9th AF Patch

416th Bombardment Group (L)

Mission # 171 -- December 13, 1944, Wednesday AM

Gemund, Germany

Defended Village

 

 WWII-Medal

Previous Mission # 170            Mission List            Next Mission # 172

Return to Table of Contents


Summary of Operations

Field Order        : 90-668
OpRep #            : 254
Nature of Mission  : Bombing
Mission Status     : Attacked
Bombing Altitude   : 11,000 - 13,400 feet 		Take-off Time      : 1057
Time Over Target   : 1243 - 1300
Landing Time       : 1514
Duration (Hrs:Min) : 4:17
 

Place of Take-Off  : A-55 Melun/Villaroche, France
A/C Dispatched     : 39 Total -- 10 A-20's, 28 A-26's, 1 B-26 (PFF)
Modified British System Reference: F-125200
Secondary Target   : No Alternate Targets Authorized
Summary of Results : Bombing results Unobserved. Some flights bombed Tendorf area, some Schutz area, three ships dropped Window.

Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 50.57310,6.50119 (50° 34' 23" N, 6° 30' 4" E)
(Latitude/Longitude based on The "Coordinates Translator", (NGZ) wF125200)
(See Latitude/Longitude Coordinates and Target Identifiers for more information. Note: This coordinate represents the Primary Target Location, the Location actually attacked may differ)


Scanned original Mission 171 documents (multipage PDF files)

Mission Folder       Reports Folder       OpRep # 254       Fuel Use

If nothing happens on Click, check to see if the PDF file was automatically saved to your computer. Depending on Internet speed, the display or download may be slow.
These Public Domain, Declassified Mission documents were graciously provided to the 416th BG Archive by the dedicated staff of the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA).
An on-line index of records held by AFHRA up to 2001 is available at Air Force History Index.org.
Most of these PDF files are unaltered originals provided by the AFHRA, a few have been re-organized.
Pages may be out of sequence; files may contain scanned blank pages and/or pages scanned upside-down; some pages may be included in more than one file.
The "Mission Folder" usually contains the majority of documents for a Mission, including Field Orders, Status Reports, Pilot Interrogations, Photos (if available), etc.



Loading List 1

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


Loading List 2

Loading List 2, Box II


Target Topo Map

Primary Target area around MBS Coordinate (NGZ) wF125200
Extracted from GSGS-4416/AMS-M641 Sheet S1 - "Bonn" 1:100:000 Military Topographic Map
(Downloaded from Map Archive of Wojskowy Instytut Geograficzny 1919 - 1939,
GSGS 4416 / AMS M641, 651, 671 Germany, Poland, Middle Danube 1:100,000,
Bonn sheet)
(Note: This coordinate and map display represent the Primary Target Location, the Location actually attacked may differ)
(Annotated Full Map PDF)

Mission Loading Lists Transcription

Mission # 171 -- December 13, 1944, Wednesday AM
Gemund, Germany -- Defended Village

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.

Box I -- Flight I
  1  670th                   
  44-076  F6-Q  A-20K
  Maj Dunn, L.F.
  Lt Maltby, A.H.
  Sgt Majewski, S.J.
  S/Sgt Teran, A.		   2  668th                   
  44-108  5H-M  A-20K
  Capt Miracle, R.V.
  F/O McCartney, T.M.
  S/Sgt Galloway, A.F.
  S/Sgt Robinson, J.W.		   3  670th                   
  43-22315  F6-L  A-26B
  Capt Gruetzemacher, R.O.
  Sgt Hudnutt, L.W.
 
 

Box I -- Flight II
  1  668th                   
  43-9444  5H-J  A-20J
  Lt Mish, C.C.
  Lt Shaft, R.E.
  S/Sgt Clark, C.J., Jr.
  S/Sgt Chustz, R.F.		   2  668th                   
  41-39219  5H-E  A-26B
  Lt Montrose, J.H.
  S/Sgt Gandy, R.S.
 
  		  3  668th                   
  43-22317  5H-O  A-26B
  Lt Svenson, R.R.
  S/Sgt Fild, P.G.
 
 
  4  668th                   
  41-39259  5H-H  A-26B
  Lt Colquitt, J.K.
  S/Sgt Hantske, D.
 
  		  5  668th                   
  41-39218  5H-C  A-26B
  Lt Russell, R.A.
  Sgt Miller, W.A.
 
  		  6  668th                   
  43-22302  5H-D  A-26B
  Lt Roberts, W.H.
  Sgt Windisch, R.P.
 
 

Box I -- Flight III
  1  668th                   
  43-22290  5H-L  A-26B
  Lt Stanley, C.S.
  F/O Blount, J.H., Jr.
  Sgt Collier, C.B.
  		  2  668th                   
  41-39269  5H-K  A-26B
  Lt Chalmers, J.J.
  Sgt Fortner, K.
  Lt Mazanec, F.
  		  3  668th                   
  41-39233  5H-F  A-26B
  Lt McCready, T.D.
  S/Sgt Lemonds, W.E.
 
 
  4  668th                   
  41-39214  5H-B  A-26B
  Lt Wright, J.W.
  Sgt Pettinicchi, A.
 
  		  5  668th                   
  41-39216  5H-Q  A-26B
  Lt Parkhurst, G.J.
  Sgt Newman, F.
 
  		  6  671st                   
  43-22326  5C-W  A-26B
  Lt Blevins, J.W.
  S/Sgt Pfenning, G.H.
 
 

Box I
  SPARE  669th               
  43-22344  2A-C  A-26B
  Lt Clark, H.B.
  S/Sgt Sabadosh, J.W.
  Cpl Nelson, P.J.
  [Nelson (4th CCU)]
  		                                                           

Box I -- Flight WINDOW
  1  669th                   
  44-178  2A-L  A-20K
  Capt Peck, W.A.
  Lt Madenfort, J.
  S/Sgt Burland, A.J.
  S/Sgt Heath, K.		   2  669th                   
  43-22024  2A-E  A-20J
  Lt Renth, E.J., Jr.
  Sgt Moskowitz, L.
  Cpl Brinkman, E.R.
  		  3  670th                   
  44-614  F6-A  A-20K
  Lt Johnson, E.L.
  T/Sgt Goggin, J.F.
  Sgt Paladino, D.V.
 


Box II -- Flight I
  1  670th                   
  44-173  F6-W  A-20K
  Capt Harrold, F.J., Jr.
  Lt Brewer, W.E., Sr.
  S/Sgt Kidd, W.L.
  Cpl Bowie, E.A.		   2  669th                   
  44-075  2A-J  A-20K
  Lt Miller, E.L.
  Lt Conner, J.K.
  Sgt Malloy, J.F.
  S/Sgt Pemberton, J.M.		   3  670th                   
  43-22334  F6-G  A-26B
  Lt Merritt, T.S.
  Sgt Basile, A.C.
 
 
  4  670th                   
  41-39217  F6-I  A-26B
  Lt Heinke, W.R.
  S/Sgt VanWert, G.R.
 
  		  5  670th                   
  41-39223  F6-B  A-26B
  Lt Brown, N.G.
  S/Sgt Ottaviano, J.O.
 
  		  6  670th                   
  41-39224  F6-E  A-26B
  Lt Barausky, P.P.
  Pvt Wilson, B.R.
 
 

Box II -- Flight II
  1  671st                   
  44-106  5C-E  A-20K
  Lt Buskirk, J.A.
  Lt Hanna, R.C.
  S/Sgt Corbitt, C.H., Jr.
  S/Sgt Mahoney, R.J.		   2  671st                   
  41-39211  5C-K  A-26B
  Capt Tutt, R.J.
  Sgt Wood, W.D.
 
  		  3  671st                   
  43-22291  5C-Z  A-26B
  Lt Withington, D.L., III
  S/Sgt Huss, C.F.
 
 
  4  671st                   
  41-39239  5C-N  A-26B
  Lt Zubon, M.
  S/Sgt Davis, H.R.
 
