03 FEBRUARY 1945 · SATURDAY · STATION 104Bombed Primary
Mission 817.Magdeburg/Rothensee.
Magdeburg, Germany
Intended Target
Magdeburg/Rothensee
Magdeburg, Germany
Operating Group
93rd BG
2AD
Takeoff Base
Hardwick
Station 104
Landing Base
Hardwick
Station 104
Aircraft Effective
116 / 434
effective / dispatched
Bomb Tonnage
269
tons
The cost.
§ Outcome
0
Ships Aborting
0
Ships Lost
0
Men Bailed Out
0
Men Lost
The route.
§ Takeoff to Target
Bearing Out
89° T
Bearing In
277° T
Route Length
950 nmi
Operational data.
§ From the Debrief
Times & Distance
Reveille
03:30
Return Time
15:45
Distance
950 nmi
Fuel Consumed
2,300 gal
Weather
Cloud En-Route to Target
Stratocumulus clouds throughout the route — low, lumpy/rolling cloud; coverage level unrecorded.
Air Temp at Altitude
-40 °F
Lowest Temp
-40 °F
Wind Speed
50 kt
Wind Direction
270°
Bombing & Defense
Bombing Altitude
22,500 ft
Bombing Run Heading
85° True
Fighter Cover
4 P-51 groups
Bombing Accuracy
Fair
Flak
Moderate flak
The formation.
32 aircraft · tap a ship for its crew
P1Lt Walter F. Hughes
CPLt Douglas A. Schetter
N2Lt Louis H. Windsor
B2Lt Ralph Hendershot
E-TTSgt Conway Thorstenson
ROT/Sgt Norbert L. Ecclesfield
WGSgt Michael J. Kusnir
WGT/Sgt Robert E. Lee
TGSgt Boyd L. Justice
The next mission returned to Magdeburg, 75 miles short of Berlin. It was their second time to that target. Flak was moderate, one hole in the aircraft, all planes returned safely. Fair bombing results. Not as difficult as the first Magdeburg raid, but not a milk run either.
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