339th FG mission 20 Feb 1945

[barkas]

Dear friends,

please, do you have details about mission of 339. Fighter Group on 20 Feb 1945 over Nurnberg??


Thanks, Jan

[Alex Smart]

20 February '45
Mission No. 215.
Field Order F/0#1642A
Time 10.32 - 16.45.
Omber Escort to Nurnburg.

503rd FS - 4 a/c as escort for a PR Mission to the target area.
Two other flights of the 503rd strayed rail targets near Wurzburg.
Flak damaged 4 a/c but they returned safely.
504th lost 2 a/cin a mid air collision. One Pilot Captain Wells ( P-51D 44-14060, 5Q-A ) parachuted the other F/O. Cohen ( P-51D 44-14628, 5Q - ) crash landed. Both eventually returned.
505th three flights left the bombers near Nordlingen and working from Regensburg into Czechoslovakia, South of Pilzen and along the Czech border to the vicinity of Precatitz, destroying and damaging locomotives and other rail targets.First 8th AF attack into Czechoslovakia.
On the way home a 505th Pilot Lt.Beecher ( P-51B 42-106936, 6N-X "Tar Heel" ) was lost due to vertigo. He crashed near Valenciennes, France and was killed.
Details from "339th Fighter Group", Turner Publishing Company, Paducah, Kentucky.
Aircraft serials from "Losses of the 8th & 9th AAF" vol 6.

[barkas]

Hallo Alex,
thank you very much for your answer.


I still found:
1 loco destroy Capt. Robert E. Irion 505. Squadron (P-51D Mustang 44-15001 „Silver Streak“)
1 loco destroy Capt. James R. Starnes 505. Squadron (P-51D Mustang 44-72152 „Tar Heel)


but how many locos did 339.FG destroy in total?

[KM1957]

I show them destroying 16 locomotives as well as destroying 37 railcars and 5 vehicles and damaging a further 25 railcars and 12 vehicles.

Kent

[Buckeye30]

Hi Jan. The 339th strafing missions including the 20th. are on film, you can contact their historian Bill Jaaskelainen.

Bob Irion's is no. 533, Jim Starnes is no.530.
Hope Bill can help. Kent Miller or Peter Randall ( "Little Friends") may too.
Regards
Nick

OOPS just missed Kent's reply**********

https://www.339thfg.com/sbysquadron.html

[barkas]

Hello friends,

wonderful, thank you very much, I'm studying the air combat events of the day, I'll be in touch very soon.

Jan