Salzwedel — Railroad Marshalling Yard

Mission Narrative

February 22, 1945 — Operation Clarion. On this single day, approximately 6,000 Allied aircraft from every available air force struck transportation targets across the length and breadth of Germany in a coordinated assault of unprecedented scale. The 8th Air Force, 9th Air Force, 15th Air Force, RAF Bomber Command, and tactical air forces all participated simultaneously.

The 351st Bomb Group's assigned target was the railroad marshalling yards at Salzwedel, a town in the Altmark region of northwestern Germany. Salzwedel was a smaller target than the major cities the 351st usually attacked, reflecting Clarion's strategy of hitting even secondary rail junctions to create a nationwide paralysis of the German transportation network.

The lighter defenses at Salzwedel were a relief compared to the intense flak at targets like Berlin, Cologne, and the Ruhr. But the cumulative effect of thousands of aircraft hitting hundreds of targets simultaneously was devastating to the German rail system. Carl flew his twenty-fifth mission on one of the most significant air operations of the entire war.

Strategic Context

Operation Clarion was designed to deliver a knockout blow to German transportation. By striking hundreds of targets simultaneously — from major marshalling yards to rural rail junctions — the Allies aimed to overwhelm German repair capacity entirely. The operation was timed to coincide with the launch of Operation Grenade (the American crossing of the Roer River, which began on February 23) and the broader Rhineland campaign. Clarion succeeded in causing widespread disruption, though the German rail system continued to function at reduced capacity until the final collapse.