798
17 January 1945
per son Ted Eisele
Object Number - UPL 33128 - My Dad, Karl Eisele, Jr. and Mom (Janet Eisele) marrying in Boise, Idaho as Dad was stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho shortly before...
Mission Details
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
BIELEFELD/SCHILDESCHE
Description: RAIL VIADUCT
BOKUM
Description: AIRFIELD
HAMBURG
Description: SUBMARINE PENS
HAMBURG/ALBRECHT
Description: OIL REFINERY
HAMBURG/RHENANIA
Description: OIL REFINERY
Notes: A mix of 61 P-47s and P-51s escort. Mix not given in available data.
HARBURG/RHENANIA
Description: OIL REFINERY
PADERBORN
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: 457th BG MISSION NO. 175 : PADERBORN, GERMANY : 17 JANUARY, 1945 The 457th comprised the 94th A Combat Wing with Lt. Cot. Francis as Air Commander for the Group and the 1st Division's A formation. The primary target was communication centers in Altenbeken. Combat Wing assembly was accomplished without incident. The Group Leader, having noted bad weather conditions, continued to climb above briefed altitude before reaching the first Control Point. Division assembly line was flown approximately as briefed. Over the Channel, the formation encountered increasingly difficult weather conditions, which continued from this point to the IP. Course was flown approximately as briefed except for slight deviations to the right and left. The IP was crossed approximately on course. The G-H equipment malfunctioned on the bomb run and lead was turned over the PEF aircraft after the formation had passed over the primary target. A 360 degree turn to the left was executed and a run in Group formation was made on railway workshops at Paderborn, the secondary target, located halfway between Munster and Kassel. The formation, in the process of turning, was too close to Paderborn for the PFF equipment to pick up the city for a normal PFF run. Bombs were released on the smoke markers of preceding groups. Cloud coverage was ten tenths and visibility was about three miles. Results were unobserved due to cloud coverage. Flak was moderate with three craft sustaining damage.
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: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner/ Togglier/ Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Pauline
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Lorraine
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Pleasure Bent
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Joyride : Big Chief Illiniwek
- Unit: 412th Bomb Squadron 95th Bomb Group
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Starduster
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Correction to Connection to reflect Bomb Divisions redesignation to Air Divisions from 1 Jan 1945.
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'.