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TUESDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): 400+ C-47s complete
supply
and evacuation missions.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Two missions are flown.
Mission 626: For the second day, 888 bombers and 662 fighters are
dispatched on a major assault on the German oil industry; they are
intercepted by 400-450 Luftwaffe fighters; AAF claims 81-16-20
aircraft in
the air; 35 bombers and 12 fighters are lost:
1. 299 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil refineries at Brux (79) and
Ruhland
(59); targets of opportunity are Lauta (48), Plauen (30),
Etterwinden (12),
Karlsbad (11), Kitzingen (11) and others (21); PFF methods are used
for all
targets; they claim 14-9-7 aircraft; 19 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged
beyond
repair and 94 damaged; 6 airmen are KIA, 11 WIA and 171 MIA. Escort
is
provided by 238 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 29-2-4 aircraft in the
air and
21-0-16 on the ground; 10 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 2 damaged
beyond
repair.
2. 348 B-17s are dispatched to hit Magdeburg/Rothensee (144),
Magdeburg/
Friedrichstadt (73) and Bohlen (35); targets of opportunity are
Fulda (46),
Molbis (11) and other (8); they bomb visually; they claim 13-5-5
aircraft; 12
B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 161 damaged; 1 airman is
KIA, 9
WIA and 109 MIA. Escort is provided by 236 P-47s and P-51s; they
claim 25-0-4
aircraft in the air and 5-0-15 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost
(pilots MIA).
3. 241 B-24s are dispatched to hit Hemmingstedt (66), Kiel (58) and
Misburg
(34); targets of opportunity are Laharte (38), marshalling yard at
Northeim
(12), Hannover (11), Hemmingstedt (3) and other (3); PFF was used
for
bombing; 4 B-24s are lost and 49 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA
and 37 MIA.
Escort is provided by 105 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s without loss.
Mission 627: 7 of 7 B-17s drop leaflet in France, the Netherlands
and
Germany during the night.
36 B-24s and C-47s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER missions during
the
night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In Germany, B-26s and A-20s
hit
Westwall fortifications, Sankt Wendel station, where an armored
division and
important technicians are to entrain, and fortifications around
Nancy,
France; fighters continue ground support in the French/German border
area. In
France, HQ 84th Fighter Wing moves from Aillieres to St Quentin; HQ
10th
Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) and the 12th Tactical
Reconnaissance
Squadron and the 31st, 34th and 155th Photographic Reconnaissance
Squadrons
move from Chateaudun to St-Dizier/Robinson with A-20s, F-3s F-6s and
F-5s;
the 389th Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Group, moves from Dreux to
Laon/
Couvron with P-47s; the 393d Fighter Squadron, 367th Fighter Group
moves from
Peray to Clastres with P-38s; and the 401st Fighter Squadron, 370th
Fighter
Group, moves from Lonray to Roye/Amy with P-38s; the 405th Fighter
Squadron,
371st Fighter Group moves from Beuzeville to Perthes with P-47s; the
428th,
429th and 430th Fighter Squadrons, 474th Fighter Squadron, move from
St
Marceau to Peronne with P-38s. In Belgium, the 153d Liaison
Squadron, IX
Tactical Air Command (attached to First Army) moves from Vuel to Ham
with
L-5s.
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