STAND BY FOR B/CAST PLSE

 

 

 

 

USLIST SB-SC V OITHE NR 9    -R-

 

FROM OITHE 08/1700A OCT 44

TO   USLIST SB-SC

     PERSONAL ATTENTION OF WING & GROUP COMMANDERS:

 

SECRET 3 B.D. 0-77-E.

 

BRIEF TACTICAL ANALYSIS OF MISSION 6 OCTOBER 1944, FIELD ORDER NO. 441.

 

FORCE REQUIRED AND PRIMARY TARGETS:

                                               TARGETS

93RD A COMBAT WING         1 X 38 A/C      BERLIN MACHINE WORKS

93RD B COMBAT WING         1 X 38 A/C        "       "      "

13TH A COMBAT WING         1 X 38 A/C        "       "      "

13TH B COMBAT WING         1 X 38 A/C        "       "      "

13TH C COMBAT WING         1 X 38 A/C        "       "      "

45TH A COMBAT WING         1 X 38 A/C        "       "      "

45TH B COMBAT WING         1 X 38 A/C        "       "      "

92ND A COMBAT WING         1 X 38 A/C        "       "      "

92ND B COMBAT WING         1 X 38 A/C        "       "      "

 4TH A COMBAT WING         1 X 38 A/C        "       "      "

 4TH B COMBAT WING         1 X 38 A/C        "       "      "

 

UNUSUAL FEATURES OF PLANNING:

 

   A.  NONE.

 

STATEMENT AND EXPLANATION OF:

 

   A.  FAILURE TO BOMB.

 

       1.  NONE.

 

   C.  BOMBING RESULTS:

 

       1.  SPANDAU ORDNANCE DEPOT WAS BOMBED BY TWO CW.

 

           A.  3 PATTERNS OF GP AND ONE OF IB BLANKET THE TARGET.

 

           B.  2 PATTERNS OF FRAGS EXTEND INTO TARGET.

 

           C.  RESULTS WERE GOOD.

 

       2.  SPANDAU AERO ENGINE WORKS WAS BOMBED BY FOUR COMBAT WINGS.

 

           A.  6 PATTERNS OF GP AND 3 PATTERS OF IB BLANKETED THE

               TARGET.

 

           B.  1 PATTERN OF GP BLANKETS PART OF NEARBY M/Y.

 

           C.  2 PATTERNS FELL OUTSIDE TARGET AREA.

 

           D.  RESULTS WERE VERY GOOD.

 

       3.  BERLIN TANK WORKS WAS BOMBED BY 3 COMBAT WINGS.

 

           A.  3 GROUPS OF GP FELL ON TARGET AREA.

 

           B.  1 PATTERN OF GP IS 2 ½ MILES WEST OF TARGET.

 

           C.  3 PATTERNS ARE UNOBSERVED DUE TO SMOKE.

 

           D.  2 PATTERNS OF GP HIT AREA SOUTH OF PLANT.

 

           E.  RESULTS WERE GOOD.

 

       4.  SPANDAU MILITARY DEPOT WAS BOMBED BY 2 COMBAT WINGS.

 

           A.  1 PATTERN OF GP BLANKETS NE CORNER OF PLANT.

 

           B.  OTHER PATTERNS HIT OUTSIDE OF PLANT AREA.

 

  D.  OTHER DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED:

 

       1.  SCOUTING FORCE ARRIVED LATE IN TARGET AREA BECAUSE OF

           INCORRECT TIMES.

 

           A.  TIMES WERE CHANGED AFTER THE BOMBERS BECAME AIRBORNE

               AND SCOUTING FORCE FLEW NEW TIMES.

 

           B.  STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO CORRECT THIS ERROR.

 

ANALYSIS OF DEVIATIONS AND DIFFICULTIES:

 

  A.  BOMBING.

 

      1.  MANY WINGS STARTED TO BOMB IN WING FORMATION BECAUSE REPORTS

          FROM WEATHER SHIP.

 

          A.  KODAK A/C ARRIVED LATE AND BOMBERS WERE EARLY IN TARGET

              AREA, THUS REPORTS WERE OF LITTLE VALUE.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS;

 

       FIGHERS COMMENTED IT WAS DIFFICULT TO COVER SOME WINGS AND GROUPS AS LEADERS WERE FLYING JUST UNDER THE CIRRUS LAYER.  WHEN CIRRUS OR CLOUDS ARE ENCOUNTERED THE DIVISION LEADER WILL ESTABLISH THE ALTITUDE 2000 FEET BELOW THE BOTTOM OF THE HIGH CLOUDS.

