449th Missions of “Big Week” – February 20-25, 1944
In late 1943, Strategic Air Forces Headquarters formulated plans for an intensive, coordinated campaign to bring the combined strength of the 8th AF and the 15th AF to bear against the German Air Force and its supporting industrial base. The plan — known as OPERATION ARGUMENT — was executed during the period February 20-25, 1944. The dual objectives of OPERATION ARGUMENT were to destroy the German aircraft-production facilities on the ground, and to force large-scale air battles to destroy the enemy fighter forces in the air. These six days subsequently became known as “Big Week,” and were eventually viewed as the operation which effectively “broke the back” of the German Air Force. During this period, 3,800 bomber sorties were launched by the combined 8th and 15th Air Forces against targets deep inside the Third Reich. The 15th Air Force contributed 500 sorties to this total effort, and lost 89 heavy bombers in the process. The 8th Air Force losses were listed as 137 heavy bombers.
Summary
The 449th Bomb Group carried out three missions in support of OPERATION ARGUMENT. On February 22, the 449th launched its first attack on a strategic target inside the German homeland: the ME-109 manufacturing complex known as Obertraubling at Regensburg, Germany. When the planes in the Group’s formation arrived over the Regensburg area, they found the target to be completely obscured by cloud cover. The Group dropped its bombs by ETA. Bombing results were unknown. The Group was met by an enemy fighter force estimated at 35 to 40 planes. Four B-24s went down over enemy territory in the ensuing air battle. Two others received mortal damage — the crew of one bailed out over friendly territory and the other crashlanded at a friendly field. On the 23rd, the 449th launched an attack on the ball-bearing factory — known as Steyrwaffen Walzergerwerke — located at Steyr, Austria. Tragedy struck during take off when the B-24 with Jeutter’s crew aboard went down immediately after leaving the runway. As the Group reached the target area, it was attacked by a force of 30 to 40 enemy fighters which succeeded in downing one of the B-24s. Bombing results were excellent. Direct hits were scored on the ball-bearing factory buildings with the result that “only one building appeared to be standing” at the time the last aircraft in the formation reached the target. A Group stand down was ordered on the 24th. On the 25th, the 449th made its final contribution to “Big Week” as the Group attacked the Prufening Messerschmitt complex at Regensburg. The 37-1/2 tons of 500-pound bombs hit “right in the middle of the target. Immediately thereafter, a huge column of very black smoke rose to a height of 4,000 to 5,000 feet.” As soon as the bombers rallied off the target and emerged from the flak, the formation came under heavy attack from a mixed enemy fighter force. The enemy fighters were “extremely aggressive,” and “attacked in pairs, threes, fours and fives.” The attacks were “continuous from the target to the mountains at the Austrian border” and “were pressed home with great vigor.” Three 449th B-24’s were lost to the enemy fighters. The 449th paid a heavy price for its contribution to “Big Week” — eleven B-24’s were lost. The 716th Squadron bore the brunt of the losses having lost seven planes. A total of forty-three 449th airmen died during the course of “Big Week,” and seventeen became POWs. Thirty-one other airmen successfully evaded capture after bailing out over enemy territory. The narrative reports, filed on the day of each mission, listed the total number of victories scored by Group gunners against the enemy fighters. For the three missions the results were thirty-one enemy fighters destroyed, eleven probably destroyed, and three damaged.
Big Week: 20-25 February 1944
Excerpt from “Of Men and Wings”
Since the initial formation of the Fifteenth Air Force in November 1943, strategic planners had been awaiting an opportunity to launch a series of coordinated attacks — using the combined forces of the Eighth Air Force, operating out of England, and the Fifteenth out of Italy — against the German Air Force, and its associated industrial base. To be effective this coordinated operation (code named ARGUMENT) required good flying weather across all of Europe, from England to Italy, and also over Germany. As a high-pressure ridge began building over Germany on the 19th of February, the command decision was made to launch operation ARGUMENT the following day.
The period from 20 to 25 February would later come to be known as “Big Week,” and would be viewed as the operation which effectively “broke the back” of the German Air Force. During this period, 3,800 bomber sorties were launched by the combined Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces against targets deep inside the Third Reich. The Fifteenth contributed 500 sorties to this total effort, and lost 89 heavy bombers in the process. Eighth Air Force losses were listed as 137 heavy bombers.
Eighth Air Force operations against strategic targets got underway on the 20th. However, adverse weather conditions, coupled with the Anzio support needs, prevented the Fifteenth from effectively participating on this first day of “Big Week.” The “FORTS” of the 5th Wing were committed to the big offensive, but were forced to abort an attack on targets at Regensburg when severe icing conditions were encountered over the Alps. The B-24 wings of the Fifteenth were committed to support of the Anzio ground forces. It would be the 22nd before the Fifteenth could make its first contribution to ARGUMENT.
February 20: Anzio Beachhead Area
The ground situation at the Anzio beachhead continued to be critical as the German forces pressed the counterattack. In the continuing attempt to help relieve the pressure being exerted on the ground forces, all five groups of the 47th Wing were dispatched on February 20 against enemy troop concentrations in an area just south of Rome.
The briefing in the 449th operations room impressed upon the combat crews the importance of destroying the troop concentrations to help disrupt the German counterattack. Attention was also called to the close proximity of the target to the battleline, which increased the necessity for careful and successful execution of the assigned mission. Enemy air defenses were expected to be stiff as the target area was well defended by flak, and it was further estimated that as many as 138 German fighters were operating from the Rome area. Although the enemy had been using the fighters more for ground support than interception, aggressive attacks by small numbers of enemy fighters had been experienced by other bomb groups operating in the same general area back on February 17.
Harper’s Ferry (ship #22), piloted by Capt. R. Tompkins, with Lt. Col. Gent as copilot, took off at 0837 hours, and began circling Grottaglie Field as the other thirty-six aircraft rolled down the runway at approximately thirty-second intervals, became airborne and slowly moved into formation behind ship #22.
By 0930 hours, the formation was headed westward across Italy toward the first turn point at the Isle of Capri. One aircraft (ship #12) was forced to drop out of the formation and head back to Grottaglie when the oil system failed on the number-4 engine. Climbing through the heavy cloud cover over southern Italy, the elements of the first section aborted the mission, and headed back to Grottaglie Field when “weather prevented proper formation.”
The seventeen aircraft in the second section, led by ship #58 manned by Capt. Silverstein’s crew, managed to hold their formation together, and continue on with the mission. From Capri, these seventeen aircraft headed out over the sea to a point approximately fifty miles west of Anzio where a turn was made back toward the east and the IP on the coast just south of Rome. At the bombing altitude of 21,000 feet, horizontal visibility was unlimited. Below, scattered clouds partially obscured the Italian coast making identification of the target difficult.
The lead bombardier for the second section, however, was able to locate the target, and 42.5 tons of 500-pound, GP, instantaneous bombs were dropped on the target area. “Incomplete photographic coverage showed 55 bursts 500 to 600 feet south of the target.” Crews reported that many bombs hit “in or near” the target area. “Several of those bombs near the target hit the main highway to Rome, and one hit directly on the intersection of the main railroad to Rome and the Anzio-Genzano electric railway. Explosions were seen in the southwest corner of the target area itself, followed by light colored and then black smoke.” By 1500 hours, all of the aircraft had returned to Grottaglie. The enemy resistance had failed to materialize. No flak or fighters were encountered.
The crews of the aircraft which comprised the first section, which had been forced to abort the mission, were credited with a non-effective sortie, i. e., no mission credit was earned.
The 21st of February saw the Fifteenth Air Force still prevented by the weather from participating in Operation ARGUMENT. The 449th Group was briefed for a mission to Regensburg which was subsequently canceled. The following day, the long-awaited mission to Regensburg would finally occur.
February 22: Regensburg, Germany
The morning briefing for 449th combat crews began with a quote from a message from higher headquarters:
“MOST DECISIVE AIR ACTION OF THIS WAR NOW IN PROGRESS. ALL ALLIED AIR FORCES WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE AT MAXIMUM EFFORT UNTIL GERMAN AIR FORCE IS DRIVEN FROM THE SKY. ONLY EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS CAN PREVENT FIFTEENTH AIR FORCE FROM PARTICIPATING.”
On the briefing room map, the red line stretched northward into southern Germany. The target for the day: “REGENSBURG — OBERTRAUBLING AIRCRAFT FACTORY.”
As its initial contribution to “Big Week,” the 449th — accompanied by the 98th, 376th, 450th and 451st Bomb Groups — was to make its first attack on a strategic target inside the German homeland: the ME-109 manufacturing complex known as Obertraubling at Regensburg, Germany.
The B-24’s of the five bomb groups were organized into three waves with the lead wave being made up of “36 OF 376TH PLUS 18 OF 450TH FLYING LOW LEFT,” and the second wave comprised of “36 OF 451ST PLUS 18 OF 450TH FLYING LOW LEFT.” The third wave, “36 OF THE 449TH PLUS 18 OF THE 98TH,” was to be led by Ship #22, Harper’s Ferry, with the 449th commanding officer, Lt. Col. Thomas Gent, as pilot and Captain Tompkins as copilot. The final leg of the trip, from the southern border of Austria, to the target would be made without fighter escort as the P-38’s and P-47’s lacked sufficient range to make the round trip to Regensburg. Withdrawal support was to be provided by “THREE GROUPS OF LIGHTNINGS” which would rendezvous with the returning formation at Volkemar.
As the crews moved out across the muddy field to their aircraft that cold February morning, this first deep-penetration mission into Germany was preceded by more than the usual amount of uncertainty and apprehension. More than forty years later, one of those crewmen would recall it as “one of those missions you knew you weren’t coming back from.” For four 449th crews it would prove to be just that kind of mission.
Three of the groups in the combined formation — the 376th, 450th and 451st — were loaded with 500-pound, general-purpose bombs. The aircraft of the 449th and 98th were loaded with incendiary bombs. All aircraft were under orders not to return bombs to base as “BOMBING OF TARGET BY ETA OR ANY CITY OR TOWN IN GERMANY OR AUSTRIA” was authorized.
By 0800 hours, the 449th had forty bombers airborne and en route to the rendezvous with the 98th at Mesagne. Meanwhile, the first two waves rendezvoused over Fesano and Ostuni, respectively. The entire formation then assembled over Bitonto, and, by 1000 hours, was headed north across the Adriatic toward the first turn point at the Yugoslavian coast. As they pressed northward toward the second turn point near Klagenfurt, the weather became increasingly worse “with 5-7/10 undercast in Austria and Southern Germany.”
During the three-hour flight to the target, fifteen of the forty planes in the 449th formation turned back because of equipment and personnel problems. “Of these, two had supercharger trouble, three had crew members who became violently ill, four developed oxygen shortages and leaks, two had inoperative gun turrets, two developed oil leaks, one had electrical trouble, and one [had a] crew-member’s flying suit burned out.”
Ship #22, leading the third wave, arrived over the target area shortly before 1300 hours only to find the target completely obscured by a “solid undercast.” As the formation passed over the Regensburg area, some of the planes “tried to bomb on ETA.” The balance, however, “did not bomb until after the formation turned” to depart the target area.
As the bombers began the turn to come out of the target area, a formation of ME-109’s and FW-190’s “came up thru the undercast,” and took up a course parallel to that of the bombers, but out of range of Group gunners. As the enemy fighter force continued to assemble, Group bombardiers searched for targets of opportunity. Unable to visually spot specific identifiable targets, many bombardiers released their bomb loads randomly along the withdrawal route over a period of about fifteen minutes.
The notation in the log of ship #22 was typical as the bombardier recorded that the forty, 100-pound bombs were dropped at 1340 hours from an altitude of 20,000 feet. The location was identified simply by the approximate latitude and longitude: 45°00’N – 14°49’E.
Meanwhile, the force of enemy fighters, now estimated at 35 to 40 planes, commenced the attack on the bomber formations. The ensuing air battle surpassed anything the Group had previously experienced.
“The attack was begun by two groups of the enemy. The first did a 180° turn out of range of our planes. It then did a second 180° turn to attack our planes at four to five o’clock. At the same time the other enemy group did a single 180° turn to attack the bombers from the front. Each enemy group dove under our planes and then split into individual attack units. Their attacks concentrated on the rear elements of our high box. There were three major attacks by fighters at 1335, 1338 and 1342 hours. Fighters appeared aggressive but their attacks were not well co-ordinated. Individual attacks were pressed home to within 150 yards. Nine JU-88’s attacked the rear of one section. They were approximately abreast. After attacking they dove under the formation and were lost to view. Attacks were from all clock positions. The frontal waves attacked mainly from one to three o’clock. Rear attacks were delivered anywhere from three to nine o’clock. Ten (10) ME-110’s were seen. These planes delivered rocket attacks under 1,000 yards at nine o’clock low.”
Damaged B-24’s began to fall from the formation. Ship #55, Stinky the B. T. O., with Browning’s crew aboard, was seen to explode. Ship #9, Guardian Angle, manned by Woodle’s crew, was mortally damaged and forced to drop out of formation. It was last sighted settling into the cloud cover under heavy attack by the pursuing enemy fighters. During the final minutes of the attack, enemy fighters scored direct hits on ship #57, Ramp Tramp — manned by Moore’s crew — which caught fire and subsequently exploded in the air.
When the last of the fighters broke off the engagement, three of the twenty-five bombers in the 449th formation were gone. Crews aboard ships #52, #42 and #56 began the struggle to keep their heavily damaged B-24’s airborne as long as possible.
As they crossed southern Austria, Bird’s crew aboard ship #52, Pistol Packin’ Mama, came to the realization they would soon be forced to abandon their crippled aircraft. Some fifty miles south of Graz, Austria, Bird’s crew bailed out together.
Morton’s crew and Kinerd’s crew, aboard ship #42 — Dragon Lady — and ship #56 — The Wise Virgin — respectively, were able to keep their aircraft airborne until they reached southern Italy. Morton’s crew bailed out near Gioia, and Kinerd’s crew bailed out near Bari.
Stephen’s crew aboard ship #6, running low on gas, diverted to the field at Bari, and safely landed “as the last drops of gasoline in its tanks drained out.”
At 1630 hours — eight and one-half hours after takeoff — Lt. Col. Gent and Captain Tompkins landed Harper’s Ferry back at Grottaglie Field. Her gunners had expended over 1,000 rounds of ammunition and had destroyed one ME-109.
The rear elements of the 449th formation had been hardest hit by the enemy fighters. Ships #57 and #52 were both lost from the “rear elements of the high box” while ships #55 and #56 were from rear elements of the low box. Only one aircraft, ship #9, was lost from the lead section.
The results of the bomb strikes were unknown due to the solid undercast over the target area. All that could be said with certainty about the bombing results was that the bomb loads were released over enemy territory. The mission did, however, inflict some damage on the German Air Force, although at a high price. Group gunners submitted twenty claims for enemy aircraft destroyed or damaged. After the claims were evaluated and sorted out, Group gunners were given credit for destroying eight of the attacking ME-109’s. Six other ME-109’s were reported as “probably destroyed.”
The report to Wing Headquarters summed up the day’s mission: “Four aircraft are missing. One is down at a friendly field. Two crashed in friendly territory. The crews are safe. Original plan formulated in the air when finding target undercast was to attack some other objective in Germany. Fighter interception prevented this.”
The 449th had been to the German homeland. For the first time, “double mission credit” was awarded to the returning crews.
February 23: Steyr, Austria
“Big Week” continued on the 23rd with the dual objectives of destroying the German aircraft-production facilities on the ground, and forcing large-scale air battles to destroy the enemy fighter forces in the air. On this day, it was the Eighth Air Force which was unable to participate in ARGUMENT, as weather prevented operations from the bases in England.
The Fifteenth Air Force sent the five B-24 groups of the 47th Wing to strike the ball-bearing factory — known as Steyrwaffen Walzergerwerke — located at Steyr, Austria. This factory, part of a massive complex covering over thirty-five acres of land, had been completed in 1942, and had been in full operation since early 1943. Steyrwaffen Walzergerwerke accounted for a significant portion of the ball-bearing production that was so vital to Germany’s ability to maintain its output of fighter aircraft.
The five groups, all loaded with 500-pound bombs, would make the attack in three waves: the 451st and eighteen aircraft of the 376th composing the first wave, the 98th and 449th the second wave, and the 450th and eighteen aircraft of the 376th the third wave. Although the bombers would have to make the trip to the target without the benefit of fighter escort, P-38’s would “ESCORT THE LIBERATORS HOME FROM 47°12’N – 14°35’E … OR PRUDENT LIMIT OF ENDURANCE.”
The second section of the 449th Group was led by Harper’s Ferry, ship #22, being flown by the 718th Squadron Commanding Officer Captain W. C. Nosker with Lt. Thomas Turner as copilot.
At 0726 hours, ship #22 lifted off from Grottaglie Field, and moved into formation as the lead ship of the second section. As the remaining aircraft continued to assemble in formation behind ship #22, the 449th headed toward the rendezvous point with the 98th over Mesagne.
Even before the total formation could complete forming-up disaster struck. Ship #37 — manned by Jeutter’s crew — “crashed to the ground one mile north of Fragagnano, a town about ten miles south of [the] base” killing all ten crew members.
The thirty 449th aircraft completed the rendezvous with the 98th, and the entire formation headed north across the Adriatic. Permission was given to gunners to test-fire guns, whereupon, a second aircraft, ship #28, dropped out of the 449th formation when its “nose turret was cracked from top to bottom by the shell casing from the plane (ship #22) in front of him.” Before reaching the target, two more 449th aircraft, ships #10 and #39, would abort the mission — one when “two generators went out” and the other “because there were three leaks in the gasoline system.” All three of the early returning aircraft jettisoned their bombs in the Adriatic Sea.
Shortly before noon, as the second wave approached the IP, “30 to 40 ME-109, ME-110 and JU-88’s” attacked both sections of the 449th formation. “The twin-engine fighters attacked from the rear, out of range, with rockets at about 1500 yards, and then closed with machine guns to 400 yards. … They were not aggressive. The JU-88’s were grey in color with mottled brown and green spots. The ME-109’s attacked singly from every angle. Their attacks were not very aggressive.”
The enemy fighters, attacking from the rear, scored hits on ship #31, manned by Wingfield’s crew, which “was seen to wing over at the target and go into a steep dive.” It would subsequently be learned that seven members of Wingfield’s crew were killed in action and the remaining three became POWs.
Enemy fighters paid a high price as Group gunners destroyed eleven enemy aircraft — three JU-88’s, six ME-110’s, and two ME-109’s.
At 1210 hours, the twenty-seven planes in the 449th formation dropped 67.5 tons of bombs on the intended target. Direct hits were scored on the ball-bearing factory buildings with the result that “only one building appeared to be standing” at the time that the last aircraft in the formation reached the target. “Fires were observed with accompanying black smoke.” Over the target, flak was reported as “heavy, intense and accurate,” and a number of aircraft suffered minor damage. As the bombers rallied right to come out of the target area, the P-38 escorts arrived and engaged the remaining enemy fighters.
Twenty-six 449th aircraft arrived back at Grottaglie shortly after 1500 hours. The mission had been a successful and effective contribution to Operation ARGUMENT. Gunners aboard ship #22 expended more than a thousand rounds of ammunition in the air battle over Steyr. Harper’s Ferry escaped with only minor damage to the nose and windshields.
Operation ARGUMENT continued on the 24th without the participation of the 449th as a Group stand down was ordered. While the Eighth Air Force flew missions against Schwienfurt, Gotha and Poland, the Fifteenth sent two B-17 Groups (the 2nd and the 97th) to attack an aircraft-components plant at Steyr.
February 25: Regensburg, Germany
On the 25th, the 449th made a final, albeit disjointed contribution to “Big Week.” The mission began routinely enough with thirty-five 449th B-24’s taking off between 0820 and 0840 hours with the objective of attacking the Prufening Messerschmitt complex at Regensburg. The 449th arrived on time at the rendezvous point “where it was to be joined by 18 planes of the 451st Group.” When the elements of the 451st could not be located, the 449th formation set out unaccompanied for the target.
