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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 77 -- June 15, 1944, Thursday AM Lessay, France Railroad and Highway Bridges
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 77 -- June 15, 1944, Thursday AM Lessay, France Railroad and Highway Bridges
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Place of Take-Off : AAF-170 Wethersfield RAF Station, England A/C Dispatched : 36 Total -- 27 A-20G's, 9 A-20J's Tactical Target Dossier: 4902W/Q/6 Illustration : 4902W/138 Illustration Ref : 031040, 034037 Secondary Target : Coutances Railroad/Highway Junction (4902W/B/34) Summary of Results : Bombing by flights of six; results by flight ranged from Fair to Excellent. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 49.21858,-1.53155 (49° 13' 7" N, 1° 31' 54" W) (Latitude/Longitude based on Google Maps, Visual match to Target Illustration) (See Latitude/Longitude Coordinates and Target Identifiers for more information. Note: This coordinate represents the Primary Target Location, the Location actually attacked may differ) |
Video clip extracted from "Combat Weekly Digest #38" movie film showing June 15, 1944 416th BG Missions #77 and #78.
Film was photographed by 4th Combat Camera Unit (4th CCU) Cameramen 2nd Lt George E. Lindsay, Pfc Byron K. Allen and/or S/Sgt Arthur E. Mayhew.
This clip was extracted by Wayne Sayles from the complete original film available On-line from U.S. National Archives, "Army Air Forces Combat Weekly Digest, No. 038", Local Identifier: 18-CWD-38.
Duration (Min:Sec): 1:11
Mission Loading Lists Transcription
Mission # 77 -- June 15, 1944, Thursday AM
Lessay, France -- Railroad and Highway Bridges
| 1 668th 43-9444 5H-J A-20J Maj Price, R.F. Lt Hand, A.R. T/Sgt Robbins, L.G. S/Sgt Simpson, D.H. |
2 668th 43-21719 5H-V A-20J Capt Conant, H.F. Lt McBrien, R.T. S/Sgt Clark, C.J., Jr. Lt Lindsay, G.E. [Lindsay (4th CCU)] |
3 668th 43-10194 5H-A A-20G Lt Peede, L.G. S/Sgt Daugherty, L.M. S/Sgt Hibbs, C.L. |
| 4 668th 43-9935 5H-F A-20G Lt Meagher, J.F. Sgt Hantske, D. S/Sgt Damico, E.A. |
5 668th 43-10226 5H-E A-20G Lt Meredith, R.G., Jr. S/Sgt Hill, A.A. S/Sgt MacDonald, R.W. |
6 668th 43-10176 5H-T A-20G Lt Bartmus, G.F. S/Sgt Orr, J.R. S/Sgt Pfenning, G.H. |
| 1 669th 43-9450 2A-S A-20J Lt Morton, R.J. Lt Madenfort, J. S/Sgt Colosimo, R.J. S/Sgt Citty, F.M. |
2 669th 43-9189 2A-P A-20G Lt Connor, J.S. Sgt Rodgers, H.C. Sgt VanDuyne, J.E. |
3 669th 43-21469 2A-J A-20J Maj Radetsky, H.A. Lt Pape, M.A. S/Sgt Carney, H.O. S/Sgt Rosenstein, M. |
| 4 669th 43-9390 2A-G A-20G Lt Peck, W.A. S/Sgt Bergeron, A.E. S/Sgt Kelton, H.E. |
5 669th 43-9743 2A-W A-20G Lt Siggs, W.C. S/Sgt LaNave, O.D. S/Sgt Radlich, N. |
6 669th 43-9717 2A-N A-20G Lt Clark, H.B. Sgt Sabadosh, J.W. Sgt Floyd, C.F. |
| 1 669th 43-10135 2A-T A-20J Capt Huff, M.J. Lt Kupits, J. Sgt Vafiadis, C. Sgt Hoffman, R.C. |
2 669th 43-10147 2A-K A-20G Lt Tripp, W.F., Jr. Sgt Scott, J.O. S/Sgt Mallory, D.F. |
3 669th 43-9961 2A-E A-20G Lt Street, M.S. S/Sgt Prindle, C.A. S/Sgt Epps, E.T. |
| 4 669th 43-9900 2A-Q A-20G Lt Behlmer, R.L. T/Sgt Kelly, W.J. S/Sgt Ferguson, W.G. |
5 669th 43-9929 2A-C A-20G Lt Vleghels, A.J. Sgt Rice, R.W. Sgt Young, C.E. |
6 669th 43-9202 2A-B A-20G Lt Hayter, E.R. S/Sgt Melchoir, F.E. S/Sgt Holloway, R.G. |
| SPARE 671st 43-9711 5C-M A-20G Lt Merchant, W.A. S/Sgt Harp, C.J. S/Sgt Brown, K.P. [No Sortie] |
| 1 668th 43-9640 5H-Z A-20J Lt Osborne, A.E., Jr. Lt Forma, W. S/Sgt Coe, W.H. S/Sgt Kelly, E.E. |
2 670th 43-9455 F6-T A-20J Capt McNulty, G.M. Lt Bursiel, F.H. S/Sgt White, H.E. S/Sgt Addleman, R.F. |
3 668th 43-10210 5H-Q A-20G Lt Prentiss, R.B. S/Sgt McCreery, J.E. S/Sgt Sylva, H.J. |
| 4 668th 43-9907 5H-O A-20G Lt Ebenstein, G.N. S/Sgt Perkins, H., Jr. Sgt Newell, S.P. |
5 668th 43-9745 5H-I A-20G Lt Lesher, R.D. S/Sgt Hedrick, H.R. S/Sgt Antanaitis, A.J. |
6 668th 43-9684 5H-K A-20G Lt Kreh, E.B. Sgt Shelton, E.L. S/Sgt Schenck, D.R. |
| 1 670th 43-21467 F6-W A-20J Lt Rudisill, R.S. Lt Joost, R.H. S/Sgt Griffin, E.L. S/Sgt Maziasz, C.W. |
2 670th 43-9892 F6-L A-20G Lt Hall, R.B. Sgt Blackford, D.S. Sgt Burger, L.C. |
