8th Air Force 908
23 March 1945Owner of source material
Description
Narrative - Official Air Force Mission Description
Mission 908: The Allied ground assault across the lower Rhine River begins; 1,276 bombers and 499 fighters visually attack rail targets in W and C Germany; they claim 1-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 bombers are lost:
1. 319 B-24s are sent to hit the Rheine Bridge (79) and the Osnabruck (80) and Munster (142) marshalling yards; 2 others hit Hoya Airfield, a target of opportunity; 3 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 95 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 3 WIA and 35 MIA. Escorting are 79 of 80 P-51s.
2. 519 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards Hengstey (113), Giesecke (91), Holzwickede (184) and the Unna yard at Dormund (38); secondary targets hit are Meschede (19) and marshalling yards at Siegen (93) and Marburg (10); targets of opportunity are Herdecke (10), Haliger (1) and Schwerte (10); 3 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 178 damaged; 6 airmen are KIA, 4 WIA and 27 MIA. 82 P-51s escort.
3. 438 B-17s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Coesfeld (145), Recklinghausen (120) and Gladbeck (141); targets of opportunity are Hechfeldt (12) and the marshalling yard at Westerholt (13); 1 B-17 is lost; 3 airmen are WIA and 10 MIA. The escort is 71 of 79 P-51s.
4. 125 of 131 P-51s fly a fighter sweep of the Bremen-Kassel area; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 0-0-1 on the ground. 5. 71 of 84 P-51s fly a sweep for the Ninth AF.
6. 16 P-51s escort 15 F-5s and 4 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
7. 25 of 27 P-51s fly weather reconnaissance missions.
Source: The Eighth Air Force Historical Society - http://www.8thafhs.org/new/incl_missions.php
Source: THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by Carter / Mueller, the Office of Air Force History
"2,500 Heavies Hit Reich's Industries"
"The giant Allied air onslaught on the Ruhr roared into another day yesterday as estimated 2,500 heavy bombers and fighters joined Continental-based tactical forces in blistering marshalling yards, railroad bridges and troop concentration centers in the Reich's smoldering industrial area.
The 8th Airforce led the attack with a salient of 1,250 heavies and 350 fighters which battled through intense flak to pound at ten marshalling yards and junctions in and around the Ruhr. Once again the bombers, made their assaults through ideal weather, and airmen returned with precisely drawn accounts of bombs plummeting down directly on objectives.
The Fortress and Liberators struck at yards in Osnabruck, Rheine, Munster and Coesfeld, on the northern fringe of the Ruhr; in Reckingshausen and Gladbeck, in heart of the area; and in Hengstey, Unna-Dortmund, Holzwickede and Siegen, east and southeast of the Ruhr.
Mission Details
BREMEN-KASSEL
Description: FIGHTER SWEEP
COESFELD
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
DORTMUND/UNNA
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Mission Statistics
- Aircraft sent: 38
- Aircraft effective: 37
- Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 1
- Aircraft damaged: 2
GIESECKE
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
GLADBECK
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
HECHFELDT
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
HENGSTEY
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
HERDECKE
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
HOLZWICKEDE / 59439 Holzwickede, Germany
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
HOYA
Description: AIRFIELD
MARBRUG
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
MESCHEDE
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
MUNSTER
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
OSNABRUCK
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
RECKLINGHAUSEN
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: 457th BG MISSION NO. 216 : RECKLINGHAUSEN, GERMANY : 23 MARCH, 1945 The target was the marshalling yards at Recklinghausen. Even though these yards were last attacked by the RAF on the night of 20 March, photographs indicated all facilities were 100 Percent serviceable. The Group comprised the 94th B Combat Wing with Lt. Colonel Smith as Air Commander. Course over England was flown as briefed until the 94th A Group swung right of course. The 457th Group followed in trail, but on course Division assembly line was flown slightly right of course and in the Division column. Route to the IP was flown as briefed. The IP was crossed on course. Cloud coverage at the target was nil. Bombing was done visually in squadron formation. A slight ground haze and smoke caused interference in sighting. Bombs were dropped from 25,000 feet. Bomb results as shown by strike photos were excellent. Flak was moderate, but accurate, with 25 craft sustaining damage.
RHEINE
Description: RAIL BRIDGE
Notes: The Allied ground assault across the lower Rhine River begins, OPERATION VARSITY; 1,276 bombers and 499 fighters attack rail targets in Western & Central Germany. The once mighty Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe are on their last legs, victory in Europe is rapidly approaching.
SCHWERTE
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
SIEGEN
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
WESTERHOLT
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Flight Officer
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator, Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Flight Officer
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 3rd Air Division 13th Combat Bomb Wing 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Cover Girl
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Ol Scrapiron
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 711th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Homesick Angel
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Mary Alice
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Top O The Mark
- Unit: 458th Bomb Group 752nd Bomb Squadron 754th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner
Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields; pp. 300-301
John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner
Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields; pp. 300-301
Entry by John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner
Source: The Eighth Air Force Historical Society - http://www.8thafhs.org/new/incl_missions.php
Source: THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by Carter / Mueller, the Office of Air Force History
Official Website of 385th Bomb Group Association Database-Missions
Virginia Wise, eldest daughter of Lester Allen Wise, who flew on this mission with Jack Q. Means as co-pilot.
Virginia Wise, eldest daughter of Lester Allen Wise, B-17 (43-39056) pilot, 8th Air Force, 385th Bomb Group, flew on this mission from Great Ashfield, England to Giesecke, 23 Mar 1945.
Virginia Wise, eldest daughter of Lester Allen Wise, B-17 (43-39056), pilot of 385th Bomb Group flew on this mission to Giesecke, 23 Mar 1945
Valor to Victory website - account of the mission: http://valortovictory.tripod.com/1945-03.htm
Mission details added courtesy of Diane Elizabeth Reese from 457th Bomb Group Mission Documents. http://www.457thbombgroup.org/
Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'.