Some five minutes past the first turn point at Bitonto another group of B-24’s was seen “coming from the right at the same level on a collision course.” To avoid this oncoming group, the 449th made a 360° turn to the left thus allowing the other formation to cross the 449th’s intended path. As the 449th came out of the 360° turn, “the second section of the [449th] attack unit lost the formation and attached itself” to the other group of B-24’s. The seventeen aircraft in the second section of the 449th formation followed this other group — “which had white, open squares on its horizontal stabilizer”– northward to attack targets in the vicinity of Graz, Austria. Under the lead of ship #33, “the first section of 18 ships continued on course as briefed,” heading northward toward southern Germany.
Eight 449th aircraft made early returns — “two returned because crew members were ill, one had an injured man aboard, a heated suit in one ship went out, the gasoline cap was off on one, a supercharger was out on another, and the entire tail turret was loose on the final ship.” Five of the early returns were from the second section headed toward Graz, and three were from the first section headed toward Regensburg.
The fifteen aircraft of the first section arrived over Regensburg shortly before 1300 hours. As the bombers came down the bomb run amidst “heavy, intense and fairly accurate” flak “it was seen that the target had already been well hit, and was outlined in smoke. The preceding wave or waves had done a good job. … The outline of the target … was discernible through the smoke,” and the 37-1/2 tons of 500-pound bombs hit “right in the middle of the target. Immediately thereafter, a huge column of very black smoke rose to a height of 4,000 to 5,000 feet.”
As soon as the bombers rallied left off the target and emerged from the flak, the 449th formation came under heavy attack from a mixed enemy fighter force which consisted of ME-109’s, ME-110’s, ME-210’s, JU-88’s and FW-190’s. The enemy fighters were “extremely aggressive,” and “attacked in pairs, threes, fours and fives.” The attacks were “continuous from the target to the mountains at the Austrian border. In general, attacks were uncoordinated and seemingly at random. However, they were pressed home with great vigor.”
Three B-24’s in the formation were hit hard by the enemy fighters. Ship #61, Shack Wolf, with Knapp’s crew aboard was seen to crash in flames near the north edge of Lake Cheim just southeast of Munich. Three chutes were seen.
The fighters also scored direct hits on Sophisticated Lady, ship #53, manned by Bradley’s crew. The number-1 and number-2 engines were feathered, and as the aircraft began losing altitude, Bradley’s crew was forced to bail out. Nine chutes were seen.
At this same time, Forbes’ crew was engaged in a futile attempt to keep ship #59 airborne. Ship #59 was “last seen under control [with] engine smoking and falling back just after target.” One of the returning crews reported seeing four chutes from an unidentified 449th B-24 in a “slow spiral just after the target which could possibly have been ship #59.”
To add further confusion to the days events, the formation returning from Regensburg became separated near the Yugoslavian coast, and only seven of the fifteen aircraft had returned to Grottaglie by 1500 hours. Four other aircraft (ships #34, #38, #36 and #39) were known to be down at friendly fields. The report forwarded to Wing Headquarters that evening listed four aircraft — ship #61, ship #53, ship #59, and ship #35 — as missing. Ship #35, Wood’s Chopper, with Jones’ crew aboard, was reported as “last seen at Yugoslav coast falling behind with two or more feathered props.” The next day, however, ship #35 was reported as “back on field.”
The twelve 449th aircraft which attacked targets in the Graz area reported poor results with one exception. “The lead ship reported hangars on the airdrome well hit and giving off much smoke and fire.” Flak and enemy fighters were encountered. From ten to fifteen ME-110’s and JU-88’s attacked the 449th portion of the formation. However, no losses were incurred as the enemy fighters were “not aggressive and at no time closed closer than 600 yards.” The twelve ships returning from Graz were back at Grottaglie shortly after 1500 hours.
When all the facts were sorted out, three B-24’s had been lost, and Group gunners were credited with destroying twelve enemy fighters and damaging at least five others. From a mission bombing-effectiveness perspective, the results were excellent: “The Prufening works were completely wiped out. … Not a building was left standing. The destruction was as complete as happened in any heavy bombardment attack of the war.”
Operation ARGUMENT came to an end. The 449th had paid a heavy price for its contribution to “Big Week” — eleven B-24’s had been lost; seven over Regensburg alone.
