DOCUMENT 53603

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401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 223, 7 Mar 1945, Siegen, Germany. Briefing took place at 0430 hours. The aircraft were loaded with twelve 500 pound GP's. By 1822 hours all but one aircraft were off on the mission; that aircraft, which required a tire change, took off at 0845 hours. One spare returned at 1150 hours. Flying Control's notation for 1508 hours was as follows: "All operational aircraft from today's mission returned. IW-O, pilot Lt._______, made a 'hot' approach and landing, and had to use excessive braking. Aircraft was told to pull-up and go around while on approach, and the pilot answered, 'I can make it, clear the runway'. Pilot ordered to report to Col. Seawell." The three squadrons of the 401st made up the 94th Combat Wing "B" Group on this mission. The briefed target was at Dortumund in the heart of the Ruhr, known to crews as "Happy Valley". Because visual sighting was impossible due to cloud cover, and the Gee-H sets both went unserviceable, the Group bombed the secondary target, the railroad marshalling yards at Siegen. Bombing was conducted by H2X in Group formation. Because of the clouds, results could not be observed. The Group did not encounter any enemy flak or fighters.

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Units

A pathfinder B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 44-8258) of the 401st Bomb Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '48258 14 A, Mount Farm.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Dynamite John
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: D-Day Dottie
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ice Cold Katy
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
Factory fresh B-17s
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Cover Girl
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
Ground personnel of the 401st Bomb Group stand with a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-31662) nicknamed "Fancy Nancy IV" after fixing her engines. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Another famous Fort and her crew.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Fancy Nancy IV
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron

Locations

Mission

Revisions

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