April 8th, 1945 was the 35th mission for Lou, Lee, and the pilot. Everyone else on the crew except Hendershot and Thorstenson had already finished their tours. The target was an airfield south of Nuremberg, one of the longest flights the crew had made. Fighters were reported in the area but none appeared. Flak was meager and inaccurate. It was a long, high-tension mission with nothing to show for the tension. They touched down at Station 104 at 15:00 hours. For Crew 94A, the war was over. Nine months in England, 35 missions flown.
08 APRIL 1945 · SUNDAY · STATION 104Bombed Primary
Mission 932.Bayreuth.
Bayreuth, Germany
Intended Target
Bayreuth
Bayreuth, Germany
Operating Group
93rd BG
2AD
Takeoff Base
Hardwick
Station 104
Landing Base
Hardwick
Station 104
Aircraft Effective
51 / 302
effective / dispatched
Bomb Tonnage
130.3
tons
The cost.
§ Outcome
0
Ships Aborting
0
Ships Lost
0
Men Bailed Out
0
Men Lost
The route.
§ Takeoff to Target
Bearing Out
107° T
Bearing In
295° T
Route Length
1,900 nmi
Time Aloft
7 h 30 m
Operational data.
§ From the Debrief
Times & Distance
Reveille03:10
Stations06:50
Takeoff07:30
Form-Up07:30
Time Over Target08:00
Return Time15:00
Distance1,900 nmi
Fuel Aboard2,700 gal
Fuel Consumed2,100 gal
Weather
Cloud En-Route to TargetPatchy stratus en route (8/10 reducing to 4/10); skies cleared at the target, allowing visual bombing on the final mission.
Lowest Temp-18 °F
Wind Speed65 kt
Wind Direction80°
Bombing & Defense
Bombing Altitude18,000 ft
Bombing Run Heading32° True
Forming Altitude13,000 ft
Fighter Cover2 P-51 groups
Bombing AccuracyExcellent
Flak
None
The formation.
§ 1 Aircraft Dispatched
Each ship that lifted off, and the men aboard her.
Sources.
§ Provenance
Mighty Eighth War Diary
Roger A Freeman · Jane's Publishing Company Limited · 1981
Published