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World War II: Eighth Air Force Raid on SchweinfurtAviation History | 7 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post
The saga of the 94th Bomber Group’s B-17F Brennan’s Circus was typical of the heroics that became routine on Mission 115. Ten minutes from the target, Circus lost an engine and began to fall behind when the bombs could not be jettisoned. To escape the circling fighters, pilot Joseph Brennan put the B-17 into a dive. The crew eventually got rid of the bombs, but another engine ‘ran away’ into high rpm and had to be feathered. Over Holland and Belgium, a burst of flak took out a third engine. Circus struggled out over the North Sea, kept barely aloft by the one remaining engine, to within a few miles of the English coast before settling into the water. The crew was credited with four German fighter kills and one damaged for the mission. Subscribe Today
Meanwhile, back over the target, fighter attacks stopped abruptly as German pilots turned their attention to groups of bombers still en route to the target. It was to be the only respite for the beleaguered crews in more than three hours of ceaseless combat.
On the return trip, the fury of air combat was entered anew, as many of the German fighters that had left the fight to refuel and rearm returned. But the attacks were not as precise as they had been earlier because many of the fighters had lost their original units and had formed up with any friendly aircraft in the area.
It was estimated that more than 300 German fighters participated in the day’s combat at some point. Most were the familiar single-engine Messerschmitt Bf-109G and Focke-Wulf Fw-190, but the Luftwaffe also made extensive use of night-fighter Junkers Ju-88 and Messerschmitt Bf-110 twin-engine craft. The use of these aircraft was controversial because their pilots, used to night attack techniques, often left themselves wide open to American gunners.
Other aircraft reportedly in the fray included the ungainly, fixed-landing gear Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber, the Fw-189 tactical reconnaissance aircraft and the experimental He- 100 fighter of 1940 vintage. Although it seems unlikely the Luftwaffe would risk such unsuitable, specialized aircraft for bomber interception, the mystery of their alleged appearance contributed to the jumbled patchwork of the running fight.
‘The fighters were unrelenting; it was simply murder,’ recalls Carl Abele, who was serving as navigator on a 544th Squadron, 384th BG, B-17F unofficially called Blackjack on the mission. Schweinfurt was the crew’s fourth mission, and there had been no time to paint the name on.
‘As it turned out, the name was destined never to be painted on,’ Abele remembers. ‘We lost an engine to flak and another to fighters, but the prop on one of the engines couldn’t be feathered. The drag of the dead engine was tremendous, and helped doom the plane. Our pilot held her steady while we all bailed out, then he came out last. I never saw my chute open. The next thing I knew 1 was lying down in the back of a Totenkopf [Death's Head SS Army Division] truck on the way to POW camp.’
The punishment being meted out was not always one-sided, however. Fortress gunners claimed 186 aircraft shot down, although German documents reviewed after the war placed their losses at approximately 40. Some overclaiming by gunners was inevitable, since several gunners within a combat ‘box’of bombers would fire on the same plane.
The fighter attacks continued without letup throughout the return flight, since poor weather had grounded the Spitfires and Thunderbolts that were to have provided cover for the bombers’ withdrawal. A few German fighters continued their attacks almost to the British coast.
Soon after the drone of the returning bombers was heard, it was apparent that a disaster had occurred; bomber after bomber failed to return to its hard stand. Then the results were tabulated: 60 bombers down over Europe, five more lost near or over England, and 17 aircraft damaged beyond repair. Although other targets produced equal or greater total losses, the 26 percent loss figure recorded during Schweinfurt II gave it the dubious honor of being the most costly mission of the war for the Eighth Air Force. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: 20th - 21st Century, Aerial Combat, Airborne Operations, Aviation History, Historical Conflicts, World War II
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7 Comments to “World War II: Eighth Air Force Raid on Schweinfurt”
This will be interesting to my Uncle Larry, who flew with the Mighty 8th.