 

NEW TRENDS:

 

       A TIME TO START CLIMBING WAS GIVEN TO THE DIVISION INSTEAD OF A POINT.  IT APPEARS THAT THE DIVISION DID NOT STRAGGLE IN THE CLIMB.

REQUEST YOUR COMMENTS ON NEW CHANGES IN S.O.P. SO DIVISION CAN ALTER INSTRUCTIONS.

 

COMMENDATIONS:

 

       THE DIVISION DID THE BEST BOMBING IT HAS EVER DONE ON A BERLIN TARGET.

 

             ----- P A R T R I D G E -----

 

TOD 07/1729A     CBT AR

 


 

XXX X XXXX X LAV V OISGB NR 2   -P-

 

FROM OISGB 07/1230A OCT 44

TO   THE

     SGB

     LAV

 

CONFIDENTIAL 92ND CBW 0-32-E       ATTN: A-3 TACTICAL ANALYSIS SECTION

 

     FLASH TACTICAL ANALYSIS REPORT - - 06 OCTOBER 1944.

 

 I.  PLANNING:

 

     92 "A" WG:                         92 "B" WG:

     487 A – MAJ. TODT                  486 A – MAJ. HOWELL

     487 B -                            486 B –

     487 C -                             96 B-

 

II.  EXECUTION:

 

     92 "A" WG – TAKE OFF AND ASSEMBLY WERE NORMAL. BRIEFED ROUTE FLOWN OVER NORTH SEA AND THRU FLAK CORRIDOR BETWEEN CUXHAVEN AND BREMERHAVEN. SOUTH OF BREMEN SOME "S"ING WAS NECESSARY TO STAY BEHIND PRECEDING WG. THIS MANUEVERING FORCED 92 "A" WG TO FLY PARELLEL TO BRIEFED ROUTE TO I.P. SO LEADER USED 5240N-1220 AS NEW I.P. AND MADE A VISUAL BOMB RUN.  BRIEFED ROUTE FLOWN BACK TO BASE.

 

     92 "B" WG – SAME AS FOR 92 "A" WG.

 

III. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

 

     1.  PRIMARY TARGET ATTACKED WITH VERY GOOD RESULTS.

 

     2.  NO ENEMY FIGHTERS SEEN. FRIENDLY FIGHTER SUPPORT EXCELLENT.

 

Iv.  NAVIGATION:

 

     1.  THE 92 "A" WING FLEW 7TH.

         THE 92 "B" WING FLEW 8TH.

 

     2.  LIST OF TIMES AND POSITIONS:

                                92 "A" WG:                   92 "B" WG

         C.P. 1                 0913          C.P. 1         0915

         C.P. 2                 1103          C.P. 2         1105

         LUDWIGSLUST            1133          5325N1210E     1150

         5312N-1202E            1151          5232N-1252E    1207

         5240N-1220E (I.P.)     1200          TARGET         1216

         TARGET                 1212          C.P. 4         1318

         C.P. 4                 1326

 

     3.  DIFFICULTIES:

 

         GEE BOX OUT 92 "A" LEAD ENTIRE MISSION.

 

     4.  REMARKS:

 

         NONE.

 

V.   P.F.F. INFORMATION:

 

     1.  ALL SETS EXCEPT DEPUTY LEAD A/C 487TH GROUP FUNCTIONED

         PROPERLY. INVERTER NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.

 

     2.  TARGET RETURNS WERE REPORTED STRONG AND CLEAR.

 

     3.  TARGET WAS IDENTIFIED.

 

     4.  RECOMMENDATIONS: NONE.

 



USLIST SB-SC – OISAS V OITHE NR 14 –R-

 

FROM OITHE 06/2330A OCT 44

TO   USLIST SB-SC

     OISAS

     OIPNT (-P-)

     OABMP

     OIKNI

     OIAJX

 

CONFIDENTIAL 3 B.D. 0-68-D

 

3RD. BOMBARDMENT DIVISION

    OPERATIONAL NARRATIVE REPORT     BERLIN MISSION     6 OCTOBER 1944

 

1.  FOUR A/C DROPPED THE FOLLOWING LEAFLETS OVER BERLIN:

 

    10 CONTAINERS OF T-170, 10 OF T-171, AND 5 EACH OF WG-95, ZG-665, WG-25, AND WG-6P.

 

2.  BOMBING RESULTS: TO FOLLOW.

 

