Mission Date: April 9, 1945
MUNICH/REIM, AF
100th BG Mission #: 298
Mission Summary
ON THIS DAY...APRIL 9, 1945
At the morning’s briefing, the thirty-eight crews in attendance watched as the S-2 Intelligence Officer unveiled the map. Their destination that day would be Munich, with the first Priority visual target of the Munchen/Reim airfield, east of Munich. Pilot Larry Lazzari, remembered that the “Intelligence briefing indicated that Hitler was to be at this airport at the time we were to bomb it at 1659 hours.” The second Priority target would the airfield at Neuburg while the third Priority visually or vis H2X would be Ingolstadt.
The 13th Wing would fly second in the 3rd Division Line, lead by the 100th BG with the 390th flying as its ‘B’ group and the 95th as its ‘C.’ Leading the 100th’s formation would be Ferbrache/Murray with Stivers/Raiford leading the High squadron, Champion the Low and Gilbert the Low Low squadrons.
According to the journal of TG Elmer Hooper, the bombers took off at 1140 only after take-off times had been delayed three times due to fog. The 100th’s aircraft were finally airborne under 10/10 cloud coverage, loaded with four 1000 lb. bombs and four M17 incendiaries.
Assembly over Buncher 28 was made without incident and the Wing assembled behind the 100th at Buncher 23.
With the weather at 6-8/10 clouds at 23000 feet with visibility twenty to thirty miles, the first Priority target was set. As the formation neared the target, their escorting P-51’s had reported four ME-262s attempting an unsuccessful pass at the formation at 1620 hours near Ingelstadt, but were ultimately chased away by the escorts. A different group of escorting P-51s caused damage to three to four ME-262s at 1645 hours in the Ulm-Munich area. No enemy aircraft were successful in getting close to the 100th's formation.
The IP was made good and the squadron peel off was executed for individual bomb runs over the airfield at Munich. Flying through meager to moderate flak, bombs were away from 22000-23000 feet at 1658-1659 hours. Unfortunately Hitler was not at the airfield when bombed, as Intelligence had briefed. However, as Lazzari remembered, “we really creamed the north side of the airport.”
With the Wing reassembling at the Rally Point, the Groups returned to England with the 100th’s crews returning safely after an eight and one-half to nine hour mission, landing after 2000 hours. No battle damage was reported.
Bombing Results
Bombing Results: EXCELLENT
Aircraft Lost: 0
Crew Lost: 0
Claims of Enemy Losses (CLS): 0
Aircraft Returned:
