467th Bombardment Group (H)
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Missions List
#
Target
Date
Total: 221
Mission # 201 • Osnabruck, Germany • 23 Mar 45
Mission Info
Primary Target:
City:
Country:
Target:
Country:
Target:
Osnabruck
Germany
Germany
Secondary Target:
City:
Country:
Target:
Country:
Target:
Results:
Target Attacked:
Credited Mission:
Results:
Credited Mission:
Results:
Primary
Yes
Yes
more info available on Research Site
Mission Narrative
Mission 908: The Allied ground assault across the lower Rhine River begins; 1,276 bombers and 499 fighters visually attack rail targets in W and C Germany; they claim 1-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 bombers are lost:
319 B-24s are sent to hit the Rheine Bridge (79) and the Osnabruck (80) and Munster (142) marshalling yards; 2 others hit Hoya Airfield, a target of opportunity; 3 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 95 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 3 WIA and 35 MIA. Escorting are 79 of 80 P-51s.
Pilot Ken Close typed the following after completing his 32nd mission, the group’s 201st....
Thirty second mission-- marshaling yards at Osnabruck. Carried 12 x 500 pound incendiary clusters, 2300 gals of gas; up 5:35, hit target at 21,300 feet-- very visual during entire trip-- very slight haze at times. Flak was accurate and intense-- the damned gunners are pretty good when it’s visual and they can see us (likewise our bombing is much improved over instrument technique-- I’ll take ten tenths cloud cover any time though). Twenty six of twenty eight ships hitting the target were damaged by flak-- the heaviest damage in the groups record of 201 missions. Got only one hole (cut clear through left wing, including a stringer, and the flaps), which seems like nothing less than a miracle to me. We were really tossed around (one batch of bursts kicked the nose up violently, and another buffeted the tail pretty well). Hope the remaining three are a bit easier than this one. Gray hairs??? Should be seven holes.
319 B-24s are sent to hit the Rheine Bridge (79) and the Osnabruck (80) and Munster (142) marshalling yards; 2 others hit Hoya Airfield, a target of opportunity; 3 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 95 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 3 WIA and 35 MIA. Escorting are 79 of 80 P-51s.
Pilot Ken Close typed the following after completing his 32nd mission, the group’s 201st....
Thirty second mission-- marshaling yards at Osnabruck. Carried 12 x 500 pound incendiary clusters, 2300 gals of gas; up 5:35, hit target at 21,300 feet-- very visual during entire trip-- very slight haze at times. Flak was accurate and intense-- the damned gunners are pretty good when it’s visual and they can see us (likewise our bombing is much improved over instrument technique-- I’ll take ten tenths cloud cover any time though). Twenty six of twenty eight ships hitting the target were damaged by flak-- the heaviest damage in the groups record of 201 missions. Got only one hole (cut clear through left wing, including a stringer, and the flaps), which seems like nothing less than a miracle to me. We were really tossed around (one batch of bursts kicked the nose up violently, and another buffeted the tail pretty well). Hope the remaining three are a bit easier than this one. Gray hairs??? Should be seven holes.
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