Eighth fighter sweep 8th of February 1945

L.S.,

Desparatey looking for more details of the sweep that aparently 98 from the 99 USAF eighth Air Force fighterbombers executed on the 8th of February 1945. Understand rail targets and airports were the receipients.

Can anyone either guide me or advise me on this? Am interested in 1) timing and 2) target locations, especially if around or north of Terborg (Netherlands - grid reference A.0275).

Much appreciated.

Kind regards,
Hendrik

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by 3HLAND

L.S.,

Desparatey looking for more details of the sweep that aparently 98 from the 99 USAF eighth Air Force fighterbombers executed on the 8th of February 1945. Understand rail targets and airports were the receipients.

Can anyone either guide me or advise me on this? Am interested in 1) timing and 2) target locations, especially if around or north of Terborg (Netherlands - grid reference A.0275).

Much appreciated.

Kind regards,
Hendrik

The 8th AF BC sent out a limited strike to attack Erfurt area targets but recalled during assembly. The '98/99' Mustangs you are referring to were the 352nd and 361st were released and swept the battlefield areas east and southeast of Belgium

Dear Sir,

Thanks for the response. Thus no sweep in a section of The Netherlands just north of the area's of Emmerich then?

Any other flight of US fighter-bombers that could have ended up in that nick of the woods around 09:00? Were the 352 and 361 sweeping the area east of Belgium around that time?

Thanks in advance.

Kind regards,
Hendrik

[RSwank]

February 8th was the start of operation Veritable.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Veritable

I think the air support came from the 2nd Tactical AF (RAF).
http://books.stonebooks.com/wardiary/19450208/

[Larry deZeng]

8 Feb 45

8th AAF: no sweeps or activity outside the Erfurt area by the main force. But 99 8th AAF Mustangs based on the Continent carried out sweeps E of the Rhine in the Koblenz area and in the Lingen area destroying one He 111 on the ground. Three locomotives were also destroyed. Eight Mustangs have not yet returned to base but are believed to be safe.

S.H.A.E.F. (Air): (1) 1,007 R.A.F. fighters and fighter-bombers operated over the Northern Sector in Holland and N.W. Germany. Two HQs and infantry defenses in the Cleve area, oil tanks NE of Wesel, an emergency bridge at Doesburg and a shell factory at Nienburg were all attacked with good results. Four rail trucks, three locomotives and 13 M.T. were claimed as destroyed and railways were cut in 19 places. (2) 968 U.S. aircraft operated over the Central Sector. Numerous heavy artillery batteries, bridges, tanks, railway cars, locomotives, M.T., barges, supply dumps and rail lines were hit in the Bergheim, Neuss and Schleiden area.

[Source: Air Ministry Daily Resumé of Air Operations for 8 February 1945, Serial No. 1881, dated 9 February 1945.]

L.

[Alfred.MONZAT]

In "Fighter Units and Pilots of the 8th Air Force" by Kent Miller, is mentioned one aerial victory claimed over a He 111 (Erfurt aera) and one locomotive damaged for no total loss

Regards

Alfred

Gentlemen,

Thanks very much. There has been an attack around 09:00 hours that day in position (about) A.0275, in between Doetinchem and Terborg. We've exhausted the RAF so were considering the USAAF. Lingen is some 90 KM ENE of the attacked location, Koblenz some 200 KM SSE of the location. Indeed a railway track and/or station seems to have been the intended target. Noteworthy: the start of VERITABLE.

Owing to reported number of craters we were considering also a rocket projectile attack rather then a straight divebombing attack. For the moment all indicates a fighter bomber attack rather then one of pure bombers.

Any further enlightenment will be appreciated.....

Kind regards,
Hendrik

[RSwank]

Here is a link about the 416th bg flying their 200th mission that day.

http://416th.com/missions/mission200.html

A few points of interest. The weather was bad that day. They ended up using gee to bomb what they claim was the secondary target at Elton (Elten?). The bomb loads were 260 lb fragmentation bombs. Maybe this group or some other group or squadron did the attack you reference, and the many craters you see were caused by fragmentation bombs (AN-M81- 260-lbs) not rockets?

Thanks.

Looked at that too, but T(ime) O(over) T(arget) does not match.

Kind regards,
Hendrik

[Larry deZeng]

Hendrik wrote in part:

Lingen is some 90 KM ENE of the attacked location, Koblenz some 200 KM SSE of the location. Indeed a railway track and/or station seems to have been the intended target.

I think you will have to determine which 8th AAF P-51 groups were operating from the continent on that date and order copies of their operational summaries for 8 February from the U.S. National Archives. That may be the only source that will identify every target attacked by them on that date. OpSums at a higher echelon, i.e., 8th AAF, 8th AAF Fighter Command, SHAEF, would not get to the level of detail you seek.

L.