Mission 105

Mission Summaries > June 1944

MONDAY, 19 JUNE 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):

Morning and afternoon missions are made against targets in France.

Mission 423:

In the morning, 464 B-17s are dispatched against airfields in the Bordeaux area: 92 hit Cormes Ecluse, 84 hit Bordeaux/Merignac, 39 hit Cazaux, 34 hit Landes-de-Bussac, 12 hit Cabanac and 3 hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 11 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 59 MIA; escort is provided by 88 P-38s and 261 P-51s; 4 P-38s and 6 P-51s are lost (all pilots MIA).

Mission 424:

In both morning and afternoon missions, 216 of 391 B-17s and 294 of 312 B-24s hit 35 V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 B-24 damaged beyond repair and 65 B-17s and 22 B-24s damaged; 2 airmen are WIA and 10 MIA. Escort is provided by 196 P-38s, 122 P-47s and 48 P-51s; 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair; 1 P-38 group, after completing escort duty, dive-bombs and strafes transportation targets in NE France, destroying a locomotive and 3 barges.

858th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), VIII Air Force Composite Command, moves from North Pickenham to Cheddington, England with B-24s (the squadron begins flying leaflet missions).

Target: Vignacourt, France - V-1 Rocket Launch Site
8th Air Force Mission No:	424
Mission Date:	19 Jun 44
Aircraft Taking Off:	11
Aircraft Dispatched:	11
Aircraft Aborts:	0
Aircraft Over Primary:	11
Aircraft Over Secondary:	0
Aircraft Over Last Resort:	0
Aircraft Bomb Load:	52 x 100 lb. AN-M30 General Purpose bombs
Group Bomb Load:	572 x 100 lb. AN-M30 General Purpose bombs
Results:	Unobserved
Tactical Mission Report:	2nd Bomb Division Tactical Report 1. A/C Scheduled ----------------------- 11 A/C Airborne ------------------------- 11 A/C Dispatched ---------------------- 11 A/C Returned Early ----------------- 0 A/C Over Target -------------------- 11 A/C Returned ------------------------ 11 2. Assembly: Normal Group assembly conducted, but no Combat Wing assembly. GH ship was provided by 93rd Bomb Group. Group proceeded to DAL and departed on-time and on-course. 3. Route In: Route was flown using GH equipment for navigation checks due to cloud cover over the Continent. 4. Bomb Run: Group IP was made good using GH. Bomb Release Line was made good using GH and all bombs were released on target. 5. Route Out: After bombs away 445th Group proceeded to Group Rally Point which was accomplished twelve miles south of briefed location. Remainder of route out was flown as briefed. 6. Enemy Action Encountered: No enemy aircraft were sighted and flak was minimal and unaccurate. 7. Fighter Support: Excellent.
Losses: None.
Note: None.

Vignacourt V-1 Rocket Launch Site