Mission 16

Mission Summaries > February 1944

WEDNESDAY, 2 FEBRUARY 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO):
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):

Marshall Josef V Stalin agrees to provide 6 bases for US aircraft in the USSR.

Mission 205:

95 of 110

B-24s hit V-weapon construction sites at St Pol/Siracourt, Seloncort, and Watten, France; 2 B-24s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged; casualties are 10 KIA and 19 MIA. 183 P-47s escort the B-24s without loss.

364th Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, transfers from Raydon to Leiston, England with P-51s; first mission is 11 Feb.

Target: Seloncort, France - V-1 Rocket Launch Site
8th Air Force F.O. No:	205
Aircraft Taking Off:	28
Aircraft Dispatched:	25
Aircraft Aborts:	0
Aircraft Over Primary:	25
Aircraft Over Secondary:	0
Aircraft Over Last Resort:	0
Aircraft Bomb Load:	12 x 500 lb. AN-M43 General Purpose bombs
Group Bomb Load:	300 x 500 lb. AN-M43 General Purpose bombs
Results:	Unobserved due to cloud cover
Tactical Mission Report:	Mission Data: Date: Primary Target: Secondary Target: Last Resort Target: Units Participating: Narrative: Assembly: First plane off at 1100, making a standard instrument take-off using normal 2nd Combat Wing pattern on Buncher #6. Assembly was made at 15,000 feet using the "Zebra Plane". Assembly was good in the group and for the wing considering the altitude. When the planes reached altitude they could not immediately assemble as their windows were all coated with about 1/8" of rime ice. Climb: Assembly was made at altitude but it was often necessary to climb on Division formation to avoid stratus cloud formation. However throughout the mission both Group of this wing flew the best formation seen to date. Target: Bombing was done by Pathfinder. Proper signals were given at the IP. 389th Group was flying high and slightly left instead of to the right. Then at IP instead of falling in trail they pulled over on top of us and slightly ahead. Our Group was on our bombing run so the Group was forced to pull out so their bombs did not drop on our formation. The Group made a 360 degree turn while holding a tight formation and came in for another run. Bombs were observed to fall in a good pattern on the Pathfinder release smoke markers. Return: After the bomb run, the Group left the target at 155 MPH losing 1,000 feet gradually while maintaining good Group and Combat Wing formations. Enemy Fighters: None. Fighter Support: Excellent Flak: None.
Losses: MACR #2509; Aircraft: 42-7523, Name: Billie Babe; 1st Pilot: 2nd Lt. Earle G. Metcalf; Casualties: 10 KIA; Reason for Loss: Aircraft disappeared from the formation during the return flight. Probable cause was some sort of a mechanical failure.
Note: None

Seloncourt, France - V-1 Rocket Launch Site

Image courtesy of Google Earth Pro™