Mission Details for Strasbourg (#121)

Briefing

Details

Number: 121
Date: 8/3/1944 12:00:00 AM
Commander: Maj. D.E. Silver
Crews Briefed: 39
Details: Railroad marshalling yards

Flying Control

Runway: 5
Engines: 1035 Thumbnail image for /Images/Takeoff/Plan05.jpg
Taxi: 1050
Take Off: 1105
E.T.R.: 1805
Notes: The Group was briefed at the comparatively late hour of 0815. All operational aircraft were off by 1133; two aborts and two spare aircraft returned early. All other ships had returned by 1847 hours.
The Flying Control Log notes that at 1535 hours seven RAF Lancasters cut through the pattern and flew across the field at an altitude of 50 feet down to about 10 feet even though the ceiling was 1,000 feet--"Definite breach of flying discipline."

Debriefing

Aircraft: 39
Lost Over Continent: 0
Lost Other: 0
Summary: The 401st provided three Boxes, comprising the 94th Combat Wing "B" formation. The target, a large marshalling yard just north of Strasbourg, controlled a huge amount of traffic supplying German troops in the invasion area.
While broken clouds were encountered in the target area, bombing was done visually, with results ranging from good to excellent. No enemy aircraft were reported, and no flak was encountered over the target. However the Group experienced some flak over Aachen on the return; seven ships received battle damage, one of them major.

Mission Assignments

Squadron Participants