401st Bomb Group (H) -- Combat Mission Summary
Mission Briefing | |||
| Mission Number: | 246 | ||
| Date: | Tuesday, 10 April 1945 | ||
| Group Air Commander: | Capt. D.V. Kirkhuff | ||
| Crews Briefed: | 38 | ||
| Target: | Oranienburg | ||
| Target Details: | Ordnance depot | ||
Flying Control | |||
| Runway: | 05 View take-off plan form | ||
| Engines: | 0950 hours | ||
| Taxi: | 1000 hours | ||
| Take Off: | 1010 hours | ||
| E.T.R.: | 1832 hours | ||
Flying Control Notes: | The Group was briefed at 0645 hours, and all operational aircraft had taken off by 1046 hours. Two aircraft were missing when the Group returned to Deenthorpe at 1913 hours. However, one of the missing ships was reported to have landed safely at another base. | ||
Mission Debriefing | |||
| Aircraft on Mission: | 38 | ||
| Aircraft Lost | |||
| Over Continent: | 1 | ||
| Other: | 0 | ||
Mission Summary: | On this mission the three squadrons of the 401st made up the 94th Combat Wing "B" Group. The target, the ordnance facilities at Oranienburg, is located just north of Berlin. While the weather was clear, smoke over the target from bombs dropped by preceding Groups made visual sighting very difficult. As a result, the Lead Squadron dropped slightly to the right and over the MPI; the High Squadron aimed at the wrong point near the target but hit another depot and caused considerable damage; while the Low Squadron achieved excellent results, with all of its bombs hitting within 1,000 feet of the MPI. Flak in the area of Wittenberg caused major damage to two 401st aircraft. One, B-17 No. 43-38788 ("Heavy Date"), piloted by Lt. C. P. Spence, had two engines knocked out and was forced to crash land at a Luftwaffe airfield. All crewmen, two of whom were injured, survived the crash and were taken prisoner by the German army. However, when the prison detachment in which they were marching was attacked by an RAF Mosquito aircraft, five of the crew were able to escape from their guards and turned up thirteen days later at Deenthorpe! | ||
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