21 January 1944

FRIDAY, 21 JANUARY

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 187: 36 V-weapon sites
in France, 34 in the Pas de Calais area and 2 in the Cherbourg area, are
targetted; 24 are attacked by 302 of 597 B-17's and 68 of 198 B-24's; 15
B-17's and 9 B-24's hit targets of opportunity (2 V-weapon sites and 3
airfields); they claim 5-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-24's and a B-17 are
lost, 3 B-24's are damaged beyond repair, and 103 B-17's and 41 B-24's are
damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 31 WIA and 74 MIA. This mission is escorted
by 49 P-38's, 531 P-47's and 48 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 6-0-4
Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 2-2-0 on the ground; 1 P-47 is lost, 1
is damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; casualties are 1 MIA.
Mission 188: During the night, 5 of 5 B-17's drop 1.2 million leaflets on
Reims, Nantes, Le Mans, Tours and Orleans, France without loss.