It was mission No.792 for the 8.AF. 911 bombers and 860 fighters were dispatched to attack oil refineries and plants in Central Germany and highway bridges at Cologne. Clear skies allow all bombers to bomb visually.
370 B-17s were sent to hit oil targets at Derben (186) and Magdeburg (90); 36 hit Hallendorf, the secondary target; targets of opportunity hit were the Osnabruck marshalling yard (8) and other (19). Escort was provided by 295 of 331 P-51s. They claimed 89.5-0-14 aircraft in the air and 3-0-5 on the ground.
348 B-24s were dispatched to hit oil targets at Hallendorf (145), Hemmingstedt (91) and Ehmen (89); 1 hit Wangerooge Island, a target of opportunity. The escort was 261 of 295 P-51s. They claimed 14.5-0-0 aircraft.
187 B-17s were sent to hit highway bridges at Cologne, the Deutz Bridge (71), the Hohenzollern Bridge (67) and the Rodenkirchen Bridge (36); targets of opportunity were Berg (1) and Cologne (1). Escort was provided by 40 of 42 P-51s. They claimed 9-0-5 aircraft.
At 1030 sirens on the Luftwaffes 1. Jagdkorps airfields started to warn of an air raid. 156 FW 190s of A-8, A-9, A-9/R 11 versions, FW 190 D-9 and D-9/R 11 versions. The rest of 300 pieces power was made by messerschmitts 109 of G-10, G-14 and G-14AS versions of both "Wilde Sau" Geschwadern - JG 300 and JG 301.
At 1115 took off from L�bnitz FW 190s of II./ JG 300. They were accompanied by anothers from I.(Finsterwalde), II.(Welzow) and III./ JG 301 (Alteno bei Luckau). In some 25 minutes later their cover made of messerschmitts Bf 109 from I. (Borkheide), III. (J�terbog) and IV./ JG 300 (Reinsdorf).
A few minutes later, German pilots saw first enemy planes. Those were Boeing B-17s of 3.Air Divisiom. In that same time were attacked by P-47s and P-51s from above. Great formation of German fighters broke to pieces. Some of them battled with the American fighters and some of them tried to reach bomber pulks. Pilots of II./ JG 300 had most of the experiences in this style of intercepting, so no wonder, that Ofw. Rudi Zwesken, Ofhr. Heinz G�nther Kuring, Lt. Karl Spenst (Staffelkapit�n of 8. Staffel), Oblt. Gramberg (Staffelkapit�n 5. Staffel), Fw. Ruopp, Ofhr. Doppe, Fw. Dohms, Uffz. H�nsel, Gefr. Daniel, Uffz. Schweiger (last 6 mentioned all from 8. staffel), shot down each one B-17. For the III./ JG 300 scored the Staffelkapit�n of 11./ JG 300, Oblt. Lonzius by shooting down one American fighter plane.
Also JG 301 joined the combat, but their pilots had less luck in shooting on bombers. Fhr. Sch�fer, 4. staffel JG 301, and Hptm. Helmut Suhr from 8. staffel claimed each one B-17 over Mecklenburg. Fw. Willi Reschke claimed P-51 and P-47 shot down over Kyritz and Mecklenburg. Reschke flew for 9. staffel JG 301.
