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WEDNESDAY, 25 OCTOBER 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 688: 1,250 bombers
and
522 fighters are dispatched to hit oil and industrial targets in W
Germany;
2 bombers and 1 fighter are lost; the first three forces use H2X
while the
4th and 5th use GH:
1. 455 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Harburg (221) and Rhenania
oil
refineries (214) at Hamburg; 1 other hits a target of opportunity; 1
B-17 is
lost and 94 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. Escort is provided by 129 of
139
P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost and 1 damaged beyond repair.
2. 225 B-24s are dispatched to hit Neumunster Airfield (216);
targets of
opportunity are Munster (3) and Utersum (1); no losses. Escort is
provided by
41 of 42 P-51s without loss.
3. 297 B-17s dispatched to hit the primary hit secondaries, Harburg
(179)
and Rhenania oil refineries (106) at Hamburg; 1 other hits a target
of
opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 16 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 9
MIA. Escort
is provided by 221 of 255 P-51s without loss.
4. 131 B-17s are dispatched to hit synthetic oil targets at
Gelsenkirchen/
Nordstern (27); 100 others hit the secondary, the marshalling yard
at Hamm;
49 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 50 of 50 P-47s without
loss.
5. 142 B-24s are dispatched to hit synthetic oil targets at Scholven/Buer
(91); 34 hit the secondary at Munster and 1 hits Gronua; 39 B-24s
are
damaged. Escort is provided by 34 of 36 P-47s without loss.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ First Tactical Air Force
(Provisional) is established, but not yet organized, therefore HQ
Ninth AF
continues to administer, supply, and control all XII Tactical Air
Command and
assigned units until mid Nov when the First Tactical AF assumes full
control.
9th Bombardment Division's missions are cancelled because of bad
weather.
Fighters fly sweeps, hit rail and military targets in the
Saarbrucken,
Germany area, and support the US XIX Corps in W Germany.
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