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TUESDAY, 3 OCTOBER 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown:
Mission 662: 1,065 bombers and 753 fighters make PFF and visual
attacks
against airfields and industrial targets in Geramny; 3 bombers and 4
fighters
are lost:
1. 380 B-17s are dispatched to hit Giebelstadt Airfield (49);
targets of
opportunity are Nurnberg (256), Ludwigshafen (13), Ulm (11) and
others (24);
130 B-17s are damaged; 2 airmen are WIA. Escort is provided by 260
P-47s and
P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft on the ground; 4 P-51s are lost
(pilots MIA0
and 1 is damaged beyond repair.
2. 228 B-17s are dispatched to hit motor vehicle facotry at Nurnberg
(198);
10 others hit Ottingen Airfield; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond
repair
and 63 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 4 WIA and 28 MIA. Escort is
proivded by 227
P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair.
3. 119 B-17s are dispatched to hit the oil refinery at Wesseling
(87);
targets of opportunity are Cogogne (26) and 1 other; 1 B-17 is
damaged beyond
repair and 51 damaged. Escort5 is provided by 24 of 24 P-47s.
4. 338 B-24s are dispatched to hit Gaggenau (139) and Lachen/Speyerdorf
(111) visually; secondary targets hit are Offenburg marshalling yard
(19) and
Pforzheim Airfield (19); targets of opportunity are Speyer Airfield
(30) and
Lachen (2); 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 38 damaged; 2 airmen
are WIA.
Escort is provided by 188 P-38s and P-47s.
Mission 663: 6 B-24s and 4 B-17s drop leaflets in France, Germany,
the
Netherlands and Belgium during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 220+ B-26s and A-20s sent to
bomb
targets at Durena and Aldenhoven, Germany, and Arnhem, the
Netherlands are
recalled because of weather; fighters fly armed reconnaissance over
W
Germany, hit railroads W of the Rhine River, and support the US
Third Army in
the Metz, France area. The IX Air Defense Command continues night
patrols. In
Belgium, HQ 70th Fighter Wing moves from Marchais, France to Liege;
HQ 303d
Fighter Wing moves from Vermand, France to Arlon. In France, HQ 98th
Combat
Bombardment Wing (Medium) moves from Chartres to Laon/Athies; the
23d Fighter
Squadron, 36th Fighter Group, moves from Athis to Juvincourt with
P-47s; and
the 405th Fighter Squadron, 371st Fighter Group, moves from Perthes
to
Dole/Tavaux with P-47s.
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