Mission 28

Mission Summaries > February 1944

THURSDAY, 24 FEBRUARY 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):

Mission 233:

3rd Bomb Division (B-17) had 295 of 304 aircraft bomb Rostok and other targets of opportunity, missing their primaries (aviation industry plants at Tutow, Posen and Keising). They lost 5 aircraft and had 60 damaged.

1st Bomb Division had 238 of 266 B-17’s bomb the aviation industry at Schweinfurt. They lost 11 aircraft and had 160 damaged.

2nd Bomb Division had 169 of 239 B-24’s bomb the aviation industry at Gotha. The Division lead bombardier, suffering from anoxia due to a faulty oxygen mask, mistook the town of Eisenach as the primary and 43 aircraft dropped on him. Due to unforeseen winds aloft, the 445th Bomb Group arrived at their fighter cover assembly point 11 minutes early and proceeded on to the target without escort. They lost 13 of 25 aircraft in one of the longest running air battles of the war – lasting some four and a half hours. By direction of the President of the United States, the unit was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for their gallantry in continuing the attack and severely damaging the target.

Mission 234

1st Bomb Division (B-17) had 5 of 5 aircraft drop 250 bundles of leaflets over Lorient, Tours, Nantes, Brest, and Reims between 2208 and 2226 hours with no losses.

Target: city, country - target description
8th Air Force F.O. No:
Aircraft Taking Off:
Aircraft Dispatched:
Aircraft Aborts:
Aircraft Over Primary:
Aircraft Over Secondary:
Aircraft Over Last Resort:
Aircraft Bomb Load:
Group Bomb Load:
Results:
Tactical Mission Report:	Mission Data: Date: 24 Feb 44 Primary Target: Secondary Target: Last Resort Target: Units Participating: Narrative:
Losses:
Note:

Gotha, Germany - Goaether Waggonwerke Bf 110 Aircraft Factory