By Douglas Reid on Jul 16, 2008 at 11:09 am
This will be of interest to my Uncle Lary, who flew with the8th
By Douglas Reid on Jul 16, 2008 at 11:14 am
I have often wondered if preemptive american bomber strikes against German Fighter fuel depots, runways and other ground resources thus hindering the murderous “turkey shoot” that went unhindered against approaching American bombers heading for Schweinfurt. It seems to me that crippling German defensive resources preceding the attacks at Schweinfurt, A single success at knocking out German fighter fuel depots, runways and fighter bases would seem to have caused a major disruption to German defenses of Schweinfurt, would have significantly reduced both the range and number of fighters that availed themselves of refueling and returning to battle and engaging American bombers approaching and leaving the Schweinfurt region. Perhaps this was considered and but nont chosen however the reason escapes me.
This tactic was employed by American air forces proceeding the brief air war preceding air strikes in Granada,Panama and repeated in the Gulf war. While such an initial attack would surely have resulted in many bomber losses in an initial bombing run against fuel, runways and Germain fighter resources, I have often wondered if such a strike against German fighter defenses followed closely by an attack at Schweinfurt, would have denied the Germans much of their ability to mount a 300 fighter armada against an American offensive strike on the strategic ball bearing facility.
By Festus Boozer on Sep 10, 2008 at 6:12 am
An excellent article about the “Black Thursday” mission. There are a few questionable errors: First, the 96th Bomb Group of the 3rd Division flew out of Snetterton Heath rather than rather than Grafton Underwood, their original base. Second the 305th BG out of Chelveston lost 13 and had three get back to base. Third: The 306th BG had 10 shot down, three got back to base and two crashed in the UK. You may ask how do I know? I was the radio operator on the 306th plane “Cavalier” which was the only plane from the 367th Squadron to reach the target and get back to base. This was my fourth mission. I went on to fly 31 missions, the final 16 on the “Rose of York”, a plane that was lost over the North Sea after I had completed my combat tour.
By George G. Roberts on Feb 19, 2009 at 6:37 pm
I am responding to the email from George Roberts on Feb.,19 2009. I was researching George in the hopes of finding out some information on my Uncle Harry, Harry C. Moore(Flight Engineer)I believe with the 306thBG 367th BS. He was on the “Rose of York”, along with “Impatient Virgin” and “Belle of the Blue”. They also flew the Schweinfurt(First over Germany)mission. That’s about all I know. I have been researching for some time now, and read about you on the Gil Cohen website with the “Almost Home” painting. Very nice!
If you please, if you know of him, I would greatly appreciate any information.
Sincerely!………..Della Norris
By Della Norris on Jun 27, 2009 at 10:20 pm
My father Tsgt Ed Fox flew with the 306BG, 369squadron and was wounded on the second Schweinfurt raid. I know George Roberts through the Second Schweinfurt Memorial Association. I am the educational director for the group and since yours is a recent posting I will see if I can get in touch with George and have him offer a response. Valor Studios came to our reunion last Oct in Pooler, GA and that is where the signing of “Almost Home” took place. If you have been to the museum there you may have seen the “Rose of York” jacket on display. I believe that is George Robert’s. Valor Studios does such important work – we are lucky to have them here in Pennsylvania.
By S. Moyer on Jul 16, 2009 at 12:10 pm
If you are looking for information on the 306th Bomber Group, the Kalamazoo Air Zoo Museum has probably the most complete record of information on the 306th. My father, R. A. Strong (a Kalamazoo native), was the secretary and publisher for the 306th BG Association for over 30 years, as well as the author of “First over Germany”. He turned over most of his research to the Air Zoo 3 years ago. He will also be turning over his card index on flying 306th personnel (probably the most complete you’ll ever see) to the 8th Air Force Museum, Savannah, GA sometime this fall (2009).
By David Strong on Jul 21, 2009 at 1:06 pm