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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 238 -- March 17, 1945, Saturday PM Bad Homburg, Germany Marshalling Yards
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 238 -- March 17, 1945, Saturday PM Bad Homburg, Germany Marshalling Yards
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Place of Take-Off : A-69 Laon/Athies, France A/C Dispatched : 42 Total -- 40 A-26's, 2 B-26's (PFF) Modified British System Reference: M-632804 Secondary Target : Weilburg or Montabaur (G-370090 or G-070040) Summary of Results : Unobserved due to cloud cover. 21 a/c attacked Weilburg Secondary, 12 attacked Montabaur Secondary, 1 Bombed with 409th BG, 1 attacked Kamberg Casual, 3 Window, 1 Target selected by Parade. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 50.22000,8.62343 (50° 13' 12" N, 8° 37' 24" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on The "Coordinates Translator", (NGZ) wM632804) (See Latitude/Longitude Coordinates and Target Identifiers for more information.) |
Route Map
Loading List 1,
Box I
Loading List 2,
Box II
With Three Additional Window Mission Aircraft
Mission Loading Lists Transcription
Mission # 238 -- March 17, 1945, Saturday PM
Bad Homburg, Germany -- Marshalling Yards
| 1 671st 43-22490 5C-X A-26C Maj Dunn, L.F. Lt Brewer, W.E. Lt Muir, R.C. Sgt Rose, J.W. |
2 668th 43-22523 5H-N A-26C Capt Stanley, C.S. F/O Blount, J.H. Sgt Edenburn, J.C. |
3 671st 41-39237 5C-D A-26B Lt Gary, J.C. M/Sgt Wells, J.J. |
| 4 671st 43-22419 5C-Z A-26B Lt Ames, W.H. S/Sgt Brown, R.J. |
5 671st 41-39297 5C-T A-26B Lt Wallman, M. Sgt Helt, A. |
6 671st 43-22313 5C-B A-26B Lt Hlivko, A.E. Sgt Farmer, L.J. |
| 1 669th 43-22521 2A-N A-26C Lt Col Napier, J.G. Lt Moore, D.L. Sgt Arendt, E.A. |
2 669th 41-39393 2A-M A-26B Lt Anderson, C.M. S/Sgt Deatherage, J.H. |
3 669th 41-39244 2A-I A-26B Lt VanRope, R.W. S/Sgt Klingman, W.H. |
| 4 669th 43-22304 2A-T A-26C Capt DuFault, W.F. F/O Cardinale, O.A. S/Sgt Vorce, K.E. |
5 669th 43-22354 2A-S A-26B Lt Weinert, C.E. Sgt Dubi, R. |
6 669th 41-39362 2A-Y A-26B Lt Smith, B.A. Sgt Richards, D.A. |
| 1 669th 43-22487 2A-J A-26C Capt Miller, E.L. Lt Conner, J.K. S/Sgt Floyd, C.F. |
2 669th 43-22496 2A-L A-26C Lt Depner, A.W. Sgt Gillespie, R.H. |
3 669th 43-22381 2A-Q A-26B Lt Allen, J.F., Jr. Lt Britt, J.W. S/Sgt Getgen, L.R. |
| 4 669th 41-39338 2A-O A-26B Lt DuBose, M.W. Lt Housley, C.H. S/Sgt Walters, J.H. |
5 669th 41-39314 2A-H A-26B Lt Smith, D.E. S/Sgt Kirik, S.J. S/Sgt Williford, C.W. |
6 668th 41-39259 5H-H A-26B Lt Haskell, R.W. Sgt Lea, E.W. [Not Airborne Taxied into pile of rocks. Bent Prop] |
| SPARE 668th 41-39264 5H-I A-26B Lt Mooney, S. Sgt Schumacher, R.C. |
| 1 671st 43-22499 5C-G A-26C Lt Brown, C.J. Lt Kerns, J.E. S/Sgt Sunderland, H.E. |
2 670th 43-22469 F6-A A-26C Lt Hall, R.B. F/O Goss, T.L. S/Sgt Jackson, W.S. |
3 671st 43-22352 5C-J A-26B Lt Withington, D.L. S/Sgt McElhattan, L.D. |
| 4 671st 41-39239 5C-N A-26B Capt Hixon, S.M. Sgt Schmidt, K.W. |
5 671st 43-22356 5C-C A-26B Lt Milhorn, G.L. S/Sgt Davis, H.R. |
6 671st 41-39209 5C-M A-26B Capt Moore, Z.R. Sgt Hardin, M.F. |
| 1 668th 43-22481 5H-P A-26C Capt Andersen, C.J. Lt Babbage, W. S/Sgt Schafer, E.L. Maj Lewis, E.R. [Lewis (II Armored Div)] |
2 668th 43-22321 5H-T A-26B Lt Roberts, W.H. S/Sgt Euga, P.G. |
3 668th 43-22378 5H-O A-26B Lt Annin, W.W. S/Sgt Roberts, J.H. |
| 4 668th 41-39213 5H-A A-26B Lt Hale, W.L. S/Sgt Geyer, J.F. |
5 668th 41-39305 5H-U A-26B Lt Evarts, A.V. Sgt Youlios, D. |
6 668th 43-22495 5H-G A-26C F/O Gunkel, H.G. Sgt Grzona, L.J. |
| 1 670th 43-22507 F6-Q A-26C Lt Brewster, F.S. Lt Dennis, L.W. S/Sgt Clark, W.O. |
2 670th 41-39205 F6-M A-26B Lt Ford, R. Sgt Murro, D.J. |
3 670th 41-39223 F6-B A-26B Lt Bower, R.S. Sgt Basile, A.C. |
| 4 670th 41-39416 F6-O A-26B Lt Downing, W.E. S/Sgt Friday, L.R. |
5 668th 41-39233 5H-F A-26B Capt Borman, H.W. Pfc Finnell, D.O. |
6 670th 43-22330 F6-P A-26B Lt O'Brien, J.V. Sgt Corey, F.E. Sgt Richards, D.B. |
| SPARE 670th 43-22315 F6-L A-26B Lt Miller, J.H. S/Sgt Eaton, A.B. |
| 1 668th 43-22508 5H-Z A-26C Capt Sommers, H.L. F/O Wrubelle, W.M. S/Sgt McClain, H.B. S/Sgt McGaughy, W.S. |
2 670th 43-22334 F6-G A-26B Lt Musgrove, W. S/Sgt Licker, M. S/Sgt Cianciosi, A.A. |
