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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 158 -- October 17, 1944, Tuesday AM Trier/Pfalzel, Germany Railroad Bridge
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 158 -- October 17, 1944, Tuesday AM Trier/Pfalzel, Germany Railroad Bridge
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Place of Take-Off : A-55 Melun/Villaroche, France A/C Dispatched : 34 Total -- 28 A-20G's, 4 A-20J's, 2 B-26's (PFF) Tactical Target Dossier: 4906E/3/A Illustration : 4906E/3/1 Illustration Ref : 04550170 Secondary Target : Targets of Military Value Summary of Results : No Attack - 10/10 clouds encountered 50 miles from base to target and return. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 49.77760,6.68372 (49° 46' 39" N, 6° 41' 1" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on Google Maps, Visual match to Target Illustration) (See Latitude/Longitude Coordinates and Target Identifiers for more information. Note: This coordinate represents the Primary Target Location, the Location actually attacked may differ) |
Mission Loading Lists Transcription
Mission # 158 -- October 17, 1944, Tuesday AM
Trier/Pfalzel, Germany -- Railroad Bridge
| 1 671st 43-22065 5C-E A-20J Maj Willetts, D.L. Lt Royalty, P.G. S/Sgt Wellin, H.E. S/Sgt Lempka, H.A. |
2 668th 43-21717 5H-P A-20J Lt Meagher, J.F. Lt Burg, J.J. S/Sgt Fetko, C., Jr. S/Sgt Brown, D.M. |
3 671st 43-9719 5C-J A-20G Lt Withington, D.L., III Sgt Huss, C.F. Sgt McElhattan, L.D. |
| 1 671st 43-9493 5C-V A-20G Lt Smith, R.H. S/Sgt Davis, H.R. S/Sgt Mahoney, R.J. |
2 671st 43-9711 5C-M A-20G Lt Fero, D.A. Cpl Hardin, M.F. Sgt Skelton, T.W. |
3 669th 43-9368 2A-K A-20G Lt VanNoorden, H.M. Sgt Thompson, G.H., Jr. Cpl Helt, A. |
| 4 671st 43-10214 5C-C A-20G Lt Zubon, M. S/Sgt Worden, H.C. S/Sgt Rzepka, J.J. |
| 1 669th 43-9202 2A-B A-20G Lt MacManus, P.F.E., Jr. Sgt West, N.D. Sgt Tranchina, C.E. |
2 669th 43-10159 2A-G A-20G Lt Butler, G.S. Cpl McClain, H.B. Sgt McGaughy, W.S. |
3 669th 43-9376 2A-O A-20G Lt Hayter, E.R. S/Sgt Melchoir, F.E. S/Sgt Holloway, R.G. |
| 4 669th 43-9743 2A-W A-20G Lt Siggs, W.C. S/Sgt Nicks, R.W. S/Sgt Rosenstein, M. |
| 1 669th 43-10197 2A-F A-20G Lt Cornell, R.H., Jr. S/Sgt McGuire, J.J. Pvt Reid, K.A. |
2 669th 43-10190 2A-I A-20G Lt Robertson, R.B. S/Sgt Cheney, M.W. Sgt Reiter, G.E. |
3 669th 43-9929 2A-C A-20G Lt Clark, H.B. S/Sgt Sabadosh, J.W. S/Sgt Floyd, C.F. |
| 4 669th 43-9692 2A-M A-20G Lt Smith, J.F., Jr. S/Sgt Vafiadis, C. S/Sgt Hoffman, R.C. |
| SPARE 669th 43-9900 2A-Q A-20G Lt Tripp, W.F., Jr. S/Sgt Scott, J.O. S/Sgt Mallory, D.F. |
| 1 671st 43-22023 5C-G A-20J Lt Cole, H.P. Lt Basnett, R.J. S/Sgt Fandre, B.G. S/Sgt Chvatal, F.R. |
2 668th 43-21719 5H-V A-20J Lt Miracle, R.V. F/O McCartney, T.M. S/Sgt Burkhalter, J.C. S/Sgt Hill, A.A. |
3 671st 43-9952 5C-Z A-20G Lt Merchant, W.A. S/Sgt DeGiusti, I.R. Cpl Gross, V.F. |
| 1 671st 43-9393 5C-K A-20G Lt Perkins, R.D. S/Sgt Marion, H.A. S/Sgt Adams, V.P. |
2 671st 43-9937 5C-B A-20G Lt Remiszewski, A. Sgt Miguez, J.H. Cpl Davis, W.G., Jr. |
3 671st 43-9219 5C-D A-20G Lt Gary, J.C. Sgt Schoen, A.E., Jr. Sgt Cheuvront, R.W. |
| 4 671st 43-9841 5C-O A-20G Lt Herman, A.E. S/Sgt Griswold, R.M. S/Sgt Young, J.O. |
| 1 668th 43-9194 5H-C A-20G Lt Stanley, C.S. Sgt Collier, C.B. S/Sgt Hornbeck, K.E., Jr. |
