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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 241 -- March 19, 1945, Monday AM Lage, Germany Railroad Bridge
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 241 -- March 19, 1945, Monday AM Lage, Germany Railroad Bridge
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Place of Take-Off : A-69 Laon/Athies, France A/C Dispatched : 24 Total -- 24 A-26's Modified British System Reference: B-717782 Secondary Target : Suitable Alternate Authorized Summary of Results : Two flights scored Excellent, two Superior. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 51.99685,8.77953 (51° 59' 49" N, 8° 46' 46" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on Google Maps, Visual match to Strike Photo. Briefed Target MBS Coord: (NGZ) rB717782) (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 # 241 -- March 19, 1945, Monday AM
Lage, Germany -- Railroad Bridge
| 1 670th 43-22469 F6-A A-26C Maj Ferris, C.H. Lt Royalty, P.G. Lt Moore, D.L. S/Sgt Majewski, S.J. |
2 669th 41-39362 2A-Y A-26B Lt Ford, R. Cpl Murro, D.J. |
3 670th 43-22330 F6-P A-26B Lt Musgrove, W. S/Sgt Licker, M. |
| 4 670th 41-39224 F6-E A-26B Lt Turner, E.O. S/Sgt Sienkiewicz, J., Jr. |
5 671st 43-22326 5C-W A-26B Capt Borman, H.W. Sgt Perujo, R.J. |
6 670th 41-39315 F6-F A-26B Lt Wallace, J.F. Sgt Plant, R. |
| 1 668th 43-22523 5H-N A-26C Maj Shaefer, R.F. Lt Hand, A.R. S/Sgt Profita, P.J. |
2 668th 41-39274 5H-S A-26B Lt Prucha, L.J. T/Sgt Wilson, G.C. |
3 668th 43-22385 5H-D A-26B Lt Annin, W.W. S/Sgt Pauker, J.L. |
| 4 668th 41-39325 5H-L A-26B Lt Hale, W.L. S/Sgt Geyer, J.F. |
5 668th 41-39264 5H-I A-26B Lt Phillips, J.P. Sgt Miller, W.A. |
6 668th 43-22495 5H-G A-26C Lt Lackner, R.J., Jr. Sgt Fidler, W.H. |
| 1 668th 43-22505 5H-Y A-26C Capt Andersen, C.J., Jr. Lt Babbage, W. Lt Roman, L.J. S/Sgt Fuehrer, W.F. |
2 668th 41-39305 5H-U A-26B Lt Colquitt, J.K. S/Sgt Mohr, C.M. |
3 668th 43-22389 5H-X A-26B Lt Laseter, W.H. S/Sgt Cross, R.M. |
| 4 669th 43-22351 2A-F A-26B Lt Carver, J.H. S/Sgt Stewart, A.B. |
5 669th 43-22381 2A-Q A-26B Lt Nathanson, A.S. Sgt Kaminski, C.J. |
6 669th 41-39244 2A-I A-26B Lt Blevins, J.W. Sgt Gentry, F., Jr. S/Sgt Ottaviano, J.O. |
| 1 671st 43-22490 5C-X A-26C Lt Lackovich, J.J. Lt Muir, R.C. Pvt Barry, R.M. |
2 671st 41-39297 5C-T A-26B Lt Winn, A.J.P. S/Sgt Stephenson, G.G. |
3 671st 41-39360 5C-L A-26B Lt Withington, D.L., III S/Sgt Huss, C.F. |
| 4 671st 41-39239 5C-N A-26B Capt Hixon, S.M. Sgt Schmidt, K.W. |
5 671st 43-22419 5C-Z A-26B Lt Wright, J.R. Sgt Simon, D.O. |
6 671st 41-39209 5C-M A-26B Lt Hlivko, A.E. Sgt Farmer, L.J. |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 241 -- March 19, 1945, Monday AM
Lage, Germany -- Railroad Bridge
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1945"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
The 19th was an extremely active day for the Group. One box of 24 planes attacked the Lage railroad bridge with excellent results. Moderate, accurate flak at the bomb line in and out caused battle damage to nine planes. Major Ferris, Lts Royalty and Moore, B&N, led the box.
