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THURSDAY, 16 DECEMBER 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command
Mission 156:
the port area at Bremen, Germany is the target. 402 of 479 B-17's,
133 of
141 B-24's and 10 of 11 PFF aircraft hit the target at 1309-1322
hours;
they claim 18-11-11 Luftwaffe aircraft; 10 B-17's are lost; 2 B-17's
and 2
B-24's are damaged beyond repair; 128 B-17's, 22 B-24's and 5 PFF
aircraft
are damaged; casualties are 6 KIA, 8 WIA and 104 MIA. The mission is
escorted
by 31 P-38's, 131 P-47's and 39 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim
2-0-0
Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is lost, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair
and 1
P-38 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 1 MIA.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 157: 4
B-17's drop 1.952 million leaflets
over Hannover, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; and Lille, France at
1903-1943
hours; no losses or casualties.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): A basic directive for IX
Bomber
Command training is issued on this date. Since most of IX Bomber
Command's
combat units have been operational for some time earlier under the
VIII Air
Support Command, extensive training will not begin until after the
first of
the year when inexperienced units begin to arrive.
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