Kitzingen, 23.02.1945 Bombing Raid

Description: Mission #321 of the 303rd BG

The 8th Air Force dispatched their bombers to attack railroad and communication targets on the second day of Operation CLARION. Thirty-nine 303rd BG(H) aircraft were dispatched on this long 9 1/2 hour mission. No aircraft returned early. The primary target was at Zwickau, Germany, and the secondary and last resort targets were at Crailsheim, Germany—both marshalling yards.
The primary target was obscured by 10/10 cloud cover which prevented a medium altitude bomb run on that target. Thirty-eight 303BG Fortresses bombed a target of opportunity — the marshalling yard at Kitzingen, Germany. There were no clouds or contrails in the Kitzingen area and bombers dropped 458 500-lb. RDX M64 bombs from 11,500, 11,200 and 12,450 feet visually. Good hits were scored by the lead and low Squadrons on the marshalling yard and built-up city sections. The high Squadron results were poor. One high Squadron B-17 bombed with another Group dropping 12 500-lb. bombs on the Crailsheim marshalling yard.

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