Monday

In England on April 16, Kenneth E. Cline flew as the pilot of B-24 #507 against the marshalling yards at Landshut. The 392nd Bomb Group’s crews were briefed at 0730 and 31 B-24s began to take off at 1015. No flak or enemy fighters were encountered and the mission aircraft recovered at Wendling shortly after 1900.¹ This was Ken’s 12th mission and one of the longer ones flown, nearly nine hours.²

The 393nd Bomb Group’s 31 B-24s were only a portion of the 273 B-24s which attacked the Landshut marshaling yard. Escorting this mission were 299 P-47s and P-51s which claim the destruction of 228 German aircraft the mission through ground attack. An additional 109 German aircraft are claimed as damaged during ground attacks. ³

Notes & Commentary

¹ “Mission #282, Target: Landshut.” http://www.B24.net (http://b24.net/missions/MM041645.htm : accessed 05 April 1945).

² 392nd Bombardment Group (H) History, April 1945, Headquarters 392nd Bombardment Group (H), 7 May 1945, microfilm B0445, Maxwell AFB, AL: Air Force Historical Research Agency, 1973, frame 1874.

³ “Mission 954, 16 April 1945,” Eighth Air Force Operations History (http://www.8thafhs.org/combat1945.htm : accessed 05 April 2015).