Second Raid on Schweinfurt
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The Second raid on Schweinfurt (also called Mission 115) took place during World War II on October 14, 1943, when 291 B-17 Flying Fortresses of the USAAF Eighth Air Force attacked ball bearing factories in Schweinfurt, Germany. The factories had previously been attacked on August 17, resulting in a disastrous loss of aircraft (see Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission).[1]
Some 42% of Germany's ball bearings were produced at Schweinfurt and were considered so important to the German war effort that they were one of the highest priority targets after aircraft factories and petroleum production. The second mission to destroy the factories, which was carried out on October 14, 1943, has become known as Black Thursday in Air Force history due to the heavy loss of men and aircraft.
For hundreds of miles inbound to the target area, the B-17 bomber formations were attacked again and again by large numbers of Luftwaffe fighters. A Spitfire escort protected the aircraft over the English Channel. They handed over to fifty P-47 Thunderbolts who accompanied the raid as far as possible. Over Walcheren twenty Me-109s attacked the escort fighters. German losses were five destroyed and four damaged while no U.S. planes were lost. At Duren, thirty FW-190s attacked the bombers. Another twenty FW-190s later joined the attack. During this battle, several B-17s were lost, as well as at least one P-47. German losses were six FW-190s. At this point, the Thunderbolts had reached the limit of their range and had to return home.
German attacks on the bombers continued during the next three hours as the B-17s flew without Allied fighter escort to the target. Despite the spectacle of plane after plane falling, those bombers still able to fly maintained their course. Crews had been told to expect seven minutes of exposure to 500 88 mm flak guns while over the target area. Unusually, some of the German attackers flew through their own flak to attack aircraft which had not yet dropped their bombs. Only 229 planes reached the target. The 305th Group lost thirteen of the fifteen bombers it sortied and was effectively wiped out.
After "Bombs Away," the American bombers turned away from the target and headed for England and their bases. Almost immediately the German fighters, having landed, refuelled and rearmed, struck again. Finally, the B-17s reached the coastline of Europe and relative safety, some of them so heavily damaged that though they brought their crews home, they would never fly again. Gunners aboard the bombers claimed to have shot down 138 German planes; German records state only thirty eight were lost.
In the final tally, fifty-nine Flying Fortresses were shot down over Germany, one ditched in the English Channel on the return flight, five crashed in England, and twelve more were scrapped due to battle damage or crash landings (more by AA-guns than by fighter aircraft), a total loss of seventy seven B-17s. 122 bombers were damaged to some degree and needed repairs before their next flight. Out of 2900 men in the crews, about 650 men did not return, although some survived as POWs. Five were killed and forty three wounded in the damaged aircraft that made it home, and 594 were listed as Missing in Action. Only thirty three bombers landed without damage. One U.S. fighter pilot was killed in a crash landing in England; and one was wounded and bailed out over Duren. He was smuggled out by the Resistance, returning to England three and a half months later.
The Allies learned the importance of a fighter escort with sufficient range, recognizing the vulnerability of heavy bombers against interceptors. Such very heavy losses could not be sustained, and unescorted daylight bomber raids deep into Germany were suspended until 1944. Raids on Schweinfurt resumed in February, 1944 during what came to be known as "Big Week," with P-51 Mustang fighters escorting the American heavies all the way to and from the targets.
[edit] References
- ^ Carey, Brian Todd (1998). "Operation Pointblank: Evolution of Allied Air Doctrine During World War II". World War II (November): p. 4. Retrieved on 15 January 2007.
