TARGET: MARSHALLING YARD
LOHNE, GERMANY
14 MARCH, 1945

A four-track railroad junction and marshalling yards at Lohne were the targets. The Group comprised the 94th C Combat Wing with Captain Gibbons as Air Commander.

The course over England was flown approximately as briefed, except that the Group deviated about four to five miles left of course in order to assemble in Wing formation behind the 94th B Group. Later the Group again went left of course to avoid prop wash from the preceding group and also because another formation was coming in from the right.

Otherwise, flight to the IP was uneventful. Course was flown as briefed, except for considerable “S-ing” and the execution of numerous double drifts in order to stay in Division formation. The IP was reached on course. G-H equipment on the lead aircraft became inoperative and lead was turned over to the deputy just before the IP.

Bombing was done visually, with squadrons in trail. The lead and low squadrons made a normal visual run. Visibility was about five miles. Some difficulty was encountered in locating the MPI, because of ground haze. The right bomb rack of the lead ship in the lead squadron hung up at the BRL.

By the time the high squadron began the run on the target, smoke caused by bombs of the squadron ahead, and ground haze, obscured the MPI and made it virtually impossible to identify. The bombardier selected an aiming point in the marshalling yards that was not obscured. Bombs were dropped from 23,100 feet.

Bomb results of the three squadrons ranged from fair to good.

Flak was moderate but accurate and five craft sustained damage.