TARGET: RAILWAY WORKSHOPS
PADERBORN, GERMANY
17 JANUARY, 1945

The 457th comprised the 94th A Combat Wing with Lt. Cot. Francis as Air Commander for the Group and the 1st Division’s A formation. The primary target was communication centers in Altenbeken.

Combat Wing assembly was accomplished without incident. The Group Leader, having noted bad weather conditions, continued to climb above briefed altitude before reaching the first Control Point.

Division assembly line was flown approximately as briefed. Over the Channel, the formation encountered increasingly difficult weather conditions, which continued from this point to the IP. Course was flown approximately as briefed except for slight deviations to the right and left.

The IP was crossed approximately on course. The G-H equipment malfunctioned on the bomb run and lead was turned over the PEF aircraft after the formation had passed over the primary target. A 360 degree turn to the left was executed and a run in Group formation was made on railway workshops at Paderborn, the secondary target, located halfway between Munster and Kassel. The formation, in the process of turning, was too close to Paderborn for the PFF equipment to pick up the city for a normal PFF run.

Bombs were released on the smoke markers of preceding groups. Cloud coverage was ten tenths and visibility was about three miles. Results were unobserved due to cloud coverage. Flak was moderate with three craft sustaining damage.

Lt. Edwin B. Benson, 457th/749th bombardier: Mission 25. Paderborn. R.R. yards. Time 7.30. Lead. Dep (wing) FLAK