DOCUMENT 53514

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401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 241, 4 Apr 1945, Unterlüss, Germany. Briefing was again scheduled for the early hour of 0250. All operational aircraft were airborne by 0705 hours, and since there were no aborts the two spares returned early. The 401st furnished the 94th Combat Wing "A" Group for this mission, the primary target being the airdrome and engine testing shop at Rotenburg, Germany. However, cloud cover precluded visual sighting, and the Group therefore searched for other airfields to bomb as targets of opportunity. The Lead and High Squadrons were unable to locate an appropriate target and returned with their bombs. However, the Low Squadron bombed an ordnance depot at Unterluss, Germany, causing extensive damage, although lack of target photographs made it difficult to interpret the bomb fall. No enemy aircraft were encountered and, while flak was observed in three different locations, none of the Group's ships was damaged. All aircraft had landed from the mission by 1518 hours.

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Units

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: You All Right, Der Grossarschvogel
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: No. 2 Bandwagon, Mrs. Wing Ding
  • Unit: 94th Combat Bomb Wing 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
Damaged B-17 Flying Fortresses including (serial number 44-6146) of the 401st Bomb Group, and of the 486th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'IN-R, 401BG.' A veteran has handwritten on reverse: 'Winter of 1944. This plane's bombardier was my best friend in high school. We joined the aviation cadets together in fall of 1942. Plane is from the 486th Bomb Group. It was struck in the rear by another plane in formation and tail gunner fell to his death over Germany. The Germans buried him and sent ph
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Little Cheezer
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron 615th Bomb Squadron

Locations

Mission

Revisions

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