APPENDIX
Air Task Forces dispatched to Schweinfurt by the 1st and the 3d Bombardment Divisions
1st Air Division
Of the returning bombers in the 1st Bombardment Division, 63 were damaged.
3rd Air Division
Of the returning bombers in the 3d Air Division, 79 were damaged.
2d Air Division
One Air Task Force of B-24 Liberator aircraft from the 2d Air Division…
93d Group at Hardwick—15 aircraft dispatched
392d Group at Wendling—14 aircraft dispatched
…was assigned to attack targets in Schweinfurt, but all elements were unable to make formations because of adverse weather conditions over bases. Eight B-24`s returned to bases, 21 B-24`s carried out a diversionary sweep to Frisian Islands in the North Sea. No incidents.
Fighters
103 P-47 Thunderbolts of the 353d and 56th Fighter Groups were assigned for escort. The 353d escorted the 1st Air Division to Düren, first engaged enemy fighters over Walcheren Island. The 50th Fighter Group, escorting the 2d Air Task Force to Dison, had less opposition.
One P-47 was lost in combat. The Thunderbolts shot down 13, probably destroyed one, and damaged five German fighters.
A total of 56 P-47 Thunderbolts of 352d Fighter Group was assigned as escort to B-24 Liberator bombers of 2d Air Division. Fighters and bombers rendezvoused; fighters returned to home bases as 21 B-24’s departed for diversionary sweep to Frisian Islands.
Some Totals
1.—First wave of B-17’s struck Schweinfurt on bomb run from 1439 to 1445 hours.
2.—Second wave of B-17’s struck Schweinfurt on bomb run from 1451 to 1457 hours.
3.—Casualties:
5 crew members killed in action 10 crew members seriously wounded
33 crew members slightly wounded 594 crew members missing in action
4.—40 B-17’s lost from various causes; exact reasons unidentified.
2 B-17’s lost from flak; positive identification.
18 B-17’s lost from fighters; positive identification.
5 B-17’s lost in England on return.
5.—228 B-17’s attacking Schweinfurt dropped a total of:
450 1,000-lb. high-explosive bombs
663 500-lb. high-explosive bombs
1,751 100-lb. incendiary bombs
6.—1st Air Division expended 321,126 rounds .50-caliber ammunition.
3d Air Division expended 376,702 rounds .50-caliber ammunition.
Total for mission: 697,828 rounds
7.—The two waves of B-17’s that attacked Schweinfurt extended in formations from 21,000 to 24,000 feet.
MAPS
[1] Heavy.
[2] United States Strategic Bombing Survey #2736-17; 7 November, 1945.
[3] United States Strategic Bombing Survey #2736-17; 7 November, 1945.
[4] Memorandum of October 24, 194}, from Major E. R. T. Holmes, F. L. O., 1st Bombardment Division, Reference FLO /1BW/REP/r26, to M.I. 15, War Office, Whitehall, London, S.W. (copy to Colonel E. W. Thomson, A-2, Pinetree).
[5] Circular error: a bombing error measured by the radial distance of a point of bomb impact, or mean point of impact, from the center of the target, excluding gross errors.