We are currently working on a site-wide upgrade which will be completed in September 2022
You will not be able to search, add or edit information in the American Air Museum archive while this takes place.
You can find out more about our plans here
28 February 1945
401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 218, 28 Feb 1945, Soest, Germany. The 401st provided the 94th Combat Wing "B" Group on this mission. As the target was totally obscured by clouds, bombing was carried out using the Gee-H (radio beam) technique. No results could be observed, but Gee fixes taken by most navigators indicated that bombing results were poor. No flak or fighters were encountered--a "milk run". In fact, of the 1,072 bombers participating in the mission, only one aircraft was lost, having to ditch in the North Sea, and none sustained any battle damage.
Not yet known
Not yet known
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Not yet known
Not yet known
MARSHALLING YARDS
Not yet known
This is a fighter-bomber strafing mission.
VIADUCT
B-24 Liberator
Not yet known
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
Not yet known
Not yet known
MARSHALLING YARDS
Not yet known
Not yet known
MARSHALLING YARDS
Not yet known
Not yet known
TANK FACTORY
Not yet known
Not yet known
HIGHWAY JUNCTION
Not yet known
Not yet known
MARSHALLING YARDS
Not yet known
Not yet known
MARSHALLING YARDS
Not yet known
Not yet known
MARSHALLING YARDS
Not yet known
Not yet known
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
Not yet known
Not yet known
FIGHTER STRAFING
Not yet known
Not yet known
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot, Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group
T/Sgt Martin A. Anderson flew 34 missions, from 02/05/1944, mission #21, to 03/31/1945, mission #240. He served as a Radio Operator. He survived until the end of the war. Flew aircrafts 42-31521 'Badland Bat'
DFC
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
.
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 95th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 401st 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
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 27/2/44; Hunter 22/3/44; Grenier 2/4/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-R] Deenethorpe 16/4/44; 111m, Returned to the USA Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 12/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 29/2/44; Gr Island 22/3/44; Grenier 20/4/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-H] Deenethorpe 13/5/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 6/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 8/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 24/2/44; Gr Island 7/3/44; Grenier 5/4/44; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-J] Deenethorpe 2/5/44; 612BS [SC-O]; Returned to the USA Bradley 6/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 21/10/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 7/3/44; Kearney 22/3/44; Grenier 7/4/44; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-B] Deenethorpe 15/4/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 12/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 26/11/43; Wendover 9/12/43; Grenier 20/1/44; Assigned 457BG Glatton 25/1/44; transferred 613BS/401BG [IN-J] Deenethorpe 11/3/44; Missing in Action Pas de Calais 19/3/44, force landed continent; Salvaged 1 SAD Troston 22/4/44; mission...
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 Denver 15/1/44; Kearney 28/1/44; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-P] Deenethorpe 5/3/44; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 13/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman...
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.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 18/2/44; Dow Fd 7/3/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 1/5/44; no ops, transferred 614BS/401BG [IW-D] Deenethorpe 21/5/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 5/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 21/10/45; Reconstruction Finance...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 25/2/44; Kearney 17/3/44; Grenier 6/4/44; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-F] Deenethorpe 16/4/44; mechanical fault, with Dave Stauffer, caused fire and burnt out at RAF Saltby 25/43/45; 111m, Salvaged 2 SAD 25/3/45. CHUTE THE WORKS.
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 10 August 2015 18:09:10 | vkantor | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
vkantor |
||
| 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/ |
||
| 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'. |
||
