Mission 89
Mission Summaries > June 1944
TUESDAY, 6 JUNE 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
(ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air
Force):
The Eighth Air Force reaches its top
strength as the 493rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) becomes operational, making a
total of 40 heavy bomber groups now operational. Heavy bombers fly 4 missions
in support of the Normandy invasion:
Mission 394-A:
At first light, 659 of 882 B-17s and
418 of 543 B-24s hit coastal targets in the area of the invasion beaches
between Le Havre and Cherbourg; overcast and inability of the bombers to locate
(or absence of) PFF leaders causes failure of some units to attack; 1 B-24 is
lost, 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 14 B-17s and 1 B-24 are damaged; 12
airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 13 MIA.
In
all, 1,729 bombers drop 3,596 tons of bombs during D-Day.
The
VIII Fighter Command has the threefold mission of escorting bombers, attacking
any movement toward the assault area, and protecting Allied shipping. The
fighters fly 1,880 sorties including fighter-bomber attacks against 17 bridges,
10 marshalling yards, and a variety of other targets including convoy, railroad
cars, siding, rail and highway junctions, tunnel, and a dam. Very little air
opposition is encountered. The fighters claim 26-0-8 Luftwaffe aircraft in the
air and 4-0-9 on the ground. Also destroyed are 21 locomotives and 2 carloads
of ammunition. Numerous targets are damaged including locomotives, trucks, tank
cars, armored vehicles, goods carriers, barges, and tugboats. Targets attacked
with unreported results include warehouses, radar towers, barracks, troops,
artillery, staff cars, 85 trains, and a variety of other targets. 25 fighters
are lost.
Mission 396:
During
the night, 12 B-17s drop leaflets in France and the Low Countries.
Target: Hamel-au-Petre, France - Coastal Gun Emplacements | ||
8th Air Force Mission No: | 394-A | |
Aircraft Taking Off: | 36 | |
Aircraft Dispatched: | 34 | |
Aircraft Aborts: | 6 | |
Aircraft Over Primary: | 28 | |
Aircraft Over Secondary: | 0 | |
Aircraft Over Last Resort: | 0 | |
Aircraft Bomb Load: | 12 x 500 lb. AN-M43 General Purpose bombs | |
Group Bomb Load: | 336 x 500 lb. AN-M43 General Purpose bombs | |
Results: | Unobserved due to clouds | |
Tactical Mission Report: | 445th Bomb Group Mission Report 1. A/C Scheduled ----------------------- 36 A/C Airborne ------------------------- 34 A/C Dispatched ---------------------- 34 A/C Returned Early ----------------- 6 A/C Over Target --------------------- 28 A/C Returned ------------------------ 28 2. Assembly: Group and Wing assemblies were accomplished substantially as briefed. 3. Route In: The routes to the target areas were flown substantially as briefed. 4. Bomb Run: All bombing was done using H2X PFF aircraft without difficulty. Results were unobserved due to 10/10th undercast. 5. Route Out: The routes from the target areas were flown substantially as briefed. 6. Enemy Fighters/Flak: No enemy aircraft were encountered. Flak was meager and inaccurate. 7. Fighter Support: Excellent. | |
Losses: None. | ||
Note: None. | ||
No target photo was available