Mission 56

Mission Summaries > April 1944

SATURDAY, 22 APRIL 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):

Mission 311:

803 bombers and 859 fighters are dispatched to hit a marshalling yard at Hamm, Germany; the bombers claim 20-6-8 Luftwaffe aircraft and the fighters claim 40-2-16; 15 bombers and 13 fighters are lost:

459 of 526 B-17s bomb the primary, 20 hit Bonn, 19 hit Soest, 15 hit Hamm City and 1 hits a target of opportunity; 8 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 138 are damaged; casualties are 7 WIA and 89 MIA.

179 of 277 B-24s hit the primary – the Hamm M-Y; 50 hit Köblenz marshalling yard and 36 hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-24s are lost, 14 damaged beyond repair and 59 damaged; casualties are 46 KIA, 28 WIA and 64 MIA.

Escort is 132 P-38s, 485 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 242 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; 2 P-38s, 5 P-47s and 6 P-51s are lost, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair and 22 aircraft are damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 12 MIA.

Mission 312:

5 of 5 B-17s drop 1.44 million leaflets on Orleans, Tours, Paris, Nantes, Lille, Reims, Chartres and Rouen, France at 2251-2344 hours without loss.

Target: Hamm, Germany - Railroad Marshalling Yards
8th Air Force F.O. No:	311
Aircraft Taking Off:	24
Aircraft Dispatched:	24
Aircraft Aborts:	0
Aircraft Over Primary:	0
Aircraft Over Secondary:	0
Aircraft Over Last Resort:	24
Aircraft Bomb Load:
Group Bomb Load:
Results:
Tactical Mission Report:	Mission Data: Date: 24 Apr 44 Primary Target: Hamm Marshalling Yards. Secondary Target: Hamm, Center of City. Last Resort Target: Koblenz Marshalling Yards Units Participating: 2nd CBW (445th, 453rd, 389th BGs). 14th CBW (392nd, 44th BGs). 20th CBW (448th, 446th, 93rd BGs). 96th CBW (458th, 466th, 467th BGs). Narrative: Assembly: Climb: Route In: Bomb Run: Route Out: Enemy Fighters: Fighter Support: Flak:
Losses: MACR #
Note:

Hamm, Germany - Railroad Marshalling Yards