3 668th 41-39361 5H-M A-26B Lt Laseter, W.H. T/Sgt Wilson, G.C. S/Sgt Robinson, J.W. |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 238 -- March 17, 1945, Saturday PM
Bad Homburg, Germany -- Marshalling Yards
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1945"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
The target in the afternoon was the Bard Homburg marshalling yards. Bad weather caused the formations to be late going into the target. The PPF planes were told to hold their bombs. The formation scattered in the clouds. The first flight used Gee to attack the briefing secondary target, Weilburg. The other two flights of the first box used Gee to attack Montabaur. Most of the second box attacked Weilburg on Gee equipment. Four aircraft, separated from the rest of the formation, dropped their bombs on German territory. There was no flak. Major Dunn, Lts Brewer and Muir, B&N, and Lt C.J. Brown, Lts Kerns, B&N, led the two boxes.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Pages 227 - 228
Mission #238 - 17 March - Bad Homburg Marshalling Yards. This was a real snafued mission from the start. The formation was late going into the target, due mainly because of bad weather. Ground control notified the PFF planes to hold their bombs. The formation had scattered in the clouds with flight leaders scrounging to seek targets to hit. The first flight used GEE equipment to attack the briefed secondary target, Weilburg. Two other flights of the first box, using GEE equipment attacked Montabeur. Most of the second box attacked Weilburg using GEE equipment. Four planes separated from the rest of the formation, dropping their bombs on German territory. Major Dunn with Lt. Brewer BN and Lt. Claude Brown with Lt. Kerns, BN led Boxes. Captain Pair and Lt. Corum BN, - Captain Sutton with Lt. Reed and Lts. Lackovich and Muir leading flights.
"669th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
No mission was flown on the 16th of the month, but on the morning of the 17th, the Altenkirken Road Junction was the target for the attack. Almost complete cloud cover necessitated the use of blind bombing technique. Lt. Blomgren, with Lt. Johnson, flew in the deputy formation leader's position. The second flight of the second box was lead by Lts. Cornell and Enman.
The Bad Homburg Marshalling Yards were the targets for attack in the afternoon of the same day. Cloud cover caused the formation to scatter, with the result that Montabear was bombed instead of the primary target. Lt. Col. Napier led the second flight of box I, while Capt. Miller was in the lead position of the third flight of the same box.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
Two attacks were made on 17th March, one on the Altenkirchen Communication Center and one on the Bad Homburg Marshalling yards. Both of these missions were led by pathfinder aircraft and results were unobserved. Twelve of our crews were on the first mission and eight on the second.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
March 17th, 1945
Dense clouds covered up the battlefronts on March 17th and the 416th went back to their Pathfinder bombing, hammering the Altenkirchen Communication Center in the morning and the Bad Homburg Marshalling Yard in the afternoon. Both targets are located in the Ruhr. In each instance the formations dropped on the Pathfinders' Gee equipment. Bad weather snafued the afternoon mission however. The formation was late on the bomb run and the ground station signaled the PFF to hold its bombs. The group scattered so the first flight went to the briefed secondary and dropped with the PFF ship. The second and third flights of this box proceeded to another briefed secondary and dropped on Gee there. Meanwhile the second box seeing the Pathfinder fail to bomb proceeded to Wailburg. Two flights and two ships of the third flight dropped on Gee at that target, while the other four airplanes became entirely lost and dropped at four different targets. There were no losses, casualties or battle damage.
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[March 17, 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 17, 1945 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress |