DOCUMENT 53600

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401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 226, 11 Mar 1945, Bremen, Germany. Briefing took place at 0630 hours. Aircraft were loaded with 42 M-47 IB's. All operational aircraft were airborne by 1057 hours, but one ship made an emergency landing with one engine feathered. However, the crew immediately transferred to a ground spare and joined the formation. The two scheduled spares returned early, as there were no aborts. On this mission the 401st provided the three squadrons making up the 94th Combat Wing "C" Group. The primary target was once again covered by clouds, making it necessary to bomb using PFF (radar) techniques. While results could not be observed visually, later plotting gave good reason to believe that the results were good. No enemy aircraft were encountered, but flak, described as "meager and inaccurate", caused minor damage to seven of the Group's aircraft. In this case the 401st must have been in the wrong part of the sky because, of the 406 1st Air Division B-17's that attacked Bremen, only nine received battle damage, of which seven were sustained by the 401st! By 1640 hours all ships had landed from the mission. "Good fast landings!" according to Flying Control.

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Units

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: NOW GO!, Blue Bomb Express
French prisoners of war await transport home in a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-97931) nicknamed "Madame Queen" of the 401st Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'French POW's flown back to France after war. IN-Q then IW-A "Madame Queen".'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Madame queen
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
The mission board of the 457th Bomb Group. Official caption printed on image: '(GM-299-2-457)(16/5/45)(Op's Board's).'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Lady Vivian
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Satan's Chillen
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron

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Date:
Contributoracbernstein1
ChangesCreated entry with caption, unit associations, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations