MISSION NO. 54
TARGET: FW-190 ASSEMBLY PLANT
SORAU, GERMANY
29 MAY, 1944

The mission to Sorau on April 11th (mission no. 25) had not accomplished the destruction of FW 190 assembly plant there because of a thick undercast. It was therefore necessary to make a return trip to this target which was the largest and most important FW 190 assembly plant existing in Germany. It was situated on the edge of the town of Sorau one hundred miles southeast of Berlin.

The 457th group, though badly battered from the missions in the past two days, took off with 18 aircraft at 0830 with Major Theodore C. Hoffman (Air Commander) and Captain Jeriy Godfrey (pilot) leading it to assemble in the low box position of the 94th Combat Wing flying fourth in the Division Formation.

Lead crew Major Hoffman and Captain Godfrey

The course followed exactly the same route as on the previous Sorau mission. Penetration was along teh Zuider Zee Hanover track and as Berlin was approached a turn southeast to the target. This time the field order directed thatthe leg from Egmont, Holland to Hanover be flown at 12,000 feet. It was not desired to subject the formation to the FLAK that was encountered at Hanover on the last mission. En route the sky was cloudless and the visability unlimited an unuasual condition.

Track chart to Sorau

Enemy fighters which had always essembled in the Dummer lake – Hanover area on this type of penetration failed to make an appearance until after this force lead seperated from the 2nd force at Wittenberg and then they attacked the force going to Leipzig. The Sorau-Posen force slipped through the enemy fighter defense.

At Hanover descent was begun to 14,000 feet which was reached well before the I.P. – Sprenberg. In taking the interval at the point Major Hoffman swung the box in very close behind the lead box – close enough that the bombardier, Lt. Cahelo could sight and drop his bombs before those of the lead box could fall the 14,000 feet to the ground.The run was excellently flown and the sighting well performed. The bombs fell squarly on the assigned P.I. at 1257 all falling within a thousand foot radius. Two hangers, two machine shops, the office buildings and the CANTEEN were covered by the bursts.

Target Sorau

The rally was effected immediately and the formation swung due north to Stettin. Twenty minutes later about 30 enemy fighters caught up with the formation, ME 109’s and FW 190’s. They made a few passes at the wing but did not seem anxious to press their attacks (The Luftwaffe earlier had attacked a bomber force going to Leipzig). The Wing was flying an exeptionally tight formation, Polebrook and Denethorpe out doing themselves, and the enemy chose not to attack this Wing. A few minutes later 4 JU 88’s passed along the formation a 1,000 yards on the left. Suddenly a P-51 dove from above, shot two of them down instantly, turned on the third, got him, and then caught up with the fourth a few thousand feet below and shot him into the ground. Four JU 88’s in a matter of seconds. One viewer described it as “the most thrilling episode since coming over here”.

The formation continued north, swung around Stettin and out over the Baltic sea. The Politz synthetic oil refinery was burning furiously from bombing by 3 combat Wing 90 minutes before. Our crews watched it burning for a hundred and fifty miles.

Flak was meager, but accurate. Eleven aircraft suffered damage. One out of control B-17 from another wing came through the formation with chutes coming out as it passed through. The attention of all personnel was directed to the fact that many directives and regulations had been issued by the command, but had apparently not been taken seriously. These regulations aiid directives would henceforth be strictly enforced and “woe unto him who is caught breaking the law”.

No fighters were seen as the Wing crossed the Danish Peninsula and the rest of the trip home across the North sea was uneventful. The ten hour mission was brought to a close at 1812.

The widespread attacks today at Leipzig, Cottbus, Sorau, Posen, Tutow and Politz were highly succesful.