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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 224 -- March 6, 1945, Tuesday PM Opladen, Germany Marshalling Yards
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 224 -- March 6, 1945, Tuesday PM Opladen, Germany Marshalling Yards
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Place of Take-Off : A-69 Laon/Athies, France A/C Dispatched : 41 Total -- 40 A-26's, 1 B-26 (PFF) Modified British System Reference: F-493744 Secondary Target : Wipperfurth (F-76498031) Summary of Results : Unobserved due to cloud cover. Three Window A-26's. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 51.06660,7.01360 (51° 3' 60" N, 7° 0' 49" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on The "Coordinates Translator", (NGZ) wF493744) (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 # 224 -- March 6, 1945, Tuesday PM
Opladen, Germany -- Marshalling Yards
| 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 43-22508 5H-Z A-26C Lt Mish, C.C. Lt Shaft, R.E. S/Sgt Roberts, J.H. |
3 669th 41-39314 2A-H A-26B Lt Martin, E.C. Sgt Sumner, W.R., Jr. |
| 4 669th 43-22344 2A-C A-26B Lt Turner, D.O., Jr. S/Sgt Reyes, M.R. |
5 669th 43-22381 2A-Q A-26B F/O Swap, F.W. Sgt Meliniotis, N. |
6 669th 41-39263 2A-G A-26B Lt Depner, A.W. Sgt Gillespie, R.H. [Returned Early Gas leak in Bomb Bay] |
| 1 671st 43-22498 5C-R A-26C Capt Pair, H.F. Lt Corum, J.L. S/Sgt Fessler, H.S. |
2 671st 43-22313 5C-B A-26B Capt Sears, A.C. M/Sgt Wells, J.J. |
3 671st 43-22356 5C-C A-26B Lt Spires, J.W. Sgt Messinger, R.W. |
| 4 671st 41-39239 5C-N A-26B Capt Hixon, S.M. Sgt Schmidt, K.W. |
5 671st 41-39249 5C-F A-26B Capt Nielsen, L.C. Capt Randles, L.P. Pvt Elliott, E.R. |
6 671st 41-39237 5C-D A-26B Lt Wright, J.R. Sgt Redding, R.D. |
| 1 671st 43-22499 5C-G A-26C Lt Buskirk, J.A. Lt Hanna, R.C. S/Sgt Corbitt, C.H., Jr. |
2 671st 41-39300 5C-K A-26B Lt Jokinen, W.R. Sgt McNellis, D.E. |
3 671st 43-22419 5C-Z A-26B Lt Withington, D.L., III S/Sgt McElhattan, L.D. |
| 4 671st 41-39209 5C-M A-26B Lt Murray, T.J., Jr. S/Sgt Swank, O.E. |
5 671st 41-39332 5C-P A-26B Lt Graeber, T.E. Sgt Miller, A.H. |
6 671st 41-39297 5C-T A-26B Lt Miller, J.H. S/Sgt Brown, R.J. |
| SPARE 670th 41-39224 F6-E A-26B Lt Willard, J.A. Sgt Hinker, C.V. |
| 1 671st 43-22490 5C-X A-26C Lt Lackovich, J.J. Lt Muir, R.C. S/Sgt Connery, T.F. Pvt Barry, R.M. |
2 668th 41-39264 5H-I A-26B Lt Kreh, E.B. S/Sgt Metzler, L.V. S/Sgt Schafer, E.L. |
3 670th 41-39205 F6-M A-26B Lt Barausky, P.P. Pvt Wilson, B.R. S/Sgt Hall, M. |
| 1 669th 43-22487 2A-J 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 Heinke, W.R. Lt Rosenquist, A.E. S/Sgt VanWert, G.R. |
3 669th 43-22354 2A-S A-26B Lt Weinert, C.E. Sgt Francis, R.D. |
| 4 669th 41-39362 2A-Y A-26B Lt Jordan, C.S. S/Sgt Jensen, K.F. |
5 669th 41-39271 2A-R A-26B Lt Smith, D.E. Sgt Kirik, S.J. |
6 669th 41-39244 2A-I A-26B Capt DuFault, W.F. S/Sgt Vorce, K.E. |
| 1 670th 43-22507 F6-Q A-26C Lt Grunig, D.B. Lt Morris, B.C. Sgt Nowosielski, H.J., Jr. |
2 670th 41-39223 F6-B A-26B Lt Bishop, E.G. Sgt Hudnutt, L.W. |
3 670th 41-39215 F6-R A-26B Lt Chitty, W.D., Jr. Sgt Raccio, V.B. |
| 4 670th 41-39416 F6-O A-26B Lt Errotabere, M. Sgt Lynch, P.R. |
5 670th 43-22307 F6-N A-26B Lt Turman, A.R. S/Sgt Harmon, C.D. |
6 670th 43-22334 F6-G A-26B Lt Ford, R. Cpl Thompson, C.J. |
| 1 668th 43-22523 5H-N A-26C Capt Evans, H.M. Lt McCartney, T.M. S/Sgt Skeens, C.L. |
2 668th 43-22385 5H-D A-26B Lt Montrose, J.H. S/Sgt Felkel, J.W. |
3 668th 41-39325 5H-L A-26B Lt Hale, W.L. S/Sgt Bentzler, D.H. |
| 4 668th 41-39213 5H-A A-26B Lt McCready, T.D. S/Sgt Lemonds, W.E. |
5 668th 41-39274 5H-S A-26B Lt Blevins, J.W. Sgt Gentry, F., Jr. |
6 668th 41-39335 5H-W A-26B Lt Zeimet, L.R. Cpl Ray, R.K. |
| SPARE 671st 41-39250 5C-A A-26B Lt Anderson, C.M. Sgt Deatherage, J.H. |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 224 -- March 6, 1945, Tuesday PM
Opladen, Germany -- Marshalling Yards
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1945"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
Flying their seventh mission in six days, two boxes, led by Lt Col Napier, Lts Moore and McQuade, B&N, and Capt Miller, Lts Connor and Johnson, B&N, bombed the Opladen marshalling yards on PPF. Crews reported that the bombs cut completely across the northern end of the yards. There was no flak. The planes made their attack without fighter escort.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 222
Mission #224 - 6 March - Opladen Marshalling Yard. Lt. Col. Napier with Lts. Moore and McQuade BNs and Captain Miller with Lts. Conner and Johnson, BNs led boxes. Captain Evans and Lt. McCartney, BN, - Lts. Lackovich and Muir BN, - Captain Pair and Lt. Corum BN plus Lts. Buskirk and Hanna BN, led flights. Lt. Mish with Lt. Shaft BN, flew a window dropping plane. The usual PFF pathfinder planes led the formation to bomb through the clouds. Recon showed the bombs enveloped the northern end of the yards with considerable damage. The fighter escort did not show up, but the group went on anyway. No flak came up
"669th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
The Opladen Marshalling Yards were attacked, on March 6th by a formation led by Lt. Col. Napier. Lt. Moore and Lt. McQuade flew as Bombardier and Navigator in the colonel's airplane. Lt. Miller, with Lts. Conner and G.G. Johnson, led the second box on this mission. Because of cloud cover, PPF technique had to be used.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
Second Lieutenant's Curtis, Balch, Henson and F/O Boerner joined
the squadron as pilots on 6 March.
The OPLADEN Marshalling Yards were bombed on 6 March with
excellent results. Bombs cut completely across the north end of the
marshalling yards. This mission was accomplished without fighter
escort. Eight of our crews participated.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
March 6th, 1945
The Opladen Marshalling Yard in the Cologne district was the target hit by the 416th on March 6th as the Allies kept up their advance on Cologne and the Rhine River. Bombing was with Pathfinder aid, but visual observation through the broken clouds showed excellent results. Battle damage was nil and all crews returned in tact.
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[March 6, 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 6, 1945 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress |