Mission 65

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.

Mission 334:

5 of 5 B-17s drop 1.55 million leaflets on 25 towns in France and The Netherlands without loss.

25 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER operations without loss.

Target: Brussels, Belgium - Railroad Marshalling Yards
8th Air Force Mission No:	333
Aircraft Taking Off:	12
Aircraft Dispatched:	12
Aircraft Aborts:	0
Aircraft Over Primary:	12
Aircraft Over Secondary:	0
Aircraft Over Last Resort:	0
Aircraft Bomb Load:	7 x 1,000 lb. AN-M65 General Purpose bombs
Group Bomb Load:	84 x 1,000 lb. AN-M65 General Purpose bombs
Results:	Excellent
Tactical Mission Report:	445th Bomb Group Mission Report 1. Aircraft Scheduled----------------12 Aircraft Airborne--------------------12 Aircraft Dispatched-----------------12 Aircraft Over Target---------------12 Aircraft Returned------------------12 2. Take-off and Assembly - First ship took off at 14:50. Assembly was accomplished around Buncher #6 at 13,000 feet by 15:45 using 2BD Instrument procedure. Tops of lower cloud deck were at 5,500 feet and a haze layer above this deck extending up to 12,000 feet. Combat Wing assembly was accomplished above the haze layer and a deck of high clouds with a base at about 20,000 feet. Assembly was slow; many flares and much use of the VHF was necessary. 3. Route In - The 2CBW was in good shape at Lowestoft and the course and landfall on the Dutch coast was flown as briefed. Turning point to the Group IP was overshot slightly (2-3 miles) and turn made to the left to the target. 4. Bombing Run - Bomb run was made a little bit south of the briefed course and two small corrections were made to the left. Run was 5 minutes long after the target was picked up. The 389th Group (Low Left) had trouble uncovering at the IP; tried to uncover to the left and ended up on a converging bomb run with this Group and did not bomb. The 445th Group (Leading) was partly responsible because of failure to pinpoint Group IP quickly enough and cut it short, there by giving the 389th Group and the 453rd Group a better chance to uncover. The 453rd Group (High Right) did uncover O.K. and made a successful bomb run. 5. Route Out - Was flown as briefed 6. Enemy Fighters - None encountered nor seen. 7. Fighter Support - Cover was good to excellent all the way. 8. Flak - None at landfall nor enroute to the target. Light accurate flak over the target on bombing run. None after the bombing run while passing over Brussels. Light and accurate on the Low Left Flight while making landfall on the return route. Flak came from Dunkirk side.
Losses: None.
Note: None.

Brussels, Belgium - Railroad Marshalling Yards