At the same time, 18 more planes attacked the Nassau road junctions. Again the results were excellent, with hits on the railroad, buildings, and roads. Lt. Rooney, Lt Kirk and F/O T.L. Goss, B&N, led the box.
A third box of 18 aircraft attacked the Schweim marshalling yards with a box of the 409th Bomb Group. Again attacking visibly by flights, the formation scored excellent results with all bombers scoring hits in the yards. Major Dunn, Lts Brewer and Muir, B&N, led the box.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 233
Mission #241 & 242 - 19 March AM - Lage Railroad Bridge. This is called spreading activities around, taking advantage of the weather and the excellence of the crews. In the morning, two boxes were directed to different targets and a third box in the afternoon zeroed in on the Lage Railroad Bridge with Major Ferris and Lts. Royalty and Moore, BNs leading the first box of 24 planes bombed with excellent results. Moderate accurate flak met them on the bomb run for five minutes damaging nine planes. Lts. Brown and Kerns, BN led flights.
Captain Rooney led the second box of 21 planes to Nassau Communication Center with excellent results. No flak or fighters bothered this formation. Lts. Lackovich and Muir, BN led a flight.
"669th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
The Lage Railroad Bridge was attacked on March 19th. Excellent results were obtained. Lt. Moore flew as bombardier with Major Ferris, of the 670th Bombardment Squadron (L).
On the second mission of the day, the Nassau Road Junction was attacked. The flight led by Lt. Blomgren and Lt. G.G. Johnson scored excellent results.
Another target was attacked on the same day. The Schwelm Marshalling Yards were bombed on this mission. Capt. Stebbins, with Lt. Calloway, achieved excellent results in bombing this target.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
On 19 March the Lage Railroad bridge was attacked. Only one box attacked this target. Major Ferris, our squadron commander, led the formation of twenty-four aircraft to bomb with superior results. Moderate accurate heavy flak was encountered from the bomb line in for five minutes. The escort was a formation of P-38 aircraft. At the same time, 18 other aircraft were dispatched to attack the road junction at Nassau. Captain Rooney led the attack and excellent results were achieved. No flak or fighter opposition was encountered. A total of twelve 670th crews participated in these two missions.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
The 416th Group racked up three missions on March 19th, continuing the aerial offensive against key rail and communications centers in the Reich. Two formations of 21 and 24 ships went out in the morning, while one box was dispatched in the afternoon. All bombing was done visually in clear skies, and all crews returned safely.
In the morning one formation was dispatched to the communication center of Nassau, east of Coblenz. Two out of the three flights scored excellents on their bombing. Lt. Brown and Lt. Kerns were one of these pairs. The bombs fell in a good pattern over buildings and roads.
The other formation went to the Lage Rail Bridge, 10 miles south of Hanover, and quite deep into Gernany. Four flights bombed the bridge and chalked up two excellent and two superiors. Lt. Lackovich and Lt. Muir, leading their first flight on a visual mission scored one of the superiors. The bombs hit into the smoke of a previous pattern and it was apparent that the road and bridge had been hit. Lt.Muir, setting an impressive pace on missions, dropped visually for the first time in 34 missions, and with this superior to his credit, it looks very much as if the 671st has another star lead team in Lt. Lackovich and Lt. Muir. Flak was encountered at this target, nine ships receiving battle damage, but all returned.
In the afternoon the 416th flew second box with the 409??!! in the lead. The target was the Barmen marshalling yard, 18 miles east of Dusseldorf. The lead ship of the first box (409th) was hit by flak on the bomb run, both the pilot and bombardier being wounded. This flight did not bomb, but the crew returned to base safely. The second and third flights did not hit the target. Major Dunn and Lt. Brewer, leading the second box, scored undetermined results due to violent evasive action coming of the target, but visual reports state that the bombing was excellent, hitting in the Marshalling Yard.
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[March 19, 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 19, 1945 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress |
See the Luftangriffe auf Lage im Frühjahr 1945 page for information on the book
written by Konrad Soppa on the airstrikes on Lage, Germany.