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FRIDAY, 31 DECEMBER 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command
Mission 171:
Various targets in France are hit; 19 B-17's and 6 B-24's are lost.
1. 200 of 236 B-17's and 57 of 60 B-24's hit the Bordeaux-Merignac,
Cognac-Chateaubernard and Landes Bussac Airfields at 1211-1315
hours; they
claim 17-13-27 Luftwaffe aircraft; 18 B-17's and 5 B-24's are lost,
8
B-17's and 2 B-24's are damaged beyond repair and 103 B-17's and 5
B-24's
are damaged; casualties are 9 KIA, 36 WIA and 231 MIA.
2. 57 B-17's are dispatched to hit a blockade running ship at
Gironde but
cannot find the target; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 3
damaged;
casualties are 2 KIA and 5 WIA.
3. 87 of 94 B-24's hit the St Jean D'Angely Airfield at 1211-1235
hours;
they claim 9-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-24 is lost, 3 are damaged
beyond
repair and 5 damaged; casualties are 10 MIA.
4. 120 of 125 B-17's hit the industrial areas at Paris-Ivry and
Bois-Colombes at 1207-1227 hours; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond
repair
and 49 damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 10 MIA.
These missions are escorted by 74 P-38's, 441 P-47's and 33 Ninth
Air
Force P-51's; they claim 9-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38, 2 P-47's
are 1
P-51 are lost; 1 P-38 and 6 P-47's are damaged beyond repair and 1
P-38 is
damaged; casualties are 3 WIA and 2 MIA.
The total bomb tonnage dropped by the Eighth Air Force in Dec 43,
13,142
tons (14,486 tons), for the first time exceeds that dropped by the
RAF
Bomber Command.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Around 200 B-26's bomb
V-weapon
sites in the French coastal area.
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