The mission for the morning of April 17th was in direct support of the ground forces fighting to take the important city of Magnerburg on the Elbe. The city is one of the major keys to Berlin and stiff resistance was being met there. The purpose of the mission was to destroy as much of the built up area as possible. A good percentage of the bombs fell in the target area with heavy damage to the buildings covered. Not one bomb was dropped across the railway line which had been set up as a deadline due to the close proximity of our own troops. The fact that troops were able to move into the city testifies to the general effectiveness of the attack by this and other groups hitting the city.
And now clicks account of the mission..

April 17, 1945 Mis~ion #19 AIL 10,000
8-500 pound bombs G.P. At the base Belglum

Today we got up and had briefing at 08:45. We were instructed to bomb the town of Magnerburg.It's a very big town. We had a 30 gun flak baltery lo contend with. We were the fifth group out of eleven to go over the target (continued onpage56)

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