+++ P-38 Lightning incident Germany +++

[FrankieS]

most probably:

474th FG A/C

[shooshoobaby]

The 397th BG , B - 26s, flew 3 missions in that area on 2-22-45. two targets mentioned were Munster - Dulmen area and Rheda.
Same day 387th BG, B -26s , bombed Dulmen area , Nuttlar, Wehrstapel
Same day 322d BG , B -26s bombed Butzbach , neiderhausen, Montabur
Targets mentioned were bridges and marshalling yards.
Fritzlar bombed by P - 47s . P - 38s from 370th FG strafed Fritzlar Airfield.
200 cluster bombs could not have been carried by only 4 P - 38s.
Cheers

[Eagle0025]

The P-38s involved were likely from the 474th FG. The group only flew one mission that day (#296) and it was a combined B-26 escort and armed recce mission in the Herford-Hameln-Lippstadt area. The 428th FS put up 9 ships and the 429th put up 12 ships. I do not have any data about the 430th FS, but I am sure they participated as well. Each ship carried one 500 pound bomb and one 165 gallon fuel tank (no cluster bombs).

The 474th also was in the Rheda-Wiedenbruck area on that mission. It is likely that is where they bombed and strafed two locomotives. I have some map coordinates for targets hit on that mission. I will check them against the 1944 maps that I have and see where the areas are. I will let you know if I discover anything.

Cheers, Gary Koch (474th FGA Historian)