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FRIDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission 37: 76 B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Wing
and
17 B-24s of the 2d Bombardment Wing are dispatched against Bremen,
Germany.
The primary target is overcast so 59 B-17s and 6 B-24s attack the
docks and
surrounding areas of Wilhelmshaven, Germany dropping 164.25 tons of
bombs
between 1123 and 1125 hours local. We claim 21 Luftwaffe fighters
destroyed, 9 probably destroyed and 5 damaged; we lose 5 B-17s and 2
B-24s
plus 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair; casualties are 14 WIA and 73
MIA. The
Luftwaffe attempts air-to-air bombing by fighter aircraft and the
use of
parachute bombs fired by AAA.
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 82 uneventful sorties; 6
on
shipping patrols and 76 on 3 missions escorting Venturas attacking
Dunkirk, France. [NOTE: At this time, there were 3 squadrons flying
Ventura
Mk Is and Mk IIs assigned to RAF Bomber Command and based in
Norfolk,
England. No. 21 Squadron, RAF, was based at Methwold; the other 2
squadrons,
No. 464 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and No. 487
Squadron,
Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), were based at Feltwell.]
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