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SUNDAY, 10 DECEMBER 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 745: 534 bombers
and 690
fighters are dispatched to make PFF attacks and a fighter sweep in
Germany; 2
fighters are lost:
1. 173 of 225 B-24s hit the marshalling yard at Bingen and 3 hit
targets of
opportunity; 4 B-24s are damaged. Escorting are 287 P-47s and P-51s;
1 P-47
and 1 P-51 are lost and 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are damaged beyond repair.
2. 277 of 309 B-17s hit the Lutzel marshalling yard at Koblenz and
13 hit
targets of opportunity; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 27
damaged; 2
airmen are KIA. Escorting are 226 P-47s and P-51s without loss.
3. 96 of 111 P-51s make a fighter sweep E of the bomber's targets;
they
claim 0-0-1 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged
beyond repair.
4. 22 of 22 P-51s fly a scouting mission.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In Germany, about 130 B-26s
bomb
defended positions at Birkesdorf, and Huchem-Stammeln; fighters
escort the
9th Bombardment Division, strafe and dive-bomb numerous targets in W
Germany,
and support the US 8th, 9th, 83d, and 104th Infantry Divisions and
3d and 5th
Armored Divisions in areas around Bergstein, Duren, and along the W
bank of
the Roer River.
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