20 December 1943

MONDAY, 20 DECEMBER 1943

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 159:
the port area at Bremen, Germany is hit. 357 of 407 B-17's, 103 of 127 B-24's
and 12 of 12 PFF aircraft hit the target at 1142-1214 hours; they claim
21-14-23 Luftwaffe aircraft; 21 B-17's and 6 B-24's are lost; 3 B-17's are
damaged beyond repair; 213 B-17's and 34 B-24's are damaged; casualties are
9 KIA, 41 WIA and 270 MIA. Window-metal foil strips which, when dropped from
an airplane, provide an echo which confuses radar locating equipment is used
for the first time on an Eighth Air Force mission. This mission is escorted
by 26 P-38's, 418 P-47's and 47 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 19-3-6
Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-47's and 4 P-51's are lost; 1 P-47 is damaged beyond
repair and 5 P-47's are damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 5 MIA. Twin-engine,
rocket-firing Luftwaffe fighters attack under protection of single engine
airplanes.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 160: 5 B-17's drop 1 million leaflets on
Lille and Lens, France and Ghent and Brussels, Belgium at 2005-2015 hours;
no losses.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 35 B-26's attack V-weapon sites in
N France; 150+ others abort because of weather.
The 381st Fighter Squadron, 363d Fighter Group, arrives at Keevil, England
from the U.S. without aircraft.