|
THURSDAY, 26 OCTOBER 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 689: 1,225 bombers
and
674 fighters make PFF attacks on industrial and communications
targets in W
Germany; 1 fighter is lost:
1. 430 B-17s are dispatched to attack a storage depot at Bielefeld
(155)
and aircraft repair plant and Ludwig marshalling yard at Munster
(108);
targets of opportunity are Munster (87), Gutersloh (24) and other
(1); 10
B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 204 of 215 P-51s; 1 P-51 is
lost
(pilot MIA).
2. 432 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Hannover/Hanomag military
vehicle
plant (155); targets of opportunity are Hannover (221), Bielefeld
(36) and
other (1); 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 14 damaged; 16
airmen are
KIA, and 1 WIA. Escort is provided by 235 P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-47 is
damaged
beyond repair.
3. 242 of 246 B-24s hit the aqueduct and Mittelland Canal at Minden;
5
B-24s are damaged. Escort is provided by 128 P-47s and P-51s; they
claim
2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft without loss.
4. 117 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Welheim synthetic oil plant
at
Bottrop (65); 33 others hit Munster; 37 B-24s are damaged; 1 airman
is WIA.
Escort is provided by 59 of 66 P-51s without loss.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): No bomber operations as bad
weather
prevails; fighters sweep areas of E France and W Germany from Metz,
France
to Cologne, Germany, attacking rail and road traffic, rail bridges,
and
marshalling yards. The 112th Liaison Squadron, Ninth Air Force
(attached to
SHAEF), based at Buc, France with UC-78s and L-5s, send a flight to
operate
from Namur, Belgium.
|
