TARGET: TAUCHA AERO ENGINE FACTORY
LEIPZIG GERMANY
7 JULY, 1944
The mission to the Leipzig-Taucha Aero Engine Factory on 29 June had failed to achieve the desired destruction. The plant was assigned again as the target for the 45 7th Group while flineteen other combat wings were assigned important oil refineries and aircraft factories in the Leipzig region. Thirty-six planes formed the two high boxes in the 94th A and B Combat Wings. Captain Godfrey led the A box and Captain Syptak led the B box.
Near the IP, Lt. Jack B. Owens, flying an old F Model plane, was unable to transfer fuel from his Tokyo tanks, so he jettisoned his bombs and headed for home alone. He was able to reach only as far as the North Sea, where it was necessary to ditch. The sea was running high and the plane broke up when it hit. Four of the crew were lost. The remainder were picked up later by Air Sea Rescue.
The boxes in the wings took interval for a visual run on the target. There were no clouds, although some haze existed and there was a smoke screen around Leipzig. The smoke screen obscured the targets so bombing was done in the center of the smoke. Photos showed all the main buildings had received direct hits and were severely damaged. This was particularly true of the three large buildings in the open field south of the woods. One was completely destroyed and gutted by fire.
After bombing, a sharp turn to the south was made to avoid the flak guns covering the center of the city. Later, when the formation turned northwest on the return route, huge columns of smoke could be seen in the distance, coming from the Leuna and Lutzkendorf refineries, and from the aircraft factories at Bernburg and Aschersleben.
No enemy fighters were seen by the 457th, although one of the three task forces was engaged by 75 interceptors. Over a thousand planes were dispatched and only 37 failed to return. The refineries and aircraft factories had been severely damaged. Taucha would require no attention for a very considerable time.
The crew of Lt Jack B. Owens was lost on this date.