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The Mighty Eighth - Friday, 6 April 1945 |
| FRIDAY, 6 APRIL 1945 EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 315th Troop Carrier Group and the 34th, 309th and 310th Troop Carrier Squadrons move from Stanhoe, England to Amiens, France with C-47s. STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 930: 659 bombers hit rail targets in the Leipzig, Germany area using H2X radar; 4 B-17s and 1 P-51 are lost: 1. 183 of 207 B-24s hit the marshalling yard at Halle; 22 others hit Eisleben, a target of opportunity; 3 B-24s are damaged. Escorting are 201 P-47s and P-51s. 2. 430 of 452 B-17s hit secondary targets, the main station and marshalling yard at Leipzig (321) and hit Gera (109); 11 others hit the marshalling yard at Halle; 4 B-17s are lost and 2 damaged beyond repair; 17 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 33 MIA. The escort is 392 of 410 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 26 of 27 P-51s fly scouting missions. 4. 11 P-51s escort 5 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions. During the night, 3 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions. TACTICAL OPERATIONS First Tactical Air Force (Provisional): The 523d Fighter Squadron, 27th Fighter Group, moves form Ochey Airfield, Toul, France to Biblis, Germany with P-47s. Ninth Air Force: In Germany, 99 B-26s, A-20s and A-26s hit marshalling yards at Gottingen and Northeim and the city area of Herzberg, and drop leaflets over 3 city areas; fighters fly escort, alerts, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance, and support the US VIII Corps in the Eisenach area, and the XX Corps E of the Werra River near Muhlhausen. Unit moves: 422d Night Fighter Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command, from Florennes, Belgium to Strassfeld, Germany with P-61s; 451st Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 322d Bombardment Group (Medium), from Beauvais Airfield, Tille, France to Le Culot, Belgium with B-26s. |