VIII Bomber Command 5

24 August 1942

Official Description

12 Heavy Bombers hit the shipyard of Ateliers et Chantiers Maritime de la Seine at Le Trait.



General Spaatz reports RAF attitude towards US daylight precision bombing seems to be changing from one of skepticism to one of tentative approval.

Description

97BG despatches 12 B-17s on a mission to bomb the shipyards at Le Trait, France.

Mission Details

Description: FIGHTER INTERCEPT

Aircraft Type: Spitfire

Notes: One group of 12, and another of 6, Spitfires of 31st Fighter Group are despatched to intercept an enemy raider. No enemy aircraft is sighted.

Mission Statistics

  • Aircraft sent: 18

LE TRAIT

Description: SHIP YARD

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: No fighters escort this mission. The general consensus of opinion by 8th Air Force Staff at this time in the war was that the B-17 "FLYING FORTRESS" was such a formidable aircraft, and so well armed, that fighter escort would not be needed. It will take some time and unacceptable losses before this attitude changes.

Ground personnel of the 97th Bomb Group reservice a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-9023) nicknamed "Yankee Doodle", following the raid on Rouen. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 18 Aug 1942.' [stamp], 'Air=SER (Boeing).' [written annotation] and '216112.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'U.S FLYING FORTRESSES RAID ROUEN IN DAYLIGHT. Associated Press Photo Shows: No sooner had one of the huge Fortresses landed after the raid than ground crew im
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: None
  • People wounded in action: 5
  • People returned to duty: 5
  • Aircraft sent: 12
  • Aircraft effective: 12
  • Aircraft damaged: 3

Connections

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

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 92nd Bomb Group

Revisions

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Air Force Combat Chronology

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Air Force Combat Chronology

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 25-Oct-2014. Mission description based on "Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 19-Oct-2014 Connection within AAM website data.

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'.