# Operation Clarion - New Zenos' Warbirds Video



## ODonovan (Sep 6, 2018)

I think we may have someone on the forums here who participated in this. Hey Bill ( 

 billrunnels
), were you in on this one?





-Irish


----------



## billrunnels (Sep 6, 2018)

ODonovan said:


> I think we may have someone on the forums here who participated in this. Hey Bill (
> 
> billrunnels
> ), were you in on this one?
> ...



I missed that one. Was at Nurnberg the day before. I don't think the 303rd was in the air on February 22, 1945.


----------



## ODonovan (Sep 6, 2018)

billrunnels said:


> I missed that one. Was at Nurnberg the day before. I don't think the 303rd was in the air on February 22, 1945.



I checked this page for the 303rd. Air Groups, under the "Missions" tab. It does have the 303rd being there. It may be that the 360th was out of the rotation for a couple days. By the way, how -did- you guys do on the "rail targets" at Nuremberg on the 21st? Hope you gave 'em a good pasting!

..#.............Date..............Mission...............Description
317 February 21, 1945 8AF 839 Rail targets in Nuremberg
318 February 22, 1945 8AF 841 Operation Clarion: major attack on German rail and road targets
319 February 23, 1945 8AF 843 Second day of Clarion mission
320 February 24, 1945 8AF 845 Oil refineries and rail targets <---(looks to be unconnected with Clarion itself, but likely followup strikes)



-Irish


----------



## billrunnels (Sep 6, 2018)

ODonovan said:


> I checked this page for the 303rd. Air Groups, under the "Missions" tab. It does have the 303rd being there. It may be that the 360th was out of the rotation for a couple days. By the way, how -did- you guys do on the "rail targets" at Nuremberg on the 21st? Hope you gave 'em a good pasting!
> 
> ..#.............Date..............Mission...............Description
> 317 February 21, 1945 8AF 839 Rail targets in Nuremberg
> ...


You are correct the 303rd did fly on the 22nd but I was not assigned. Regarding Nurnberg on February 21 we dropped PFF through lower cloud coverage. Results unknown. We did experience something different. Our crew was on the far right of the squadron formation and received moderate flak on the return. Our aircraft was targeted with a collision pattern by a four gun battery. The first burst was a considerable distance in front at our precise altitude, the second, third and fourth closer. Had there been a fifth we would have taken a direct hit. Block flak was the norm.


ODonovan said:


> I checked this page for the 303rd. Air Groups, under the "Missions" tab. It does have the 303rd being there. It may be that the 360th was out of the rotation for a couple days. By the way, how -did- you guys do on the "rail targets" at Nuremberg on the 21st? Hope you gave 'em a good pasting!
> 
> ..#.............Date..............Mission...............Description
> 317 February 21, 1945 8AF 839 Rail targets in Nuremberg
> ...


----------



## Gnomey (Sep 7, 2018)

Good one!


----------



## ODonovan (Sep 8, 2018)

billrunnels said:


> We did experience something different. Our crew was on the far right of the squadron formation and received moderate flak on the return. Our aircraft was targeted with a collision pattern by a four gun battery. The first burst was a considerable distance in front at our precise altitude, the second, third and fourth closer. Had there been a fifth we would have taken a direct hit. Block flak was the norm.



That sounds nasty. Thank goodness they didn't make those guns in sets of five. It makes me wonder why they didn't use that tactic more often. It seems, if they could calculate your altitude that well, they could have the quad batteries walk their fire into the Forts and get a lot more hits than they were getting with the "spray and pray" method they used.



-Irish


----------

