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THURSDAY, 27 APRIL 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 322: 596 bombers
and 357
fighters are dispatched to bomb V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais
and
Cherbourg areas of France; 4 bombers and 2 fighters are lost; the
fighters
claim 0-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 307 of 393 B-17s and
169 of
203 B-24s hit the target; 3 B-17s are lost and 227 damaged; 1 B-24
is lost, 2
damaged beyond repair and 25 damaged; B-17s casualties are are 7 WIA
and 30
MIA; B-24 casualties are 3 KIA, 9 WIA and 10 MIA; escort is provided
by 47
P-38s, 262 P-47s and 48 P-51s; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost; both
pilots are
MIA.
Mission 323: 486 bombers and 543 fighters are dispatched to bomb
airfields,
marshalling yards and targets of opportunity in France and Belgium;
4 bombers
and 4 fighters are lost.
1. 168 B-17s are dispatched to bomb Nancy/Essay Airfield (103 bomb)
and
Toul/Croix de Metz landing ground (60 bomb), France; 2 B-17s are
lost and 33
damaged; 20 airmen are MIA.
2. Of 120 B-17s, 98 bomb Le Culot Airfield and 20 bomb Ostend/Middelkerke
Airfield, Belgium; 2 B-17s are lost and 29 damaged; 1 airman is KIA
and 20
MIA.
3. Of 198 B-24s, 118 bomb Blainville sur L'eau marshalling yard and
72 bomb
Chalons sur Marne marshalling yard, France; 2 B-24s are damaged
beyond repair
and 22 damaged; casualties are 24 KIA, 6 WIA and 1 MIA.
Escort is provided by 106 P-38s, 283 P-47s and 154 P-51s; the
fighters
claim 3-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 4-0-5 on the ground; 4
P-47s
are lost and 2 P-47s and 1 P-51 are damaged; 3 airmen are MIA.
Mission 324: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 3.36 million leaflets on 23 towns in
France
including Cambrai, Orleans, Rennes, Nantes, Brest, Tours, Lorient,
Caen, Le
Mans, Limoges and Chatearuoux without loss.
Other missions:
1. 21 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER operations; 1 B-24 is
lost.
2. 52 P-38s, using the Droopsnoot method, attack Roye Amy Airfield,
France
without loss.
3. 36 P-38s, using the Droopsnoot method, attack Albert/Meaulte
Airfield,
France; 6 P-38s are damaged.
4. 17 P-51s dive bomb Cormeilles-en-Vexin Airfield, France without
loss.
849th and 850th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 490th Bombardment
Group
(Heavy), arrive at Eye, England from the US with B-24s; first
mission is 31
May.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): About 450 B-26s and A-20s and
275+
P-47 and P-51 dive bombers attack gun emplacements, marshalling
yards,
coastal batteries, airfields and several military installations in
France and
Belgium.
Unit moves in England: 24th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron,
III
Tactical Air Command, to Chalgrove from the US with F-5s (first
mission is 23
May); 302d Troop Carrier Squadron, 441st Troop Carrier Group from
Langar to
Merryfield with C-47s.
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