B26 mission to Lechfeld 26th April 1945

[BlenheimBuff]

Hello,

I'm doing some research on this engagement which involved the last combat victories claimed by Adolf Galland flying an Me262. He claimed 2 B26 bombers shot down before being bounced by a P47 Thunderbolt believed flown by 1st Lt. James Finnegan of the 50th Fighter Group 9th USAF.

The raid target was the airfield at Lechfeld, but can anyone answer the following questions:

• Where did the engagement actually take place?
• What squadron and home base were the B26's from?
• Which squadron of the 50th was Finnegan part of, and where would he have been based at the time?
• Any ideas on where the bombers and their P47 escorts would have formed up prior to the raid?

Any help with these questions would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Ian

[FrankieS]

- place: near Neuburg an der Donau, time 11:50 and 11:55
- B26 42-43311 17BG 34 BS crash Gietlhausen bei Neuburg
- other Galland possibly only "damaged": 44-68076 and 42-96328
- 1 Lt James J Finnegan 50FG 10FS

[BlenheimBuff]

Thanks Frankie,

Your information was a great help.

I have now established that the B26's had flown from their base at Dijon, and that the 10th F.S. were based at an A.L.G. at Giebelstadt, Germany.

If anyone would care to speculate as to where the bombers and escorts would have formed up then I'd be very interested in their thoughts.

Thanks again.

Ian