine definition. Practically
all of the original flying personnel who came overseas with the
group have completed their missions and have been replaced by
very qualified and ambitious pilots, bombardier-navigators and
gunners.
The following personnel will leave the group this month
for the states, having put in their required missions:
Major R. F. Price - Captains R. L. Behlmer, - C. C. Mish
- E. B. Kreb - First Lieutenants W. F. Tripp, Jr., - R. Conte, - J. F.
Smith, - J. C. Sewell, and E. J. Renth, - Staff Sergeants P. C. Euga,
- E. L. Shafer, - A. Teran, - D. H. Debower, - R. G. Schrom, and R.
F. Tolbert. Technical Sergeant J. F. Goggin. Assigned to the AAF
Flexible Gunnery School in the states, are Staff Sergeants K. G.
Lagerman, - M. E. Diaz, and R. W. Cheuveront. Captain F. J.
Harrold was to return to the states after completing temporary
duty with the ground forces.
"669th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
Lt. Col. Napier, together with Lts. Moore and McQuade, led the group formation on the third of the month. PPF technique was used to bomb the Giessen Ordnance Depot. Lt. Miller, with Lts. Conner and G.G. Johnson, led the second box of the formation.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
Lt Peter G. Royalty joined the squadron from the 671st and was assigned as Asst Operations Officer, on 3 March, and also on this day a mission took off to bomb the Giessen Ordnance Depot. Nine 670th crews participated.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
March 3rd, 1945
Beginning their second year of operations, the 416th Invaders again went to the Giessen Ordnance Depot to bomb with the aid of Pathfinders. The mission went down as another cake run as no flak was seen. Bombing results were undetermined. This depot is believed to be the headquarters of the German Army Quartermaster in the west.
"671tst Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
The softening up process for the crossing of the Rhine had started. As a result the 416th Bombardment Group (L) was running two missions daily despite weather conditions. On cloudy days special Pathfinder B-26 aircraft led the Group Formations to the target. As the first year of Combat Operations for the squadron was completed on 3 March 1945 the crews were in the thick of this all out battle against the enemy. That day the group formation consisting of two flights from the 671st Bomb Squadron successfully bombed an Ordnance Depot at Geisen, Germany on its 220th Combat Mission.
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[March 3, 1945], HQ Twelfth Army Group situation map Map showing Western Allies and Axis troop position details in Western Europe as of approximately 1200 hours, March 3, 1945 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress |