Mission 40 - 445BG

Go to content

Mission 40

Mission Summaries > March 1944
MONDAY, 20 MARCH 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):

Mission 269:
353 B-17s and 92 B-24s are dispatched to targets in Germany but high clouds and the malfunction of blind-bombing equipment cause nearly 300 bombers to abort the mission; 7 bombers and 8 fighters are lost; the bombers claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; the bombers also drop 900,000 leaflets; details are:

54 B-17s hit Mannheim, 51 hit Frankfurt, 19 hit Bingen and 22 hit targets of opportunity; 5 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 150 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 8 WIA and 40 MIA.

1 of 92 B-24s hit Bretuil Airfield; 2 B-24s are lost and 15 damaged; casualties are 3 WIA and 21 MIA.

Escort is provided by 44 P-38s, 345 P-47s and 205 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; claims and losses are: P-38s: no claims or losses; P-47s claim 1-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 6 P-47s are lost and 9 damaged; 6 pilots are MIA; and P-51s claim 4-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost and 3 damaged; 2 pilots are MIA.
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:
Primary Target:
Secondary Target:
Last Resort Target:
Units Participating:

Narrative:
Losses:
Note:
Back to content