401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 215, 25 Feb 1945, Munich, Berlin. Briefing took place at 0330 hours. Aircraft loading was six 500 pound RDX's plus 6 M17 IB's. Assembly at 7,500 feet at Cottesmore Buncher. At 0730 hours Flying Control noted: "All aircraft airborne in dark takeoff. Good show." Three of the ships were forced to abort, two with propellers feathered. The 401st again put up three squadrons making up the 94th Combat Wing "B" Group. The primary target, the marshalling yards at Munich, were bombed visually. While a great deal of smoke from bombs dropped by preceding groups covered the area, which was also well camoflaged, strike photos indicated that the Group's bombs had hit in the target area, with results classified as good to excellent. There was no enemy air opposition. Flak over the target was moderate but generally inaccurate and caused no damage. However, the Group ran into accurate flak bursts over the German border resulting in damage to eleven aircraft. By 1703 hours all but three aircraft had returned from the mission, the three having landed at other bases because they were running low on fuel. The last of the three landed back at Deenthorpe at 1757 hours.

401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 190, 3 Jan 1945, Hermulheim, Germany. Briefing took place at 0430 hours, and all 39 aircraft were off by 0822 "Good take off!" One ship landed with No. 1 engine out and the crew shifted to a ground spare, taking off at 0910 hours. However, the crew could not find the formation and were forced to return early. One spare also returned early and another ship aborted because of engine failure. This mission was intended to disrupt German supplies to its troops, still engaging Allied forces in the Battle of the Bulge. The three squadrons of the 401st made up the 94th Combat Wing "A" Group. Bombing was conducted in Group formation using the Gee-H (radio beam) technique. Solid undercast prevented assessment of results. Meager but inaccurate flak was encountered over the Cologne area, but no enemy aircraft were sighted. The Group suffered no battle damage or casualties.

401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 194, 10 Jan 1945, Euskirchen, Germany. Briefing took place at 0600 hours. Deenethorpe had been snowed in the previous day, but by working all night utility crews were able to clear the runway and perimeter track. At the briefing heavy emphais was placed on careful taxiing and wide intervals between aircraft. Notwithstanding the problems, all operational aircraft were off by 0958 hours. At 1220 hours a Lead Squadron aircraft returned early, with No 1 engine feathered, went off the runway momentarily but recovered. By by 1600 hours all but aicraft had returned safely. With snow and ice on the runway, it was difficult for pilots to keep their ships from sliding forward with brakes locked while applying maximum takeoff power. However, all of the Group's aircraft made it, clearing trees at the end of the runway by a matter of feet. The 401st, which put up three squadrons comprising the 94th Combat Wing "A" Group, was to have been led by Major Jere Maupin. However, when his ship was forced to abort, the lead was taken over by Lt. Louis Lawrence, flying Deputy Lead position of the Lead Squadron. Bombing was conducted by the Gee-H (radio beam) technique through heavy clouds. However, a break in the clouds permitted strikes to be seen at the northern edge of the target airfield and on the railroad and autobahn. Because of high winds, the High Squadron became separated from the 401st and bombed with another Group. No fighters were encountered, and flak was meager and inaccurate, resulting in minor battle damage to two aircraft. However, the ship piloted by Lt. R. B. Thompson lost two engines over the target and made a forced landing in Belgium. When he was unable to land on the runway of a small fighter strip occupied by a Polish RAF squadron, Lt. Thompson was forced to fly between two chimneys 120 feet apart, under an electric power line and over a house before crash landing in an open field. None of the crew was injured, but his airplane, "Hard Seventeen", was a total loss.

401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 195, 13 Jan 1945, Maximiliansau, Germany. Briefing took place at 0530 hours. Loading was six 1,000 pound bombs and 2,500 gallons of gas. Assembly at Kingscliffe, with the lead squadron at 10,000 feet. By 0928 all but one aircraft, which encountered a mechanical problem, were airborne. At 1017 one of the spare aircraft returned with Engine No. 1 propeller feathered. At 1000 hours Deenthorpe Flying Control was advised that, upon return from the mission, its aircraft would be diverted to Woodbridge. However, at 1606, one aircraft landed at Deenethorpe with a wounded crewman aboard, not having heard the diversion message. At 2000 hours, Flying Control was notified that all but three of the missing 401st aircraft had landed at Woodbridge. On this mission to bomb the Rhine River railroad bridge at Maximiliansau, the 401st put up three squadrons comprising the 94th Combat Wing "B" Group. Good weather permitted visual bombing, which was carried out with excellent results--bomb strikes directly on the target. As a result, the squadrons led by Capt.P.E. Campbell and Capt. Harlan were commended by 94th Combat Wing Headquarters for their work. No enemy aircraft were encountered, but flak was intense. As a result, 12 aircraft suffered battle damage, and three crew members were wounded. They were T/Sgt. Robert R. Rowe, Cpl. John F. Collins, and S/Sgt. Leonard C. Stewart. Sadly, Lt. Louis Lawrence, Jr., who had ably taken over the lead from Major Maupin on the previous mission (Mission No. 195) was struck in the head by flak. While his crew landed his ship in France near a hospital, he died that night.

401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 195, 13 Jan 1945, Maximiliansau, Germany. Briefing took place at 0530 hours. Loading was six 1,000 pound bombs and 2,500 gallons of gas. Assembly at Kingscliffe, with the lead squadron at 10,000 feet. By 0928 all but one aircraft, which encountered a mechanical problem, were airborne. At 1017 one of the spare aircraft returned with Engine No. 1 propeller feathered. At 1000 hours Deenthorpe Flying Control was advised that, upon return from the mission, its aircraft would be diverted to Woodbridge. However, at 1606, one aircraft landed at Deenethorpe with a wounded crewman aboard, not having heard the diversion message. At 2000 hours, Flying Control was notified that all but three of the missing 401st aircraft had landed at Woodbridge. On this mission to bomb the Rhine River railroad bridge at Maximiliansau, the 401st put up three squadrons comprising the 94th Combat Wing "B" Group. Good weather permitted visual bombing, which was carried out with excellent results--bomb strikes directly on the target. As a result, the squadrons led by Capt.P.E. Campbell and Capt. Harlan were commended by 94th Combat Wing Headquarters for their work. No enemy aircraft were encountered, but flak was intense. As a result, 12 aircraft suffered battle damage, and three crew members were wounded. They were T/Sgt. Robert R. Rowe, Cpl. John F. Collins, and S/Sgt. Leonard C. Stewart. Sadly, Lt. Louis Lawrence, Jr., who had ably taken over the lead from Major Maupin on the previous mission (Mission No. 195) was struck in the head by flak. While his crew landed his ship in France near a hospital, he died that night.

401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 197, 17 Jan 1945, Paderborn, Germany. Group briefing took place at 0600 hours. Aircraft were loaded with six 1,000 pound bombs and 2,600 gallons of gas. By 1020 all operational aircraft were airborne, and the three spares landed early as planned. At 1445 one ship reurned with a broken propeller shaft. By 1624 all operational aircraft had returned. The 401st furnished the three squadrons making up the 94th Combat Wing "B" Group on this mission. Because a solid undercast prevented bombing the primary target at Altenberken, the Group bombed rail facilities at Paderborn. As a result of a Gee-H malfunction, bombing was conducted by the PFF (radar) method, with unobserved results. No enemy aircraft and no flak were encountered--a "milk run" for the crews.

401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 201, 29 Jan 1945, Bad Kreuznach, Germany During the night a total of 16 RAF Halifax bombers landed at Deenethorpe and were parked on Runway 05. They will be refueled and leave in the morning. Briefing of the Group took place at 0430 hours. All but two of the operational aircraft were off by 0816 hours, and the two who had been delayed were airborne by 0859 hours. All 401st aircraft had returned by 1532 hours. Flying Control reported: "Snowing again". The 401st not only provided the three squadrons making up the 94th Combat Wing "A" Group but led the entire 1st Air Division. Because the primary target, rail workshops at Siegen, Germany, was completely obscured by clouds, a run was started on the secondary target. However, the Gee-H system failed, and as a backup a PFF run was ordered. By that time it was too late to attack the secondary, so bombs were dropped by PFF (radar)on the town of Bad Kreuznach. No flak or fighters were encountered, and no battle damage or casualties were reported.

401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 204, 6 Feb 1945, Giessen (T.O.) Eisfeld (T.O.) Germany. Briefing took place at 0415 hours. Aircraft loading was ten 500 pound GP's. During takeoff, one ship reported engine problems and was told to circle the field until called in. Another ship had a flat tire when in No. 3 in takeoff position. Within ten minutes the ship had been cleared from the runway, and takeoff proceeded. While the ship with engine trouble landed and the crew attempted to take off in a ground spare, they were unable to make the formation. One other aircraft was also forced to abort. Upon return fourteen ships were diverted to other airfields in England by bad weather, and two landed on the Continent. The 401st provided the three squadrons making up the 94th Combat Wing "A" Group plus another squadron which flew with the 94th CW Composite "B" Group. Because the clear weather expected over Germany didn't materialize, one secondary and 13 targets of opportunity were attacked instead. Since bombing was by PFF (radar), no results were observed. No enemy fighters were encountered, but meager and accurate flak was met in two different places and caused minor battle damage to five aircraft. With regard to the two aircraft that landed on the Continent, the Group History remarks, "a weekend in Paris maybe?". In fact, the crews returned immediately.

401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 205, 9 Feb 1945, Lutzkendorf (Primary) Eisenach (T.O.) Germany. The Group was briefed at 0530 hours. Aircraft loading was ten 500 pound GP's and 2,780 gallons of gas. One aircraft, on takeoff, could not unlock its tailwheel u and went off the runway, necessitating a change from Runway 23 to Runway 28. All aircraft were airborne by 0945 hours. Gale warnings were received at 1340 hours, with winds of 50 miles per hour. By 1755 hours, all operational aircraft had returned except three which landed at other bases in England or on the Continent. The 401st provided the three squadrons making up the 94th Combat Wing "C" Group on this mission. The target was covered by 8/10's to 10/10th's clouds, but the Lead and Low Squadrons bombed through breaks in the clouds. While the Lead Squadron's photos were obscured by clouds, photos indicated that the Low Squadron's bombs landed in the area of the assigned MPI. The High Squadron was unable to pick up the target but made an excellent PFF (radar) run on a target of last resort, with only partially observed results. No enemy air opposition was encountered by the bomber force, although Allied fighters downed 24 German aircraft. Flak was meager to moderate and resulted in minor damage to seven aircraft. One ship (44-6113) piloted by Lt. Richard R. Scheller, forced landed on the Continent and was abandoned.

401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 206, 10 Feb 1945, Dulmen, Germany. Briefing took place at 0445 hours. Aircraft loading was six 1,000 pound G.P.'s. and 2,500 gallons of gas. Assembly to be at 21,500 feet. After briefing, taxi and takeoff times were delayed by one hour and then delayed indefinitely, with crews ordered to stand by in their dispersals. Finally, takeoff was ordered for 0945 hours, and all operational aircraft were airborne by 1037 hours. All ships had returned by 1719 hours except one aircraft that landed at Halesworth with engine trouble. The 401st furnished three squadrons comprising the 94th Combat Wing (C) Group. The primary target, a tactical target in Wesel, Germany, was to be bombed only by visual sighting. As cloud cover foreclosed that possibility, the Group bombed the secondary target at Dulmen by Gee-H means, with no results observed or photographed. No enemy air opposition or flak were encountered.