05 OCTOBER 1944 · THURSDAY · STATION 104Bombed Primary
Mission 665.Rheine.
Rheine, Germany
Intended Target
Rheine
Rheine, Germany
Operating Group
93rd BG
2BD
Takeoff Base
Hardwick
Station 104
Landing Base
Hardwick
Station 104
Aircraft Effective
107 / 360
effective / dispatched
Bomb Tonnage
168.1
tons
The cost.
§ Outcome
2
Ships Aborting
0
Ships Lost
0
Men Bailed Out
0
Men Lost
The route.
§ Takeoff to Target
Bearing Out
90° T
Bearing In
275° T
Route Length
960 nmi
Time Aloft
5 h 25 m
Operational data.
§ From the Debrief
Times & Distance
Reveille
04:30
Stations
07:30
Takeoff
08:15
Form-Up
05:20
Time Over Target
10:00
Return Time
13:40
Distance
960 nmi
Fuel Aboard
2,300 gal
Fuel Consumed
1,800 gal
Weather
Cloud En-Route to Target
Heavy two-layer overcast: low stratus covering 8/10 of the sky, topped by a complete (10/10) stratocumulus layer. Near-total cloud cover throughout.
Air Temp at Altitude
-38 °F
Lowest Temp
-38 °F
Wind Speed
55 kt
Wind Direction
110°
Bombing & Defense
Bombing Altitude
23,600 ft
Bombing Run Heading
190° True
Forming Altitude
15,000 ft
Fighter Cover
2 P-51, 1 P-47 groups
Bombing Accuracy
Very good — visual bombing; 750 aircraft participating
Flak
Enroute at Osnabruck and Bielefeld; none at target
The formation.
10 aircraft · tap a ship for its crew
P2Lt Frederick A. Beckett
CP2Lt Floyd F. Redderson
N1Lt Nick J. DiFrancesco
BF/O George F. Knedler
E-TTSgt Richard P. Petko
ROS/Sgt William R. Falasca
WGSgt Elias Desantos
WGSgt John E. Fristoe
NG2Lt William Scott
TGSgt Sidney Stein
Sources.
§ Provenance
2nd Air Division · 2nd Air Division Digital Archive · 1944
Official record
Mighty Eighth War Diary
Roger A Freeman · Jane's Publishing Company Limited · 1981
Published