Mission No. 224
13 Feb 1945
Station: A-73
Target: Railroad Bridge at Euskirchen, Germany
Time Of Take-Off: 11:05 / Time Over Target: 12:19 / Time Landed: 13:30
30 B-26 aircraft plus 3 Window aircraft plus 2 Pathfinder aircraft loaded with 4x1000LB General Purpose bombs were dispatched to attack an enemy Railroad Bridge at Euskirchen, Germany.
Weather enroute 5 to 6/10 low clouds with about 6 miles visibility, 2/10 low clouds with visibility of 3 to 4 miles over the target area.
The formation encountered Heavy, Moderate, Accurate FLAK from the woods south of Duren and near Zulpich, and Heavy, Intense, Accurate FLAK over the target area. 10 aircraft in the formation sustained battle damage.
After dropping their bombs, Lt. Dobda and crew in a/c 822-O got a direct flak hit on their right engine and navigator compartment. The engine caught fire, the aircraft lost speed, and then peeled to the right under control. One, then two parachutes were seen coming from the aircraft before it went into a flat spin and then broke in two at the aft bomb bay. 2 more parachutes were seen to emerge from the front section. All crew survived and became POW except the bombardier, 2/Lt. Gilbert T. Bennett. The crew later stated that he had got out of the nose section but couldn't get his parachute from the radio room due to an intense fire that had spread from the bomb bay.
Bombs from the 1st box fell in a split concentration about 15,000 feet NNW of DMPI in open fields. Results were assessed as UNSATISFACTORY.
About 40% of bombs from the 2nd box fell in a dispersed concentration about 1,000 feet S of DMPI with hits on 3 large and 7 medium factory type buildings, on road bridge and two roadways. The lead aircraft of Flt A Box II had a bomb rack malfunction and bombs were accidentally released early. One other aircraft toggled on this release and bombs fell NE of Zulpich at F-235330 in open fields. This point is about 7 miles WNW of P/T and 8 miles E of the bomb line. Results were assessed as GOOD.
At debriefing, many crews reported seeing an aircraft from the 344th group (that preceded the 391st group) explode.

SECTION VALUE
Field Order:456
Reel:B0440
Page Start:1197
Mission:224
Date Order Sent:12 Feb 1945
Zero Hour (Day number + Time):131000A
Target(s) (Primary, Secondary, Alternate):F-342295 Gee (Same as in "A")
Fighter Escort:
Rendezvous:
Route Out:Base to K-4045 to K-7347 to tgt.
Route Back:Right to F-1115 to K-7804 to base lose 1,000 ft.
Altitudes:1st box 12,500 ft 2nd box 12,000 ft.
Initial Point (IP):K-7347
Axis of Attack:110 deg.
Emergency Airdromes:NULL
Intervalometer Setting:30 ft.
Bomb Load:4x1000 GP 1/10 1/100.
Purpose/Notes/Time Over Target:Zero plus 80. Window acft will not bomb. Minm alt 8,000 ft. On Plan "B" if visual conditions exist, bombing will be done visually at the GP leader's discretion. If PFF acft fails to drop, Gps will attack secondary tgt. Annex No.1 zero hr for "A" and "B" now 131100A. The 344th and 391st Gps will call "wellfed" 15 min before troop line, for counter-battery fire, stating whether on time, late or early. The 391st Gp will call when ops are completed. Annex No.2 Cancel Plan "A" Plan "B" in effect.
OPFLASH
SECTION VALUE
Reel: B0440
Page: 1064
Field Order: 0
A(i) Target Ordered: Euskirchen R.R. Bridge F-342295
A(ii) Target Attacked:
B(i) Group: 391
B(ii) No. Of A/C Off By Type: 30 B-26s and 3 window plus 2 PFF
B(iii) No. A/C Failing To Bomb: (weather-personnel-mechanical-other): 3 window
B(iv) No. A/C Bombing: (primary-secondary-other): 29 B-26's plus 2 PFF 1 B-26 jettisoned on casual - Fussenich F-215345
C(i) Time Up: 11:05
C(ii) Time Over Target: 12:19
C(iii) Time Down: 13:30
D(i) No A/C: (missing-destroyed-damaged(cat. B-A/C)-Damaged(Cat. A)): 1 B-26 ship #822-O lost at the target. Hit by flak in right engine after bombs away 5 chutes seen 9 B-26 Cat A damage 1 B-26 Cat AC damage
D(ii) Enemy A/C: (destroyed-prob. Destroyed-Damaged):
D(iii) No. Crew: (killed-wounded-missing): 6 personnel missing
E. Results Of Bombing: Unobserved on primary Unobserved on casual
F(i)(A) Enemy Opposition Over Target:
F(i)(B) Enemy Opposition Elsewhere: nil
F(ii)(A) Flak Over Target:
F(ii)(B) Flak Elsewhere: Target - Euskirchen F-342295 intense accurate woods south of Duren F-137335 moderate accurate Zulpich F-231332 moderate accurate
G. info,Observations, Hot News:
H(i) Weather Affecting Bombing: enroute: 5 to 6/10 low clouds, vsby 6 miles. target: 2/10 low clouds, vsby 3 to 4 miles.
H(ii) Weather En Route:
I. Bombs On: (primary-secondary-other-jettisoned-returned): 114 x 1000 G.P. on primary 3 x 1000 G.P. jettisoned on casual - Fussenich F-215345 due to accidental release 3 x 1000 G.P. returned due to rack malfunction
J. Altitude Of Attack: 12,500 - 1st box 11,700 - 2nd box
View Crew Loading Lists for Mission No. 224
DIAGRAM NOTES:

Pilot and crew are not shown on crew loading lists where Squadron field of aircraft is blank.

All aircraft not participating in this mission (e.g. Spares, Abortive) are shown in yellow.

All aircraft damaged by FLAK are shown in orange.

All aircraft associated with an Accident or Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) for this mission are shown in red. Click on taxi code for details.


Box #0 - Lead Flight
Slentz
574
177-C
46
Emmert
573
820-S
24
Ellis
573
841-A
32

Box #1 - Lead Flight
Bartels
1PFS
442-U
Lloyd
573
451-D
28
Putnam
573
252-Z
22
Dobda
573
27
Box #1 - High Flight
Walter
573
842-B
26
Prince
573
144-V
30
Larsen
573
573-H
40
Mosher
573
248-N
25
Morris
573
806-C
23
Wanstreet
820-U
50
Ridgeway
319-R
31
Box #1 - Low Flight
Wetherbee
572
425-A
59
Lantz
572
427-B
59
Brown
572
799-T
PL
Bonde
572
806-M
65
Main
572
429-Y
68
Lipschultz
572
337-P
66

Box #2 - Lead Flight
Stone
1PFS
933-N
Hanish
575
843-J
3
Brooks
575
268-K
4
Timbers
575
678-M
8
Box #2 - High Flight
Lakin
575
441-Q
17
Horstman
575
841-T
16
Fagan
575
927-R
2
Cambier
575
418-X
9
Coult
575
902-F
10
Goble
575
913-W
5
Heslep
575
808-C
1
Box #2 - Low Flight
Peterson
572
803-K
65
Daniels
572
810-C
58
Chapin
572
748-Q
60
Penneman
572
812-D
58
Thiedeman
572
819-H
PL
Pancoast
572
740-V
68
Box #2 - Extra Flight/Spares
Spare Lead
810-W
Spare
975-H
RW
Spare
819-T
51