Mission Date: March 7, 1945
DATTELN, SIEGEN, MY (S.T.)
100th BG Mission #: 273
Mission Summary
ON THIS DAY...March 7, 1945
After several days of no combat flying, thirty-eight crews were awakened for the next mission’s briefing. Those in the 349th would enjoy their Squadron stand down. At the 0530 briefing, the target was unveiled - the 100th would be flying to Datteln, with their primary target as its southern coking plant. Flying as the 13th Wing’s ‘C’ group, the 100th would share the same target as the 390th in the ‘B,’ while the 95th as Lead group would have the primary target of its northern coking plant. All groups would have as a Secondary target, Siegen and Geissen as their Tertiary target.
The 93rd Wing would lead the 3rd Division with the 13th flying second in the line of B-17s. Although the official tactical reports don’t indicate who the 100th's Lead Crew and Command Pilot were, the High was led by Ferbrache and Dawson and the Low by Albrecht and Hutchinson.
With the weather reported as “lousy, undercast up to 10000 feet,” the Group’s ships took off and formed up without any issues over Buncher 28. However, by mid-channel, the Lead squadron’s PFF ship experienced problems with their H2X equipment, so the Lead and High squadron switched positions, and stayed in those positions for the rest of the mission.
The route into Germany was over the Dutch coast and after hitting the Zuider Zee but before crossing the sortie line, Bernard Painter, flying a slot position, was the first to abort the mission. Having trouble keeping up with the formation, he turned back after a #4 runaway prop, receiving no mission credit. A second ship, flown by LT Willoughy, aborted after crossing the sortie line due to a feathered #1 prop, receiving mission credit.
With high clouds reported up to 20000 feet and no available beacon reception, the decision was made to attack the Secondary target. However, due to “faulty planning of the route,” and the positioning of the formations, the Low squadron was forced to fly through Datteln's original IP and “through an extensive flak area in order to reach the proposed IP for the secondary target.” Thomas Williams, Bombardier on the Lonnie Doyle crew recorded, “Flak off to the right 88s, 105s and rockets. Good for altitude but off on course” The William Wilson ship however, did encounter some flak when according to Robert Fitzgerald, “We took a hit in our oxygen system which started leaking.”
At the Secondary target, the High and Lead squadrons grouped together, and bombed Siegen from 23,500 feet at 1159 hours, while the Low dropped on Siegen one-half second later. Although no flak was reported there, the Wilson ship fell out of formation right after bombs were away, lowering in altitude due to the loss of their oxygen supply. Returning to base safely, Bombardier Fitzgerald remembered, “We were a sitting duck if there were any German fighters in the area. Several P-51s flew above us for protection and we received no fire going over the lines.”
The 100th’s formation made the Rally Point, coming home over France and picking up the English Coast around London. With weather having closed in over the base, the pilots were on instruments during their letdown, landing at 1530 hours.
It was a good day for the 100th with no fighters encountered. And although the Low flew through heavy flak, no official battle damage was reported. At 1905 hours, less than four hours after the return landings, the Group’s Air Executives were busy once again when an alert from Wing told them a mission was on for the next day.
Bombing Results
Bombing Results:
Aircraft Lost: 0
Crew Lost: 0
Claims of Enemy Losses (CLS): 0
Aircraft Returned:
