8th Air Force Field Order 371

6 June 1944

Description

D-Day. Start of Operation Overlord.

Mission Details

Description: FIGHTER ESCORT

Notes: All 8th Air Force Fighter Groups and IX Fighter Command Fighter Groups take part. VIII Fighter command fulfils a threefold mission of escorting the bombers, attacking any German movement towards the beaches and protecting the vast fleet of ships laying just off the coast. The fighters fly a total of 1,880 sorties including fighter-bomber attacks on 17 bridges, 10 marshalling yards and a wide variety of other targets. Very little fighter opposition is encountered as the Luftwaffe has been almost annihilated in France. However the fighters do claim 26 destroyed and 8 damaged Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and another 4 destroyed and 9 damaged on the ground. The fighters also destroy 21 locomotives and 2 carloads of ammunition. 25 fighters are lost from a total of 555 P-38s, 414 P-47s and 750 P-51s.

Mission Statistics

  • People killed in action: 1
  • People wounded in action: 1
  • People missing in action: 24
  • Aircraft missing in action: 25
  • Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 2
  • Aircraft damaged: 14

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

People

Harry H Just

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 78th Fighter Group 84th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-812825
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

James E Kinsolving

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 82nd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-815352
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Francis J Kochanek

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 78th Fighter Group 83rd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: T-61207
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Glenn H Koontz

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 78th Fighter Group 84th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-2044775, T-60107
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Harold W Kramer

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 78th Fighter Group 84th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-886956, T-122653
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

A P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft (serial number 42-27606), converted to a two-seater aircraft. The black and white “checkerboard” cowling identifies the aircraft as being in the 78th Fighter Group, and the red tailfin marking denotes it as part of the 82nd Squadron. Handwritten on slide casing:"2-seat P-47 78FG Mount Farm R. Astrella"

42-27606

  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 78th Fighter Group 82nd Fighter Squadron 84th Fighter Squadron
A P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft (MX-G), serial number 42-27607. This aircraft was a constituent of the 78th Fighter Group, at USAAF Duxford. Handwritten on slide:"16 Dxb KK"

42-27607

  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 78th Fighter Group 82nd Fighter Squadron

42-74742

  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: War Eagle Snafu
  • Unit: 78th Fighter Group 84th Fighter Squadron

42-75147

  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 56th Fighter Group 78th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron 83rd Fighter Squadron

42-75196

  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Lil Eva
  • Unit: 78th Fighter Group 83rd Fighter Squadron

Revisions

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'.