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476

16 July 1944

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Official description

Not yet known

Description

Not yet known

Mission details

1.

Description

BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 123.5 T

2.

Description

BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 5 T

3. AUGSBURG (Primary)

Description

AIRCRAFT FACTORY

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 157.9 T

4. MUNICH AERO ENGINE WORKS (Primary)

Description

AIRCRAFT FACTORY

Aircraft type

B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes

Attacks are frustrated by cloud cover.

1st Bomb Division was made up of 91st Bomb Group, 92nd Bomb Group, 303rd Bomb Group, 305th Bomb Group, 306th Bomb Group, 351st Bomb Group, 379th Bomb Group, 381st Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group, 398th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group.

Targets in Germany, especially aircraft plants and oil production are heavily defended by AA batteries and the Luftwaffe, although crippled and decimated in France still comes up after the bombers.

MISSION NO. 89

457th BG -MUNICH, GERMANY - 16 JULY, 1944

Munich, having received a two-day respite, was the objective for the fourth time in six days of the striking power of American heavy bombers. The field order was the same as before. Bomb Allach if weather permits. Bomb Munich if clouds obscure the ground.

The 457th Group dispatched thirty-six planes aloft to comprise the lead and low boxes of the 94th A Combat Wing, with Major Hozier and Lt. Russell M. Selwyn leading in a PFF plane. Major Dickinson led the low box. After a normal assembly, the formation, sixth in the Division line, proceeded across the North Sea to the Scheldt Islands. Again no variation or deception had been put in the penetration route. It was exactly the same as the last three missions.

The flight south over Belgium and thence southeast over northern France, Luxembourg and Germany, to a point fifty miles from the IP was uneventful. The cloud cover increased to ten- tenths near Stuttgart and rose abruptly from 14,000 to 22,000 feet. Dense and persistent contrails interfered with the formation flying. The Division formation became disrupted. A turn northeast was executed to hold it intact.

The IP was far to the south as it was passed, still the course was held although Munich was fifty miles to the south. Finally, when a turn was made for a run on the city, Regensburg lay directly beneath the thick clouds which now had risen to 26,000 feet. The bomb run would be from the northeast instead of the northwest. The bombs were released from 27,000 feet. It was therefore certain that the bombs landed in the center of the city. At this height the flak, though intense, was vely inaccurate. Much of it was a thousand or more feet below.

After bombing, the Wing formation proceeded in the return route by itself. The aircraft returned without loss. Four times in six days southern Germany had borne the weight of more than one thousand American heavy bombers.

Units

  • 1st Bomb Division

    1st Bomb Division

    Division
    The groups under the command of the 1st Bomb Wing came under the command of the 1st Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.

  • 457th Bomb Group

    457th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 457th Bomb Group began combat operations during the Big Week of 20-25 February when American bombers carried out concentrated raids against German aircraft bases, factories and assembly plants. The air crews' targets on that first mission were...

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 492.1 T

5. SAARBRUCKEN (Primary)

Description

MARSHALLING YARDS

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392nd Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Group, 448th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group, 489th Bomb Group,492nd Bomb Group. 491st Bomb Group stands down.

Units

  • 2nd Bomb Division

    2nd Bomb Division

    Division
    The groups under the command of the 2nd Bomb Wing came under the command of the 2nd Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 1143.3 T

6. STUTTGART (Primary)

Description

AIRCRAFT FACTORY

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 119.8 T

7. STUTTGART (Secondary)

Description

INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

3rd Bomb Division was made up of B-17s is 94th Bomb Group, 95th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group. 100th Bomb Group stands down.

Units

  • 3rd Bomb Division

    3rd Bomb Division

    Division
    The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 495.2 T

Service

People

  • George Brand

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group
    2nd Lt George C Brand flew 34 missions with the 401st Bomb Group, from 6 July 1944, mission to 30 October 1944. Brand was French, but enlisted in the US Army Air Forces,

  • Warren Callahan

    Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
    Warran Callahan served as a co-pilot with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.

