12 March 1943

FRIDAY, 12 MARCH 1943

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission No. 42: 72 B-17's are dispatched by the 1st
Bombardment Wing against the Rouen-Sotteville marshalling yard; 63 drop
156.5 tons of bombs on the target between 1241 and 1244 hours local. There
are no losses and no claims on this mission; good fighter escort is a major
factor in this no-loss mission. Eighteen B-24's of the 2d Bombardment Wing
fly a diversionary mission with no losses or claims.
The 4th Fighter Group flies 43 sorties in their Spitfire Mk V's; 41 are
flown on a flighter sweep and 1 Spitfire is shot down near St. Omer,
France; the pilot is listed as MIA; we claim 2 enemy aircraft damaged. The
other 2 sorties were shipping patrols.