Mission 19

Mission Summaries > February 1944

SUNDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):

Mission 212:

Airfields in France are targeted but weather forces 400+ bombers to abort the mission.

189 B-17s are dispatched against the Romilly-sur-Seine Air Depot and 60 hit St Andre de L'Eure Airfield and 40 hit Evreux/Fauville Airfield; 303 B-17s are dispatched to Nancy/Essay and Dijon/Longvic Airfields but only 60 hit Caen/Carpiquet Airfield.

150 B-24s are dispatched to St Pol/Siracourt V-weapon site but 37 hit Château dun Airfield and 9 hit the Eclimeux V-weapon site; they claim 3-3-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17s are lost, 1 B-17 and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair and 43 B-17s and 7 B-24s are damaged; casualties are 7 KIA, 3 WIA and 43 MIA.

Escorting are 85 P-38s, 506 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 47 Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 11-2-3 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 2-0-7 on the ground; 3 P-38s and 1 P-47 are lost, 1 P-38 and 2 P-47s are damaged beyond repair and 1 P-38 and 1 P-47 are damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 4 MIA.

Mission 213:

6 of 6 B-17s drop 363 leaflet bundles in a CARPETBAGGER mission over Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Liege and Monceau-sur-Sambre, Belgium at 2202-2225 hours without loss.

Target: Siracourt, France - German V-1 Rocket Launch Site (NOBALL #7)
8th Air Force F.O. No:	212
Aircraft Taking Off:	15
Aircraft Dispatched:	15
Aircraft Aborts:	15
Aircraft Over Primary:	0
Aircraft Over Secondary:	0
Aircraft Over Last Resort:	0
Aircraft Bomb Load:	10 x 500 lb. AN-M43 General Purpose bombs
Group Bomb Load:	150 x 500 lb. AN-M43 General Purpose bombs
Results:	Abort due to high clouds over the target
Tactical Mission Report:	Mission Data: Date: Primary Target: Secondary Target: Last Resort Target: Units Participating: Narrative: Assembly: Climb: Route In: Bomb Run: Route Out: Enemy Fighters: Fighter Support: Flak: Narative: This was a Noball mission and the target was Siracourt. Bombing was visual and from 12,000 feet. Seven Group of three Combat Wings totalling 150 aircraft were dispatched with three squadrons of Spitfires furnishing excellent support. Assembly was made without incident in good weather and at low altitudes (5,000-8,000 feet). The route to the target was flown as briefed with breaks in the 9/10-10/10 undercast, allowing the leader to pick out both the enemy coast and the IP. The target was covered over but a large opening existed three miles to the north so the Division leader made a 180° turn and attempted a run from the north with the possibility of the target being visible; however the target was still closed in and the mission was abandoned.
Losses: None
Note: The only casualties were suffered by the 453rd Bomb Group with 8 KIA, 2 WIA and one aircraft Cat E damaged.

Low level image of Siracourt V-1 Rocket storage shed