April 1945 - 461st Bombardment Group

to be a promising start, the formation crossed the Adriatic in fair enough weather. Over
Yugoslavia, however, the weather grew worse with cirrus building up to a ten-tenths layer
of clouds extending from 16,000 to above 23,000 feet. A roundabout route as far east as
Lake Balaton in Hungary, in an effort to find a passage through the wall of clouds, proved
unsuccessful, and the formation having no other alternative returned to Base with its
cargo of bombs. No mission credit was allowed.
Mission No. 206, 2 April 1945 – St. Polten Marshalling Yard, Austria
As part of the overall plan of impeding enemy troop movements in the Vienna Area,
the Group was directed on 2 April 1945 to attack the marshalling yard at St. Polten,
Austria. Under ideal weather conditions and in the absence of both flak and enemy
fighters, the Group formation led by Major Baker achieved excellent results.
Photographs show that a heavy concentration of bombs fell across the center of the St.
Polten marshalling yard, scoring innumerable hits on tracks and rolling stock; another
concentration fell on the west choke point, with at least seven direct hits cutting the line
to Linz. Air Force plotted 79.3 per cent of bombs dropped within 1000 feet of the briefed
aiming point.
Message of Commendation
SUBJECT:
FROM:
TO:
Commendation (Teletype)
Fifteenth Air Force, A311
Commanding Officer, 461 st Bombardment Group (H).
The following message (15AF A311) is forwarded with my congratulations.
“Bombing strike photographs of your attack on St. Polten Marshalling Yard on April
2 show excellent bombing patterns by squadrons of the Groups, and post raid
reconnaissance reveals terrific destruction created. Please convey to the Groups my
commendation for a job well done.”
COL TODD
Mission No. 207, 3 April 1945 – Bolzano Marshalling Yard, Italy (Canceled)
Mission No. 207, 4 April 1945 – Bronzolo Marshalling Yard, Italy (Canceled)
Mission No. 207, 5 April 1945 - Brescia Marshalling Yard, Italy
Aerial reconnaissance of the Fifteenth Air Force confirmed intelligence reports that
the Germans were attempting to move masses of military equipment and Italian
machinery out of Italy by way of the Milan to Verona railway line. For this reason
Brescia, accommodating upwards of 1,000 railway cars and considered a critical link in
the line, was designated the target for the day. A force of twenty-eight planes,
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