  • Clayton Christiansen

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
    Clayton Robert Christiansen went by the name Bob or his initials C.R. most of his life. He had 2 older ...

  • Lee Conner

    Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 448th Bomb Group
    Lee's original aircraft was named "Do Bunny", after his soon to be wife, Doris Christianson (Frank Christianson's sister). However; upon arrival at Wales, the aircraft they named was given to another crew.

  • Morgan Cox

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group

  • Charles Evans

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 458th Bomb Group
    The 50-page description of CPT Evans' military service is found at http://www.2ndair.org.uk/consumption/groups/public/documents/article/ncc175528.pdf (as listed in http://www.2ndair.org.uk/Second_Air_Division/Wartime_memories/index.htm).

  • Charles Gordon

    Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier/Navigator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Charles Gordon flew 17 missions as a navigator and 18 as a bombardier with the 44th Bomb Group, flying missions out of Shipdham, England. ...

  • Robert Kaufman

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 457th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 750BS, 457BG, 8AF USAAF. Survived ditching in B-17G 42-38063 'GI Virgin'.

  • Bernard Kellenyi

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
    After enlisting in the Army Air Corps in March 1943 and earning his degree in Architecture from Catholic University he was accepted at Flight School. Flight training was completed at bases in Florida, Ohio and Arkansas. He received orders to pilot a B...

  • William Lenco

    Military | Captain | Co-Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
    MACR 7381. B-24 AC # 41-29387 'THE SNARK'. AC put through violent actions to avoid flak on mission on 8 Aug 1944. 4 crewman bailed out and were captured. Remaining crew returned to England, but forced to crash land at Manston. RTD.

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Aircraft

  • 42-102435 Double Wallop

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 3/3/44; Dorval 10/3/44; Assigned RAF [HB784]; transferred USAAF 31/3/44; Assigned 562BS/388BG [B] Knettishall 1/7/44; Missing in Action Munich 31/7/44 with Jim Crider, Co-pilot: Fred Gordon, (no nav), Bombardier: Bill Stewart, Flight...

  • 42-107062 Worry Bird/Miss Bea Haven

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 9/2/44; Rapid City 2/3/44; Dow Fd 3/4/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 25/4/44; no ops, transferred 562BS/388BG Knettishall 29/4/44 WORRY BIRD; Returned to the USA Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 29/11/45;...

  • 42-31610 Liberty Belle

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 29/11/43; Cheyenne 10/12/43; Kearney 21/12/43; Romulus 6/1/44; Presque Is 9/1/44; Nutts Corner 15/1/44; Assigned 322BS/91BG [LG-M] Bassingbourn 1/2/44; Missing in Action Munich 16/7/44 with Don DeLisle, Co-pilot: Norman Kimmel,...

  • 42-38013 "NEVADA AVENGER"

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 26/11/43; New Castle 10/12/43; Presque Is 15/12/43; Assigned 547BS/384BG [SO-C] Grafton Underwood 21/1/44; sal battle damaged 27/4/44. NEVADA AVENGER. ...

  • 42-97105 Paper Doll

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Selfridge Fld 3/2/44; Dorval 4/3/44; Assigned RAF [HB-768]; transferred 561BS/388BG Knettishall 13/3/44; Missing in Action Parchim 7/4/45 with Lew Hickman, Arnold Wolf, Cawthorn Perdue, Albt Vawter, Herman Meyer (5 Prisoner of War); John...

  • 42-97760

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 16/2/44; 1SAG Langley 12/3/44; Dow Fd 29/5/44; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 31/5/44; Salvaged 9AF Germany 11/1/46.

  • 42-95021 San Antonio Rose

    B-24 Liberator

  • 42-110078 Shoo-Shoo Baby

    B-24 Liberator

  • 41-51121 Niagara Special

    B-24 Liberator

  • 42-50313 Wabash Cannon Ball

    B-24 Liberator

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
03 June 2015 13:29:37 general ira snapsorter Changes to event
Sources

Mission details added courtesy of Diane Elizabeth Reese from 457th Bomb Group Mission Documents. http://www.457thbombgroup.org/
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:43:07 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

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'.

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