Loading List 1, Box I




Loading List 2, Box II and Extra Flight




Route Map




Primary Target area around MBS Coordinate (NGZ) rA315297
Extracted from GSGS-4416/AMS-M641 Sheet Q1 - "Essen" 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-,
Essen 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 23, 1945 Friday	MACR 14314		43-22307 A-26B	249	670	Between Dinslaken, Germany And Rhine River	Ford, Russell nmi (MIA, RTD) Tharp, Freeland Madison (MIA, KIA)

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 # 249 -- March 23, 1945, Friday AM
Dinslaken, Germany -- Factory Area

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

The Dinslaken factory area was attacked by a maximum effort on the morning of the 23rd. Excellent results were scored, destroying a large portion of the factory area and nearby roads and buildings. The one general observation concerned the amount of smoke in the target area and along the west bank of the Rhine. The bombing of the Allied Air Forces in the past few days had turned the German towns and villages into huge bonfires. On our side of the river, however, with a move anticipated, mile after mile of the riverbank was concealed behind a continuous smoke screen. As yet, on crossing of the river was reported.

There was weak but very accurate flak in the target area and five planes suffered category "A" battle damage. Lt Ford's plane was hit by flak on the first run over the target. He broke away from the formation and headed for friendly territory, still carrying his 1,000-pound bombs on single engine, escorted by P-47's. At about 4,000 feet, his other engine stopped. With his bomb bays full of bombs and without any power, he glided his plane to the ground for a crash landing. He was only slightly injured in the landing. His gunner, Staff Sergeant Freeland W. Tharp, bailed out without an order form the pilot over enemy territory and is now MIA. The box leaders were Capt. Miller, Lts. Connor and Johnson, B&N, and Lt. Col. Napier, Lt. Moore and F/O Wrubelle, B&N.

"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 239

Mission #249 - 23 March - AM - Dinslaken Factory Area. Captain Miller, Lts. Conner and Johnson, BNs with Lt. Col. Napier with Lt. Moore and F/O Wrubelle, BNs leading boxes. Lts. Lackovich and Muir, BN, - Captain Sutton with Lt. Reed, BN, led flights. Excellent results were reported destroying a large portion of the factory and adjoining roads and buildings. Allied bombing seems to have rendered most German towns and areas reduced to piles of rubble, smoke and haze. Smoke seems to obscure most everything in the area, The Rhine River has yet to be crossed by enemy forces, with all the bombing allies are doing. There was weak but accurate flak in the area, with five planes suffering damage. Lt. Ford's plane took a hit on the first run toward the target. He broke away from the formation and headed toward friendly territory, still carrying his 1,000 pound bombs, flying on single engine. He was escorted by P-47s. At about 4000 feet, his other engine quit. With his bomb bay full of bombs and no power he managed to glide down for a crash landing, which he did with a slight injury to himself on the landing' His gunner, S/Sgt. Freeland W. Tharp had bailed out over German territory and was listed as MIA. He had not been given the order to bail out.

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

To keep up with the terrific pace established by the ground forces, this squadron was called upon to fly two missions on the next day. The Dinslaken Factory Area was attacked with excellent results. Box I was led by Capt. Miller, with Lts. Conner and Johnson. Their bombing was considered good. The second box, which was led by Lt. Col. Napier, Lt. Moore and Flight Officer Wrubelle achieved superior results.

Mission # 250, flown on the afternoon of this day, was against the Town of Dinslaken. The third flight of box II was led by Lt. Jordan and Lt. Mulgrew. Capt. Dufault, with Flight Officer Cardinale, flew in the lead position of the second flight of the third box. Excellent results were obtained. Counter battery fire by our atrillery, against enemy flak positions, kept the amount of anti-aircraft artillery fire to a minimum.

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

Two missions were run on the 23rd against the Dinslaken Factory. In the morning superior results were achieved with 1000 pound bombs and again in the afternoon another superior was scored using 500 pound incendiary bombs. A total of 17 of our crews took part in these two missions.

