Mission 64

Mission Summaries > May 1944

MONDAY, 1 MAY 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):

Mission 332:

Operation CROSSBOW (operations against German missile launching sites) targets are hit in France in the early morning; 531 bombers and 209 fighters are dispatched but weather causes many aborts and only 3 of 23 V-weapons sites targeted are bombed:

161 B-17s dispatched, 18 hit Poix Airfield, 18 hit Roye/Amy Airfield and 15 hit Mont Didier Airfield; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 20 damaged.

22 of 187 B-17s and 57 of 183 B-24s hit the Pas de Calais area (Watten); 1 B-17 and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair; 19 B-17s and 15 B-24s are damaged; 5 B-24 crewmen are KIA.

Escort is provided by 119 P-47s and 90 P-51s without loss or claims.

Mission 333:

In the afternoon, 386 bombers and 558 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards in France and Belgium; 3 bombers and 3 fighters are lost:

110 B-17s are dispatched to Troyes (52 bomb) and Reims (57 bomb), France; 1 B-17 is lost and 52 damaged; 10 airmen are MIA.

125 B-17s are dispatched to Saarguemines (64 bomb) and Metz (42 bomb), France and Brussels, Belgium (13 bomb); 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 43 damaged; 20 airmen are MIA.

151 B-24s are dispatched to Brussels (59 bomb) and Liege (40 bomb), Belgium; 21 B-24s are damaged; no losses or casualties.

Escort is provided by 120 P-38s, 272 P-47s and 166 P-51s; The P-47s claim 1-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft and the P-51s claim 5-0-2; 2 P-38s and 1 P-51 are lost; 4 P-47s and 1 P-51 are damaged; 4 pilots are MIA.

Target: Watten, France - V-1 Rocket Launch Site (NOBALL)
8th Air Force Mission No:	332
Aircraft Taking Off:	21
Aircraft Dispatched:	20
Aircraft Aborts:	1
Aircraft Over Primary:	19
Aircraft Over Secondary:	0
Aircraft Over Last Resort:	0
Aircraft Bomb Load:	4 x 2,000 lb. AN-M34 General Purpose bombs
Group Bomb Load:	76 x 2,000 lb. AN-M34 General Purpose bombs
Results:	Unobserved
Tactical Mission Report:	445th Bomb Group Mission Report 1. Aircraft Scheduled------------------21 Aircraft Airborne--------------------21 Aircraft Dispatched-----------------20 Aircraft Not Dispatched------------ 1 Aircraft Aborts----------------------- 1 Aircraft Over Target----------------19 Aircraft Returned-------------------19 2. Assembly - Our take-off went as briefed, climbing to 1,000 feet and flying out for nine minutes. It took some time for all ships to get into formation due to the pre-dawn take-off, but all ships fell into a good formation as soon as the sun came up. We fell in behind the 20th Combat Wing as briefed, and departed Buncher #7 two minutes early. We were on course and on time over Splasher #7, and on course and on time departing the English Coast. The formation was good during the entire assembly. 3. Route In - Was flown as briefed. We fired three red flares at our Combat Wing I.P. and proceeded on course to the target. No flak was encountered as we crossed the enemy coast. Two minutes before bombs away the flak started bursting to our right and below. Ten seconds before bombs away, four shells hit our vertical stabilizer tearing the left rudder completely off, also tearing the left half of our elevator off. The bombardier had already killed his rate and drift, but the concussion from the flak threw us off course. He tried to kill his course again but the auto pilot would not take the corrections. Results of the bomb hits were unobserved. 4. Route Out - We led the Wing back out over the enemy coast as briefed and turned the lead over to the deputy lead while we made an emergency landing at a field at a field other than our home base. 5. Flak - Moderate and very accurate flak was encountered over the target. 6. Enemy Fighters - None was encountered. 7. Fighter Support - Fighters were giving area cover but none was seen by our Group.
Losses:
Note:

Watten, France - V-1 Rocket Launch Site (NOBALL)