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WEDNESDAY, 2 AUGUST 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Two missions are flown
today.
Mission 510: 319 bombers and 158 fighters are dispatched to attack
oil and
supply dumps and bridges in the Paris area (number in parenthesis
indicates
number of bombers attacking); 2 bombers and 2 fighters are lost:
1. Targets for 156 B-17s are Paris/Gennevilliers (51), Paris/Dugny
(38),
Mery-sur-Oise (37), Bernay marshalling yard (12), Courtalain rail
junction
(7) and targets of opportunity (4); 2 B-17s are lost and 47 damaged;
1 airman
is KIA, 2 WIA and 18 MIA.
2. Targets for 163 B-24s are bridges at Neuvy-sur-Loire (36),
Nogent-sur-
Seine (31), Mantereau (28); 26 hit Sens oil depot; airfields at St
Dizier
(12) and Creton (3); and Pacy-sur-Armancon (10); 1 B-24 is damaged
beyond
repair and 23 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA.
The two forces above are escorted by 132 of 158 P-51s; 2 P-51s are
lost and
1 damaged; 1 pilot is KIA and 2 MIA.
Mission 511: 517 bombers and 249 fighters are dispatched to attack
CROSSBOW
(V-weapon) sites and bridges in France; 3 bombers and 5 fighters are
lost:
1. Of 195 B-17s, 77 hit V-weapon sites, and rail bridges at Jussy
(31),
Aulnoye (21), Beautor (21) and Crocal de St Quentin (11); 3 B-17s
are lost
and 45 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 28 MIA.
2. Of 322 B-24s, 182 hit V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area,
22 hit
Thennes Bridge, 12 hit Peronne Rail Bridge, 11 hit Achiet Airfield
and 8 hit
targets of opportunity; 5 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 78
damaged; 2
airmen are KIA.
Escort for the 2 forces above is provided by 236 of 249 P-51s; 5 are
lost
and 1 is damaged beyond repair; 5 pilots are MIA.
49 P-38s, 183 P-47s and 51 P-51s fly fighter-bomber missions against
rail
and road transport in the Paris-Amiens-Brussels-St Quentin area;
they claim
1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost, 1 P-38 is
damaged
beyond repair and 6 P-47s and 2 P-51s are damaged; 2 pilots are MIA.
42 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In France, the IX Bomber
Command
halts bombing of bridges, fuel dumps, and similar targets in
Brittany except
on the request of the 12th Army Group, as the US Third Army wants
the use of
bridges access to all fuel they may find in their advance across
France;
around 300 A-20s and B-26s attack bridges at Mezieres-sur-Seine,
Mainvillers,
Cinq Mars-la-Pile, Nantes, and Lisle, and ammunition dumps at
Caudebec-les-
Elbeuf and Le Lude; fighters fly armed reconnaissance in wide areas
surrounding Paris and the SW as far as Laval, escort IX Bomber
Command
aircraft, and provide cover for armored columns and close support
for ground
forces; HQ IX Tactical Air Command moves from Les Obeaux to Canisy;
HQ 84th
Fighter Wing moves from Houesville to Criqueville; HQ 303d Fighter
Wing moves
from La Combe to Houesville; and the 14th Liaison Squadron, XIX
Tactical Air
Command (attached to Third Army) moves from Nehou to Le Bepas with
L-5s.
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