Mission 113

Mission Summaries > June 1944

SUNDAY, 25 JUNE 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):

Mission 441:

During the morning 658 bombers are dispatched to hit targets in France; 7 bombers are lost:

Of 263 B-17s, 104 hit Toulouse/Francazal Airfield, 72 hit Toulouse/Blangnac Airfield and 64 hit Montbartier oil depot; 5 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 114 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 45 MIA. Escort is provided by 46 P-38s, 36 P-47s and 146 P-51s; they claim 10-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot is MIA).

Of 258 B-24s, 43 hit targets of opportunity, 23 hit Beuvry, 18 hit Mazingarbe power station, 12 hit Aube-sur-Risle, 12 hit Doullens, 12 hit La Vaupalier, 12 hit Peronne Airfield, 11 hit Amiens/St Maurice, 11 hit Calais, 11 hit Tingry, 10 hit Abbeville, 10 hit St. Omer/Longuenesse, 8 hit Boulogne, 8 hit Holque, 7 hit Nunque, 7 hit Pont-a-Vendin, 2 hit Chocques; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 26 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 2 WIA. Escort is provided by 68 P-47s and 34 P-51s without loss.

Of 137 B-24s, 59 hit St Avord Airfield and 48 hit Bourge Airfield; 1 B-24 is lost; 10 airmen are MIA. Escort is provided by 102 P-38s and 44 P-47s; they claim 8-0-4 Luftwaffe aircraft without loss.

Mission 442:

During the midday 463 bombers are dispatched to targets in France; 6 bombers are lost; escort is provided by 127 P-38s, 35 P-47s and 181 P-51s; they claim 4-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot is MIA):

Of 274 B-24s, 63 hit Villacoublay air depot, 35 hit Bretigny Airfield and 11 hit Buc Airfield; 5 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 104 damaged; 11 airmen are KIA, 7 WIA and 59 MIA.

Of 189 B-17s, 70 hit Soigny Bridge, 38 hit Sens Bridge, 28 hit Clamecy, 21 hit Auxerre Bridge, 21 hit Nanteuil, 20 hit Nogent, 18 hit Orly Airfield, 13 hit Romilly-sur-Seine, 12 hit Folous, 12 hit Etampes/Mondesir Airfield and 3 hit Orly marshalling yard; 1 B-17 is lost and 20 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA and 19 MIA.

In the USSR, B-17s and P-51s are flown, at daybreak, from dispersal bases to Poltava and Mirgorod and loaded and fueled with intentions of bombing the oil refinery at Drohobycz, Poland and proceed to base in Italy. Bad weather cancels the mission until the tomorrow. The aircraft return to dispersal bases for the night as precaution against air attacks.

24 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER mission.

Target: Buc, France - German Occupied Airfield
8th Air Force Mission No:	442
Aircraft Taking Off:	12
Aircraft Dispatched:	12
Aircraft Aborts:	1
Aircraft Over Primary:	11
Aircraft Over Secondary:	0
Aircraft Over Last Resort:	0
Aircraft Bomb Load:	12x500 lb. AN-M43 General Purpose bombs
Group Bomb Load:	132x500 lb. AN-M43 General Purpose bombs
Results:	Fair
Tactical Mission Report:	445th Bomb Group Mission Report 1. A/C Scheduled ----------------------- A/C Airborne ------------------------- A/C Dispatched ---------------------- A/C Returned Early ----------------- A/C Over Target --------------------- A/C Returned ------------------------ 2. Assembly: Assemblies were accompplished at Splashers in SE England. No difficulties were encountered, excepting the 389th Group, 2nd Combat Wing, which lost visual contact and proceeded to targets alone. 3. Route In: An extremely thich haze was encountered crossing the Channel, and it was in this haze that the 14th Combat Wing lost sight of the 2nd Combat Wing and abandoned the mission. 4. Bomb Run: 8/10 to 10/10 clouds were encountered by the 445th and 453rd Bomb Groups at their primary targets. The 445th Group bombed Mannil Rousset as a Target of Opportunity 5. Route Out: Flown substantially as briefed. 6. Enemy Fighters: No enemy aircraft were encountered. 7. Fighter Support: Excellent. 8. Flak: Intense and accurate flak was met at all targets.
Losses: None.
Note: Bombed a Target of Opportunity at Mannil Rousset.

No target photo is available