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TUESDAY, 27 JUNE 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 443: 251 bombers
and 191
fighters are dispatched to hit CROSSBOW (V-weapon) supply sites
around Pas de
Calais, Criel and Chantilly, France; 195 B-17s hit the Pas de Calais
area, 12
B-24s hit targets of opportunity and 11 B-24s hit Criel Airfield; 5
B-24s are
downed by AA fire, 2 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 104 B-24s
and 8
B-17s are damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 7 WIA and 51 MIA. Escort is
provided by
149 of 191 P-51s; they claim 6-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft and lose 2
(pilots
MIA); 1 P-51 is damaged; after completing the escort, the P-51s bomb
and
strafe targets of opportunity, including marshalling yards, bridges,
railroads, transportation and airfield installations, and dispersal
areas.
VIII Fighter Command fighter-bomber missions:
1. 46 of 193 P-38s attack Connantre Airfield; 3 are lost (pilots
MIA), 3
are damaged beyond repair; 1 pilot is WIA.
2. 36 of 156 P-47s bomb Villeneuve/Zertes Airfield claiming 10-0-8
Luftwaffe aircraft in the air without loss.
3. 32 of 49 P-51s attack Coulommiers Airfield and 246 others attack
transport in the Paris area; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft on
the
ground without loss.
Mission 444: 4 of 4 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night.
16 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER missions in France. A B-24
on a
training flight in England is shot down by an intruder.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In France, bad weather
precludes
bomber operations; 700+ fighters take part in various operations;
most of
them fly high cover over the assault areas and bomb and strafe rail
and road
traffic and communications centers; and 386th and 387th Fighter
Squadrons,
365th Fighter Group, move from Beaulieu, England to Azeville with
P-47s. 15th
Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Photographic Group
(Reconnaissance),
moves from Middle Wallop to Chalgrove, England with F-6s.
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