This was by far the most intense mission that Tony's Crew had ever seen up to this point. The target was one of the home bases of JG 7, an exclusively jet-powered fighter group. The Me 262 threat was of course taken very seriously and the Eight Air Force was committed to destroying as many as they could. The 486th bombed this target visually from a lower altitude (15,000 feet) and they were able to score excellent results, but the price they paid was high. Out of 39 ships, 2 are shot down by flak, and 10 take major damage. Other groups hitting the target take flak abuse and are attacked by fighters.
Tony's Mission log:
The Germans field more than 50 jets and more than 100 conventional fighters (mostly Me 109's and FW 190's). The Eighth Air Force take 15 bomber losses, but they also inflict major pain on the Luftwaffe, the Eighth Air Force claims 104 kills. But the ferocity of the German response is alarming and continues unabated for the next several days.
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| The 486th Bomb Group over the Parchim Airfield dropping incendiaries. The smoke trail may be a marker or perhaps from one of the aircraft shot down. |
Right over the target, they flew through a one minute flak barrage that was absolutely murderous and LT Krenz's ship immediately went down.
Another ship, LT Center's "Happy Warrior", was impacted by friendly incendiaries at bombs-away. A canister disbanded prematurely and accidentally hit the ship below. "Happy Warrior" left the formation with two engines on fire.
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| Lt Center's "Happy Warrior" gets hit right after bombs away, notice open bomb bay. |
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| "Happy Warrior" starts to burn fiercely and peels off the formation. Out of a crew of 9, 6 bail out and are captured. |
Combat Photographer Bain Fulton, who was aboard the "Happy Warrior", bailed out of the flaming ship and managed to snap this photo of "American Beauty" while all hell is breaking lose over the target and he is dropping from the sky.
Steven Michael, whose father William Solomon was a crewman on "American Beauty" had a chance to speak with Bain Fulton's grandson, Bain Fulton III, who conveyed the story of his grandfather's adventure. In Steven Michael's words "He almost didn't make it. He had trouble getting his flak vest off to be able to pull the rip chord. He finally did but dropped the camera which was damaged but the film was salvaged and the Germans let him keep it. There wasn't anything on the film they didn't already know."
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| American Beauty Crew: William Solomon third from Right |
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| Lt Krenz Crew, ship lost with 8 POW and 2 KIA. |
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| Reprinted from 486th BG Archives |
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| Routes to target on 7 April 1945 for 8th Air Force. The 486th BG was part of the 4th Combat Wing (CBW) to the North East. |
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| The JG 7 Airfield Reconnaissance Photograph with target areas. |
One of the groups within the 4th Combat Wing was the 487th Bomb Group. Budd Wentz was the pilot of one of their ships. They bombed Parchim and were rammed mid-air by an Me 109 who lost a dogfight with a P51. They were forced to land at a newly-liberated German airfield. They abandoned their brand-new but battered ship and hopped on a German B17 (originally American and restored to flying condition) that just happened to be parked there at the airfield. They managed to make it home in it that same day!
This is Budd Wentz's yarn: Rammed Over Parchim
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