  		  5  671st                   
  43-22313  5C-B  A-26B
  Lt Milhorn, G.L.
  Sgt Chest, D.
 
  		  6  671st                   
  41-39234  5C-P  A-26B
  Lt Cocke, J.B.
  S/Sgt MacCartney, W.A.
 
 

Box II -- Flight III
  1  669th                   
  41-39252  2A-D  A-26B
  Capt Stebbins, B.D.
  Lt Calloway, A.S.
  S/Sgt Brown, W.J.
  		  2  669th                   
  41-39229  2A-B  A-26B
  Maj Ferris, C.H.
  Lt Lytle, W.M.
  Sgt Rio, D.J.
  		  3  669th                   
  43-22292  2A-H  A-26B
  Lt Street, M.S.
  S/Sgt Sharp, R.P., Jr.
  [Landed at A-81C]
 
 
  4  669th                   
  41-39242  2A-Q  A-26B
  Lt Kehoe, J.W.
  Cpl Richardson, L.L.
 
  		  5  669th                   
  43-22300  2A-P  A-26B
  Lt VanRope, R.W.
  Cpl Graham, R.F.
  Pfc Stindt, G.S.
  [Stindt (4th CCU)]
  		  6  669th                   
  41-39244  2A-I  A-26B
  Lt VanMeter, G.C., Jr.
  Cpl Kirik, S.J.
 
 

Box II
  SPARE  671st               
  41-39284  5C-C  A-26B
  Lt VanNoorden, H.M.
  S/Sgt Thompson, G.H., Jr.
 
  		                                                           


Group and Unit Histories

Mission # 171 -- December 13, 1944, Wednesday AM
Gemund, Germany -- Defended Village


"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1944"
Transcribed from USAF Archives

Again on the 13th the planes took off. This time the target was the defended village of Gemund. Again the equipment in the PPF plane failed over the target. The first box, led by Major Dunn, followed the PPF plane to the Tendorf area where they bombed on Gee equipment in the PPF plane. The second box, led by Capt. Harrold, Lt. Brewer, B-N, bombed the Schutz area using the Gee equipment in Capt. Harrold's plane. Results were unobserved because of the 10/10th cloud cover over both areas.


"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
 Page 177

Mission #171 - 13 December - Germund, Germany. Major Dunn and Lt. Maltby, BN led Box I with Captain Hanold and Lt. Brewer, BN leading Box II. Other flights led by Lts. Buskirk and Hanna, BN, - Lts. Mish and Shaft, BN, - Lts. Stanley and Blount, BN - Lts. Miracle and McCartney, BN. Another snafu on the PFF equipment prevented our group from dropping on the primary target. The Pathfinders turned to Blankenheim as a secondary target and dropped on GEE technique. The second box picked the village of Schultz to hit, with success. No enemy action deterred the missions.


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

The defended village of Gemund was attacked on the 13th. Eight 670th crews took part. More pathfinder equipment failure plus 10/ 10th cloud cover forced the first box, led by Major Dunn and Lieutenant Maltby, to bomb on Gee equipment, hitting the Tondorf area in Germany. Captain Harrold and Lieutenant Brewer, leading the second box, also bombed with Gee equipment and hit the Schutz area. Results were unobserved.


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

December 13th, 1944

Another defended town in the path of the U.S. First Army was the target for attack by the 416th Invader force on the afternoon of December 13th . Bombing was to be done by the Pathfinder technique, but the PFF was snafued. Not having received the release signal the B-26 bombed the village of Blankenheim on Gee. Box 1 dropping on this lead, Box 11 bombed the village of Schutz on the Gee equipment of the box leader. Neither of these towns were the primary, but were in the same vicinity as Gemund, the primary. No photo coverage or visual observation was possible due to clouds. There was no flak encountered on the trip.



[December 13, 1944], HQ Twelfth Army Group situation map

Map showing Western Allies and Axis troop position details in Western Europe
as of approximately 1200 hours, December 13, 1944
World War II Military Situation Maps Collection
Library of Congress

Previous Mission # 170            Mission List            Next Mission # 172

Return to Table of Contents