Mission Log for the 486th Bomb Group (H)

ö 04 November 1944 to 23 February 1945 ö
(glossary at the Bottom)

[ Group | 001-50 | 051-100 | 101-150 | 151-191]
Mission Target Aircraft Bombing Flight  
# Date TGT Location S/A Tons Rating Time Lead Losses
101 11/04 Ind Neunkirchen, Ger 36/35 104 U 06:30 Howell 0
Remarks Target overcast, PFF used.
102 11/05 M/Y Kaiserslautern, Ger 36/34 102 U --:-- Norton 0
Remarks Primary target was a fort at Thionville, FR. Kaiserlautern M/Y was a target of last resort. LT Estersohn forced down, crew and A/C returned.
103 11/06 M/Y Neumunster, Ger 37/35 87 VG 08:00ö Huglin 0
Remarks Secondary target. This mission was declared by HQ 8th AF to be the groups "official" 100th mission.
104 11/09 T/T Thionville, FR 38/0 0 N/A --:-- Thompson 0
Remarks weather and extenuating circumstances prevented attack.
105 11/10 A/F Wiesbaden, Ger 41/35 64 G 04:30 Newman 1
Remarks LT Rapp rammed shortly after bombs away, crew returned. #908 flown by LT Dimel forced down, crew returned. Some squads bombed primary using PFF. 'B' squad bombed visually. Four B17s lost, 3 were recovered.
106 11/16 T/T Duren, Area #2 39/35 131 U --:-- Cormier 1
Remarks #985 crashed over friendly territory. Bombed using PFF.
107 11/21 Oil Merseberg, Ger 38/35 104 U --:-- Howell 1
Remarks #646 went down, crew MIA. Secondary target at Osnabruck bombed due to weather.
108 11/25 Oil Merseberg, Ger 40/26 78 U --:-- E.M. Rex 0
Remarks Primary target bombed with PFF. FLAK took is toll.
109 11/27 M/Y Bingen, Ger 39/35 76 U --:-- Thompson 1
Remarks Bombed with PFF. This was a "Milk Run". #939 lost.
110 11/30 Oil Lutzkendorf, Ger 40/35 87 P --:-- J.L. Rex 2
Remarks #958, #787, #599, and #968 made emergency landings, lost #302, #499 (crews bailed), #948 (crew MIA). Primary bombed visually with poor results due to haze and smoke. 486th was hit hard.
111 12/04 M/Y Mainz, Ger 26/25 75 u 07:40 Thomas/Smith 0
Remarks CAPT Thomas lead low squad in the 4th CBW. CAPT Smith lead the low squad in the 45th CBW. BTO using PFF.
112 12/06 Oil Merseberg, Ger 41/40 97 U --:-- Overing 2
Remarks #927 (Alexander) crashed, 9KIA. #944 (Miller) C/L in Holland, 9POW. COL Overing led the 486th BG at the lead of the 3rd BD to Merseberg. The secondary MPI was selected instead of the primary. BTO using PFF.
113 12/10 M/Y Koblenz, Ger 38/38 84 U 7:30 Newman 0
Remarks BTO using PFF.
114 12/11 M/Y Giessen, Ger 34/31 92 U --:-- Cormier 0
Remarks Secondary hit, BTO using PFF.
115 12/12 M/Y Darmstadt, Ger 40/37 110 G-F 8:05 Norton 0
Remarks MAJ Norton led the group at the lead of the 4th CBW.
116 12/16 M/Y Stuttgart, Ger 38/38 113 F --:-- J.L. Rex 0
Remarks Secondary hit, using PFF through 8/10 cloud.
117 12/23 M/Y Homburg, Ger 45/41 103 F 6:30 Howell 0
Remarks
118 12/24 M/Y Gross Ostheim, Ger 53/40 130 P 8:30 Newman 0
Remarks Secondary target at Pforzheim bombed.
119 12/26 RR Br Neuwied, Ger 37/23 69 P --:-- Cormier 0
Remarks BTO using PFF
120 12/28 M/Y Gerlstein, Ger 39/38 101 U 8:15 Uhle 0
Remarks MAJ Uhle led. The Last Resort Target was hit, BTO using PFF. Target was a M/Y at Koblenz
121 12/29 M/Y Aschaffenburg, Ger 39/37 98 F 8:00 Thompson 0
Remarks
122 12/30 M/Y Mannheim, Ger 39/37 111 U --:-- Norton 0
Remarks BTO using PFF.
123 12/31 Oil Hamburg, Ger 38/38 120 F 8:00 Wilson 1
Remarks LT Raddatz (#910) crashed one min after T-O, all crew safe.
124 01/01 oil Dollbergen, Ger 23/20 50 G 8:00 Overing 0
Remarks COL Overing led the 486th and the 3rd BD. 'A' squad bombed primary visually. 'B' Squad bombed secondary, M/Y at Limburg, visually.
125 01/02 Guns Siegfried Line 38/36 130 E 6:45 Thomas 0
Remarks
126 01/03 M/Y Aschaffenburg, Ger 39/38 112 U --:-- Rex 0
Remarks BTO by PFF.
