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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 231 -- March 12, 1945, Monday AM Lorch, Germany Railroad Track
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 231 -- March 12, 1945, Monday AM Lorch, Germany Railroad Track
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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: M-056600 Secondary Target : Hachenburg (G-065290) Summary of Results : 3 ships dropped Window, Bombing results Unobserved due to 10/10s clouds. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 50.03980,7.81544 (50° 2' 23" N, 7° 48' 56" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on The "Coordinates Translator", (NGZ) wM056600) (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 # 231 -- March 12, 1945, Monday AM
Lorch, Germany -- Railroad Track
| 1 668th 43-22481 5H-P A-26C Capt Evans, H.M. Lt McCartney, T.M. Lt Babbage, W. S/Sgt Skeens, C.L. |
2 671st 43-22497 5C-E A-26C Capt Tutt, R.J. Lt Beck, J.T. Lt Germana, A.G. Sgt Schwartzapel, D. |
3 668th 41-39361 5H-M A-26B Lt Kenny, J.P. Sgt Sittarich, J.J. |
| 4 668th 43-22495 5H-G A-26C Lt Buchanan, R.C. S/Sgt Hindman, R.G. |
5 668th 41-39264 5H-I A-26B Lt Phillips, J.P. Sgt Miller, W.A. |
6 668th 43-22321 5H-T A-26B Lt Tank, F.R. T/Sgt Wilson, G.C. |
| 1 670th 43-22507 F6-Q A-26C Lt Brewster, F.S. Lt Dennis, L.W. S/Sgt Gatti, R.J. |
2 670th 43-22330 F6-P A-26B Lt Musgrove, W. S/Sgt Licker, M. |
3 670th 41-39224 F6-E A-26B Lt Turner, E.O. S/Sgt Belcas, J.O. |
| 4 670th 41-39315 F6-F A-26B Lt Errotabere, M. S/Sgt Urbanicio, F.R. |
5 670th 41-39205 F6-M A-26B Lt Stankowski, J.F. Sgt Vellinga, J.R. |
6 670th 41-39215 F6-R A-26B Lt Wallace, J.F. Sgt Plant, R. |
| 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. Capt Poindexter, R.D. [Poindexter (Wing)] |
2 670th 43-22315 F6-L A-26B Lt Ford, R. Sgt Thompson, C.J. |
3 670th 41-39286 F6-D A-26B Lt Bower, R.S. Sgt Neal, D.E., Jr. |
| 4 670th 41-39223 F6-B A-26B Lt Popeney, H.V. S/Sgt Candler, H.C.S. |
5 670th 43-22320 F6-S A-26B Lt Turman, A.R. S/Sgt Leahigh, L.L. |
6 670th 41-39416 F6-O A-26B Lt Green, J.A. Sgt Ottaviano, J.O. Sgt Kobalko, G. |
| SPARE 668th 41-39305 5H-U A-26B Lt Parkhurst, G.J. Sgt Newman, F. |
| 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 43-22487 2A-J A-26C Lt Blomgren, J.E. Lt Johnson, G.G. S/Sgt Bookach, M. |
3 668th 41-39259 5H-H A-26B Lt McCready, T.D. Sgt Stewart, A.B. |
| 4 668th 43-22389 5H-X A-26B Lt Cannon, L.E. S/Sgt Brzezinski, E.P. |
5 668th 43-22378 5H-O A-26B Lt Annin, W.W. Sgt Rivard, C.J. |
6 668th 41-39335 5H-W A-26B Lt Zeimet, L.R. Cpl Sereno, F.L. |
| 1 669th 43-22304 2A-T A-26C Lt Cornell, R.H., Jr. Lt Enman, R.E. Capt Lytle, W.M. S/Sgt Reid, K.A. |
2 669th 41-39252 2A-D A-26B Lt Anderson, C.M. S/Sgt Deatherage, J.H. |
3 669th 41-39244 2A-I A-26B Lt VanRope, R.W. Sgt Klingman, W.H. |
| 4 669th 41-39271 2A-R A-26B Lt DuBose, M.W. S/Sgt Walters, J.H. |
5 669th 41-39229 2A-B A-26B Lt Depner, A.W. Sgt Fair, V.F. |
6 669th 41-39362 2A-Y A-26B Lt Smith, B.A. Sgt Richards, D.A. |
| 1 671st 43-22498 5C-R A-26C Capt Pair, H.F. Lt Corum, J.L. Lt Reed, J.V. S/Sgt Brown, R.J. |
2 671st 41-39300 5C-K A-26B Lt Mooney, S. Sgt Buckley, W.C. |
3 671st 41-39239 5C-N A-26B Lt Henderson, F.W. Sgt Maupin, W.W. |
| 4 671st 41-39249 5C-F A-26B Lt Gary, J.C. Pvt Schoen, A.E., Jr. |
5 671st 41-39237 5C-D A-26B Lt Graeber, T.E. Sgt Miller, A.H. |
6 671st 41-39297 5C-T A-26B Capt Moore, Z.R. Sgt Fidler, W.H. |
| SPARE 668th 43-22385 5H-D A-26B Lt Nathanson, A.S. Sgt Kaminski, C.J. |
| 1 668th 43-22508 5H-Z A-26C Maj Price, R.F. Lt Roman, L.J. S/Sgt Fetko, C., Jr. S/Sgt Fuehrer, W.F. |
2 670th 43-22334 F6-G A-26B Lt Miller, J.H. S/Sgt Johnson, R.J. Sgt Goldberg, L. |
3 671st 43-22313 5C-B A-26B Lt Milhorn, G.L. Sgt Chest, D. S/Sgt Davis, H.R. |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 231 -- March 12, 1945, Monday AM
Lorch, Germany -- Railroad Track
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1945"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
On the morning of the 12th, 304x500 demolition bombs were dropped. The mission was carried out on PPF, on the Lorch marshalling yards. There were no observations. The box leaders were Capt Evans, Lts McCartney and Babbage, B&N, and Capt Stanley, F/O Blount and Lt Shaft, B&N.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 224
Mission #231 - 12 March - AM - Lorch Marshalling Yard. Captain Evans, with Lts. McCanney and Babbage, BNs with Captain Stanley and F/O Blount and Lt. Shaft, BNs took the boxes in. Major Price flew a window ship over the target. Captain Tutt with Lts. Beck and Germana, BNs, - Captain Pair and Lts. Corum and Reed, BNs led flights. PFF aids did the bombing through clouds with no results observed. No flak or fighters.
"669th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
PPF aircraft led the formation on the bombing run in an attack on the Lorch Marshalling Yard. This mission was accomplished on the 12th of March.
The Marshalling Yards at Mummelbach were hit during the afternoon of the same day. The destruction of German equipment and supplies, moving up to the front through these yards, was the objective of the mission. Lt. Col. Napier, together with Lts. Moore and Calloway led the entire formation. Lt. Miller with Lts. Conner and Johnson led the second box of the formation. PPF equipment had to be used for the bomb run.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
Also on the 12th, Lt Merritt was transferred to a general hospital
as a result of his accident.
The Lorch Marshalling Yards were bombed with unobserved results on
12 March. Twelve of our crews participated. In the afternoon a second
mission took off to bomb the Posen Marshalling Yards with eight of our
crews taking part. This too, was a pathfinder mission and the
results were unobserved.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
March 12th, 1945
The 416th ran their 14th and 15th mission in March 12th, 1945, striking at two marshalling yards with the aid of Pathfinder aircraft. Flak was not encountered on either morning or afternoon mission and all crews returned in tact.
The target in the morning was the Lorch marshalling yard, on the line to the Remagen bridgehead. The Opsen M/Y was the aiming point in the afternoon. This yard is located on the Giesssen-Cologne line.
Lt.John T.Beck scored his final sortie on the morning engagement, flying with Capt.Tutt. Like Lt.Basnett, Beck has had his share of pilots. Starting with Captain Cole, after being transferred from a B-26 outfit where he had chalked up 21 missions, Lt. Beck wasted no time in proving that he was a "hot" bombĦbardier-navigator. Then came the startling switch involving Marzolf, Cole, Basnett and himself. Lt.Beck and Captain Marzolf seemed to be meant for each other and the pair chalked up well over their share of goods, excellents and superiors. Captain Marzolf finished his tour on the day before Christmas, leaving Lt.Beck with an even 50 missions. Then with the arrival of Captain Tutt as a flight leader Beck was assigned to him and flew all but a few of his remainĦing missions with him.
Thus the 671st loses its second versatile and highly rated Bombardier-Navigator....1st Lt. John T. Beck.
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[March 12, 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 12, 1945 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress |