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FRIDAY, 14 MAY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 56: A
maximum force is put in the air
as part of a combined offensive against the Wehrmacht. 154 B-17's,
21 B-
24's and 12 B-26's are dispatched against 4 targets. The principal
attack
is against submarine yards and naval installations at Kiel, Germany;
136
B-17's and 21 B-24's are dispatched with 126 B-17's and 17 B-24's
hitting
the target at 1200-1203 hours local. We claim 62-24-27 Luftwaffe
aircraft;
we lose 5 B-24's and 3 B-17's with 1 B-24 damaged beyond repair and
9
B-24's and 27 B-17's damaged. Casualties are 3 KIA, 17 WIA and 81
MIA. 42
B-17's are dispatched against the former Ford and General Motors
plants at
Antwerp, Belgium; 38 hit the target at 1320 hours local; we claim
5-1-4
Luftwaffe aircraft; we lose 1 and 15 others and damaged; casualties
are 3
WIA and 10 MIA; in the third raid, 39 B-17's are dispatched against
Courtrai Airfield, France; 34 hit the target; we claim 0-0-1
Luftwaffe
aircraft; we lose 2 B-17's and 10 others are damaged; casualties are
20
MIA. In the 4th raid, 12 B-26's are dispatched against the Velsen
power
station at Ijmuiden, The Netherlands; 11 hit the target at 1100
hours; 1
B-26 is damaged beyond repair when it crashes upon returning to base
and
9 others are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 7 MIA. This is first
time
more than 200 US bombers are dispatched. The attack at Ijmuiden is
made at
low level by the 322d Bombardment Group (Medium), the first US
medium
bomber group to become operational in the UK.
The Antwerp mission is escorted by 118 P-47's; they claim 4-6-11
Luftwaffe aircraft; we lose 3 P-47's and 1 is damaged; casualties
are 3
MIA.
A detachment of the 416th Night Fighter Squadron, VIII Fighter
Command
is sent to Bristol, England for training with the RAF.
The 417th Night Fighter Squadron, VIII Fighter Command transfers
from
Ayr, Scotland to Cranfield, England. The squadron is training on
Beaufighters with the RAF and has detachments at Ayr, Uxbridge,
Coltishall
and Bristol, England.
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