3.  APPROXIMATELY 50-75 ME 109’S AND FW190’S WERE SIGHTED IN THE TARGET AREA OF WHICH 35 E/A ATTACKED THE LAST COMBAT WING (4B) BETWEEN THE IP AND THE TARGET.  THE HIGH SQUADRON OF THIS WING FACED THE BRUNT OF THE ATTACK WHICH LASTED FROM 1210 HRS. TO 1215 HRS.  THESE E/A ATTACKED THE HIGH SQUADRON WHICH WAS LAGGING BEHIND DUE TO A WIDE TURN AT THE IP AS THEY BEGAN THEIR BOMB RUN.  ATTACKS WERE FROM THE TAIL, LEVEL TO HIGH, IN SEVERAL WAVES OF 4-5 E/A ABREAST, CAUSING THE LOSS OF THE ENTIRE HIGH SQUADRON WITH PART OF THE E/A BREAKING AWAY WHILE OTHER E/A ATTACKED THE OTHER TWO SQUADRONS INDIVIDUALLY FROM THE TAIL.  ATTACKS WERE VERY AGGRESSIVE AND WERE PRESSED CLOSELY.

 

                    CLAIMS  3-9-5

 

4.  BERLIN—MODERATE TO INTENSE, VERY ACCURATE, TRACKING AND BARRAGE FIRE.

 

    CUXHAVEN—MEAGRE AND INACCURATE

    WESERMUNDE—MEAGRE TO MODERATE AND INACCURATE.

 

5.  CAVU TO 4/10’S WITH SLIGHT GROUND HAZE WHICH DID NOT INTERFERE WITH BOMBING OF TARGETS.

 

6.  SMOKE SCREENS AT MAGDEBURG, HAMBURG, DESSAU, BREMERHAVEN, CUXHAVEN, AND WILHELMSHAVEN.

 

    15-18 GASOLINE STORAGE TANKS AT 5337-0932E.

CUXHAVEN-9 UNDERGROUND OIL TANKS.

AT 5225-1135E, A LONG CLEAR STRIP IN WOODS ABOUT 10 MILES LONG AND 300 YDS. WIDE WITH RAILROAD SPUR ENTERING WOODS NEAR THE AREA AND TWO TUNNELS OR CAVES RUNNING NORTH AND SOUTH WITH SIX BUILDINGS IN THE CENTER.

12 LARGE E/A ON BURG A/F (5216-1154E).

SEVERAL TYPES OF E/A ON DOBERITZ A/F (5232-1259E).

SEVERAL E/A ON GARDELEGEN A/F.

15 S/E E/A AND 3 T/E E/A ON NORDHOLZ A/F (5346-0840E).

POSSIBLE NEW A/F AT 5300-1020E.

 

7.  FIGHTER SUPPORT REPORTED VERY GOOD.

 

    PFF USED FOR NAVIGATIONAL AID ONLY.  BOMBING WAS DONE VISUALLY.

    16 A/C WERE LOST, 3 TO AA, 11 TO E/A, AND 2 TO AA AND E/A.  IN ADDITION ONE A/C DITCHED AND TWO CREWMEMBER’S BODIES HAVE BEEN RECOVERED ONLY.

 

---PARTRIGE---

 


 

 

AS

TOD 07/0715A    AGF        AR

AS FOR R

 

 

OV

LAV R. . . . . 07/0716A    AL   AR

 

V

OISGB R. . . . . .07/0720A   LRM  RV

SGB R. . . . . .07/1720A    EC    AR

 


 

USLIST SB-SC – OISAS V OITHE NR 5 R

 

FROM OITHE 07/0745A OCT 44

TO   OIPNT

     OIKNI

     OABMP

     OIAJX

     USLIST SB-SC

     OISAS

 

CONFIDENTIAL 3 B.D. 0-73-D    ATTN:   A-2, S-2

 

3RD   BOMBARDMENT DIVISION     - -    OPERATIONAL NARRATIVE REPORT

             BERLIN MISSION    - -     6 OCTOBER 1944

 

                           ANNEX NO 1

 

2.  BOMBING RESULTS:

 

    BERLIN/SPANDAU (ORD. DEPOT) . . . . . . .GOOD

    BERLIN/SPANDAU (BMW AERO ENG.). . . VERY GOOD

    BERLIN/SPANDAU (TANK DEPOT) . . . . . . .FAIR

    BERLIN/TEGEL   (TANKS). . . . . . . . . .GOOD

 

                          - - - P A R T R I D G E - - -

 

TOD 07/0805A GME B1

 

Flimsy

 

Operational Narrative Report

 

Copyright © 1998-2024, 486th Bomb Group Association.