457th Bomb Group Message Board

Bombing Altitude

Posted by Jerry Sale on 4/25/2008, 11:32 am
208.16.142.74

(i) What were the range of altitudes for bombing missions?
(ii) Was there a steep ascent or descent right before the bombs were dropped to help with flak inaccuracy?

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Re: Bombing Altitude

Posted by Sully Sullivan on 5/9/2008, 2:20 pm, in reply to "Bombing Altitude"
207.200.116.70

Jerry, I would guess the average altitude was mid-to-low 20,000s.
Examples...May 11, 44 Luxemburg 17,000...July 1 44 Munich 27,000...July 25 44 Scheweinfurt (My first Lead Mission) 25,000...August 30 Kiel (My last mission) 26,000.
Question #2...No. From IP to release no change in altitude.
We were sitting "ducks." However, there was a slight increase in altitude when bombs were dropped, but this did not help improve "Flax Inaccuracy.

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Re: Bombing Altitude

Posted by Jerry Sale on 5/10/2008, 8:43 am, in reply to "Re: Bombing Altitude"
70.242.139.232

As a follow up, how much distance and/or time on average was the IP from release?

Also, on sites protected by flak, did it take a while before they zeroed in at the right altitude?

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Re: Bombing Altitude

Posted by Sully Sullivan on 5/10/2008, 1:21 pm, in reply to "Re: Bombing Altitude"
207.200.116.70

Average IP to bomb release time 10 minutes, but seemed like a life time.
No time for the flak to find us...in fact the flak was over the target before we got there.
We could see the flak several minutes ahead of us, but we knew we had to fly right into it. Although every target provided us with a "flak" welcome. Hamburg and Berlin were especially bad...
the barrage of flak over these was several miles wide and several thousand feet thick.

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Re: Bombing Altitude

Posted by Jerry Sale on 5/12/2008, 12:38 pm, in reply to "Re: Bombing Altitude"
208.16.142.74

Thanks for your response. It really gives meaning to the phrase "Flak so thick you could walk on it."

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