Mission 859 · Magdeburg/Rothensee O/I

The cost.

§ Outcome

0

Ships Aborting

1

Ships Lost

3

Men Bailed Out

10

Men Lost

The route.

§ Takeoff to Target

Bearing Out

89° T

Bearing In

277° T

Route Length

1,000 nmi

Time Aloft

6 h 20 m

Operational data.

§ From the Debrief

Times & Distance

Reveille

03:00

Stations

05:50

Takeoff

07:20

Form-Up

07:20

Time Over Target

08:00

Return Time

13:40

Distance

1,000 nmi

Fuel Aboard

2,700 gal

Fuel Consumed

2,150 gal

Weather

Cloud En-Route to Target

Heavy stratus (8/10) — 80% of the sky obscured by a low, flat cloud layer.

Air Temp at Altitude

-33 °F

Lowest Temp

-36 °F

Wind Speed

75 kt

Wind Direction

220°

Bombing & Defense

Bombing Altitude

28,000 ft

Bombing Run Heading

157° True

Forming Altitude

13,500 ft

Fighter Cover

4 P-51 groups

Bombing Accuracy

Fair — H2X radar bombing

Flak

Tracking and barrage flak, fairly accurate

The formation.

20 aircraft · tap a ship for its crew

A/COpen the service file for 44-49472 →

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

TGSgt Boyd L. Justice

NGT/Sgt Robert E. Lee

The third Magdeburg mission targeted the oil refinery. The route ran in over the Zuiderzee, Zwolle, Dümmer Lake, and Hannover. Flak was a mix of tracking and barrage, fairly accurate, at a temperature of minus 38 degrees Celsius. A jet was reported in the area. During the mission the oxygen ran out, though the aircraft took no battle damage and all crew returned safely. One ship was seen to blow up. Two chutes came out. One ship and ten men were lost.

Sources.

§ Provenance

Load List

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

Mission 859.Magdeburg/Rothensee O/I.

The cost.

The route.

Operational data.

The formation.

Sources.