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SATURDAY, 12 AUGUST 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): The shuttle-bombing mission
UK-
USSR-Italy-UK is completed; of the 72 B-17s taking off from
Fifteenth AF
bases in Italy, 3 have various problems; the others bomb Toulouse/Francazal
Airfield, France and then proceed to the UK; 62 P-51s (part of the
shuttle-
mission force) and 43 from the UK provide escort; no aircraft are
lost; 70
B-17s and 58 P-51s land in the UK; 5 B-17s and 6 P-51s, either left
in Italy
or returning there during this mission, subsequently return to the
UK.
Mission 545: 577 bombers and 436 fighters are dispatched to make
visual
attacks on the Metz marshalling yard and airfield in C and E France;
3
bombers and 3 fighters are lost (number in parenthesis are the
number of
bombers attacking the target):
1. 276 B-24s are dispatched to hit airfields at Mourmelon (75), Laon/Athies
(63), Laon/Couvron (61) and Juvincourt (52); 3 B-24s are lost, 1 is
damaged
beyond repair and 46 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA, 7 WIA and 32 MIA.
2. 301 B-17s are dispatched to hit airfields at Chaumont (72), Buc
(67), La
Perthe (58) and Etampes/Mondesir (12); 69 hit the Metz marshalling
yard; 1
B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 28 damaged; 9 airmen are KIA and 1
WIA.
The 2 groups above are escorted by 386 P-47s and P-51s; they claim
1-0-0
Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA).
Mission 546: 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night.
486 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s attack transportation targets in the
Paris and
Brussels areas; they claim 5-0-0 aircraft in the air and 13-0-0 on
the
ground; 1 P-38s, 5 P-47s and 7 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA).
220 P-47s and P-51s attack transportation targets in NE France; 2
P-51s are
lost (pilots are MIA) and 3 are damaged beyond repair.
1 fighter group escorts Ninth Air Force B-26s.
The 850th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 490th Bombardment Group
(Heavy),
moves from Harrington to Eye, England with B-24s.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In France, A-20s and B-26s
attack
Oissel rail bridge, Corbeil-Essonnes refueling siding, and numerous
points
along highways in the Argentan area with the aim of bottling up
enemy troops;
fighters fly ground forces cover and armed reconnaissance over wide
areas
of W and N France, also escort IX Bomber Command aircraft; HQ IX
Tactical Air
Command moves from Canisy to Coulouvray; the 14th Liaison Squadron,
XIX
Tactical Air Command (attached to Third Army), moves from Poilley to
St
Germain with L-5s; and the 377th Fighter Squadron, 362d Fighter
Group, moves
from Lignerolles to Rennes with P-47s. The 425th Night Fighter
Squadron, IX
Air Defense Command, moves from Scorton to Stoneman Park, England
with P-61s.
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