Death Over Paris 28 May 1944

DEATH OVER PARIS


On preparation for D-Day the 344th was hitting bridges and rail lines leading
to Omaha Beach. A critical target was the Paris RR bridge which allowed vast
amounts of train traffic to move west toward Omaha. We hit the Paris RR bridge
on the morning 28 May, 1944. The defenses were brutal and out of the 56 B-26's
that went out that day, 5 were were shot down over the target with a loss of 31
aircrew.

We lost 4 from the 495th squadron including the crews of Seale, Woodrum,
Peterson and Shewel. The fifth loss was Reynolds crew of the 497th squadron.

5 out of 56. No survivors. There were a lot of empty bunks that night. It was a
bad day over Paris.

But we got the bridge. But we will never forget our absent friends..
Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

In article ,
(ArtKramr) wrote:

DEATH OVER PARIS


On preparation for D-Day the 344th was hitting bridges and rail lines leading
to Omaha Beach. A critical target was the Paris RR bridge which allowed vast
amounts of train traffic to move west toward Omaha. We hit the Paris RR bridge
on the morning 28 May, 1944. The defenses were brutal and out of the 56 B-26's
that went out that day, 5 were were shot down over the target with a
loss of 31
aircrew.

Art,
I think you mentioned once that your mediums weren't targeted very often by
fighters, that they went for the heavies. So I'm guessing that the men shot
down that day were from flak.
Just curious whether you saw much in the way of enemy fighter cover in
the run-up to D-Day.

--
Harry Andreas
Engineering raconteur

Subject: Death Over Paris 28 May 1944
From: (Harry Andreas)
Date: 11/20/03 8:18 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

In article ,
(ArtKramr) wrote:

DEATH OVER PARIS


On preparation for D-Day the 344th was hitting bridges and rail lines
leading
to Omaha Beach. A critical target was the Paris RR bridge which allowed
vast
amounts of train traffic to move west toward Omaha. We hit the Paris RR
bridge
on the morning 28 May, 1944. The defenses were brutal and out of the 56
B-26's
that went out that day, 5 were were shot down over the target with a
loss of 31
aircrew.

Art,
I think you mentioned once that your mediums weren't targeted very often by
fighters, that they went for the heavies. So I'm guessing that the men shot
down that day were from flak.
Just curious whether you saw much in the way of enemy fighter cover in
the run-up to D-Day.

--
Harry Andreas
Engineering raconteur


They were all flak losses over Paris..I saw no enemy fighters at all on D-Day.
But I understand some (very few) were there but were quickly shot down by our
fighters. But I saw none that day

Regards,


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

From: andreas@c

you mentioned once that your mediums weren't targeted very often by
fighters, that they went for the heavies. So I'm guessing that the men shot
down that day were from flak.
Just curious whether you saw much in the way of enemy fighter cover in the run
up to D-Day

FWIW, fighters were active against mediums in Italy thoughout the war, but on a
sporadic basis.
Here's a DFC citation, filled with the usual "boiler plate," as it was called,
but which does tell a story:

"For extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as gunner
for a B-25-type aircraft. Engaging in more than 75 combat missions during the
Italian campaign, Staff Sergeant XXX has distinguished himself through his cool
efficiency and determination. Voluntarily continuing to fly after completing
his regular tour of duty, his courage and constant enthusiasm have been a high
inspiration to those serving with him. On 10 December, 1944, while flying in
an attack upon the Calliano Railroad Bridges, Staff Sergeant XXX's formation
was intercepted by aggressive enemy fighters, four of which attacked his
aircraft. Displaying superior professional skill, he destroyed one ME-109 and
damaged three others, driving them off and thereby enabling his pilot to
maintain formation for a successful attack upon the objective. His steadfast
devotion to duty and outstanding proficiency in combat reflects great credit
upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States."

This particular mission consisted of 14 B-25s in two boxes of six stacked
between 10,000 and 11,000 feet, each carrying four 1,000-lb bombs, plus two
B-25s flying lower, loaded with WP and chaff to discourage flak. One of the
chaff ships was lost to flak, as was one of the other B-25s. Two B-25s were
shot down by fighters, one of these disappearing in a huge explosion. Many
crewmen identified the attackers as radial engine fighters, ie, Fw 190s. But
they were 109s of the 2nd Italian (Fascist) Fighter Group, which had about 50
fighters available at this time. The fighters attacked in an arc from three to
six o'clock high in a steady pursuit curve, making them dead easy to track and
fire on as they came in.
The SSgt. had been an aerial gunnery instructor at Greenville before
volunteering for a second tour of duty overseas.
As for "driving them off," that honor rightly belongs to the P-47 escort that
was hot on the 109s' tails giving them no chance for more than one pass before
they had to dive away, running for their lives.
The "radial engine fighters" some B-25 crewmen thought were attacking them were
almost certainly their own P-47 escort. So the jug drivers had to endure
gunfire from their B-25 charges as they dove through the formation after the
109s.


Chris Mark

But I understand some (very few) were there but were quickly shot down by our
fighters. But I saw none that day

Actually Luftwaffe was up in whatever force they had already in the
first day.

The British squadrons report several clashes with German fighters, with
losses to both sides. German interceptors attacked, as far as I know,
medium bombers as well. And the Luftwaffe bombers started bombing the
beach heads already during the first night.

The Normandy aerial campaign is easily dismissed, as above, but there
was rather more to it. It's not much known though and information is
scarce. But the number of sorties of first day is pitifully low, in any
case.

JG26 flew most of the 172 combat sorties of Fliegerkorps II. Results
seem to have lost in the confusion. Next day first and second gruppen
claimed 8 kills versus 2 losses. Next day 6 kills vs 1 loss. They surely
weren't "swept" from the sky in single blow - but by steady attrition.
Remember that the pilots were still fighting over friendly territory,
had radar controllers etc available to them. So they still could choose
their fights.

There's at least one book on the subject:
Angels Eight
Normandy Air War Diary
Introduction:
"Because Allied air superiority was so awesome in Normandy, many believe
the German Luftwaffe did not appear at all. How surprising to learn that
the fierce battle in the skies over the Normandy beaches was much like
the Battle of Britain -- both in duration, about 80 days long, and in
severity, about 3,000 aircraft shot down. Only one or two books deal
with the aerial battle over Normandy and those that do treat it from the
viewpoint of one nation. For the first time, the squadron records of
German, American and British units in the Normandy Campaign reveal
details of nearly every aerial encounter that occurred, provide
tabulation of the number of losses and yield the names of the pilots who
fought."
http://www3.sympatico.ca/angels_eight/book.html


jok

Subject: Death Over Paris 28 May 1944
From: "Jukka O. Kauppinen"
Date: 11/20/03 1:39 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

But I understand some (very few) were there but were quickly shot down by
our
fighters. But I saw none that day

Actually Luftwaffe was up in whatever force they had already in the
first day.

The British squadrons report several clashes with German fighters, with
losses to both sides. German interceptors attacked, as far as I know,
medium bombers as well. And the Luftwaffe bombers started bombing the
beach heads already during the first night.

The Normandy aerial campaign is easily dismissed, as above, but there
was rather more to it. It's not much known though and information is
scarce. But the number of sorties of first day is pitifully low, in any
case.

JG26 flew most of the 172 combat sorties of Fliegerkorps II. Results
seem to have lost in the confusion. Next day first and second gruppen
claimed 8 kills versus 2 losses. Next day 6 kills vs 1 loss. They surely
weren't "swept" from the sky in single blow - but by steady attrition.
Remember that the pilots were still fighting over friendly territory,
had radar controllers etc available to them. So they still could choose
their fights.

There's at least one book on the subject:
Angels Eight
Normandy Air War Diary
Introduction:
"Because Allied air superiority was so awesome in Normandy, many believe
the German Luftwaffe did not appear at all. How surprising to learn that
the fierce battle in the skies over the Normandy beaches was much like
the Battle of Britain -- both in duration, about 80 days long, and in
severity, about 3,000 aircraft shot down. Only one or two books deal
with the aerial battle over Normandy and those that do treat it from the
viewpoint of one nation. For the first time, the squadron records of
German, American and British units in the Normandy Campaign reveal
details of nearly every aerial encounter that occurred, provide
tabulation of the number of losses and yield the names of the pilots who
fought."
http://www3.sympatico.ca/angels_eight/book.html


jok



Jukka I am sure report is accurate. But all I can attest to is what I saw or
what I didn't see. Nothing more. "Battleof Britain" over Normandy? May be but
not from where I sat.Thanks for the report.

Regards,

Arthur
Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer