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  #1  
Old 16th July 2020, 14:39
Claiborne Stokes Claiborne Stokes is offline
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19 July 1944 9AF A-20 bomb mission to bridges SW Angers, France

Hello!

I am interested in finding out the 9AF A-20 Group or squadron that flew a mission to bomb bridges at Angers, France on July 19, 1944. Would also like to see the mission report if they exist outside of AFHRA.

Thank you in advance.

CStokes
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  #2  
Old 16th July 2020, 21:41
Leendert Leendert is offline
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Re: 19 July 1944 9AF A-20 bomb mission to bridges SW Angers, France

From what I could find on the web (archives) for USAAF A-20 units on 19 July 1944:

409th BG: Railroad bridges & fuel dumps (St Hilaire de Harcourt?)
410th BG: Fôret de la Guerche fuel dump
416th BG: Bruz Fuel Dump, S. of Rennes (see https://www.416th.com/missions/mission102.html)

These all seem to be more in the Rennes region?

Regards,
Leendert
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Old 16th July 2020, 21:52
RSwank RSwank is offline
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Re: 19 July 1944 9AF A-20 bomb mission to bridges SW Angers, France

I think we should be looking for a B-26 group. Several of them were bombing bridges that day.
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Old 16th July 2020, 22:03
Leendert Leendert is offline
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Re: 19 July 1944 9AF A-20 bomb mission to bridges SW Angers, France

True, see e.g. http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/240243 with a B-26 mission on 19 July 1944 to a bridge near Angers (344th BG).

Also here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pzW...0dl24sL23/view

Regards,
Leendert

Last edited by Leendert; 16th July 2020 at 22:06. Reason: Addition of link
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Old 16th July 2020, 22:43
SteveR SteveR is offline
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Re: 19 July 1944 9AF A-20 bomb mission to bridges SW Angers, France

323rd BG didn't fly a mission that day according to Moench's book.

387th BG bombed bridges at Tours.
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Old 16th July 2020, 23:30
MW Giles MW Giles is offline
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Re: 19 July 1944 9AF A-20 bomb mission to bridges SW Angers, France

409BG A-20 St Hilaire
416BG A-20 Brux
397BG B-26 La Possonnière
344BG B-26 Les Ponts de Cé (S of Angers)
391BG B-26 Mantes Gassicourt
322BG B-26 Nantes
387BG B-26 Tours

Regards

Martin
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Old 17th July 2020, 01:45
RSwank RSwank is offline
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Re: 19 July 1944 9AF A-20 bomb mission to bridges SW Angers, France

So we don't know about the 386th and the 394th.
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Old 17th July 2020, 06:40
SteveR SteveR is offline
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Re: 19 July 1944 9AF A-20 bomb mission to bridges SW Angers, France

Got it!

The 397th BG attacked a bridge at La Possonniere (apologies if I've spelled it wrong), SW of Angers (according to google maps) on 19 July. Five spans of the bridge were destroyed.

Sources:

Army Air Forces Historical Study No. 36: Ninth Air Force April to November 1944 p. 139

Bridge Busters: The 397th Bombardment Group (Medium) and the B-26 Marauder in World War II by Lieutenant Colonel David Och p. 90 (it's a thesis paper)

Unfortunately I don't have anything else on the mission yet.

Last edited by SteveR; 17th July 2020 at 06:41. Reason: Fixed a typo.
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  #9  
Old 17th July 2020, 10:47
BABIN BABIN is offline
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Re: 19 July 1944 9AF A-20 bomb mission to bridges SW Angers, France

Hello SteveR,

I live close to Angers and... 20 years ago, I investigated about the bombings from which the La Possonnière bridge suffered. Unfortunately I'm not at home at the moment and I didn't take my papers archives files with me.

Nevertheless, here is what I remember :

- La Possonnière bridge was (it still is...) a very big and very strong railway bridge over the Loire river, located about 10 km SW of Angers
- it was bombed about 7 or 8 times by Allied Air Forces in spring and summer 1944
- the bombing dated 19th of July 1944 by 397 BG was the last : the "coup de grâce", making it permanently unusable.
- the bridge wasn't protected by Flak batteries

Concerning the bombing of the "Les Ponts de Cé bridge" dated 19th July 1944, I have much more information (I wrote a book about this bridge). If you are interested, I can e-mail you the page(s) about the 19th July bombing (I have the manuscript of the book on my computer).


Pierre
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Old 18th July 2020, 16:43
RSwank RSwank is offline
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Re: 19 July 1944 9AF A-20 bomb mission to bridges SW Angers, France

Lt Col David Och's thesis paper that Steve R mentions above can be found here:

https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/1015778.pdf

On pdf page 97, (in a section where he is discussing the 397th BG, it says:

"Between 16 and 23 July, the group attacked four bridges and one railroad
embankment ranging from the Paris area to the Loire. Although some missions
brought little success, most achieved probable damage to the structures. The
group scored direct hits with their 19 July attack on the rail bridge at La
Possonniere. In addition to destroying five spans on the bridge, they reported
hitting unlucky freight cars transiting during their attack."


On this link: http://www.b26.com/marauderman/sterling_hoch.htm

which contains information provided by Sterling P Hoch (397th BG, 596BS)


It says this on the 19th July mission:

"Up at 4:00AM – mission scrubbed just before take-off. Another long mission in evening – milk run. (La Possonniere RR bridge)."


While not available on-line, the B-26 Marauder Archives at the University of Akron do contain Strike Photos of the attack. They are in the Henry C Beck, Jr collection.
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