But the German losses were more higher that the claims. Here is the summary for them:
| name | staffel | place | plane | |
| Ofh. Werner Weissin | 1./ JG 300 | + | Premnitz bei Havele | G-14AS 783896 weisse 11 |
| Uffz. Thomas Tsutscher | 2./ JG 300 | + | Brandenburg - Briest | G-10D 490642 rote 2 |
| Fw. Karl - Heint Schleinitz | 2./ JG 300 | z | Beelitz | G-10D 490383 rote 17 |
| Flg. Otto M�ller | 4./ JG 300 | + | Wittsock | G-10/R 6 490356 schwarze 10 |
| Gefr. Oldwig Frank | 4./ JG 300 | + | B�hne / Rathenow | G-10/R 6 491221 schwarze 14 |
| Oblt. Friedhelm Leimk�hler | 4./ JG 300 | + | Wittstock | G-10/R 6 150746 schwarze 16 |
| - | I./ JG 300 | - | - | G-10 490229 gelbe |
| Uffz. Teuschner | I./ JG 300 | + | Briest/ Brandenburg | G-10 |
| Uffz. Math�us Erhardt | 5./ JG 300 | z,p | Kyritz / Wittstock | A-8/R 8 738360 rote 6 |
| Ofhr. Hans Damrau | 6./ JG 300 | + | Neuruppin | A-8 680829 gelbe 1 |
| Gfr. Hans Kiessling | 6./ JG 300 | + | Edlitz / Gladow | A-8 682843 gelbe 18 |
| Ofhr. Klaus L�deke | 7./ JG 300 | z | Berlin ? | A-8 960305 weisse 18 |
| Uffz. Reinhold Hofmann | 7./ JG 300 | + | Neuruppin | A-8 682925 weisse 1 |
| Uffz. Josef Schweiger | 8./ JG 300 | z | Kyritz / Wittstock | A-8 739288 schwarze 11 |
| Fw. Rudi Noske | 8./ JG 300 | z,p | Kyritz / Wittstock | A-8 960316 schwarze 19 |
| Ofw. Johann Schattner | 9./ JG 300 | + | Rathenow | G-10 490329 gelbe 15 |
| Uffz. Friedrich Diestel | 9./ JG 300 | + | Wulkau / Osterburg | G-14 782403 gelbe 8 |
| Oblt. Klaus Grothues | 9./ JG 300 | + | S Rathenow | G-14 460663 gelbe2 |
| Fh. Henry Spanka | 10./ JG 300 | + | Landin / Friesach | G-10ASM 491194 rote 15 |
| Fh. Wipfli | 10./ JG 300 | + | Wulken, Jederitz | G-14ASM weisse12 |
| Fhr. Heinz Schrepfermann | 10./ JG 300 | + | Teerofen (?Terrofer) | G-10ASM 490224 rote 8 |
| Fh. Heinz Diessner | 10./ JG 300 | + | Muckenbusch / Hardberg | G-10 150796 rote 5 |
| Oberfh. Peter Bremer | 10./ JG 300 | + | Sanderholz / Stendal | |
| Fhr. Heint Christoffer | 11./ JG 300 | + | Sangerholzen / Stendal | G-10 490186 gr�ne 15 |
| Lt. Bruno Klostermann(VIEW) | 11./ JG 300 | z | Rathenow | G-10 491213 gr�ne 2 |
| Uffz. Gerhard Reiche | 11./ JG 300 | z | Rathenow | G-14 784174 gr�ne 17 |
| Uffz. Ehrard Schneider | 12./ JG 300 | z, p | Kyritz | G-10 490??? Schwarze 7 |
| Ogfr. Gerhard Kraffzik(VIEW) | 12./ JG 300 | p | G-10? | |
| Uffz. Erwin Kaap | 12./ JG 300 | + | J�teborg | G-10? �<<� |
| - | III./ JG 300 | - | - | G-6/R 6 490663 |
| Uffz. Rerich M�ller | III./ JG 300 | p,n | - | G-10 |
| Fw. Egon Meier | III./ JG 300 | p,n | - | G-10 |
| Fw. Willi Kanzek | 13./ JG 300 | + | Gl�wen | G-10 490395 gr�ne 4 |
| Gefr. Werner Laubach | 13./ JG 300 | + | Breddin / Havelberg | G-10/R 6 491261 weisse 10 |
| Fw. Walter Ibold | 13./ JG 300 | p | ||
| Ofw. G�nter Esche | 13./ JG 300 | po | G�ricke / Perleberg | G-10 490247 weisse 9 |
| Fhr. Siegfried Sch�fer | 13./ JG 300 | z | Picher / Lulu | G-10 491291 weisse 5 |
| Ogefr. Gerhard Schl�ter | 13./ JG 300 | z | S�llenthin / Gl�hra | G-10/R 6 491155 weisse 1 |
| Uffz. Alfred Dangl | 13./ JG 300 | z | R�behorst | G-10/R 6 491229 weisse 3 |
