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FRIDAY, 27 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command
Mission 87:
224 B-17's are dispatched to the German rocket-launching site
construction
at Watten, France; 187 hit the target at 1846-1941 hours; they claim
7-0-6
Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair
and 98
damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 18 WIA and 32 MIA. The mission escort
consists of 173 P-47's; they claim 8-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47
is lost
and the pilot is listed as MIA. This is the first of the Eighth Air
Force's
missions against V-weapon sites (later designated NOBALL targets).
VIII Air Support Command Missions 36A & 36B: Two missions are
scheduled
to targets in France:
1. 36 B-26's are dispatched to the Poix Nord Airfield; 35 hit the
target
at 0826 hours; there are no losses or casualties.
2. 21 B-26's are dispatched to the Rouen Power Station but the
mission is
aborted because of bad weather and extremely heavy enemy fighter
opposition.
HQ 356th Fighter Group and it's 360th Fighter Squadron arrive at
Goxhill,
England from the US with P-47's. The squadron will fly it's first
combat
mission on 15 Oct.
The 77th and 79th Fighter Squadrons, 20th Fighter Group, arrive at
Kings
Cliffe, England from the US with P-38's. The squadrons will fly
their first
mission on 28 Dec 43.
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