Mission 15

Mission Summaries > January 1944

SUNDAY, 30 JANUARY 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):

3 missions are flown:

Mission 200:

623 B-17's and 154 B-24's are dispatched to hit aviation industry plants in Brunswick, Germany but cloud cover prevents visual bombing; 597 B-17's hit the secondary target, the city of Brunswick and 2 others hit targets of opportunity; the B-24's find dense smoke and contrails over the secondary and 104 bomb Hanover and 39 hit other targets of opportunity; the bombers claim 51-7-27 Luftwaffe aircraft; 18 B-17's and 2 B-24's are lost, 3 B-17's are damaged beyond repair and 104 B-17's and 11 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 4 KIA, 14 WIA and 206 MIA. Escort includes 635 P-38's, P-47's and Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 45-15-31 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-38's and 2 P-47's are lost, 2 P-38's, 3 P-47's and 2 P-51's are damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 4 MIA.

Mission 201:

During the evening, 5 of 5 B-17's drop 1.2 million leaflets on Châteauroux, Brest, Chartres, Le Mans and Caen, France without loss.

Mission 202:

In a night Oboe Mk II test, 1 B-17 drops 2 bombs on Duren, Germany.

Target: Brunswick, Germany - Braunschweig-Waggum and Factory Airfield
8th Air Force F.O. No:	200
Aircraft Taking Off:	24
Aircraft Dispatched:	20
Aircraft Aborts:	1
Aircraft Over Primary:	20
Aircraft Over Secondary:	0
Aircraft Over Last Resort:	0
Aircraft Bomb Load:	10 x 500 lb. AN-M43 General Purpose bombs
Group Bomb Load:	200 x 500 lb. AN-M43 General Purpose bombs
Results:	Unobserved
Tactical Mission Report:	Mission Data: Date: Primary Target: Secondary Target: Last Resort Target: Units Participating: Narrative: Assembly: First ship off at 0845 and last ship at 0906. Group assembly was made promptly and we formed into Wing over Buncher #6 with the 389th Group. Climb: Group formation was all right on climb. PFF ship left the formation at completion of the climb. I.P.: Due to persistent and very heavy contrails it was very difficult staying in proper formation. We were slightly to the right and high on one of the groups of the 20th Combat Wing at the time we reached the I.P. We did not see any flare but saw the ships make a turn to the left and heard the code word "hot dog" very distinctly. We repeated the code word, fired a yellow-yellow flare and turned left and fell in trail directly behind the 20th Combat Wing. Target: The target was not visible due to 10/10 lower clouds and the contrails from the other ships that had passed over made it appear as if you were in a heavy cirrus cloud. We saw the flares and the smoke bomb of the 20th Combat Wing. We synchronized and dropped on these flares. Return: Our Group and Wing formations were good, but we fell behind the other Wing while cruising at 165 indicated. However they were still in sight as we left the enemy coast. Enemy Fighters: Non existent. Fighter Escort: Good. Flak: Moderate and inaccurate
Losses: MACR #2247; Aircraft: 42-7565, Name:1st Pilot: 1st Lt. Thomas B. Conner, Jr.; Casualties: 10 KIA; Reason for Loss: Unable to keep station in the formation. Possible mechanical problems with the aircraft. Last seen when the crew abandoned the mission and turned back in the vicinity of Osnabrück. Possibly shot down by German fighters.
Note: None.

Brunswick/Braunschweig Aircraft Factory and Airfield