The Mighty Eighth Air Force
 plane
26 October 1944
THURSDAY, 26 OCTOBER 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 689: 1,225 bombers and
674 fighters make PFF attacks on industrial and communications targets in W
Germany; 1 fighter is lost:
1. 430 B-17s are dispatched to attack a storage depot at Bielefeld (155)
and aircraft repair plant and Ludwig marshalling yard at Munster (108);
targets of opportunity are Munster (87), Gutersloh (24) and other (1); 10
B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 204 of 215 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost
(pilot MIA).
2. 432 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Hannover/Hanomag military vehicle
plant (155); targets of opportunity are Hannover (221), Bielefeld (36) and
other (1); 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 14 damaged; 16 airmen are
KIA, and 1 WIA. Escort is provided by 235 P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-47 is damaged
beyond repair.
3. 242 of 246 B-24s hit the aqueduct and Mittelland Canal at Minden; 5
B-24s are damaged. Escort is provided by 128 P-47s and P-51s; they claim
2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft without loss.
4. 117 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Welheim synthetic oil plant at
Bottrop (65); 33 others hit Munster; 37 B-24s are damaged; 1 airman is WIA.
Escort is provided by 59 of 66 P-51s without loss.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): No bomber operations as bad weather
prevails; fighters sweep areas of E France and W Germany from Metz, France
to Cologne, Germany, attacking rail and road traffic, rail bridges, and
marshalling yards. The 112th Liaison Squadron, Ninth Air Force (attached to
SHAEF), based at Buc, France with UC-78s and L-5s, send a flight to operate
from Namur, Belgium.