|
WEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 428: 1,234 bombers
and
1,170 fighters are dispatched to hit targets in Germany; 45 bombers
and 4
fighters are lost:
1. 145 of 163 B-17s begin shuttle bombing missions (Operation
FRANTIC)
between the UK and bases in the USSR; 72 P-38s, 38 P-47s and 57
P-51s escort
the B-17s to the target (synthetic oil plant at Ruhland, Germany);
123 B-17s
bomb the primary target, 21 bomb Elsteriverda and a lone B-17 bombs
Riesa due
to a bomb rack malfunction; after the attack, the supporting P-51s
are
relieved 50 miles (80 km) SE of Poznan, Poland by 65 other P-51s
which are
to accompany the B-17s to the USSR; 50 miles (80 km) SE of Brest
Litovsk 20
to 30 Luftwaffe fighters attack the force; in the resulting battle 1
P-51 and
6 German fighters are destroyed; 1 B-17 is lost (to unknown causes)
on the
flight; 144 B-17s land in the USSR, 73 at Poltava, and the rest at
Mirgorod;
the 64 remaining P-51s land at Piryatin; 1 airman is KIA, 5 WIA and
10 MIA.
During the night of 21/22 Jun the 73 B-17s which earlier landed at
Poltava
are attacked for 2 hours by an estimated 75 German bombers led by
aircraft
dropping flares; 47 B-17s are destroyed and most of the remainder
severely
damaged; heavy damage is also suffered by stores of fuel and
ammunition. This
AAF shuttle run is made in conjunction with a large-scale effort
against
targets in the Berlin area as follows:
2. 456 of 496 B-17s attack Berlin; 12 other hit targets of
opportunity;
they claim 16-20-19 Luftwaffe aircraft; 16 B-17s are lost and 216
damaged;
1 airman is KIA, 10 WIA and 148 MIA; escort is provided by 99 P-38s,
95
P-47s and 73 P-51s; they claim 4-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 fighter
is lost.
3. Of 368 B-24s dispatched, 69 hit Genshagen, 52 hit Marienfelde, 47
hit
Berlin, 40, hit Potsdam, 28 hit Niederschonweide, 23 hit Genshagen,
16 hit
Rangsdorf, 10 hit Trebbin, 8 hit Selvig, 8 hit Stendal, 7 hit
targets of
opportunity in the Berlin area and 1 hits Bederekesa; they claim
13-3-3
Luftwaffe aircraft; 19 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and
150
damaged; 21 airmen are KIA, 20 WIA and 182 MIA; escort is provided
by 148
P-38s, 147 P-47s and 116 P-51s; they claim 13-0-6 Luftwaffe
aircraft; 1
P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 P-38 damaged beyond repair.
4. Of 207 B-17s, 103 hit Berlin, 80 hit Basdorf and 5 hit targets of
opportunity; 9 B-17s are lost; escort is provided by 108 P-38s, 81
P-47s
and 91 P-51s; 1 P-38, 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost (all pilot MIA) and
1 P-51
is damaged beyond repair.
Mission 429: In the late afternoon, 31 B-24s bomb CROSSBOW
(V-weapon) supply
sites at Oisemont/Neuville and Saint-Martin-L'Hortier and 39 bomb a
rocket
site at Siracourt, France. AA fire shoots down 1 B-24; escort is
provided by
99 P-47s, meeting no enemy aircraft, but 1 group strafes railroad
and canal
targets.
Mission 430: 5 of 5 B-17s drop leaflets in France.
21 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions in France during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 250+ B-26s and A-20s bomb 13
V-weapon
sites in the Pas de Calais area of France. 700+ fighters escort
Eighth Air
Force bombers over Germany, bomb bridges S and W of Paris, and
strafe rail
and road traffic and communications centers N and W of Paris.
Deverill to Hurst Park, England with
L-5s.
|
