28 February 1945
8th Air Corp., 390th Bomb Group, 571 Squadron - 1943-45 "Cabin In The Sky" crew: Leonard B. Welton Jr. (pilot), Lt. Meyer Rothchild (B), Lt. Walter H. Weinberg (CP), Lt. James C. Smith, Sgt. Robert A. Kelly, T. Sgt. Denzel D. Martin (Engineer/Top Turrent Gunner) back row right end, Sgt. John W. Cox, Sgt. Blair L. Weamer, Sgt. Stanley F. Ostrowski.
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BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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This is a fighter-bomber strafing mission.
VIADUCT
B-24 Liberator
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Group
As well as strategic bombardment missions, the 453rd Bomb Group also ferried cargo on two occasions. They hauled petrol, blankets, and rations to France in September 1944 and dropped ammunition, food and medical supplies near Wesel during the airborne...
VIADUCT
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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TANK FACTORY
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HIGHWAY JUNCTION
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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MARSHALLING YARDS
B-17 Flying Fortress
457th BG MISSION NO. 198 : SOEST, GERMANY : 28 FEBRUARY, 1945
Marshalling yards were designated as the highest priority transportation targets in the Ruhr Valley. Today's target for the 457th was in the high priority category, the marshalling yards at Soest. Second only to the Hamm yards, it handled the heaviest traffic from the Ruhr Valley to central Europe.
The Group comprised the 94th C Combat Wing, with Major Spencer as Air Commander. Assembly in the Wing formation and Division line were without incident. The route over the Continent until just before the IP was flown as briefed. Slight deviations off course were made in order to remain in Division formation.
At the IP, the G-H equipment of the lead squadron was not functioning properly and the lead was turned over to the high squadron G-H craft. A G-H bomb run was made on the pnmary target with all squadrons in group formation. Bombs were dropped from 24,800 feet. Results were unobserved due to clouds.
Antiaircraft fire was moderate and fairly inaccurate. The craft piloted by Lt. Roy E. Kirk was forced to ditch in the English Channel. No. 3 engine was on fire and the wing fell off. Six crew members were rescued. Lt. Kirk, Sgt. Edward A. Grover and Sgt. Willard Kmeger lost their lives.
February ended with the Group having flown eighteen missions. The torrid pace the Group commenced on 19 February, would continue into March.
Division
In December 1944, the 1st Bomb Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.
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...
MARSHALLING YARDS
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FIGHTER STRAFING
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Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 95th Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator, Commanding Officer | 384th Bomb Group
Bob Birney was assigned to the 547th Bomb Squadron on 5 February 1945 and completed 26 missions between 19 February 1945 and 20 April 1945.
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 466th Bomb Group
Military | Captain | pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Assigned Jan 1945
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator/Gunner | 351st Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 490th Bomb Group
Member of Cole J crew
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Counter Measures/Right Waist Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) crashed near Zwickau on 19 Mar 45 in B-17 'Daisey Mae' #4338368
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Flew 25 missions, 1 to Berlin and 3 to Merseberg. Was lead navigator for last 6 missions
Air Medal w/2 Oak Leaf Cluster; EAME ribbon w 3/battle stars
Passed away 25-June-2017, buried in Columbia SC
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Assigned 365BS, 306BG, 8AF USAAF. 22 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Oranienburg in B-17 43-38803; mid air collision with B-17 43-38803, crashed Wilsnack, Germany 10-Apr-45 Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 13876.
Awards: AM (2OLC), PH.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 2/12/43; Kearney 17/12/43; Romulus 6/1/44; Kearney 7/1/44; Memphis 9/1/44; Presque Is 10/1/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-B] Deenethorpe 31/1/44; 134m crash landed Polebrook 22/4/44, Salvaged 1 SAD Troston. FANCY NANCY IV.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 26/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-C] Deenethorpe 1/1/44; 118m landing accident at base with Jim Nolan 7/5/45; sal 2 SAD Watton, Nfk 8/5/45. HELL’S ANGELS OUT OF CHUTE 13 aka GROSSLY INADEQUATE.
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/8/44; Hunter 7/9/44; Dow Fd 18/9/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-Q] Horham 19/9/44; with W.N. Dunwoody force landed Raydon afb, Suffolk 10/1/45; 80m, Returned to the USA Bradley 24/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 28/6/45;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Hunter 6/11/44; Grenier 14/11/44; Assigned 401BS/91BG [LL-C] Bassingbourn 9/1/45; (flew two POW trips) ; 26m Returned to the USA Bradley 12/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 13/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Hunter 3/1/45; Grenier 15/1/45; Assigned 863BS/493BG Debach 22/1/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 3/7/45; Sth Plains 4/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 19/12/45.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 3/1/45; Hunter 13/1/45; Grenier 7/2/45; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-A] Deenethorpe 20/2/45; transferred 305BG Chelveston 20/5/45; re-ass 30/4/47; Recl Comp 7/11/47.
B-24 Liberator
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 10 August 2015 18:09:10 | vkantor | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
vkantor |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 May 2015 14:50:52 | jdossetter | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 April 2015 11:33:27 | 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/ |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:09 | 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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