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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 227 -- March 9, 1945, Friday PM Wulfen, Germany Ammunition Dump
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 227 -- March 9, 1945, Friday PM Wulfen, Germany Ammunition Dump
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Place of Take-Off : A-69 Laon/Athies, France A/C Dispatched : 43 Total -- 41 A-26's, 2 B-26's (PFF) Modified British System Reference: A-483450 Secondary Target : Stadtlohn Communications Center (A-435773) Summary of Results : Reports from crews indicate good results. 2 A-26's dropped Window, 36 attacked Primary, 2 attacked Casual A-452601. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 51.70117,6.98933 (51° 42' 4" N, 6° 59' 22" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on The "Coordinates Translator", (NGZ) rA483450) (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 # 227 -- March 9, 1945, Friday PM
Wulfen, Germany -- Ammunition Dump
| 1 668th 43-22523 5H-N A-26C Capt Evans, H.M. Lt McCartney, T.M. Lt Babbage, W. S/Sgt Profita, P.J. Brig Gen Backus, E.N. |
2 671st 43-22490 5C-X A-26C Lt Lackovich, J.J. Lt Muir, R.C. Pvt Barry, R.M. |
3 668th 43-22378 5H-O A-26B Lt Annin, W.W. S/Sgt Metzler, L.V. |
| 4 668th 41-39264 5H-I A-26B Lt Parker, P.E. S/Sgt Kochan, S.J. |
5 668th 43-22495 5H-G A-26C Lt Tank, F.R. Sgt Harmon, F.B. |
6 668th 41-39213 5H-A A-26B Lt Long, R.H. T/Sgt Wilson, G.C. |
| 1 670th 43-22501 F6-W A-26C Lt Heinke, W.R. Lt Rosenquist, A.E. S/Sgt VanWert, G.R. |
2 670th 43-22320 F6-S A-26B Lt Bower, R.S. S/Sgt Burns, D.E. |
3 670th 41-39223 F6-B A-26B Lt Popeney, H.V. S/Sgt Candler, H.C.S. |
| 4 670th 41-39215 F6-R A-26B Lt Brewster, F.S. Cpl Mathews, J.M. |
5 670th 43-22330 F6-P A-26B Capt Borman, H.W. Sgt Perujo, R.J. |
6 671st 43-22313 5C-B A-26B Lt Wallace, J.F. Sgt Krantz, J.G. |
| 1 670th 43-22528 F6-T A-26C Maj Ferris, C.H. Lt Royalty, P.G. Lt Koch, O.R. S/Sgt Rio, D.J. |
2 670th 41-39205 F6-M A-26B Lt Bishop, E.G. Sgt Harris, M.C. |
3 670th 41-39224 F6-E A-26B Lt Turner, E.O. S/Sgt Belcas, J.O. |
| 4 670th 41-39416 F6-O A-26B Lt Singletary, R.B. S/Sgt Cianciosi, A.A. |
5 670th 41-39286 F6-D A-26B Lt Stankowski, J.F. Sgt Vellinga, J.R. |
6 670th 43-22315 F6-L A-26B Lt Ford, R. Cpl Thompson, C.J. |
| SPARE 668th 41-39305 5H-U A-26B Lt Harris, F.W. S/Sgt Fuehrer, W.F. |
| 1 671st 43-22499 5C-G A-26C Lt Jacobsen, O.F. F/O Harvest, R.W. Sgt Pettinicchi, A. S/Sgt Gooch, H.I. |
2 670th 43-22334 F6-G A-26B Lt Fero, D.A. S/Sgt Rojas, A.A. Sgt Gross, V.F. |
3 670th 41-39315 F6-F A-26B Lt Cocke, J.B. S/Sgt MacCartney, W.A. Sgt Stypenski, V.S. |
| 1 668th 43-22505 5H-Y A-26C Capt Stanley, C.S. F/O Blount, J.H., Jr. Lt Shaft, R.E. S/Sgt Collier, C.B. |
2 669th 43-22492 2A-E A-26C Lt Blomgren, J.E. Lt Johnson, G.G. S/Sgt Fleming, L.R. |
3 668th 41-39335 5H-W A-26B Lt Russell, R.A. Sgt Stewart, A.B. |
| 4 668th 43-22389 5H-X A-26B Lt Cannon, L.E. Sgt Hood, A.R. |
5 668th 41-39274 5H-S A-26B Lt Parkhurst, G.J. S/Sgt Jordan, D.W. |
6 668th 41-39325 5H-L A-26B Lt Phillips, J.P. Sgt VanGalder, D.W. |
| 1 669th 43-22304 2A-T A-26C Capt Stebbins, B.D. Lt Calloway, A.S. S/Sgt Brown, W.J. |
2 669th 41-39229 2A-B A-26B Lt Willard, J.A. Sgt Hinker, C.V. |
3 669th 43-22381 2A-Q A-26B Capt DuFault, W.F. S/Sgt Vorce, K.E. |
| 4 669th 41-39338 2A-O A-26B Lt Sorrels, D.W. S/Sgt Malara, V.A. |
5 669th 43-22344 2A-C A-26B Lt Weinert, C.E. Sgt Dubi, R.J. |
6 669th 41-39271 2A-R A-26B Lt Smith, B.A. Sgt Wilson, R.P. |
| 1 671st 43-22497 5C-E A-26C Capt Pair, H.F. Lt Corum, J.L. S/Sgt Brown, R.J. |
2 671st 41-39239 5C-N A-26B Lt Miller, J.H. Sgt Gurkin, C.W., Jr. |
3 671st 41-39250 5C-A A-26B Lt VanNoorden, H.M. S/Sgt Thompson, G.H., Jr. |
| 4 671st 41-39300 5C-K A-26B Lt Gary, J.C. S/Sgt Cheuvront, R.W. |
5 671st 41-39332 5C-P A-26B Capt Moore, Z.R. Pvt Schoen, A.E., Jr. |
6 671st 41-39297 5C-T A-26B Lt Wright, J.R. Sgt Simon, D.O. |
| SPARE 668th 41-39361 5H-M A-26B Lt Kenny, J.P. Sgt Sittarich, J.J. |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 227 -- March 9, 1945, Friday PM
Wulfen, Germany -- Ammunition Dump
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1945"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
