The Mighty Eighth Air Force
 
plane

 2 September 1943

THURSDAY, 2 SEPTEMBER 1943

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command
Mission 89: Airfields in France are targeted; because of unfavorable cloud
conditions only part of one force is able to attack a target.
1. 233 B-17's are dispatched to airfields in NW France but the mission is
abandoned at the French coast due to heavy clouds.
2. 86 B-17's are dispatched to Mardyck and Denain/Prouvy Airfields; 34
hit the target at 1922 and 1905 hours respectively; 9 B-17's are damaged;
casualties are 2 WIA.
182 P-47's are dispatched to escort the bombers but they carry out
fighter sweeps; 3 P-47's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 4 are
damaged; casualties are 3 MIA.
VIII Air Support Command Missions 41 and 42: 216 B-26's are dispatched to
5 targets in France (36 per target); the missions to a power station at
Rouen and Poix/Nord and Lille/Nord Airfields are aborted due to weather; 35
B-26's hit a power station at Mazingarbe and 69 hit a fuel dump at Hesden;
1 B-26 is lost and 13 damaged; casualties are 5 WIA and 6 MIA.