15th Army Air Forces; WWII
15th Army Air Forces; WWII

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Mission 262

HEADQUARTERS 47TH WING APO 520

CONSOLIDATED MISSION REPORT NO. 262. Period ending 2400 hours 22 Aug 1944.

GENERAL: 98 B-24's of the 98th, 376th, 449th and 450th Groups attacked VIENNA/LOBAU Underground Oil Storage, dropping 194.5 tons of 1000 lb GP bombs with fair results.

  1. 98TH BOMB GROUP. At 0716 hours, 28 B-24's took off to bomb LOBAU Underground Oil Storage. 2 returned early. 26 over target at 1020 hours at 22,500/23,500', 26 dropping 51.5 tons of 1000 lb GP bombs with .1 nose and .1 tail fusing. 1 is missing, lost seen on route back near Lake BALATON with one engine feathered. 1 landed at friendly field. 24 returned at 1305 hours. ROUTE: As briefed. RESULTS: Good concentration in target area. Pinpoint believed hit. Fires and explosions seen. 3 columns of black smoke: 1 in target area, 1 between target and river, 1 W of target. Bombed visually. 120 bundles of nickels dropped in target area. E/A: 5 seen: 4 Me410's with silver fuselages and brilliant red fire between target and SOPRON. 1 possible jet-propelled a/c in target area. No encounters. FLAK: SIH at target. SIH at ZEMLIN. SIH at 46 08 N - 17 15 E, 45 58 N - 17 25 E and at BELAVAR. PHOTOS: 7 a/c attempted. OBSERVATIONS: At 0903, 14,000', smoke screen at 45 15 N - 16 25 E. At 0950, 23,500', heavy smokescreen at 45 22 N - 16 50 E. At 1047, 16,200', German bomber in flames on ground at 46 42 N - 17 27 E. At 1147, 11,000', unidentified a/c exploded at 4000' at 43 50 N - 16 43 E, no chutes. ESCORT: 15 P38's at 0850, 16,500', 44 30 N - 17 13 E; last seen at 1150, 13,500', 43 40 N - 17 00 E.
  2. 376TH BOMB GROUP. At 0545 hours, 28 B-24's took off to bomb LOBAU Underground Oil Storage. 2 returned early. 26 over target at 1020 hours at 23,000', 26 dropping 51.0 tons of 1000 lb GP bombs with .1 nose and .1 tail fusing. 3 lost, 2 lost to flak at target and collided over Yugoslavia. 1 is missing, last seen at Yugo coast, may have gone to VIS. 23 returned at 1335. ROUTE: As briefed. RESULTS: Believe hits in area H-Y/11-13 (T.C. L2-M2-NA). Large column of black smoke to 5000'. Several fires and 2 large explosions. Bombed visually. E/A: None seen. FLAK: IAH at target. SIH at 48 10 N - 17 10 E. PHOTOS: 5 a/c attempted. OBSERVATIONS: At 1053, 16,000', silver a/c crashed at 47 00 N - 17 00 E. At 1143, 13,500', 2 a/c collided and crashed at 43 48 N - 16 43 E; 3 chutes seen, 2 on fire. ESCORT: 30 P38's at 0930, 22,300', 46 40 N - 17 21 E and 25 P51's at 0945, 47 10 N - 17 05 E; both left at 1125, 13,800', 44 00 N - 16 54 E.
  3. 449TH BOMB GROUP. At 0554 hours, 28 B-24's took off to bomb LOBAU Underground Oil Storage. 4 returned early. 24 over target at 1023 hours at 24,500/26,200', 23 dropping 46.0 tons of 1000 lb GP bombs with .1 nose and .1 tail fusing. 1 jettisoned 2.0 tons. 1 landed at friendly field. 23 returned at 1300 hours. ROUTE: As briefed. RESULTS: Good coverage with good pattern. 3 fires seen; 1 column to 10,000'. E/A: 9 seen: 5 JU88 at 1150, 20,000', 44 47 N - 17 10 E; 4 Me109 at 1145, 5,000', 43 25 N - 16 45 E. No encounters. FLAK: IAH at target, for 2/8 minutes. SIH at OTE, 47 42 N - 17 38 E; BRATISLAVA, 48 05 N - 16 28 E; MEDJEN, 47 37 N - 16 48 E; RUMBACH, 47 42 N - 16 54 E. PHOTOS: 8 a/c attempted; 5 successful. OBSERVATIONS: At 1022, 25,500', 700/800 cars in M/Y at 48 11 N - 16 44 E. ESCORT: Very good. 30 P38's and P51's at 0935, 46 41 N - 17 22 E; left at 1143, 43 40 N - 16 48 E.
  4. 450TH BOMB GROUP. At 0600 hours, 28 B-24's took off to bomb LOBAU Underground Oil Storage. 3 returned early. 25 over target at 1017 hours at 23/24,000', 23 dropping 46.0 tons of 1000 lb GP bombs with .1 nose and .1 tail fusing. 1 jettisoned 2.0 tons, 1 returned 2.0 tons. 1 landed at friendly field. 24 returned at 1250 hours. ROUTE: As briefed.
     

RESULTS: Good. Aiming point hit with bombs extending to left down to loading docks on canal. No explosions or smoke observed. Bombed visually. E/A: 6/8 Me109 and 1 Me210 seen in target area at 24,000'. At 1015, 2 a/c, an Me109 and an Me210, made single pass from 12 o'clock level, stayed out of range, broke off under formation, not firing. Unaggressive. No claims made. FLAK: IAH at target. Really left brought formation into wall of barrage flak. 10/15 guns at 48 11 N - 16 28 E. IAH at WIENER NEUSTADT, 47 50 N - 16 15 E. IAH at SOPRON, 47 40 N - 16 34 E. MIH at KAPTALANFA, 46 27 N - 17 30 E. PHOTOS: 8 a/c attempted. OBSERVATIONS: At 0925, 20,000', B-24 seen undamaged in open field at 46 05 N - 17 03 E. At 1143, 12,000', 2 chutes seen in field just after target. Formation was followed by 2 brown B-24's flying level with formation over Yugoslavia firing red and green flares. ESCORT: 26/30 P38's at 0857, 22,400', 45 08 N - 17 03 E and 20 P51's at 0932, 22,000' at Lake BALATON; left at 1150, 15,000' at SZEGNO Island.

  1. WEATHER. CAPU.
  2. TIME TABULATION: TIME DOWN FLASH MISSION 98th 1305 1315 (10') 1500 (1 hr, 55') 376th 1335 1354 (19') 1435 (1 hr, 40') 449th 1300 1312 (12') 1424 (1 hr, 24') 450th 1252 1302 (10') 1444 (1 hr, 52')
     

THOMAS, A-2.

 

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