127 01/05 C/C Wetteldrof, Ger 39/31 88 P 8:15 Thomas 0
Remarks BTO by PFF.
128 01/07 Road Ruthen, Ger 38/37 111 U --:-- Mundorff 0
Remarks Bombed secondary, M/Y, at Hamm, Ger. BTO by PFF.
129 01/08 M/Y Bischofsheim, Ger 48/41 95 P 8:15 Howell 0
Remarks MAJ Howell led the 486th and the 3rd BD. Hit secondary target at Frankfurt, M/Y, BTO by PFF.
130 01/10 M/Y Karlsruhe, Ger 38/27 111 U 6:30 Thompson 1
Remarks Cross and crew crash land France. LTCOL Thompson led. 'B' and 'C' squads bombed primary. 'A' squad bombed T/O. Both visual runs.
131 01/13 RR BR Mainz, Ger 34/30 75 U 8:00 Wilson 0
Remarks 8/10 clouds, run made with PFF.
132 01/14 oil Magdeburg, Ger 25/25 62 F 8:00 Newman 0
Remarks Hit secondary, Halldendorf steel plant, visual bombing with PFF assist.
133 01/16 M/Y Dressau, Ger 4/3 9 U --:-- Cummings 0
Remarks LT Cummings led the four planes as the low, low element of the 487th BG 'A' Squad. No operations report was made.
134 01/18 M/Y Kaiserslautern, Ger 38/38 114 U 8:00 Uhle 0
Remarks MAJ Uhle led the 486th and the 3rd BD. BTO by PFF.
135 01/20 M/Y Heilbronn, Ger 18/14 42 U --:-- Strobe 0
Remarks CAPT Strobe led the 486th flying with the 385th BG. 4 A/C flew with the 487th BG. BTO by PFF.
136 01/21 T/I Mannheim, Ger 34/29 87 U 7:45 Mundorff 2
Remarks #998, LT Jarvis lost. #925, LT Holdefer, 1KIA. Secondary, M/Y at Mannheim, hit. BTO by PFF
137 01/28 M/Y Hohenburg, Ger 38/31 90 F 5:15 Wilson 0
Remarks Hughes and crew crash landed at Woodbridge A/F. 'B' and 'C' squads bombed primary by PFF with good results. 'A' hit secondary visually.
138 01/29 A/I Kassel, Ger 14/13 39 U 7:00 Himel 0
Remarks LT Himel was nominal leader of 486th contingent which flew dispersed to other groups. Four A/C flew with the 385th BG, six with the 94th BG, 4 with the 487th BG. All A/C hit the secondary target, Kassel M/Y, BTO by PFF.
139 02/01 RR BR Wesel, Ger 33/25 74.5 U --:-- Overing 0
Remarks COL Overing led teh 486th and 3rd BD. 'A' squad hit primary, BTO by PFF. 'C' hit T/O, Dösseldorf, by a fix with GEE-H. 'B' squad didn't drop.
140 02/03 M/Y Berlin, Ger 39/36 90 F --:-- Norton 2
Remarks BTO by PFF. "Blue Grass Girl," (Cloud) crashed in UK, 5 KIA. #130 (Ogle) C/L in Poland.
141 02/06 oil Bohlen, Ger 38/35 87.5 U --:-- Newman 1
Remarks #899 (von Platen) crashed. Target of Last Resort, Chemnitz M/Y, BTO by PFF. 1 A/C lost, #992 (Evans) shot down.
142 02/09 oil Bohlen, Ger 26/24 58.7 G-P --:-- Howell 0
Remarks Weimar Armaments factory, secondary, hit visually. 'A' squad had good results, 'B' had poor results.
143 02/14 M/Y Chemnitz, Ger 41/36 90 U --:-- Uhle 0
Remarks BTO by PFF.
144 02/15 RR BR Wesel, Ger 38/35 99 U --:-- Newman 0
Remarks Attacked TLR, Rheine M/Y, BTO by PFF.
145 02/16 M/Y Hamm, Ger 33/31 96 F --:-- Howell 0
Remarks Visual bombing with PFF assist.
146 02/17 M/Y Frankfurt, Ger 40/38 91 U --:-- Newman 0
Remarks 8/10 cloud, bombed by PFF.
147 02/19 M/Y Rheine, Ger 39/25 75 U --:-- Howell 0
Remarks BTO by PFF of secondary target, Rheine M/Y.
148 02/21 M/Y Nörnberg, Ger 47/43 109 U --:-- Overing 0
Remarks COL Overing led the 486th and the 4th CBW. Nörnberg was the secondary target. 8/10 cloud bombed by PFF. Seven 486th A/C flew with the 94th BG.
149 02/22 M/Y Hof, Ger 38/37 110 F --:-- Walker 1
Remarks LT Ringler & crew 8 POW. T/O, M/Y at Ansbach, Ger. Visual bombing, primary and secondary obscured.
150 02/23 M/Y Neumarkt, Ger 40/38 110 F --:-- Uhle 0
Remarks

* all mission times from this point forward are estimated from the flight log of Arnold "Ray" Welch, 832nd.
ö times inferred from "The War Stories of the O&W."

[ Group | 001-50 | 051-100 | 101-150 | 151-191]

Glossary

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