Description: HIGHWAY ROAD JUNCTIONS

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

2nd Bomb Division

• Unit Hierarchy: Division
• Air Force: Eighth Air Force
• Type Category: Combat organisation

Description: HIGHWAY ROAD JUNCTIONS

Notes: In support of the D-Day landings, transportation chokepoints in the towns surrounding the invasion beaches are targeted. An almost total cloud cover frustrates operations and 84 B-17s and 259 B-24s return with their bombs. However 37 B-24s managed to hit Argentan. 2 B-24s are lost but all the crews were rescued.

Description: COASTAL DEFENSES

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: The 8th Air Force reaches its top strength during the war as the 493rd Bomb Group becomes operational and flies its first mission in support of the D-Day landings. This makes a total of 40 heavy bomber groups operational. All Bomb Groups participate. At first light the bombers hit the Normandy coastal targets between Le Havre and Cherbourg. 446th Bomb Group is first over the beachhead. Overcast and PATHFINDER (PFF) failures causes failure of some units to attack. The mission was led by the 446th Bomb Group flying B-24s. Later testimony by Germans subject to the attack revealed that many of the bombs fell a considerable distance (1000s of yards) behind the coastal defenses and damage and casualties were minimal. 1,729 Bombers participated in the D-Day Invasion. 457th BG - MISSION NO. 60 - ARROMANCHES BEACH, FRANCE 6 JUNE, 1944 INVASION DAY At 0100, Colonel Luper entered the briefing room. The command, "Attention" was quickly followed by, "At ease". Col. Luper walked to the front of the briefing room and stood before the huge map of Europe. "Gentlemen", he said, "This is it." He continued, "This is what we have all been waiting for. I need not tell you how much depends on today's operation. Every resource in our possession must be put to use to make this mission Successful It must be successful." The various briefing officers then took over and for more than thirty minutes, details of the mission were explained. Nothing was omitted; nothing was left to chance. Crews were also advised only boats heading towards the United Kingdom would pick up ditched crews. Preparation for this day had been carried out with the utmost secrecy and no hint had reached the crewmen. Nevertheless, there had been many indications the long awaited day was at hand. Additional guards had been posted. Passes had been cancelled. Ground crews worked with a sense of urgency to service the ships. The lead crews were called for pre-briefing at 1900 hours on 5 June. Thus, when crews assembled in the early morning hours of 6 June, few had to be told today was the day. The 457th was assigned two defense positions on the Arromanches Beach that were to be bombed ten minutes before the first assault wave of the British Second Army hit the beaches. Twenty-four craft, the "First Force", would attack a defensive position consisting of three pill boxes and three shelters on the beach just north of Creully, while eighteen craft, the "Third Force", would attack a defended locality at Anselles-Sur-Mer, three miles west. Both targets were on the Affomanches Beach between Bayeux and Caen. Zero hour was 0725 hours. The "First Force", led by Col. Luper with Lt. Charles D. Brannan as pilot, began taking off at 0430 hours, followed by the "Third Force", at 0450 hours, led by Major Fred A. Spencer, with Captain Russell M. Selwyn as pilot. Assembly was accomplished as dawn broke and the English Coast was crossed at 0632 hours. At mid-channel the cloud cover was ten-tenths. Looking out in front through a hole in the clouds and under the overcast, one could see some of the thousands of water craft on their way to the invasion. The "First Force" dropped its bombs at 0700 hours. The "Third Force" dropped at 0710 hours. At the same time the primary targets were being shelled by warships and hit by dive bombers. The whole invasion coast was obscured by clouds and it was not until the formation approached the English Coast that the many invasion craft could be seen again. No enemy fighters or flak were encountered. All planes returned to the Base and crews stood by for a second mission, but none was ordered. The crews finished the day's work hopefully their efforts had aided a Great Crusade. The Eighth put up a total of 2512 bombers during the day. Only five planes were lost.  

1st Bomb Division

• Unit Hierarchy: Division
• Air Force: Eighth Air Force
• Type Category: Bombardment

3rd Bomb Division

• Unit Hierarchy: Division
• Air Force: Eighth Air Force
• Type Category: Combat organisation

457th Bomb Group

• Unit Hierarchy: Group
• Air Force: Eighth Air Force
• Type Category: Bombardment

Description: COASTAL DEFENSES

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator

Notes: Mission 394: At first light, 659 of 882 B-17s and 418 of 543 B-24s hit coastal targets in the area of the invasion beaches between Le Havre and Cherbourg; overcast and inability of the bombers to locate (or absence of) PFF leaders causes failure of some units to attack; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 14 B-17s and 1 B-24 are damaged; 12 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 13 MIA.

2nd Bomb Division

• Unit Hierarchy: Division
• Air Force: Eighth Air Force
• Type Category: Combat organisation

446th Bomb Group

• Unit Hierarchy: Group
• Air Force: Eighth Air Force
• Type Category: Bombardment