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A-2 Section Eighth Air Wing (HW) APO 520, U.S. Army 29 March 1944
AUGSBURG, GERMANY - MESSERSCHMITT AREA
The Augsburg plant is the parent factory of the Messerschmitt Company, one of the most important industrial organizations behind the weakening German Air Force. It has developed and produced Me 109's, Me 110's, Me 210's and Me 410's of the Luftwaffe, which have destroyed and slowed down German air opposition to Allied air attacks on German targets. This company is the center of experimental work, undertakes initial assembly of new planes to iron out "production bugs" and administrates the production of Messerschmitt planes throughout Europe. Until recent attacks by the 8th Air Force took place, this factory produced 180 Me 109's a month, and had delivered to date, more than 25,000 Me 109's. The Me 410 is probably the best twin-engine fighter the enemy produces, having a speed close to 400 MPH.
The plant is situated 3 miles south of Augsburg near the village of Haunstetten, and approximately 22 miles ENE of Munich in South Germany. Geographical coordinates are 48 degrees 20 minutes North by 10 degrees 52 minutes East. The target comprises 4 square miles surrounding the airfield, but the heart, with a separate group of buildings, is NE of the airfield. The experimental and research installations are North of the airfield, assembly and sub-assembly shops west and South of the airfield, and component erection and machine shops 1 mile SE of the airfield.
In operation of 25 February, 144 8th Air Force Forts attacked this target. Bombings and assembly shops and much of the experimental and research area North of the airfield were hit. Production destroyed or damaged by this attack mounted to an estimated 50 per cent of the total production at this plant of the Me 109 for a period of 2 to 3 months, and in a setback to the development program of Me 410 at 6 months. If, as is believed to be the case, the manufacturing operations can be resumed (Messerschmitt organization was already transferred to other areas), the total output will slow down the overall progress of Me 109, Me 110/210/410 production as much as 30 per cent.
NOTE: This factory was heavily camouflaged. Aerial photographs taken as far back as 15 August 1942. The main workshops in the three parts of the factory as noted. The airfields are elaborately painted with dummy roads and trees, so as to merge with the surrounding countryside. On one of the smaller buildings a replica of aircraft pathways leads to dummy dispersal bays and tarmacs are painted at the North end of the field. One bay has been painted with a diffusive design. The dispersal bays at the NE and SW ends of the tarmac are camouflage. There is a considerable number of dummy roads amongst the dispersal bays mentioned above; other dummy trees can be seen along the East and West sides of the airdrome..
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