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MONDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 647: 1,306 bombers
and 622
fighters are dispatched to attack marshalling yards in W Germany and
the
synthetic oil plant at Ludwigshafen bombed by PFF; 5 bombers and 3
fighters
are lost:
1. 534 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Ludwigshafen/Opau oil plant
and the
marshalling yard at Ludwigshafen (400); 46 others hit targets of
opportunity;
3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 86 damaged; 9 airmen
are WIA.
Escort is provided by 200 of 216 P-51s without loss.
2. 444 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Frankfurt industrial area
(410); 2
others hit targets of opportunity; 2 B-17s are lost and 41 damaged;
18 airmen
are MIA. Escort is provided by 210 P-38s and P-51s; 2 fighters are
lost
(pilots MIA) and 1 damaged.
3. 257 of 328 B-24s hit the Koblenz/Mosel and Koblenz/Rhein
marshalling
yards; 14 B-24s are damaged. Escort is provided by 157 P-38s, P-47s
and
P-51s; they claim 0-0-2 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost
(pilot MIA)
and 2 damaged.
176 B-24s on a TRUCKIN' mission fly fuel to France; 1 B-24 is lost.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): No bomber missions are flown.
IX
Tactical Air Command flies cover for US First Army units in W
Germany, dive-
bombs rail lines, and flies armed reconnaissance over the
Trier-Koblenz-
Aachen, Germany area. IX Air Defense Command flies night patrols
from Paris E
to Luxembourg and the German border. In France, HQ 99th Combat
Bombardment
Wing (Medium) moves from Great Dunmow, England to Beaumont; the
378th Fighter
Squadron, 362d Fighter Group, moves from Rennes to Prosnes with
P-47s; the
449th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 322d Bombardment Group
(Medium), moves
from Great Saling, England to Beauvais/Tille with B-26s; the 585th
and 587th
Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 394th Bombardment Group (Medium),
move from
Tour-en-Bassin to Bricy with B-26s; the 668th Bombardment Squadron
(Light),
416th Bombardment Group (Light), moves from Wethersfield, England to
Melun
with A-20s.
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