searching for usaf unit
 

hello,

does anyone know which usaaf unit was involved in the
attack on "Nauen" (Brandenburg) on 20 April 1945?

that would help me with some research ...

thank you in advance!!

best regards
ghostwriter

Re: searching for usaf unit
 

This is what I have for this date:

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 962: 837 bombers and 890 fighters are dispatched to hit rail targets NNW to SSW of Berlin, Bavaria and Czechoslovakia; they claim 7-0-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is lost: 1. 319 B-17s are sent to hit the rail industry at Nauen (82) and marshalling yards at Wustermark (77), Neuruppin (57) and Oranienburg (82); 1 hits Neuruppin Airfield, a target of opportunity; 15 B-17s are damaged and 1 airman WIA. Escorting are 258 of 271 P-51s; 1 is lost. 2. 289 B-17s are dispatched to attack marshalling yards at Brandenburg (137), Seddin (66) and Treuenbrietzen (82); 1 B-17 is lost and 10 damaged; 10 airmen are MIA. The escort is 227 of 241 P-51s.

Ed

Re: searching for usaf unit
 

hello ed,

thank you very much for your reply!!
can you also confirm the 34 BG?

br
marc

Re: searching for usaf unit
 

The 93rd Combat Bombardment Wing bombed Nauen.
The 34th BG had 28 planes over Nauen. http://valortovictory.tripod.com/1945-04.htm
The other two groups were the 490th BG and the 493rd BG.

493rd Mission list: http://www.arizonahandbook.com/8thAF_18.htm

Last mission of the 490th to Nauen comment on these pages:
https://books.google.com/books?id=41...=Nauen&f=false

Since only 82 planes bombed Nauen these three groups probably accounted for that total.

Re: searching for usaf unit
 

You're welcome.

Re: searching for usaf unit
 

thank you both!!

last question:
were german planes also involved in the defense?
or rather not ...


regards
ghost

Re: searching for usaf unit
 

hello,

another attempt:

were there any german aircraft losses during this attack on 20-04-1945?
could someone please have a look ...


many thanks
ghost

Re: searching for usaf unit
 

Speaking only for myself, you should learn how to read a mission report. The report I posted includes mention of Luftwaffe aircraft encountered. Which aircraft from which squadron? I suggest you do some further research since you do have a mission number to work with. Then there are the upcoming volumes of Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 by Jochen Prien, Gerhard Stemmer, Peter Rodeike & Winfried Bock. It appears volume 13/VI will cover the rest of 1944. 1945 will be next.

In 1945, it was the USAAF since the Air Force was part of the Army.

Re: searching for usaf unit
 

excuse me,

but if I had known where and how I could research,
I probably wouldn't have asked!

other, much simpler questions are also answered ...

and a book, which does not exist yet, is of little use
to me?

I am a moderator myself in a big treasure hunter
forum and no research is too much for me!

no offense and thank you for your answer!


br
ghostwriter

Re: searching for usaf unit
 

The complete description for mission 962 can be found here for example, see April 20:

http://paul.rutgers.edu/~mcgrew/wwii...ml/Apr.45.html


Note:A link to each month during the war is here which also includes a couple of download options: http://paul.rutgers.edu/~mcgrew/wwii...tml/index.html

Mission 962 for April 20 is broken down into 7 parts, with part 1 being the attack that included Nauen.

It states that the claim of (7-0-4) Luftwaffe aircraft (see part 4 in the link) relates to mission parts 2 and 3. Thus there were no claimed Luftwaffe losses for the attack on Nauen, which was in part 1.