The second mission of the day was another PPF attack on the Wulfen ammunition filling plant. There were clouds over the target, but these were some observations of the results: many fires were seen in the target area; many buildings burst into flames as though set afire by gasoline. Three patterns circled the aiming point. Weak, inaccurate flak at the target caused minor battle damage. Although FW 190s were reported along the route, they never came in close enough to be identified. Capt Evans, Lts McCartney and Babbage, B&N, and Capt Stanley, F/O Blount and Lt Shaft, B&N, led the two boxes. General Backus flew as an observer with Captain Evans.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 223
Mission #227 - 9 March - PM - Wulfen Ammunition Factory. Captain Evans with Lts. McCartney and Babbage, BN team plus Captain Stanley with F/O Blount and Lt. Shaft, BNs headed up the boxes. General Backus, Commander of the 97th Bomb Wing flew as an observer with Captain Evans. Captain Pair and Lt. Corum, BN and Lts. Lackovich and Muir, BN led flights. Lts. Jacobsen and Harvest BN, flew a window ship. With 10/10 cloud cover, PFF B-26s led the formation in to the target. The first box results were not known. The second box bombs were seen through a break in the clouds, and results were rated good, seeing many fires and bursts of flames coming up. Again, FW 190s were seen, but did not attack. Five of our planes received flak damage.
"669th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
Again, on the morning of March 9th, it was necessary to have a PPF aircraft fly with each box of the group formation. The Bitzbach Marshalling Yards were attacked. Lt. Col. Napier, with Lt. Moore, led the second flight of the first box, while Lt. Miller and Lt. Conner led the third flight of that box. Lt. Cornell and his B/N, Lt. Enman flew with the second box of the formation in the deputy leader's position. Enemy aircraft were seen near the formation, but they did not attack.
For the afternoon mission of the same day, blind bombing equipment had to be used. The Wulfen Ammunition Filling Plant was bombed with excellent results. Enemy fighters were seen along the route, but they made no attempt to approach the formation.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
The following morning, 9 March, eight of our crews took part on an
attack on the Butzbach Marshalling Yards. The results were again
unobserved due to no photo cover and cloud cover. That afternoon the
Wulfren Ammunition Filling Plant was the target. Twelve of our crews
participated with good results, hitting buildings and in the woods.
There were violent explosions which indicated that ammunition storage
areas were probably hit.
Second Lieutenant's Forbes, Fry and Wilbur, Bombardier-Navigators,
joined the squadron on 9 March.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
March 9th, 1945
Running their string of March missions to 10, the 416th Bomb Group chalked up two sorties on March 9th, 1945. Striking in the morning at the Butzbach Marshalling Yard and in the afternoon at the Ammo Filling Plant at Wolfen. The A-26s lent their support to the forces battling the Germans along the Rhine River. Due to a heavy cloud cover, blind bombing had to be employed in both instances.
Six of the 11 Groups dispatched by Bomb Division on the morning mission observed enemy fighters and three Groups experienced combat. In the Luftwaffe's biggest show against the medium and light bombers since the battle of the bulge, three A-26s were lost. Thirty FW 190s attacked the 386th A-26 formation in the Weisbaden area. The battle lasted ten minutes and when it was over three A-26s were gone. Several claims were made by A-26s pilots and gunners on the FW 190s. A B-26 outfit was also attacked, but no loses were reported. Two enemy fighters were sighted by the 416th formation, but no combat resulted.
The Butzbach Marshalling Yard had been reported crammed with military traffic moving up from central Germany for defense of the Ruhr. The first box bombed on PFF, but the Pathfinder aircraft leading the second box failed and the group box leader dropped on Gee at the secondary. There was no observation.
The Wulfen ammunition factory, which the Invaders hit in the afternoon, is one of the largest factories manufacturing artillery and anti-aircraft shells. The PFF leading the first box dropped on Gee, but the bombs did not fall on the target. The second box received a good rating on observations through the clouds. Roads and buildings were hit and violent explosions resulted. Five planes received flak damage, but all ships and crews returned.
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[March 9, 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 9, 1945 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress |