Order # 226

The briefed target was the Daimler-Benz Motor Works just a few miles on the outskirts of Berlin. Because of poor target area weather, the mission was to be a confused one. Briefing for (25) airerews was completed by 0530 with take-offs beginning around 0800 hours. The 576th Squadron was assigned lead with Lt Jackson as lead Bombardier. Of the (21) over the target area, none bombed the primary because of weather. Bombing was done on PFF for the main force which released 10 miles west of the Primary on a Target of Opportunity. Some aircraft dropped on a bridge across a lake southwest of Potsdam and one other aircraft, flying with the 447th Bomb Group, did release on the briefed target.

A total of (252) 500# GP bombs were released with results rated poor for the mission. Some 10-15 FW-190 and ME-109 enemy aircraft were encountered with group gunners making (2) claims. AA fire was intense but inaccurate, however, (4) B-24s were battle damaged by flak. Two (2) aircraft and aircrews were lost on this raid. From the 579th, 1st Lieutenant P. F. Shea's crew who had flown the famous Gotha raid crashed on take-off killing all aboard in aircraft #473 'J-Br', a 578th Squadron aircraft. 1st Lieutenant E. A. Hestad's crew from the 576th Squadron, flying airplane #598 'E' for Easy - another Gotha mission ship - was missing-in-action just before the Initial Point. The aircraft was last seen 20-30 minutes before the IP with N 3 engine feathered and jettisoning bombs, falling back out of formation. At 1415, the ship was forced to leave the Group formation and was last seen at 52350N-07300E, under control and heading 2700. No chutes were seen coming from the aircraft.

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.

This plane, Short Snorter, was piloted by Dallas Books during the Genshagen mission on March 6th. Short Snorter crashed on a later mission, Aug 2, 1944, in a field near Manston, Kent, England.

Liberator of Lt. E. A. Hestad # 42-7598 "The Flak Ducker" Shot down on 6 March, 44 crash landed in a field in Overberg, Holland. Photo: W. van de Burgt