|
THURSDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): In France, HQ 440th
Troop
Carrier Group moves from Le Mans to Orleans; the 302d Troop Carrier
Squadron,
441st Troop Carrier Group, moves from St Marceau to Dreux with
C-47s.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ Eighth AF is ordered to
increase the size of the 406th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), VIII
Fighter
Command, the night leaflet squadron, as the liberation of Europe and
the
conquest of Germany accelerate.
2 missions are flown.
Mission 698: 1,174 bombers and 968 fighters in 5 forces are
dispatched to
hit synthetic oil installations in C Germany and rail targets at
Bielefeld,
Germany; an estimated 500 Luftwaffe fighters meet the bombers at
Merseburg
and the AAF claims 163-40-52 Luftwaffe aircraft; 40 bombers and 16
fighters
are lost:
1. 460 B-17s are dispatched to the Leuna oil installation at
Merseburg
(383) using PFF; targets of opportunity are Halle (23), Wolfenbuttel
(13) and
other (17); they claim 6-2-2 aircraft; 12 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged
beyond
repair and 339 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 13 WIA and 101 MIA. The
Ninth AF
provides 31 of 34 P-38s and 433 of 483 P-51s as escort; they claim
46-3-10
aircraft in the air and 25-0-0 on the ground; 8 P-51s are lost
(pilots MIA).
2. 223 B-17s are dispatched to the Leuna oil installation at
Merseburg
(210) using PFF; 5 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim
30-33-25
aircraft; 26 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 152
damaged; 11
airmen are WIA and 260 MIA. Escort is provided by 209 of 245 P-51s;
they
claim 56-2-15 aircraft; 6 P-51s are lost (5 pilots MIA).
3. 208 B-24s are dispatched to hit Bielefeld; 172 hit the primary, a
bridge, 10 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard, and 9 hit the
town; all
attacks are with GH and visual; 17 B-24s are damaged. Escort is
provided by
143 of 146 P-47s; 2 P-47s are lost.
4. 131 of 146 B-24s hit the Rauxel oil installations at Castrop
using GH; 1
B-24 is lost and 23 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 2 WIA and 10 MIA.
Escort is
provided by 37 of 40 P-47s without loss.
5. 137 B-17s are dispatched to hit an oil installation at Sterkrade
(107);
20 others hit the secondary, the Rheine marshalling yard; 1 B-17s is
lost and
52 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. Escort is provided by 20 of 20 P-47s
without
loss.
Mission 699: 3 B-17s and 5 B-24s drop leaflets during the night over
the
Netherlands and Germany.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 147 bombers of
the 9th
Bombardment Division, with fighter escort, attack rail bridges at
Mayen,
Euskirchen, Bullay, Konz-Karthaus, and Trier. Fighters attack
bridges, fly
armed reconnaissance and night patrol, and provide support for
ground forces
in frontline areas. In France, the 162d Tactical Reconnaissance
Squadron,
363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, moves from Dijon to Azelot with
F-6s and
P-51s.
|
