416th BG Mission 203

416th Bombardment Group (L)

Mission # 203 -- February 13, 1945, Tuesday PM

Iserlohn, Germany

Motor Transport Center

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Summary of Operations

Field Order        : 746
OpRep #            : 316a
Nature of Mission : Bombing
Mission Status     : Attacked
Bombing Altitude   : 13,500 feet

Take-off Time      : 1221
Time Over Target   : 1344
Landing Time       : 1450
Duration (Hrs:Min) : 2:29

Place of Take-Off : A-69 Laon/Athies, France
A/C Dispatched : 19 Total -- 18 A-26's, 1 B-26 (PFF)
Modified British System Reference: A-992085
Summary of Results : Bombed town of Wittlich, results Unobserved.

Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 51.37538,7.72572 (51° 22' 31" N, 7° 43' 33" E)
(Latitude/Longitude based on The "Coordinates Translator", (NGZ) rA992085)
(See Latitude/Longitude Coordinates and Target Identifiers for more information. Note: This coordinate represents the Primary Target Location, the Location actually attacked may differ)

Scanned original Mission 203 documents (multipage PDF files)

Mission Folder Reports Folder OpRep # 316a

If nothing happens on Click, check to see if the PDF file was automatically saved to your computer. Depending on Internet speed, the display or download may be slow.
These Public Domain, Declassified Mission documents were graciously provided to the 416th BG Archive by the dedicated staff of the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA).
An on-line index of records held by AFHRA up to 2001 is available at Air Force History Index.org.
Most of these PDF files are unaltered originals provided by the AFHRA, a few have been re-organized.
Pages may be out of sequence; files may contain scanned blank pages and/or pages scanned upside-down; some pages may be included in more than one file.
The "Mission Folder" usually contains the majority of documents for a Mission, including Field Orders, Status Reports, Pilot Interrogations, Photos (if available), etc.

Loading List 1, Box I

Primary Target area around MBS Coordinate (NGZ) rA992085
Extracted from GSGS-4416/AMS-M641 Sheet Q2 - "Dortmund" 1:100:000 Military Topographic Map
(Downloaded from Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection - Army Map Service Topographic Map Series,
Central Europe, Series M641, 1:100,000, U.S. Army Map Service, 1943-,
Dortmund sheet)
(Note: This coordinate and map display represent the Primary Target Location, the Location actually attacked may differ)
(Annotated Full Map PDF)

Included are Box, Flight and Position; Bomb Squadron; Aircraft Serial Number, Fuselage Code and Model; and Crew Members
transcribed from individual mission Loading List documents by Chris and Mary Adams and Carl Sgamboti.
Some information, such as Squadron, Serial Number, etc. has been expanded from other documents.

Box I -- Flight I
1 670th 43-22501 F6-W A-26C Maj Dunn, L.F. Lt Brewer, W.E., Sr. Lt Maltby, A.H. S/Sgt Teran, A.	2 668th 43-22508 5H-Z A-26C Lt Brewster, F.S. Lt Dennis, L.W. Lt Rosenquist, A.E. S/Sgt Clark, W.O.	3 670th 41-39223 F6-B A-26B Lt Errotabere, M. Sgt Bowie, E.A.
4 670th 41-39315 F6-F A-26B Lt Merritt, T.S. Sgt Basile, A.C.	5 670th 41-39224 F6-E A-26B F/O Green, J.A. Sgt Rorbakken, R.R.	6 670th 41-39321 F6-V A-26B Lt Cook, J.A. Sgt Langley, T.R.

Box I -- Flight II
1 668th 43-22505 5H-Y A-26C Capt Evans, H.M. Lt McCartney, T.M. Sgt Edenburn, J.C.	2 668th 41-39233 5H-F A-26B Lt Kenny, J.P. S/Sgt Metzler, L.V.	3 668th 41-39188 5H-R A-26B Lt Montrose, J.H. S/Sgt Felkel, J.W.
4 668th 41-39335 5H-W A-26B Lt Parker, P.E. S/Sgt Heitell, S.L.	5 668th 41-39274 5H-S A-26B Lt Carver, J.H. Sgt Graham, N.M.	6 668th 43-22389 5H-X A-26B Lt Buchanan, R.C. Sgt Hindman, R.G.

Box I -- Flight III
1 671st 43-22497 5C-E A-26C Lt Buskirk, J.A. Lt Hanna, R.C. S/Sgt Corbitt, C.H., Jr.	2 671st 43-22352 5C-J A-26B Lt VanNoorden, H.M. S/Sgt Steffey, R.I.	3 671st 43-22326 5C-W A-26B Lt Spires, J.W. Sgt Davis, L.E. [Not Airborne Prop governor out on left engine]
4 671st 41-39239 5C-N A-26B Lt Edstrom, L.W. S/Sgt Pompa, P.A.	5 671st 41-39208 5C-L A-26B F/O Wilson, H.J. S/Sgt Fessler, H.S.	6 671st 41-39300 5C-K A-26B Lt Jokinen, W.R. S/Sgt McNellis, D.E. [Returned Early Could not keep up with formation]

Box I
SPARE 670th 41-39205 F6-M A-26B Lt Bishop, E.G. Sgt Harris, M.C.

Group and Unit Histories

Mission # 203 -- February 13, 1945, Tuesday PM
Iserlohn, Germany -- Motor Transport Center

"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1945"
Transcribed from USAF Archives

The following mission, on the 13th, was carried out by PPF in an attack on the motor transport center at Iserlohn. Unable to find the fighter escort, the formation attacked a secondary target on PPF, the town of Wittlich. An almost solid cloud cover prevented any observation of the ensuing results. Major Dunn, with Lt Brewer, B-N, led the one box that made up the formation.

"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 207

Mission #203 - 13 February - Iserlohn. With only one box scheduled to make this mission, Major Dunn and Lt. Brewer, BN led. Lts. Buskirk and Hanna, BN led a flight as did Lts. Evans and McCartney, BN. This was the first official mission from our new base A-69. The rendezvous with our fighter escort did not materialize so the formation did not get to bomb the primary target, cloud cover contributing to the problem. Bombs were dropped on a secondary target, Wittlich, using GEE equipment. No enemy fighters or flak hindered the operation. Results were unobserved.

"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives

The Air Echelon of 27 Officers and 46 Enlisted Men arrived at Station A-69 in the afternoon of 12th February.

The following day the first mission was run from the new base. It was an attack on the Iserlohn Motor transport center. Seven of our crews took part. No photo cover was available so the results were unobserved.

"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns

February 13th, 1945

One box was dispatched in the Groups' first mission from A-69. Adverse weather conditions again prevented visual bombing, and Pathfinder was employed. The briefed target was the motor transport depot at Iserlohn, deep in the Reich, but "Parade" instructed the formation to bomb the town of Wittlich when the fighters and bombers failed to make contact at the rendezvous point. The PFF aircraft bombed on Gee. Results were unobserved. All crews returned safely and battle damage was nil.

[February 13, 1945], HQ Twelfth Army Group situation map

Map showing Western Allies and Axis troop position details in Western Europe
as of approximately 1200 hours, February 13, 1945
World War II Military Situation Maps Collection
Library of Congress