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SUNDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 226: The Eighth Air
Force
begins "Big Week," attacks on German aircraft plants and airfields.
For the
first time, over 1,000 bombers are dispatched; 21 bombers and 4
fighters
are lost hitting 3 areas in Germany, i.e.:
1. 417 B-17s are dispatched to Leipzig/Mockau Airfield, and aviation
industry targets at Heiterblick and Abnaundorf; 239 hit the primary
targets,
37 hit Bernburg, 44 hit Oschersleben and 20 hit other targets of
opportunity;
they claim 14-5-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged
beyond
repair and 161 damaged; casualties are 7 KIA, 17 WIA and 72 MIA.
2. 314 B-17s are dispatched to the Tutow Airfield; 105 hit the
primary and
immediate area, 76 hit Rostock and 115 hit other targets of
opportunity; they
claim 15-15-10 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged
beyond repair
and 37 damaged; casualties are 3 KIA and 60 MIA.
3. 272 B-24s are dispatched to aviation industry targets at
Brunswick,
Wilhelmtor and Neupetritor; 76 hit the primary, 87 hit Gotha, 13 hit
Oschersleben, 58 hit Helmstedt and 10 hit other targets of
opportunity; they
claim 36-13-13 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged
beyond repair
and 37 damaged; casualties are 10 KIA, 10 WIA and 77 MIA.
Missions 1 and 3 above are escorted by 94 P-38s, 668 Eighth and
Ninth Air
Force P-47s and 73 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim
61-7-37
Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38, 2 P-47s and 1 P-51 is lost, 2 P-47s are
damaged
beyond repair and 4 aircraft are damaged; casualties are 4 MIA.
Mission 227: 4 of 5 B-17s drop 200 bundles of leaflets on Tours,
Nantes,
Brest and Lorient, France at 2123-2200 hours without loss.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 35 B-26s bomb Haamstede
Airfield,
The Netherlands, as a target of opportunity, after about 100 B-26s
abort
attacks on other airfields because of weather.
HQ 314th Troop Carrier Group and 32d Troop Carrier Squadron arrive
at
Saltby, England from Sicily with C-47s.
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