492 Bombardment Group. Activities in 1945.

[JDCAVE]

The 492 Bombardment Group was undertaking activities to support RAF Bomber Command in 1945. For example 21 "Liberator aircraft" of the 492 Bombardment Group cooperated with the 100-Group WINDOW Feint Force and bombed Weisbaden, 2001-2008 hours. The bomb-load dropped comprised 113 x 500 lb GP and 106 No. 17 Incendiary Clusters. The target was marked by 7 aircraft of the force with Green Target Indicators and Red Wanganui Flares. (Intelligence raid analysis reports and interception tactics. Report No. 31-45. March 5/6, 1945. National Archives AIR 25/788). There were several other raids of this type, recorded in the Bomber Command Night Raid reporets. Do any of the USAAF experts out there know the extent and formality of the arrangements between the USAAF and RAF Bomber Command on these raids? How were the USAAF instructed on night activities? Was the practice broadly instructed in the USAAF 8th?

Jim

 

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

492nd BG (B-24, 856, 857, 858, 859 squadrons) with B-24 arrived in Britain in mid April 1944, flew regular bombing missions as part of the 14th Combat Bombardment Wing from 1 May to 7 August 1944, but in June 1944 the 858th was turned into a night leaflet dropping squadron. In August the group title was transferred, taking over the 801st Provisional Bombardment Group personnel and equipment, becoming the official European Theater USAAF Carpetbagger (and in 1945 Red Stocking and Skywave) and general night operations unit. (Similar to the 803rd Provisional Bombardment Squadron becoming the 36th Bombardment Squadron for Radio Countermeasures Operations) By the end of 1944, the 856th was the Carpetbagger squadron, with occasional help, the 859th was in Italy, the 406th had gone from carpetbagger to night leaflet squadron, so the 492nd group crews were trained in night flying and available for other operations. Put it another way July to September 1944 the 8th Air Force sent 1,528 Carpetbagger sorties, October to December 1944 it sent 6, plus another 531 in 1945. (The 1 sortie in October 1944 delivered a jeep).

The usual mechanism for co-ordinating missions would probably have been used to decide what to do, for example there are plenty of Bomber Command reconnaissance sorties marked "for Pinetree" (8th Air Force). According to the wartime summary, total 8th Air Force night bombing raids by heavy bombers was 343 sorties, 307 effective, 745 short tons of bombs dropped. Richard Davis reports 341 sorties attacked dropping 586.9 tons of HE, 229.8 tons of Incendiary, total 816.7 short tons. These were the join Bomber Command raids in September and October 1943 (28 sorties attacked), the Oboe and GH trials November 1943 to January 1944 (12 sorties attacked), then 3 raids on Pte de la Coubre Coastal Defences December 1944/January 1945 (25 sorties attacked), then from 20 February to 13 April 1945, a series of 16 night raids, 276 bombers attacked, 682.1 short tons of bombs dropped.

City	Date	Target	Sighting	Attacking	H.E.	I.B.	Short Tons
Neustadt	20-February-1945	M/Y	H2X (N)	26	58.5	-	58.5
Duisburg	21-February-1945	Power Plant	H2X (N)	25	57.5	-	57.5
Neuss	23-February-1945	M/Y	H2X (N)	24	64.2	-	64.2
Wilhelmshaven	27-February-1945	P/A	H2X (N)	23	39.3	19.5	58.8
Friedburg	28-February-1945	M/Y	GH (N)	22	31.8	25.7	57.5
Emden	04-March-1945	M/Y	H2X (N)	18	23.5	22.3	45.8
Wiesbaden	05-March-1945	M/Y	H2X (N)	21	28.2	26.5	54.7
Dortmund	07-March-1945	M/Y	H2X (N)	19	25.0	25.8	50.8
Dortmund	08-March-1945	M/Y	H2X (N)	15	17.5	19.2	36.7
Munster	10-March-1945	M/Y	H2X (N)	13	15.5	16.0	31.5
Wiesbaden	14-March-1945	M/Y	H2X (N)	7	11.8	1.7	13.5
Munster	15-March-1945	M/Y	H2X (N)	14	19.5	16.5	36.0
Travemunde	08-April-1945	P/A	H2X (N)	12	16.0	14.2	30.2
Stade	09-April-1945	A/F	H2X (N)	14	17.0	16.0	33.0
Dessau	10-April-1945	RR/Goods	H2X (N)	13	15.5	15.2	30.7
Beizenburg	13-April-1945	RR/Junction	H2X (N)	10	11.5	11.2	22.7

Try finding a copy of Mighty Eighth War Diary and Mighty Eighth War Manual by Roger Freeman. Squadron of Deception by Stephen Hutton covers the 803/36 RCM squadron in depth.

 

[JDCAVE]

Thanks Geoffrey for a very comprehensive reply.

Jim