We chalked up our first mission of the month on the 4th when we attacked the A/F at PERLEBERG, 1-1/2 miles W of WITTENBERG and 80 miles SE of HAMBURG.  Latest photo coverage showed at least 131 A/C on the field, mostly FW-190’s.  We placed 37 A/C in the target area led by LT COL WILLIAMSON, CAPT BRECKENRIDGE and LTS MITCHELL and HOFFMAN.  The lead squadron picked up the target visually and bombed.  The other three squadrons did not see the target and did not bomb.  The results of the first squadron’s bombs was excellent with SAV’s showing the MPI to be well covered with hits.  Another A/F denied for the German’s use.  An interesting note on this mission was the attack on the formation by one ME-262.  We can’t remember back far enough to our last attack by E/A as we have been fortunate in not having been subjected to many E/A attacks in our operational period.  The ME-262 made one pass and was fired on by several of our A/C, but broke off and disappeared.  No claim was submitted.  This brings us up to Mission 227.

Changing our plan of attack from A/F’s to M/Y’s, we were again airborne on the 5th, and having as our victim the M/Y at PLAUEN, our second priority target.  This attack was in conjunction with [the] Eighth Air Force’s plan to neutralize all RR facilities in the general area where the Nazis were expected to make a last ditch stand.  We had 25 A/C attacking, 24 of which attacked PLAUEN and one BAYREUTH.  All bombing was done by H2X equipment with unobserved results.  Total bombs dropped was a mixture of M-30’s, 500lb RDX’s and T-1’s, totaling 644 bombs.  Lead honors go to MAJ WOODWARD, CAPT GARDNER and LTS DAHM and POLLIARD.  The entire task force experienced extremely poor weather over on the Continent rendering many A/C non effective and causing difficulties in assembly and formations.  We were rather proud of our boys this day for carrying on as some entire wings had turned back due to the adverse weather conditions.

Another M/Y was chosen as our assignment on the 6th when we attacked the M/Y at HALLE just north of MERSEBERG.  This M/Y is a vital link between the north and south of Germany and in the area where the Hun was expecting to make his last ditch stand.  LT COL O’NEILL, CAPT GOODFRIEND and LT JOHNSON led our formation of 26 A/C over the target, dropping 236×500 RDX bombs [using] H2X equipment with unobserved results due to 10/10th cloud coverage.  Mission 229 went up on the scoreboard and we were all wondering how many more we would do.

Still on an unbroken streak of flying, we were again busy on the 7th placing a large formation of 38 A/C on an attack on a large explosive plant at KRUMMEL, a large installation that had become important due to [the] advance of Allied troops on both the Eastern and Western fronts.  With the rapid advance of the Allies, the products of this plant were going directly to artillery and A/A units instead of to ordinance depots, and it was therefore extremely important that it be eliminated.  Leading the four squadrons was MAJ HENSLER and LT’S WILLIAMS, HELFRECHT, and MITCHELL.  We had good weather over the target and all bombing was visual and our mission narrative report states: 29 A/C attacked KRUMMEL visually, results: good.  8 A/C attacked NEUMUNSTER M/Y visually, results: very good.  A total of 385×500 GP’s left the bomb bays of our A/C and Mission 230 was duly noted on our records.

Many of us had heard of the new jellied gasoline bombs called Napalm, but heretofore we had never used Napalm and it was with great interest to hear that in another raid to the ROYAN AREA, the 458th would be using 75 and 85 gallon tanks of Napalm.  Word was also passed around that we would also use a number of planes carrying M-47 incendiaries.  The Napalm would be dropped first, then the incendiaries would follow.  After our successful bombing of the previous day, we were assigned another target in this area to make devastation so complete that the French forces could move in and mop up the remaining Nazis left.  MAJOR LAVELL, Asst S3, was the Command Pilot for the day, leading 27 A/C over the target area, dropping 45×75 gallon tanks and 85-gallon tanks, plus 156 M-47’s in the target area with unobserved results due to the heavy smoke from previous groups.  However, the damage wrought this day made it possible for the French to capture the entire area with little personnel loss.  It is interesting to note that there was no fighter escort furnished this day, we believe the first time in the history of the group.

After our successful attacks on the GIRONDE ESTUARY that paved the way for the entry of the French troops and the final clean-up of the German garrison, we were back on the job on the 16th with an attack on our third priority target, the M/Y at LANDSHUT, GERMANY.  We garnered individual A/C sortie credit of 27, with the command lead going to MAJOR BREEDING.  We had hoped for a visual run and the gods were with us.  We dropped 258×500 GP’s with the following results: SAV’s show that two squadrons obtained very good hits on two visually selected MPI’s while the other squadron had poor results.  Sortie 237 was posted on the books.

It fell our lot on the 18th to again attack another M/Y, namely the M/Y at PASSAU, our second priority target.  Of the 28 A/C dispatched under the leadership of LT COL WILLIAMSON, not one aborted and a total of 120×1000 GP’s was dropped on the target visually with two squadron’s results being poor due to a mechanical malfunction, and the third squadron racking up good results.  These malfunctions will happen and it’s all part of the battle of chess, but the results of the third squadron’s bombings compensated for our trip.

Coming down the home stretch we found ourselves again airborne on the 20th, attacking an important RR BRIDGE at ZWIESEL on direct request from the ground forces.  The twenty-nine A/C attacking did a bang up job under the lead of MAJ HENSLER, as our mission narrative reads: 20 A/C attacked ZWIESEL, visually.  Crews report results good.  SAV’s show major part of pattern around junction of three rail lines.  9 A/C attacked rail lines 3 miles north of EISENSTEIN, visually.  SAV’s show hits on RR tracks and highway.  It is interesting to note that not one malfunction occurred in bombing and that the total load of 133×1000 GP’s loaded left the bomb bays of this group’s A/C and all hit the targets.

And now we come to the last mission the group would participate in as a member of one of the greatest air forces the world has ever seen.  While this history is of April and final word to cease operations did not come through until May, we cannot but help mentioning this as our last mission as this history is being written up in May.  Sort of beating the gun, but with the joy we feel in our hearts, we humbly apologize for our premature disclosure of the operational ending of the group in the ETO.