| Ofw. ???? | 13./ JG 300 | z | Stendal | G-10ASM 490219 weisse 10 |
| Ofhr. Gerhard (Rutschow?) Rutichow | 14./ JG 300 | + | bei Nauen | G-10 491184 rote 5 |
| Uffz. Heint Bengel | 14./ JG 300 | + | Teerofen / Perleberg | G-10 491242 rote 9 |
| Ofw. Josef Pernkopf | 14./ JG 300 | z | Stendal / Perleberg | G-10 150788 rote 7 |
| Ofw. Johannes Deutscher | 15./ JG 300 | z | Stendal / Perleberg | G-10 490300 schwarze 11 |
| Ofhr. Georg Halk | 15./ JG 300 | + | 20 km S Salzwedel | G-10 150808 gelbe 11 |
| Ogfr. G�nter Unger | 15./ JG 300 | + | Perleberg | G-10 150782 gelbe 3 |
| Ogfr. Rudolf Schulze | 15./ JG 300 | + | Perleberg | G-10 491384 gelbe 8 |
| Ofhr. Joachim Krug | 16./ JG 300 | + | Perleberg | G-10 490242 blaue 16 |
| Uffz. Helmut Schwarz | 16./ JG 300 | + | Alt-L�nnewitz | G-10/R 6 490432 blaue 7 |
| Uffz. Reinhard Treibmann | IV./ JG 300 | z, p | Rhinow | G-10 491227 |
| - | IV./ JG 300 | - | Finow | G-10 490295 |
| Uffz. Albert Hoffmann | St 301 | + | Strodehne | D-9 210276 schwarze2 |
| Hpt. Wolfgang Hankamer | 1./ JG 301 | + | Kyritz | A-9 206198 weisse 1 |
| Uffz. Heinz Maximini | 1./ JG 301 | + | Neuruppin | A-9 206188 |
| Gefr. Reinhard Kleinst�ck | 2./ JG 301 | p,z | Kyritz | A-9 206154 |
| Ofw. Hans Sch�fer | 2./ JG 301 | z,p | Kyritz | A-9 206185 |
| Uffz. Otto Sturm | 2./ JG 301 | + | Barethin | A-9 205068 |
| Uffz. Willi Schmidt | 2./ JG 301 | z,p | Breddin / Havelberg | A-9 205906 |
| Fhr. Wilhelm Hacheney | 3./ JG 301 | z,p | Kyritz | A-9 205977 |
| Fhr. Horst Strauss | 4./ JG 301 | + | Barenth-K-Gumtow | A-9 206191 |
| Fw. Emil Schubert | 4./ JG 301 | z | Kyritz, notlanung | A-9 203386 |
| Fw. Walter Schmidt | 4./ JG 301 | + | Gumtow | A-9 206189 blaue 10 |
| Uffz. Hans-Joachim Pieschel | 4./ JG 301 | z | Kyritz | A-9 205930 |
| Uffz. Jakob Funken | 4./ JG 301 | + | Barenth- Kyritz- | A-9/R 11 |
| Fw. Herbert Schaar | 5./ JG 301 | + | Gumtow | A-9 205961 weisse 16 |
| Lt. Walter Kropp | SF 6./ JG 301 | z,p | Brandenburg | D-9 210907 rote 7 |
| Fw. Clemens Schmol | 6./ JG 301 | + | Lohm | D-9 210913 rote 13 |
| Fw. Werner Ebert | 6./ JG 301 | + | Kyritz/ Pritzwalk | D-9 210260 rote 16 |
| Uffz. Franklin H�hne | 6./ JG 301 | + | Kyritz/ Pritzwalk | D-9 210977 rote 15 |
| Fw. Heinz Riedel | 8./ JG 301 | + | Perleberg | A-9 206173 |
| Uffz. Heinrich Fischer | 8./ JG 301 | + | S Havelberg | A-9 205946 blaue 9 |
| Fw. Hans-Dieter Jander | 8./ JG 301 | + | Kyritz | A-9 207201 blaue 7 |
| Uffz. Gustav Kilzer | 8./ JG 301 | + | NW R�bhorst | A-9 207177 blaue 2 |
| Uffz. Heinz Kettmann | 8./ JG 301 | + | Wittenmoor | A-9 207169 blaue 8 |
| Ogfr. G�nter Angermann | 9./ JG 301 | z | Neustadt | A-8 176075 weisse 3 |
| Ofh. Karl H�nsel | 9./ JG 301 | + | Lohm | A-8 175920 weisse 13 |
| Fw. Hubert Blomert | 10./ JG 301 | + | A-8 682006 rote 9 | |
| Oblt. Christoph Herzog | SK 11./ JG 301 | z,p | Kyritz | A-8 175925 gelbe 3 |
| Ofw. Kurt Kabler | 11./ JG 301 | + | Barenthin | A-8 gelbe 4 |
| Ogfr. Egon Straub | 12./ JG 301 | + | Kyritz | A-8 172355 schwarze 10 |
Americans lost in this battle 18 B-17s, 7 P-51s and one P-47. It is possible, that that only loss for Thunderbolt was caused by Willi Reschke.