2 668th 43-9195 5H-D A-20G Lt Svenson, R.R. S/Sgt Fild, P.G. S/Sgt Pfenning, G.H. |
3 668th 43-21809 5H-A A-20G Lt Parker, P.E. Sgt Galloway, A.F. Sgt Kochan, S.J. |
| 4 668th 43-9907 5H-O A-20G Lt Kenny, J.P. Sgt Metzler, L.V. Sgt Sittarich, J.J. |
| 1 668th 43-21480 5H-B A-20G Lt Downing, W.E. S/Sgt Sieg, B.C. Sgt Newell, S.P. |
2 668th 43-9701 5H-H A-20G Lt McCready, T.D. Sgt Lemonds, W.E. Sgt Fuehrer, W.F. |
3 668th 43-21764 5H-X A-20G Lt Harris, F.W. Sgt Roberts, J.H. S/Sgt Hantske, D. |
| 4 668th 43-10226 5H-E A-20G Lt Evans, H.M. Sgt Skeens, C.L. Sgt Merritt, O.N., Jr. |
| SPARE 668th 43-10150 5H-N A-20G Lt Mish, C.C. S/Sgt Clark, C.J., Jr. S/Sgt Chustz, R.F. |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 158 -- October 17, 1944, Tuesday AM
Trier/Pfalzel, Germany -- Railroad Bridge
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1944"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
P.F.F. was employed for the first time in almost two months on the 17th. The formation reached the target area at Trier where a railroad bridge was to be attacked. A mechanical failure in the P.F.F. equipment caused the planes to return without an attack. A complete cloud cover prevented any attempt at visual bombing. Major Willetts and Captain Cole led the two boxes behind the two B-26s, which were each equipped with P.F.F. equipment.
It turned out that this mission, number 158, was the last mission flown during the month. On these nine missions, 337 sorties were flown and 205 tons of bombs were dropped.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 165
Mission #158 - 17 October - Trier Railroad Bridge. After three
days of rain, this mission took off but cloud cover required PFF
Pathfinder leading the formation. Major Willetts and Lt. Royalty,
BN led our group. Lts. Meagher and Burg, BN, Captain Cole and
Lt. Basnett, BN and Lt. Miracle with F/O McCartney, BN led
flights. No reason was given, but the B-26 PFF planes did not
drop their bombs, nor did our group, returning to base, loaded as
heavily as they went up, less the gas used.
No further missions would be flown until all pilots had
completed transition flying in the new A-26 planes provided for
our group, we being the first one to fly them in combat in Europe
as a group.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
Major Dunn led a mission on October 8th against Linnich, Germany. This mission [No. 154] was the last flown during the month for our squadron, as on October 13th we were put on a non-operational status while our crews completed training in the new "Invader" aircraft. The 670th was the first squadron to start and to complete this training. Bad weather badly hampered the efforts of the crews to become operational in the new planes in the desired time.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
October 17th, 1944
Pathfinders led the 416th Bomb Group on the morning of October 17th but the PFF failed and the planes brought their bombs back. The target was the Konz/Karthaus railroad bridge over the Moselle River, five miles southwest of Trier.
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[October 17, 1944], HQ Twelfth Army Group situation map Map showing Western Allies and Axis troop position details in Western Europe as of approximately 1200 hours, October 17, 1944 World War II Military Situation Maps Collection Library of Congress |