LW ground attack on Eindhoven 1 Dec 1944

[Stevin Oudshoorn]

Hello gents,

I am looking for information on a LW ground attack on 1 December 1944 on or near Eindhoven. The attack killed at least 8 men of the 633rd QM Laundry Co. I can't find anything in the sources available to me.

Any information on this attack would be most welcome.

regards,

Stevin

[Nick Beale]

Day or night, do you know?

All I have right now is that Luftwaffe operations were cancelled on the night 30 November/1 December owing to the weather.

[Stevin Oudshoorn]

Hi Nick,

The attack took place at noon (12.00). I think it was a sole bomber which dropped a bomb square on the mess hall, killing 19 in all. I just (minutes ago!) got an e-mail from the daughter of a man who was wounded in that action and spent 4 months revalidating. He is still alive.

This is all we know however.

TIA,

Stevin

[Laurent Rizzotti]

The probable attacker was a Me 262 fight-bomber of I./KG 51, that flew attacks one aircraft at a time in the area since at least October 1944.

I have other examples of such attack claiming Allied lives in Nijmegen or on Grava airfield.

[Stevin Oudshoorn]

Thanks Laurent. Very much appreciated.

I know that one of the Americans shot at the plane with a heavy MG but did not hit it.

The search continues....

Stevin

[Jaap Woortman]

There have been no casualties at Eindhoven, city and airfield, at December 1st, 1944.
Just checked CWGC Netherlands 83-84 Eindhoven Woensel General Cemetery and my own records about Eindhoven airfield.

Jaap Woortman

[Stevin Oudshoorn]

Hello Jaap,

Thanks for the reply. The 633rd was a US unit, part of the 80th QM Bn. Seven of the men are today buried at Margraten, I found one buried in the US, all KIA on 1 dec 1944.

Stevin

[trevsdad54]

Hello Gents,

My father's only brother was killed in that Dec. 1, '44 raid on the Eindhoven mess hall. He was a Sgt. with the 633rd QMLC, and is now buried at the US Cemetery in Margraten, The Netherlands. I have recently become very curious about the day my uncle passed into eternity long before he should have. The information above is helpful...thanks guys. I also found an obituary of one of the guys that survived the raid, though severly injured, to be very helpful info. It explains what they were doing in Eindhoven on that date.

http://landmarksdekalb.org - Arice Raymond Newsome, ("Pug") - Microsoft 1

It is my understanding that the 9th Army was sent North, just South of the Bristish and Canadians, and North of the US 1st Army in the push East to the Rhineland in the fall of '44, and those that made it continued to fight in that region in an international effort.

I am curious what base the Germans may have launched this sole bomber raid from, and how a lone bomber would be able to get through in a liberated area in broad daylight. Any ideas there?

Thanks again,

Trevsdad54

[Jaap Woortman]

I have not been able to open the mentioned url but after some further research I think the following incident is what has happened.

Kerkrade.
Op 1 december 1944 bombardeert een duits vliegtuig op het terrein van de mijn Julia, de amerikaanse gaarkeuken. Als gevolg hiervan sterven 17 amerikaanse militairen en Hubert Lutgens die dan medewerker van het mijnbedrijf is. De 17 amerikanen zijn: John R. Love, Robert K. Jones, Thomas W. Casper, Joseph V. Herrimon, Stephen F. Olenik, Charles J. Pepper, Charles W. Warren, James N. Wilbanks, Arthur G. Williams, Mark L. Varner, Flanklin Ballard, Floyd T. Johnson, Earl A. Kilgo, Robert H. Walls, Dalton W. Carr, Henry B. Leggett en Lester S. Partin.

In translation:
Kerkrade.
At December 1st, 1944 a German a/c has placed bombs at the area of the mine Julia, at a US messhall. Because of this 17 US soldiers and Hubert Lutgens, employe of the mine, have been killed. The 17 US soldiers are: John R. Love, Robert K. Jones, Thomas W. Casper, Joseph V. Herrimon, Stephen F. Olenik, Charles J. Pepper, Charles W. Warren, James N. Wilbanks, Arthur G. Williams, Mark L. Varner, Flanklin Ballard, Floyd T. Johnson, Earl A. Kilgo, Robert H. Walls, Dalton W. Carr, Henry B. Leggett and Lester S. Partin.
Source: http://www.kgv.nl/wiki/index.php?title=Plaquette
See also: http://members.home.nl/mjbtje/Street_Memorials.htm

Several soldiers are from 633 Quartermaster Laundry Co. I have not checked them all.

From:http://www.landmarksdekalbal.org/art...ndNewsome.html
Newsome and 633rd Quartermaster Company ran a 24-hour-a-day operation during the assault at Normandy, in the breakout at St. Lo, and the rapid pursuit that followed across France in the summer of 1944.
On December 1, 1944, Pug and his unit were located in Eindhoben, Holland, next to the German and Belgium borders, while supporting the 9th Army and the 7th Armored Division. Around noon that day they were working in the mess hall when a lone German bomber came flying low, and dropped a bomb directly on them. The Germans knew that during mid-day the mess hall would be full of men. Nineteen soldiers were killed, eight of them from the 633rd Quartermaster Company. Pug Newsome was seriously wounded by shrapnel and strafing during that attack, and many of his friends and buddies were among the dead. Seven of those who were killed are buried in Margraten, Holland in the US cemetery.

So the bombs fell not at Eindhoven at December 1st, 1944 but at Eygelshoven near Kerkrade in Limburg(Neth.)
There is a rememberance stone at Julia industria centre in Eygelshoven.
See appendix.
It is not known to us which German plane has placed these bombs.

Jaap

[Jaap Woortman]

Bill,

It could have been a plane from I./KG 51.
Zwanenburg is telling for December 1st, 1944 in "En nooit was het stil.. "G.J.Zwanenburg. Dl. II, pag.465.
"Luftwaffe.
In the course of the day a small number of Me 262 fighter-bombers have been operating over the battlefield near Roermond. Some other planes were flying tactical recce's."


Roermond is about 25 km north of Eygelshoven.
I have no further information about this Luftwaffe operation.
Maybe someone else?


Jaap