3 670th 43-9689 F6-I A-20G Lt Atkinson, P.G., Jr. S/Sgt Swafford, J.O., Jr. S/Sgt Glynn, F.P. |
| 4 670th 43-9750 F6-M A-20G Lt Ostrander, W.B. S/Sgt Wilson, J.E. S/Sgt Binney, I. |
5 670th 43-9387 F6-H A-20G Lt Sommers, D.T. Sgt Zaklikiewicz, S.R. Sgt Johnson, J.L. |
6 670th 43-10211 F6-O A-20G Lt Sewell, J.C. Sgt Martinez, L. Sgt Paules, E.F. |
| 1 671st 43-21711 5C-S A-20J Lt Marzolf, L.A. Lt Basnett, R.J. S/Sgt Wellin, H.E. S/Sgt Kutzer, L.G. |
2 671st 43-9363 5C-L A-20G Lt Adams, J.D. S/Sgt Clearman, P.L., Jr. S/Sgt Zeikus, A.J. |
3 671st 43-9951 5C-P A-20G Lt Henderson, F.W. Sgt Griswold, R.M. Sgt Coulombe, P.E. |
| 4 671st 43-9714 5C-N A-20G Lt Hixon, S.M. S/Sgt Troyer, R.J. S/Sgt Middleton, C.W. |
5 671st 43-9393 5C-K A-20G Lt Greenley, R.E. S/Sgt Worden, H.C. S/Sgt Rzepka, J.J. |
6 671st 43-9221 5C-F A-20G Lt Herman, A.E. Sgt Garrett, A.D. Sgt Young, J.O. |
| SPARE 671st 43-9220 5C-E A-20G Lt Murray, T.J., Jr. Sgt DeBower, D.H. Sgt Jones, R.J. [No Sortie] |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 77 -- June 15, 1944, Thursday AM
Lessay, France -- Railroad and Highway Bridges
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1944"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
On the 15th, we put them "in there" again. Maj. Price and Lt. Osborne led the two boxes in an attack on the bridges in Lessay. Bombing in flights of sixes, hits on a road bridge and a railroad bridge completely severed the railroad.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 97
Mission #77 - 15 June - AM - Lessay Bridge. Major Price and Lt. Hand, BN led Box I and Lts. Osborne and Forma, BN led Box II. Captain Conant and Lt. McBrien, BN flew deputy to Major Price. Flights were led by Lts. Morton and Madenfort, BN, - Captain Huff and Lt. Kupits, BN, Captain Rudisill and Joost, BN, and Lts. Marzolf and Basnett, BN. Bombing was by flights of six with good results over-all. Take off was in good weather, but on the way over the channel, they had to get down to about 500 feet over water. Fortunately, the clouds disappeared over the target area, allowing bombing at about 6000 feet. No flak was met, nor fighters. On the retun to base, Major Price kept the formation in position and buzzed the field with all 36 planes, an exciting display of precision, but not everybody is happy over events of that magnitude.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
On the morning of June 15th this group went out to attack and bomb two bridges located at Lessay, on the west side of the Cherbourg Peninsula. Bombing was done by flights of six aircraft each. The weather going out and over the Channel was very bad and sometimes the formation had to fly as low as 500 feet above the water. However, on approaching the peninsula, the over cast broke and the formation was able to climb to about six thousand feet from which altitude we did our bombing. The results were classed as good although a couple of the flights missed the target, but only by a short distance. No flak was encountered over the entire route and all of the planes returned to base safely... and in the same bad weather the formation took off in.
In the afternoon the 416th went out again. This time the target was a fuel and ammunition dump some ways beyond the bomb line and not very far west of Paris. In the meantime the weather over the continent had closed in and bombing had to be done at about three thousand feet. However, the group had another flak-free mission although some flak was thrown up at the formation in the Caen area. This was wild and inaccurate and did no damage. The fuel dump was left in flames and all of the planes returned to the base in tact. The following crews took part on the missions flown this date:
Morning Mission: Lessay
Afternoon Mission Dom Front Results: Excellent
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[June 15, 1944], HQ Twelfth Army Group situation map Map showing Western Allies and Axis troop position details in Western Europe as of approximately 1200 hours, June 15, 1944 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress |