SCHWEINFURT RAIDS AND THE PAUSE IN DAYLIGHT STRATEGIC BOMBING
THE FORETASTE OF HELL - StillWater Club · THE FORETASTE OF HELL ... second time in World War II,...
2
From a 2005 10-part series in the Main Post, (a German Newspaper), detailing the second raid by the US 8 th Air Force on Schweinfurt in October 1943. It uses the downing of the B-17 “Iron Maiden” and the capture of it’s crew as the central theme. The Iron Maiden was piloted by Roland Martin, now of Carmel Valley, CA. Part 4 The place below the Waldesruh between Dingoishausen and Gerolzhofen becomes an outdoor military museum, in which the severely damaged Iron Maiden on 14 October 1943 had to make an emergency landing during the second attack on Schweinfurt. On foot or on bicycles, people came from everywhere to marvel at the U.S. bombers. Strollers are not an obstacle. The serial number of the aircraft, manufactured in Seattle, is painted on its rear and can provide the correct identification of aircraft and crew. This impressive photo record was made by Leo Bausenwein of Oberschwarzach during his home leave. REPRODUCTION NORBERT VOLLMANN THE FORETASTE OF HELL The story of the 1943 emergency landing at Gerolzhofen "Iron Maiden (part 4) Gerolzhofen: Over Düren, shortly after 1 PM the last Thunderbolt fighter escort leaves to return to base. It is 14 October 1943 and the B-17 bombers of the 8th US Air Force are on their way, for the second time in World War II, toward Schweinfurt in southern Germany. The American air forces are now without escort planes and left entirely alone to their fate with the German anti-aircraft defenses. For the "lron Maiden" and the other bombers there is damn long one and a half hours to Schweinfurt. To keep the Germans in the about the location of true target, they no longer fly directly there. The first and the third Division of the 8th U.S. Air Force feint by making several changes in direction. German soldiers of the Western Radio Intercept Regiment, on the opposite side of the Channel at Cap Blanc in Calais, have, since the previous evening, been interested in the increased radio traffic, suggesting an imminent attack. Only the exact target is yet to be determined. Hundreds of fighter aircraft are put on high alert. At 12:50 PM, as the first Division of the “Mighty Eighth” flies over the Dutch coast, the first German fighters arise from their bases in Belgium and northern France. Over the Southern Dutch island of Walcheren, Me 109s attack the P-47 of the 353rd Fighter group. The B-17-Bomber “lron Maiden” as they seem (still) not too interested. But these attacks will only prove to be a skirmish and diversion. The "cage doors" open At the latest, over Aachen and Düren, the last American bombers on their way toward Cologne begin to feel that this second attack on Schweinfurt will not be a picnic, but a Suicide mission. It seems that the German hunters are at a safe distance just waiting to join forces to strike. Now that the Thunderbolts are returning home, the fighters attack with all their might, like trained attack dogs. The cage doors have finally opened on their victims. The Americans have to defend themselves from individual and massed attacks. The single-engine "killer Fighter" usually approach from the front. The twin-engine fighters attack from the rear, firing machine gun bursts, remote-controlled rockets and cannons. The German fighters resolutely and courageously attack again and again against thousands of heavy caliber Browning machine guns aimed at them. The German fighters come upon the lron Maiden, armed with eleven 50 calibre machine guns distributed from bow to stern, firing constantly and inter-communicating about the incoming fighters. Despite the constant attacks of German fighter planes, the "Iron Maiden" is at first unscathed. Meanwhile, B-17 Bombers that are hit start to spew smoke, one after another, or erupt in flames. Planes begin to fall behind. There are already both German and American aircraft in spinning toward the ground and parachutes of the downed crew
Transcript of THE FORETASTE OF HELL - StillWater Club · THE FORETASTE OF HELL ... second time in World War II,...
From a 2005 10-part series in the Main Post, (a German Newspaper), detailing the second raid by the US 8th AirForce on Schweinfurt in October 1943. It uses the downing of the B-17 “Iron Maiden” and the capture of it’s crewas the central theme. The Iron Maiden was piloted by Roland Martin, now of Carmel Valley, CA.
Part 4
The place below the Waldesruh between Dingoishausen and Gerolzhofen becomes an outdoor military museum,in which the severely damaged Iron Maiden on 14 October 1943 had to make an emergency landing during thesecond attack on Schweinfurt. On foot or on bicycles, people came from everywhere to marvel at the U.S.bombers. Strollers are not an obstacle. The serial number of the aircraft, manufactured in Seattle, is painted onits rear and can provide the correct identification of aircraft and crew. This impressive photo record was made byLeo Bausenwein of Oberschwarzach during his home leave. REPRODUCTION NORBERT VOLLMANN
THE FORETASTE OF HELLThe story of the 1943 emergency landing at Gerolzhofen "Iron Maiden (part 4)
Gerolzhofen: Over Düren, shortly after 1 PM thelast Thunderbolt fighter escort leaves to return tobase. It is 14 October 1943 and the B-17 bombers ofthe 8th US Air Force are on their way, for thesecond time in World War II, toward Schweinfurtin southern Germany. The American air forces arenow without escort planes and left entirely alone totheir fate with the German anti-aircraft defenses.For the "lron Maiden" and the other bombers thereis damn long one and a half hours to Schweinfurt.
To keep the Germans in the about the location oftrue target, they no longer fly directly there. Thefirst and the third Division of the 8th U.S. AirForce feint by making several changes in direction.
German soldiers of the Western Radio InterceptRegiment, on the opposite side of the Channel atCap Blanc in Calais, have, since the previousevening, been interested in the increased radiotraffic, suggesting an imminent attack. Only theexact target is yet to be determined.
Hundreds of fighter aircraft are put on high alert.At 12:50 PM, as the first Division of the “MightyEighth” flies over the Dutch coast, the first Germanfighters arise from their bases in Belgium andnorthern France.
Over the Southern Dutch island of Walcheren, Me109s attack the P-47 of the 353rd Fighter group.The B-17-Bomber “lron Maiden” as they seem (still)not too interested. But these attacks will only proveto be a skirmish and diversion.
The "cage doors" open
At the latest, over Aachen and Düren, the lastAmerican bombers on their way toward Colognebegin to feel that this second attack on Schweinfurtwill not be a picnic, but a Suicide mission.
It seems that the German hunters are at a safedistance just waiting to join forces to strike. Nowthat the Thunderbolts are returning home, thefighters attack with all their might, like trainedattack dogs. The cage doors have finally opened ontheir victims.
The Americans have to defend themselves fromindividual and massed attacks. The single-engine"killer Fighter" usually approach from the front.
The twin-engine fighters attack from the rear,firing machine gun bursts, remote-controlledrockets and cannons. The German fightersresolutely and courageously attack again and againagainst thousands of heavy caliber Browningmachine guns aimed at them.
The German fighters come upon the lron Maiden,armed with eleven 50 calibre machine gunsdistributed from bow to stern, firing constantly andinter-communicating about the incoming fighters.Despite the constant attacks of German fighterplanes, the "Iron Maiden" is at first unscathed.Meanwhile, B-17 Bombers that are hit start to spewsmoke, one after another, or erupt in flames. Planesbegin to fall behind. There are already bothGerman and American aircraft in spinning towardthe ground and parachutes of the downed crew
members begin opening. The white parachutes arethose of the Americans, the brown are that of theGermans.
The air battle is slowly approaching its climax. Itproceeds to Cologne on the Rhine and past Bonn.North of Frankfurt, in the area of Limburg an derLahn, the first Division turns sharply to the righttoward Würzburg.
Iron Maiden pilot Roland H. Martin of Berkeley(California), according to American newspaperreports, is the youngest pilot of a four-enginebomber in the entire Air Force. He is 19 and has abirthday in a few days on 29 October 20. His fatherflew in World War II. Co-pilot Linden Price (22) isalso from California, and indeed from SouthPasadena.
The air is teeming with German fighters, mostnotably the effective hunters Fokke-Wulf FW 190and Messerschmitt Me 109, the twin-engineMesserschmitt Me 110 extending from the rear intothe vapor creeps, and Junkers Ju 88 and Me 410th
Roland H. Martin: "There were more aircraft thanI had ever seen at once"Reich..
The totality of the German Luftwaffe was thrownat the Americans, pulled together from all over.The Americans, with recent heavy losses, have thegreatest respect for the "bandits" as the German airopponents were characterized
Minutes are an eternity
The second battle of Schweinfurt approaches. TheAmerican attack on the ball bearing factories isslowly reaching its climax. Flying toward Cologne,the bombers of the 8th U.S. air force pass Bonn onthe Rhine.
North of Frankfurt, near Rethts, the 1st divisionturns. In the formation is the lron Maiden.Marktheidenfeld on the Main and Würzburg areoverflown and after a wide left turn Ochsenfurt ispassed.
The "iron maiden" is already on the approach to thetarget at Schweinfurt. Before long they must reachthe agreed starting point (initial point) atBergrheinfeld for the bombing run. From here it isseven minutes in a perfectly straight line throughthe flak to the target (aiming point) at Schweinfurtand will create the best possible condition forpinpoint bombing. ln this phase, as an easier targetfor the flak, man and machine feel that theremaining time is an eternity. The Americans havedonned special helmets and flak jackets in anattempt to protect themselves against thedangerous shards from exploding anti-aircraftshells.
Part 5 follows shortly
