Mission Details for Falkenburg (#253)

Briefing

Details

Number: 253
Date: 4/19/1945 12:00:00 AM
Commander: Maj. J.D. Strauss
Crews Briefed: 30
Details: Railroad marshalling yards

Flying Control

Runway: 5
Engines: 0620 Thumbnail image for /Images/Takeoff/Plan05.jpg
Taxi: 0630
Take Off: 0640
E.T.R.: 1502
Notes: The 30 crews making up the new Group formation were briefed at 0330 hours, and all aircraft had taken off by 0704. "Good takeoff" according to Flying Control.
At 1344 one ship landed from the mission with an engine feathered. By 1515 all but one of the operational aircraft had returned. The missing crew sent a message that they were landing an an alternate field.

Debriefing

Aircraft: 30
Lost Over Continent: 0
Lost Other: 0
Summary: On this mission the 401st put up three 10 ship squadrons making up the 94th Combat Wing "A" Group, part of a broad attack by the 1st and 3rd Air Divisions on rail targets throughout Germany. The weather was clear, and the three Lead bombardiers all hit their assigned aiming points with good results. The total bomb patterns were not as good as expected, but this was attributed to inexperience in flying the new 30 ship formations.
The Luftwaffe hit the 3rd Air Division, downing five B-17's, but the 1st Air Division, including the 401st, was unscathed.

Mission Assignments

Squadron Participants