The target for the 457th on this date was the marshalling yards at Soest, Germany. This city handled the heaviest traffic from the Ruhr valley to Central Germany. The route to the target was as briefed and before the IP it was determined that the lead plane's G-H equipment was malfunctioning so the high squadron leader took over the lead. Bombs were dropped from 24,800 feet and results were unobserved because of cloud cover. One plane, s/n 44-8255, lost engine #3, which burned till it fell off the plane. The plane crashed in the English Channel after the crew bailed out.

Plane s/n 44-8255, 751st Squadron, and piloted by Lt Roy E. Kirk, caught fire over the English Channel on the way to the target. #3 engine was afire from a major oil leak and the wing was burning. The crew all bailed out before the plane broke up and each of them landed in the channel. The burning engine had fallen off the plane and when the plane hit the water the wing broke off. Three of the crew lost their lives and the rest were rescued by air-sea rescue and returned to Glatton. Of those rescued only the bombardier sustained injuries.