26 July 1943

MONDAY, 26 JULY 1943

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 77: Two targets in Germany and a
convoy are hit, i.e.:
1. 119 B-17's and 2 YB-40's are dispatched against rubber factories
at Hannover; 96 hit the target at 1200-1243 hours; they claim 40-9-28
Luftwaffe aircraft; 16 B-17's are lost; casualties are 4 KIA, 22 WIA and
126 MIA.
2. 49 of 61 B-17's dispatched against Hannover hit a convoy and other
targets of opportunity; they claim 15-1-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 B-17's
are lost; casualties are 1 KIA, 3 WIA and 51 MIA.
3. 54 of 121 B-17's dispatched against Hannover hit the U-boat yards
at Hamburg at 1159-1200 hours; they claim 5-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2
B-17's are lost; casualties are 1 KIA, 3 WIA and 20 MIA.
A total of 3 B-17's are damaged beyond repair and 86 are damaged on
this mission. Mission results are good but costly; 24 aircraft are lost,
mostly to enemy fighters.
VIII Air Support Command Mission Number 4: 18 B-26B's are dispatched
against the Saint-Omer/Longuenesse Airfield in France; 15 hit the target
at 1112 hours; 4 aircraft are damaged.
HQ 41st Bombardment Wing (Heavy) arrives at Brampton Grange, England
from the US. This unit will be redesignated 41st Combat Bombardment Wing
(Heavy) on 13 Sep 43.
HQ 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and it's 568th, 569th, 570th and
571st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) arrive at Framlingham, England from
the US with B-17's. The group will fly it's first mission on 12 Aug and
remain at this station until Aug 45.