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TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 681: 1,338 bombers
and
811 fighters are dispatched on PFF attacks in the Cologne, Germany
area; 4
bombers and 1 fighter are lost:
1. 465 B-17s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Cologne/Eifeltor
(216) and Cologne/Gremberg (34); targets of opportunity are Cologne/Kalk
marshalling yard (151) and other (2); 1 B-17 is lost, 2 damaged
beyond
repair and 263 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 6 WIA and 9 MIA. Escort is
provided by 274 P-47s and P-51s without loss.
2. 453 B-17s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Cologne/Gereon
(295) and Cologne/Kalk (142); 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond
repair and
150 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 10 WIA and 37 MIA. Escort is provided
by 271
P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
3. 430 B-24s are dispatched to hit a chemical plant at Leverkusen
but
weather prevents the attack; targets of opportunity hit are the
Cologne/
Gereon (231) and Cologne/Kalk (179) marshalling yards; 1 B-24 is
damaged
beyond repair and 73 damaged. Escort is provided by 229 P-47s and
P-51s.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): All Rhine River rail and road
bridges are cleared for attack; 2 days later Advance HQ prescribes
bridges as
having priority on the target list second only to rail lines. In
Germany, 35
B-26s hit rail bridge at Euskirchen; fighters escort the bombers,
fly armed
reconnaissance in the Strasbourg-Colmar-Mulhouse area, attack
railroads in
the Allendorf an der Lahn-Gemunden area, and marshalling yard at
Dielkirchen.
In France, the 365th, 366th and 367th Fighter Squadrons, 358th
Fighter Group,
move from Vitry-le-Francois to Mourmelon with P-47s.
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