Order # 216

The assigned target was Furth airfield near Nurnberg with the aircraft assembly and repair works as aiming point. General briefing for (24) aircrews was held at 0530 hours. The 577th and 578th were given different aiming points as lead elements with Lt Rapenport and Lt Joachim the lead Bombardiers of their respective squadrons. All aircraft began take-offs at 0900 hours but (2) aircraft were forced to abort with mechanical difficulties and returned early. Though no enemy fighters were encountered, flak was heavy enroute and the Group sustained battle damage to (13) of the (22) airplanes hitting the target.

A total of (264) 500 # GP bombs were released on target with excellent results recorded. This mission was the last of the Eighth Air Force's Big Week' over Germany where the weather had finally broken to permit a great deal of visual bombing between the 20th and 27th. While the 392nd suffered no aircraft losses due to enemy action, the 577th did have one crewmember wounded on 2nd Lieutenant F. F. Anderson's crew flying aircraft N 989 - Staff Sergeant E. L. Farren. Because of battle damage, the crews of Lieutenants Rouse and Morefield landed in southern England, low on gas, and Lieutenant Anderson recovered at the 2nd Bomb Division B-24 base of Tibenham.

This mission information was taken from "The Liberators from Wendling, the history of the 392nd Bomb Group", by Robert E. Vickers Jr. available through the 392nd BG Memorial Association.