Air attack on Breitscheid 11 Mar 1945

[Joerg Dietsche]

Which unit conducted the air attack on Breitscheid airfield on 11 Mar 1945 (probably 12 Mar 45)? Any losses? What were the results?

Joerg

[Nick Beale]

You don't perhaps mean the attack on 1. and 2./NSG 2 at Lippe on 14 March 1945 do you?

3./NSG 2 was at Breitscheid at the time and a report from the Gruppe to 15. Fliegerdivision about the Lippe attack says that "An attack on the 3. Staffel must be expected likewise. Therefore I request urgently permission to move the 3. Staffel today, since the airfield has no Flak protection."

(Source: Ultra BT 7202).

That doesn't suggest to me that Breitscheid had been attacked, rather that they feared it would be next.

Kenn C. Rust, The 9th Air Force In World War II (Aero, Fallbrook Conn. 1967) describes the USAAF side of the picture:

"Two missions from the 36th [FG] discovered over fifty enemy aircraft, mostly Ju 87s bombed up and waiting to take off for Remagen, at the well hidden Lippe airfield. They attacked from 1100 to 1140 hours… Next came 12 P-47s of the 404th's 507th Squadron which bombed and strafed other aircraft at the base."

[Joerg Dietsche]

Nick,

the attack was definitely on Breitscheid beside other airfields in accordance with the local history and the 8th USAAF Combat Chronology says for the 11 Mar 1945:

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 696 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s, hit 4 airfields, 3 communications centers, 2 ammunition filling plants, and several city areas and other casual targets; these attacks are to obstruct air operations and supply ...


Thanks
Jörg