September 27. Lieutenant Colonel Stewart led a Ramrod to Kassel. The 355th provided penetration, target, and withdrawal support to 315 bombers attacking locomotive fabrication targets. The 355th was assigned to the first two combat boxes of the 3rd Task Force (Vinegrove 3-1 and 3-2) attacking the Henschel manufacturing center at Kassel. Rendezvous with the bombers was accomplished at 0850 between Zwolle and Apeldoorn. The Initial Point at Gutersloh, northwest of Kassel, was reached at 0928. At that time the 445th BG departed the formation and proceeded alone east-southeast toward Gottingen while the rest of the 3rd TF and escorts turned southeast for their target runs on Kassel. As the main bomber stream departed Kassel, they turned north toward the Rally Point, regrouped at the rally point, and then turned due south. The 445th was running behind time for the R/V at the Rally Point and the main force continued south without them. The fighter escorts with the main force received a plea for help from the Gottingen force to the north at approximately 1003. At this time, the 445th had reached Eschwege on the southward leg from the Rally Point and were at least 30 miles behind the rest of the 2nd Bomb Division. A large gaggle of FW 190s from IV.(Sturm)/JG3 had intercepted the unescorted 445th BG at Eschwege. Shortly afterwards II.(Sturm)/JG4 and II.(Sturm)/JG300 joined in the attack. This attack was the ‘perfect storm’ as all of the attack force had the heavily armed FW 190A-8s and there were no escort fighters in range to help. In all 121 German fighters had converged in this very small relative airspace. At the beginning of the attack, the 445th was flying in four 10-ship squadrons, less three early aborts, for a total of 37 B-24s. In five very long minutes 25 B-24s were down or fatally damaged. Of the 25 lost, two would crash in occupied France, one in Brussels, plus three more after crossing the Channel, at Manston and Norfolk. It was the worst single loss for any USAAF bomb group during WWII. Most of the crews downed near Eschwege were killed in action and five of one surviving crew were murdered by German civilians shortly after parachuting safely. The civilians were later tried and hanged after the war ended. Captain Henry Brown led Green flight of the 354FS back to the Eisenach-Eschwege area and made contact with a section of 10 FW 190s which were diving away from the surviving B-24s. When Brown led his flight to the attack, approximately 30 more FW 190s were also observed diving for the deck with other Mustangs chasing them. They were either 4th FG or 361st FG who also came to the rescue. Brown caught two to raise his combined air/ground total to 27.7 making him the highest active scoring ace in the ETO. His wingman Lieutenant Priest got another FW 190 in the same fight. The 336FS of the 4th FG had spotted approximately 100 plus German fighters and joined the fight. They shot down five to cross the 700 destroyed mark and pass the 56th FG. The 361st FG engaged in a huge scrap with 75+ FW 190s and Me 109s near Eschwege. These fighters included II./JG300, IV.(Sturm)/JG3 and II.(Sturm)/JG4 FW 190s plus I./JG300 Me 109s. The 376FS of the 361st shot down 18 FW 190s, then destroyed three Me 410s on the ground. Lieutenant Beyer of the 376FS got five in the air to become the 361st FG first ‘ace in a day’.On this day the 376th FS broke all previous ETO records for the most aircraft downed by one squadron in a single mission and probably saved the 445th from complete annihilation. The rest of 355th stayed with the bombers to provide cover for the now lightly guarded remainder of the 2BD for the trip to the Channel. After escort was broken, Red flight of the 354FS strafed an airfield near St. Vith around noon. Stewart and Lieutenant Mann destroyed a shared Ju 88 and Captain Williamson destroyed an FW 190 on what was believed to be the Eschwege airdrome. The FW 190 blew up as Williamson flew over in the ‘borrowed’ WR*F. The rudder and tail section were badly damaged but he made it back to Steeple Morden with Stewart flying escort. Major Marshall was informed after the mission that his younger brother Billy, an Instructor, was killed in a flying accident, with a student, near their hometown at Greenville, Texas To this day the mission objective of the 445th BG remains shrouded in mystery, but one of the more prominent theories is that they were tasked to destroy the Horten 229 facilities at Gottingen. Following return of the survivors, the mission notes were taken by 8th AF HQ personnel and allegedly instructed to remain silent. The debate continues between navigation error and secret mission. However, the Mission Map at the 355th FG for September 27 clearly showed the course branch for one attacking force to strike Gottingen while the main force went southeast to Kassel. Final score 5-0-0 for no losses
Posted on: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 14:37:40 +0000
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