Mission 34
Mission Summaries > March 1944
WEDNESDAY, 8 MARCH 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
Mission 252:
The primary target is
the ball bearing plant at Erkner, a suburb of Berlin; enemy opposition is fierce and 37
bombers and 16 fighters are lost; 320 of 414 B-17s and 150 of 209 B-24s dispatched hit the primary; 36 B-17s hit Wildau and targets of
opportunity; 33 B-24s hit Berlin and targets of opportunity; the bombers claim
63-17-19 Luftwaffe aircraft; 28 B-17s and 9 B-24s are lost, 1 B-17 and 2 B-24s
are damaged beyond repair; casualties are 4 KIA, 14 WIA and 364 MIA.
Escort
is provided by 104 P-38s, 613 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 174 Eighth
and Ninth Air Force P-51s; claims/losses are: P-38s claim 9-2-5 Luftwaffe
aircraft; 3 P-38s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged;
casualties are 1 KIA and 4 MIA; P-47s claim 49-6-18 Luftwaffe aircraft; 10 P-47s
are lost, 13 damaged beyond repair and 4 damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 2 WIA
and 10 MIA; P-51s claim 29-4-9 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 P-51s are lost, 2 damaged
beyond repair and 1 damaged; casualties are 4 MIA.
An
additional 8-4-7 Luftwaffe aircraft are claimed on the ground.
786th
Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 466th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives at
Attlebridge, England from the US with B-24s; first mission is 22 Mar.
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: | ||
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Group Bomb Load: | ||
Results: | ||
Tactical Mission Report: | Mission Data: Date: Primary Target: Secondary Target: Last Resort Target: Units Participating: Narrative: | |
Losses: | ||
Note: | ||