Thursday, February 24, 1944. Big Week Climax.
The Gothaer Waggonfabrik (Gotha) aircraft plant was hit as part of the Big Week.
The plant had been targeted for February 22, but bad weather had prevented the raid from occurring. On this day, 239 B-24s raided the plant.
Typical for such things, the US Army Air Force regarded the raid as a huge success. In reality, however, the lead bombardier, who controlled the run ins via the Norden Bomb site, suffered from anoxia due to a faulty oxygen mask and mistook Eisenach as the primary target. Forty-three bombers accordingly followed his error. Thirty-four B-24s were shot down, twenty-nine were damaged. Three aircrewmen were killed, six wounded and 324 went missing. 169 bombers did get through, and the plant was heavily damaged.
The Messerschmidt plants at Regensburg and Augsburg were hit and heavily damaged as well. Production was disrupted, but as Albert Speer noted, the damage was to the frame plant which was quickly put back into production. Had the engine plant been hit, results would have been different.
It was the climax of The Big Week.
The U-761 was sunk by tow U.S. Navy PBY's assisted by two Royal Navy destroyers.
