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).
