Loading List 1, Box I
with Three Additional Window Mission Aircraft




Loading List 2, Box II




Route Map




Primary Target area around MBS Coordinate (NGZ) rV755105
Extracted from GSGS-4416/AMS-M641 Sheet N2 - "Osnabruck" 1:100:000 Military Topographic Map
(Downloaded from Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection - Army Map Service Topographic Map Series,
Central Europe, Series M641, 1:100,000, U.S. Army Map Service, 1943-,
Osnabruck 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)
Mar 13, 1945 Tuesday	AAR 45-3-13-524		43-22344 A-26B	233	669	Station A-70	Jordan, Clyde S. (Not Injured) Jensen, Kenneth Francis (Not Injured) Balton, Edwin E. (Not Injured)

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 # 233 -- March 13, 1945, Tuesday AM
Rheine, Germany -- Airfield

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

The 13th saw two more missions. The first attack was made against the jet-fighter airfield at Rheine on PPF. Although fighters were based on the field, none rose up to challenge the formation as the planes turned off the target. Moderate, accurate flak filled the sky and five planes received battle damage. A sixth plane, piloted by Lt C.S. Jordan, was also hit. When his wheels would not come down for a landing, he was forced to take a crash landing at Station A-70. The landing was a magnificent job. The fuselage was skinned and the props were bent. That was the extent of the damage. The plane was turned over to the depot for repairs. Riding with him were his gunner, S/Sgt H.F. Jensen and an observer from the 11th Armored Division, S/Sgt E.E. Bolton. None of the crew was injured. Later, photo reconnaissance showed the airfield covered with craters, and runways destroyed. Capt Stebbins, Lts Calloway and Powell, B&N, and Major Ferris, Lts Royalty and Koch, B&N, were the box leaders.

"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 225

Mission #233 - 13 March - AM - Rheine Airdrome. This was a German jet plane base, but surprisingly, none of them rose to challenge our group. Captain Stebbins with Lts. Calloway and Powell, BN teams with Major Ferris and Lts. Royalty and Boch BNs were box leaders. Captain Pair and Lt. Corum BN and Lts. Lackovich and BN, led flights. Major Price and Lt. Hand, BN flew window for the group. This was Major Price's 65th mission, the one everybody sweats out.

PFF pathfnders led the group in. As the planes turned off the target, moderate, accurate flak rose and hit six planes. One, piloted by Lt. C. S. Jordan took a bad shot on the under carriage of the plane. When he tried to land, his wheels would not extend, resulting in a crash landing at Station A-70. He did a magnificent job of bringing the ship down, with bent props and skinned underbelly. His gunner, S/Sgt. H. F. Jensen and an observer from the Eleventh Armored Division, S/Sgt. E. E. Bolton, escaped injury. Photo recon showed craters on runways and the general field area attesting to the effectiveness of the 831 bombs dropped by our boys.

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

A jet fighter airfield, located at Rheine, was attacked on March 13th. PPF technique was used. Capt. Stebbins, with Lt. Calloway as his Bombardier-Navigator, let the entire formation, while Lt. Blomgren flew in the lead position in the third flight of the second box. Moderate, heavy, accurate flak was encountered. The aircraft piloted by Lt. Jordan was damaged. It was impossible for him to lower the landing gear. As a result of this, he was compelled to make a crash landing at AAF Station A-70. In the aircraft with Lt. Jordan were his gunner, S/Sgt. Jensen and an observer from the 11th Armored Division, S/Sgt. Bolton. The pilot did an excellent job, and no one was injured as a result of the crash landing.

On the afternoon mission, of the same day, it was possible to bomb visually for the first time during the month. Haze obscure [obscured] the target, but a bomb run was mde [made] by using visual bombing equipment in conjunction with Gee equipment. The Husten Marshalling Yards were bombed. Lt. Cornell led flight two of box one, with his B/N Lt. Enman, while Lt. Miller and his B/N, Lt. Conner, led the third flight of the same box. Capt. Sommers and Lt. Kupits flew in the lead position of the "window" flight.

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

Two missions were run on the 13th, the first being an attack on a Rhine Air Field and the second the Nehum/Huster Marshalling Yards. Both missions were leb by pathfinder aircraft and the results were unobserved. On the afternoon mission the formation left the pathfinder airplane at the bomb line. The radio was not functioning properly and the pathfinder plane believed the formation could bomb visually. However this could not be done and operations were abandoned. The tail gunner of the pathfinder plane fired at a ME 109 but no claims were made.

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

March 13th, 1945

The Rheine Airfield and the Neheim/Huston Marshalling Yard were the objectives for the 416th Bomb Group on March 13th, 1945. Keeping up there two-a-day offensive the Invaders struck at these two targets in the morning and afternoon without loss, although one plane crash-landed, when the wheels would not extend.

831 x 100 pound bombs were dropped by Pathfinders on the Rheine Airfield in the morning with unobserved results. A large sprawling installation, this airfield is reported being used for a home base by Jet attack aircraft. Most of the enemy air action against the Ramagen bridgehead was contributed to this field. The Group encountered flak at the turn off the target, six aircraft receiving battle damage.

Pathfinders were again employed in the afternoon when the 416th was dispatched to the Neheim/Huston Marshalling Yard, east of Dortmund. Results of the bombing were believed excellent, although there was no photo coverage due to the cloud cover. The lead PFF ship was attacked by a lone ME 109, but after the tail gunner fired a couple of bursts the Jerry fighter hauled ass. Weak flak was met in the bridgehead area, but all ships returned safely with minor battle damage.

[March 13, 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 13, 1945 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress

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