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Eighth Air Force Operations
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> Mission 514: 1,307 bombers and 746 fighters are dispatched to strategic targets in Germany; 15 bombers are lost:
>> Air Task Force 1. Of 358 B-17s, 181 hit Hamburg oil refineries, 50 hit Bremen oil refineries, 23 hit Nordhof Airfield, 22 hit Ostend, Belgium coastal defenses, 14 hit Einswarden and 7 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 0-4-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-17s are lost, 8 damaged beyond repair and 196 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 63 MIA. Escort is provided by 234 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 38-1-5 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 9-0-1 on the ground; 2 P-47s and 3 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA) and 2 P-47s and 2 P-51s are damaged.
>> Air Task Force 2. Of 425 B-17s, 221 hit Peenemunde, 110 hit Anklam Airfield and 70 hit Anklam aircraft factories; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 94 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 40 MIA. Escort is provided by 223 of 250 P-51s; they claim 4-0-4 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 9 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA) and 1 is damaged beyond repair; 1 pilot is KIA.
>> Air Task Force 3. Of 446 B-24s, 148 hit Rostock aviation factories, 89 hit Kiel, 88 hit Schwerin aviation factories, 71 hit Wismar aviation factories, 12 hit Schlutup, 11 hit Warien and 1 hits a target of opportunity; 4 B-24s are lost and 114 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 40 MIA. Escort is provided by 209 P-38s and P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost and 1 P-38 is damaged; 1 pilot is KIA.
>> Air Task Force 4. Of 78 B-24s, 39 hit Husum Airfield and 29 hit Hemmingstedt/Heide oil refinery without loss.
>> Mission 515: The first APHRODITE mission is flown using 4 radio-controlled war weary B-17s as flying bombs; targets are Mimoyecques, Siracourt, Watten, and Wizernes V-weapon sites but none are hit; 1 drone B-17 crashes killing 1 crew. Escort is provided by 16 P-47s and 16 P-51s.
> Mission 516: In France, 154 B-17s and 36 fighters are dispatched to hit V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais and coastal defenses at Middelkerke and Gravelines:
>> Air Task Force 1. Of 95 B-24s, 24 hit the Pas de Calais, 12 hit Achiet Airfield, 11 hit Gravelines, 11 hit Middelkerke, 6 hit Lens marshalling yard and 6 hit Villy/Montigne marshalling yard; 17 B-24s are damaged.
>> Air Task Force 2. Of 59 B-17s, 13 hit targets of opportunity, 12 hit Lille/Vendeville Airfield and 11 hit a bridge at Gravelines; 12 B-17s are damaged.
>> Escort for the two groups above is provided by 35 P-47s and P-51s.
> 67 of 69 P-47s fly a fighter-bomber mission against Plantlunne Airfield; they claim 30-0-5 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot is MIA), 1 is damaged beyond repair and 8 damaged.
Source: Jack McKillop, Rutgers University, used with permission.
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384th BG Mission Number 172, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 516
Weather Stymies Strike
The 384th Bombardment Group (H) flew a second mission in the afternoon today. This mission was intended to strike another NOBALL target in France, but weather at the target area - a towering thunderstorm - prevented sighting of the assigned target. All bombs were returned to base, except for two aircraft carrying long-delay fuse bombs, which were jettisoned in the channel.
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