Mission 63

Mission Summaries > April 1944

SUNDAY, 30 APRIL 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):

Mission 329:

295 bombers and 644 fighters are dispatched to 3 targets in France; the bombers claim 3-0-6 Luftwaffe aircraft and the fighters claim 18-1-5 in the air and 11-0-17 on the ground; 1 bomber and 5 fighters are lost:

114 of 116 B-17s bomb Lyon/Bron Airfield; 1 B-17 is lost and 8 damaged; 10 airmen are MIA.

118 of 124 B-17s bomb Clermont-Ferrand/Aulnat Airfield; 9 B-17s are damaged.

52 of 55 B-24s bomb V-weapon sites at Siracourt; 3 B-24s are damaged; 1 airman is WIA.

Escort is provided by 128 P-38s, 268 P-47s and 248 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s: 44 P-38s, using the Droopsnoot method, bomb Tours Airfield, 1 P-38 is lost and 1 damaged, 1 pilot is MIA; 14 P-47s dive-bomb Romarantin Airfield plus escort the bombers and claim 9-1-5 Luftwaffe aircraft, 4 P-47s are damaged; P-51s claim 20-0-17 aircraft, 4 P-51s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 6 damaged, 1 airman is WIA and 3 MIA.

Mission 330:

4 of 4 B-17s drop 2.23 million leaflets on 21 towns in Belgium, France and The Netherlands including Zwolle, Hala, Alost, Louvain, Leeuwarden, Reims, Metz, Strasburg, Epinal, Tours, Saarguemines, Mulhouse, Troyes and Orleans without loss.

Mission 331:

128 fighters carry out fighter-bomber attacks in France; 22 P-38s, with 24 escorts, attack Orleans/Bricy Airfield using the Droopsnoot method, 2 are damaged; 21 P-47s, with 10 escorts, bomb the same target shortly later and 5 hit a V-weapon site as a target of opportunity, 3 are damaged; 51 P-51s swept the area before the attacks without loss.

Target: Siracourt, France - NOBALL Target #7 (V-1 Rocket Launch Site)
8th Air Force Mission No:	329
Aircraft Taking Off:
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Results:
Tactical Mission Report:	2nd Bomb Division Tactical Report 1. Data: a. Date of Mission - 30 April 1944 b. Primary Target - Siracourt - NOBALL c. Secondary Target - None d. Last Resort Target - None e. Units Participating - 2nd CBW (389th, 445th, 453rd BG) Narrative: a. Planning called for six Squadrons of nine ships each, led by one G-H ship per Squadron, to attack the NOBALL target at Siracourt. Fifty-five aircraft were dispatched and fifty-two aircraft attacked the target. One Group of P-38's gave excellent support. b. Assemblies were accomplished without incident, and the route to the target and return was flown as briefed. c. All Squadrons bombed the primary on G-H. Some units reported excellent results while other units were unable to make any observations. d. Meager and inaccurate gunfire was encountered enroute. Meager to moderate and accurate fire was observed at the target. There were no losses and no claims. 445th Group Mission Report 1. Aircraft Scheduled---------------------18 Aircraft Airborne-----------------------18 Aircraft Not Dispatched--------------- 2 Aircraft Dispatched--------------------16 Aircraft Abortive------------------------ 0 Aircraft Over Target--------------------16 Aircraft Returned-----------------------16 Aircraft # 42-50347 accidentally released bombs before the target. 2. Assembly: We took off in G.H. ship of the 93rd Bomb Group from Hardwick at 07:15, and joined the assembly ship at 07:45, and assembly was accomplisher visually at 10,000 feet circling Buncher #6. We started climbing at 08:05 and climbed in trail of the 389th omb Group. The assembly and spacing between squadrons was successful. 3. Route In: The route in was flown as briefed. 4. Route Out: The route out was flown as briefed. 5. Flak: Moderate and inaccurate flak was encountered in the target area. No flak was encountered on the route out. 6. Enemy Fighters: No enemy fighters were observed. 7. Fighter Support: Excellent. 8. Bombing Results: First squadron, fair to good, with several hits in the target area. Second squadron results were poor to fair.
Losses:
Note:

Siracourt, France - NOBALL Target #7 (V-1 Rocket Launch Site)