On the morning mission Lt Ford was shot down and landed within our lines. His interesting account of the incident is as follows: "The boxes proceeded to the target on time, and peeled off at the proper interval from the I.P. No flak was experienced on the run, although we were in enemy territory two and one-half minutes before the target. As we closed the bomb doors, preparing for a second run, however, one burst exploded beneath and to the rear of my right nacelle. The left fuel pressure dropped off to zero, immediately; I tried all gas combinations, but with no success, so I feathered the left propeller. My airspeed had fallen to 150 MPH and I was losing altitude which caused me to recheck my fuel pressure. By that time I had rolled out on a reciprocal heading of 223 degrees (our emergency heading). My right fuel pressure was fluctuating and as I completed my first call to Parade, it, too, dropped to zero. In an effort to keep at least one engine running, I pushed the blowers back into low, and tried to start the left engine once more. When nothing happened I pulled the controls back into high blower and made one more attempt.

"As soon as I had taken up the emergency heading I had not only called Parade, (since "C" channel was jammed) but also notified my gunner, Sgt Tharp, to prepare to bail out. We had dropped to approximately 9,000 feet indicated in the turn, and it was then that I checked the time in order to ascertain when I would cross the Rhine River, for we could not see the bomb Line due to the smoke blowing from Germany. The time allowance was three and one-half minutes.

"I was descending at a rate of 2,000 feet per minute which I figured to bring me safely over the bomb line about 3,500 feet indicated. At 6,800 feet, approximately, the gunner tried to salvo the bombs without success. Again I called Parade for a fix, and once more was told to fly a heading of 180 degrees and call in 3 minutes. (Fortunately I ignored the heading given and continued on 223 degrees). Then I hit my own salvo switch. Nothing happened, so I opened the bomb doors in the normal manner and attempted to punch the bombs out; this time the arming switch was in neutral. By that time we were at about 3,500 feet indicated and my rate of descent had decreased to 1,600 feet per minute. The gunner tried unsuccessfully to get the bombs out with the doors open. As a last resort he had to jettison his escape hatch and at 3,800 feet indicated I ordered him out. His acknowledgement were the last words I heard from him. At 3,300 feet indicated I felt something hit the tail; whether it was he, I could not say.

"After that I rehooked my flak suit and safety harness since I realized that I had little chance of getting out. I could not reach my flak helmet, however. Afterwards I made certain all bombing switches were off, and at 2,000 feet indicated I started calling off the altitude to the gunner in case he was still with me.

"A town was on my left with two fields west of it - a road with telephone lines paralleling it separating them. About 200 feet above the ground I dumped full flaps and out all my switches. I made my turn into the field still maintaining 150 mph with the props feathered. The flare out showed no signs of a stall, and even when my airspeed dropped off to 130 mph I had control of the craft. I was forced to alter my plan to land in the first field when I saw a team of horses in line with me. The aircraft still handled smoothly, permitting me to bank to the left and pass under the telephone lines. I misjudged slightly, though, and cut one of the wires. Unfortunately a ditch in the middle of the second field caused me to push the plane into the ground early in order to escape stalling out in the ditch. The 1,000 pounders stayed in the bomb bay!!"

Lt Ford suffered a nine inch laceration of the scalp when the airplane crashed and was hospitalized in Liege. Sgt Tharp is carried missing in action.

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

March 23rd, 1945

For the third successive day the Ninth Bomb Division, including the 416th Group, delivered morning and afternoon blows at enemy defenses between Munster and the Rhine. Crews observed smoke and fire raging throughout the whole sector as the aerial onslaught went on. The A-69 Invaders hammered at the Dinslaken factory in the morning and went back to hit at roads and buildings in the town in the afternoon. Both missions were maximum effort, crews dropping thousand pound GPs in the morning and 500 pound incendiaries in the afternoon.

Excellent, superior and undetermined results were made against the factory. Lt. Lackovich and Lt. Muir were unable to get pictures due to evasive action, but visual reports state bombs hit on buildings. The new bombardiernavigator-pilot team of Captain Sutton and Lt. Reed annexed a superior on their first visual bombing mission as bursts blanketed large factory buildings. Five ships received battle damage and one crashed landed, but the crew reported safe. The factory was a large steel-rolling mill, which the Germans are reported using as an observation post to detect Allied positions and movements across the Rhine.

The incendiary bombing in the afternoon was recorded as excellent to superior although due to no photos available, undetermined results were given on paper. There was smoke and haze over the target and violent evasive action was taken, making the correct taking of pictures impossible. There were no losses, casualties or battle damage.

[March 23, 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 23, 1945 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress

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