Questions on 8th AF Swinemünde raid on 12 March 1945

[Delmenhorst]

I have 661 a/c bombing Swinemünde with full fighter escort. The attack took place between 12.06 and 13.00. The total tonnage was 3216 x 1000 lb GP and 2 x 500 lb GP plus markers. The attacking force reported after the attack: 'Bombs are seen falling but no bursts are visible on completely cloud obscured photographs. Columns of smoke are seen rising through the undercast'.
I have the following units attacking:
95A 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 56 x 1000 H.E.
95B 11 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 48 x 1000 H.E.
95B 1 plane bombed - target T/O Husum M/Y 5 x 1000 H.E.
95C 13 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 63 x 1000 H.E.
100 A 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 59 x 1000 H.E.
100B 11 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 54 x 1000 H.E.
100C 13 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 64 x 1000 H.E.
486A 9 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 45 x 1000 H.E.
486B 10 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 50 x 1000 H.E.
486C 10 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 50 x 1000 H.E.
486D 9 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 45 x 1000 H.E.
34A 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
34B 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 59 x 1000 H.E.
34C 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
385A 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
385B 13 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 65 x 1000 H.E.
385C 13 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 65 x 1000 H.E.
452A 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 57 x 1000 H.E.
452B 13 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 65 x 1000 H.E.
452C 13 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 65 x 1000 H.E.
389A 10 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 44 x 1000 H.E.
389B 10 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 47 x 1000 H.E.
389C 10 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 47 x 1000 H.E.
445A 11 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 49 x 1000 H.E. 2 x 70 Incd
445B 11 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 52 x 1000 H.E. 1 x 70 Incd
445C 11 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 52 x 1000 H.E. 1 x 70 Incd
392A 10 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 52 x 1000 H.E. 4 x 70 Incd
392B 10 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 52 x 1000 H.E. 4 x 70 Incd
392C 8 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 40 x 1000 H.E. 4 x 70 Incd
93A 11 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 49 x 1000 H.E.
93B 11 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 52 x 1000 H.E.
93C 11 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 52 x 1000 H.E.
446A 9 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 44 x 1000 H.E.
446B 10 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 51 x 1000 H.E.
446C 9 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 44 x 1000 H.E.
448A 11 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 49 x 1000 H.E.
448B 10 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 45 x 1000 H.E. 1 x 70 Incd
448C 11 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 52 x 1000 H.E. 1 x 70 Incd
467A 9 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 43 x 1000 H.E.
467B 9 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 44 x 12000
467C 9 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 43 x 1000 H.E.
467D 9 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 39 x 1000 H.E. + 2 x 500 H.E.
401A 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
401B 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
401C 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
457A 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
457B 11 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 55 x 1000 H.E.
457C 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
92A 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
92B 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
92C 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
305A 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
305B 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
305C 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
306A 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
306B 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
306C 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 59 x 1000 H.E.
351A 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
351B 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 60 x 1000 H.E.
351C 12 a/c bombed - target Swinemünde Port Area 65 x 1000 H.E.
One of the participating crews was Lt B F Cummings from 95th BG. His route to and from the target was as follows:
0743 hours take of and circling BV23
0832 hours circling B 23
0609 hours over southwold
0910 hours 5227N 0148E
0922 hours 5446N 0227E
0935 hours 5305N 0313E
0945 hours 5318N 0348E
0953 hours 5333N 0417E
0953 hours 5333N 0417E
1021 hours 5406N 0600E
1037 hours met escort fighters
1055 hours B-24 aborting
1103 hours 5432N 0856E
1105 hours carpet on
1118 hours 5442N 1002E smoke screen over Schleswig
1207 hours on bombing run
1210 hours started chaff
1219 hours flak meager, barrage low, bombs away
1223 hours stopped chaff
1313 hours 5433N 1109E
1323 hours 5433N 1002E
1338 hours 5232N 0857E
1355 hours carpet off
1429 hours 5351N 0558E
1931 hours 5346N 0547E
1438 hours 5336N 0516E
1501 hours 5314N 0355E
1511 hours 5304N 0320E
1606 hours landed
A report the 15th of March states: 'The town of Swinemünde has been heavily damaged by HE. Five separate concentrations are visible. The first lies across the centre of the town causing destruction to business and residential property and cluttring roads with rubble. The second saturates the south bank of the Swine destroyeing or damaging a small factory, 3 (probable) warehouses near the boat harbour, a large number of buildings in a hutted area, and private property in the village of Ostswine. The three remaining concentrations are found in the suburbs of Der Strand, West Swine and Friedrichstater affecting small houses and hutments.
Little can be said regarding damage in the Port Area because the coaling harbour and north bank of the Swine is obscured by a smoke screen operating on the Grüne Fläcke. it is seen however that several buildings in the vicinity of the Bau Harbour have been hit and one small and one medium building near the seaplane base have been damaged'.
This was followed up with an other report the 21st of March: 'Further cover reveals moderate fresh damage mainly in the region of the naval base on the east side of the River Swine where a number of unidentified buildings have been destroyed or damaged.
There is damage in the Bau Harbour and Coaling Harbour. One liner is capsized and two m/v are sunk.
Details of damage are as follows:
Naval base: A large number of unidentified buildings of varying sizes have been either destroyed or damaged. (Assessment is somewhat hapered by only having stereo cover on small scale prints).
Coaling Harbour: On the river Swine side of the eastern quay, section of the quay has been destroyed. there are also four craters in open gound between the Coaling harbour and the Winter harbour.
Bau Harbour: A small number of craters on the N quay.
In addition to the above there is moderate business/residential damage in the area North of the entrance to the Winter and Coaling harbours. There is a very large group of craters in open ground north of the Bau Harbour.
A liner (L26 Cabania type) capsized alongside the Eichstanden Dock. One m/v 300-350' sunk in mid channel off the Boat Harbour and one m/v 330' sunk at the railway quay.

I hope that this helps you a bit forward in your research
Carsten

[Juha]

Thanks a lot Carsten!!!
That helps a lot!!
Yes, it definitely seems that the port was the target.
And thanks for confirming that I had understood correctly the after action report from Helmut Schnatz's page.
And thanks also for the route of Lt B F Cummings' plane. I have always liked that kind of details, from those one can figure out tactics etc.
I'm little bit disappointed that Freeman gives the marshalling yard as the target. I have liked his books, especially the War Diary because it’s handy reference. But there seems not to be a book without at least some errors. But if Freeman is right that all the other targets of the day were M/Ys it is perhaps an understandably error, there is so much data in the book.
It would be nice to have a BG history in one's bookself which would have all those little technical info on missions in it. Loadings, fuses used, routes used etc.

But thanks again, I’m deeply indebted
Juha