Group, Unit and Historical Extracts for Mission 207

"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1945"
Transcribed from USAF Archives

Again on the 19th, the attack on the Wiesbaden ordnance depot had to be made on PPF. There were no observations of the results. Flak at the target was weak and inaccurate and there was no battle damage. Major Dunn, Lt Brewer, B-N, and Col Napier, Lt Moore, B-N, were the box leaders.

"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Pages 209 - 210

Mission #207 - 19 February - Weisbaden Ammunition Depot. Major Dunn and Lt. Brewer, Col. Napier and Lt. Moore, BN led boxes. Captain Tutt and Lt. Beck BN, and Lt. Buskirk and Hanna, BN,- Lts. Anderson and .Babbage, BN, and Lts. Evans and McCartney, BN led flights. This was a four hour flight deep into Germany. Clouds, however, required PFF Pathfinders to lead the mission in. Little flak came up, with no casualties or injuries.

"Operational History 668th Bomb Squadron (416th Bomb Group (L)) WWII"
Wayne Williams, et.al.

19th of February – today, we flew a bombing mission well into Germany, namely Group # 207. On the loading list from our squadron were twelve crews, two of them B/N Teams. Andersen & Babbage led our one flight in the second box. In the third flight of the second box were six of our crews led by Evans & McCartney. Anticipating poor weather conditions and low ceiling over the target, PFF bombing was employed. The Ordnance Depot at Wiesbaden was the target. The bombs were dropped, but the results remained "undetermined" with no photo coverage due to cloud cover. There was little to no flak, and all crews returned safely to the base after four hours of flight. This was the only operational flight for the day.

"History of 670th Bombardment Squadron (L)"
Transcription from USAF Archives

The Wiesbaden Ordnance Depot was the target of the 19th of February mission. Results were undetermined.

"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns

Dropping their thousand pound bombs through cloud cover by Pathfinder aid, the 416th hit the Ordnance Depot at Wiesbaden on February 19th, 1945. Weak inaccurate flak popped up through the clouds, but all aircraft escaped battle damage. Results were undetermined.

"USAAF Chronology of WWII, month by month"

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In Germany, B-26s, A-26s, and A-20s, strike the Mechernich prime mover depot, rail bridges at Pracht, Niederscheld, and Neuwied-Irlich, the Wiesbaden ordnance depot, and 4 targets of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, attack railroads and bridges, fly armed reconnaissance and alerts, and cooperate with the VIII, XII, and XX Corps E of the Our River, between the Westwall and the Prum River, and in the Saar-Mosel triangle. The 167th Liaison Squadron, Ninth Air Force (attached to the Sixth Army Group), is activated at Vittel, France with L-4s and L-5s.