On 4 April 1944, the 15th Air Force mounted a maximum effort force to bomb the marshalling yards at Bucharest. The 47th Wing (376th BG leading, 449th, 98th and 450th) was to lead the force with the 5th and 301st Wings following at 10 minute intervals. The 376th was late to the rendezvous so the 449th commander assumed the lead and departed on course. The 376th and the rest of the 47th wing caught up over the Adriatic but were offset well to the right. About 30 minutes beyond the Yugoslav coast, the 376th diverted farther right to avoid weather, leaving the 449th on its own. Penetration escort was supposed to be provided as far as the Danube, but none was sighted. The 449th went over the target alone - approximately six minutes before the rest of the 47th Wing arrived - and took the brunt of the attacks by an estimated 150 fighters, losing 7 of their 28 in a 45 minute running battle. An additional 13 aircraft were damaged. A total of Seventy-eight gunners submitted claims for downed fighters that were pared down to 40 following debriefing (still probably high). The remainder of the force following the 449th totaled 285 bombers. Four additional bombers were lost by other groups. The 449th Bomb Group was awarded its first Presidential Unit Citation for the 4/4/44 mission.
The 449th was known as "The Flying HorseMen" On April 4, 1944 known as 4/4/44, seven of the original planes from Bruning in the 449th were shot down in that single day. This event was immortalized in the paintings by artist Jim Dietz entitled “Maximum Effort”. The painting commissioned by Col Hollie Wilkes hangs in the Pentagon. I have included an image of that painting in this note. The 449th received a DUC for a mission on 4 April 1944 when the group, flying without escort, raided marshalling yards in Bucharest; although heavily outnumbered by German fighters, the group succeeded not only in bombing the target but also in destroying many of the enemy interceptors. Memorial Day: Remembering my grandfather, William Bontly, a WWII Bomber Pilot in the 449th Bomb Group « CyberSunshine’s Weblog The Official Web Site for the 449th Bomb Group. http://www.norfield-publishing.com/449th/449site.html See this PDF you can download Nice Pictures can be found. http://www.norfield-publishing.com/449th/Newsletters/1983-July1983-Newsletter3.pdf
William Bontly was "tail-end Charlie" in the high box of Section B in the formation. His ship was attacked shortly after leaving the target. The tail and ball gunners were killed, the other eight bailed out and were taken POW. The "Maximum Effort" painting is also used as the cover jacket for the 449th history book by the same name. All of the ships visible in the painting were lost on 4/4/44.
seems we have covered this air-op many years ago with the LW prescence, have you guys done a search as to whom was committed by the Luftwaffe. I believe the Hungarian Bf 109G unit was up in force this date plus : the very weak Bf 109G-6 equipped 10./JG 301 for starts based right in Romania.
I don't have good sources for the Luftwaffe or Romanian side. I have Schmid's work, but it doesn't cover Romania during the period. Anything you could supply would be appreciated, or any direction you could point me in.
JG 27 was based against the 15th AF in April 44 but did not take part on this mission according to sources. LW sources for operations in this sector are rather scant in comparison to facing the US 8th AF to the north which is widely known. your mention in the data above of 150 enemy fighters is interesting...........still searching right now. No mentions of twin engine fighter-destroyer Geschwaders ZG 76 or II./ZG 1 with Bf 110G-2's on this date but very heavily committed against the 15th AF on April 2, 44. Ken Rust in his 15th AF story book mentions 109's, Fw 190's Ju 88's and Me 110's. but as I said there were no 110G gruppe or staffel commitments so his data is incorrect. The Fw 190's in my opinion were from the SG ground attack units that did take part in the southern Reich defense, odd isn't it that the LW threw anything and everything even the would be "ground attack-dive bombers" at the USAF heavies and P-38 escorts. I have heard about rocket firing Ju 88's in the southern portion of the Reich for at least 40 years and to this day can find no evidence to support which Ju 88 bomber type units defended southern air space, especially with bomber destroying cannon and rocket launchers
Not sure where I got the 150 number - I pulled this out of a file from a post I had written a while back for another board. The mission summary says "80 to 100". The mission briefing material estimated 175 to 200 S/E, and 30 T/E fighters in the area. Also per the mission report, the types reported as destroyed or damaged included ME-109, FW-190, HE-113 (!!!, ?IAR 80?), ME-210, JU-88. Ju-88's are mentioned frequently in 449th mission reports, although I can't speak to the accuracy of the ID's.
Ju 88's are metnioned from the very start of 15th AF operations, think the US chaps mis-ID'd pretty badly. the Me 210's were from the Hungarian night fighter unit and these aircraft were equipped with no radar but had underwing triple rocket launchers under each wing for experimentation. of course He 113 is quite wrong. I am still finding very very little in the way of Luftwaffe response on this op . 10./JG 301 in it's capacity probably would of sent possibly up to 15 109's that is it.
A bit of trivia: On July 2, 1944 the 352nd and 325th fighter groups participated in a fighter sweep over Budapest, Hungary, flying from bases in Foggia, Italy. Over the Budapest area, they encountered a force of 80 Bf 109s. In the tough battle that followed four P-51s were shot down. Of the four downed pilots, two were made prisoners of war, and two were killed. The last was Ralph (Kid) Hofer. His body was found in the wreckage of P-51B, QP-X some 500 kilometers away at a Luftwaffe airfield in Mostar, Yugoslavia. There is some evidence that he might (just might) have been shot down by Erich Hartmann. Kid Hofer shot down by Bubi Hartmann? Bubi is german slang for Kid.
interesting Kid Hofer did not fly with either the 352nd nor the 325th fg. He flew with the famous 4th fighter group of the 8th AF. here is the facts, Kid was nearly shot down by a Hungarian pilot flying a Bf 109 and then as he headed to the coast was shot down and killed by a LW light 2cm Flak batterie. JG 52 in which Erich Hartmann was part of was nowhere in the vicinity of the operation. Hofer had been a borrowed pilot so to speak as several notable 8th AF pilots went south to fly shuttle missions in the summer of 44, they were short lived.
Hmm. Perhaps the original meant to say squadrons, not groups. Anyway, that came from Wiki. What is your source concerning Hofer's last flight?
a Yugoslavian historian friend and friend and historian L. de Zeng. sorry Wiki is out to lunch on this one
