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THURSDAY, 20 APRIL 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 309: 842 bombers
and 388
fighters are dispatched to hit V-weapon sites in France; 24 of 33
sites
briefed are hit; 9 bombers and 2 fighters are lost:
1. 438 of 630 B-17s hit sites in the Pas de Calais and Cherbourg
areas; 19
others hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged
beyond repair
and 309 damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 25 WIA and 69 MIA.
2. 113 of 212 B-24s hit sites in the Pas de Calais area; 2 B-24s are
lost,
2 damaged beyond repair and 36 damaged; casualties are 10 KIA, 9 WIA
and 20
MIA.
Escort is provided by 89 P-38s, 211 P-47s and 88 P-51s; they claim
4-0-2
Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 4-0-0 on the ground; 2 P-51s are
lost and 1
damaged; 2 pilots are MIA.
VIII Fighter Command flies 2 missions:
1. 35 P-51 fighter-bombers are dispatched to Cambrai/Epinoy
Airfield,
France; escort is to be provided by 31 P-47s but they are unable to
locate
the P-51s; 33 P-51s hit the primary and 1 hits Vitry Airfield,
France.
2. 56 P-38 fighter-bombers are dispatched to hit St Trond Airfield,
Belgium
but jettison their bombs in the English Channel after overcast
prevents
location of the targets; escort is provided by 36 P-47s.
Mission 310: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 1.92 million leaflets on Nantes,
Orleans,
Paris and Tours, France at 2238-2246 hours without loss.
Six B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER operations.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In France, almost 400 B-26s
and
A-20s attack gun positions at Etaples, Bazinghen, Villerville,
Gravelines and
Fecamp, the airfield at Poix, and V-weapon sites and targets of
opportunity
in the Pas de Calais area; nearly 140 P-47s bomb marshalling yards
at Creil
and Mantes-La-Jolie.
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