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The Mighty Eighth - Wednesday, 2 August 1944

 

WEDNESDAY, 2 AUGUST 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Two missions are flown today.
Mission 510: 319 bombers and 158 fighters are dispatched to attack oil and
supply dumps and bridges in the Paris area (number in parenthesis indicates
number of bombers attacking); 2 bombers and 2 fighters are lost:
1. Targets for 156 B-17s are Paris/Gennevilliers (51), Paris/Dugny (38),
Mery-sur-Oise (37), Bernay marshalling yard (12), Courtalain rail junction
(7) and targets of opportunity (4); 2 B-17s are lost and 47 damaged; 1 airman
is KIA, 2 WIA and 18 MIA.
2. Targets for 163 B-24s are bridges at Neuvy-sur-Loire (36), Nogent-sur-
Seine (31), Mantereau (28); 26 hit Sens oil depot; airfields at St Dizier
(12) and Creton (3); and Pacy-sur-Armancon (10); 1 B-24 is damaged beyond
repair and 23 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA.
The two forces above are escorted by 132 of 158 P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost and
1 damaged; 1 pilot is KIA and 2 MIA.
Mission 511: 517 bombers and 249 fighters are dispatched to attack CROSSBOW
(V-weapon) sites and bridges in France; 3 bombers and 5 fighters are lost:
1. Of 195 B-17s, 77 hit V-weapon sites, and rail bridges at Jussy (31),
Aulnoye (21), Beautor (21) and Crocal de St Quentin (11); 3 B-17s are lost
and 45 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 28 MIA.
2. Of 322 B-24s, 182 hit V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area, 22 hit
Thennes Bridge, 12 hit Peronne Rail Bridge, 11 hit Achiet Airfield and 8 hit
targets of opportunity; 5 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 78 damaged; 2
airmen are KIA.
Escort for the 2 forces above is provided by 236 of 249 P-51s; 5 are lost
and 1 is damaged beyond repair; 5 pilots are MIA.
49 P-38s, 183 P-47s and 51 P-51s fly fighter-bomber missions against rail
and road transport in the Paris-Amiens-Brussels-St Quentin area; they claim
1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost, 1 P-38 is damaged
beyond repair and 6 P-47s and 2 P-51s are damaged; 2 pilots are MIA.
42 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In France, the IX Bomber Command
halts bombing of bridges, fuel dumps, and similar targets in Brittany except
on the request of the 12th Army Group, as the US Third Army wants the use of
bridges access to all fuel they may find in their advance across France;
around 300 A-20s and B-26s attack bridges at Mezieres-sur-Seine, Mainvillers,
Cinq Mars-la-Pile, Nantes, and Lisle, and ammunition dumps at Caudebec-les-
Elbeuf and Le Lude; fighters fly armed reconnaissance in wide areas
surrounding Paris and the SW as far as Laval, escort IX Bomber Command
aircraft, and provide cover for armored columns and close support for ground
forces; HQ IX Tactical Air Command moves from Les Obeaux to Canisy; HQ 84th
Fighter Wing moves from Houesville to Criqueville; HQ 303d Fighter Wing moves
from La Combe to Houesville; and the 14th Liaison Squadron, XIX Tactical Air
Command (attached to Third Army) moves from Nehou to Le Bepas with L-5s.




 

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