VIII Fighter Command FO-105 BOMBER ESCORT

16 August 1943

Description

A combined force of 180 P-47s (all with belly tanks) are despatched from : 4FG; 56FG; 78FG; and 353FG to escort VIII Bomber Command mission #83 attacking German airfields in France at Paris (Le Bourget), Poix and Abbeville. 3 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) and 2 are declared to be Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) upon return - 1KIA 1POW 1EVD 2RTD.



NOTE: Roger A. Freeman in "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" cites a single loss from 353FG for this operation. Stan Bishop in "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" has the aircraft listed as P-47D-5-RE 42-8494 with no MACR issued. In cross-checking this tail number against the Fold3.com MACR database it was discovered that 42-8494 353BG/352BS was actually lost on 15-Sep-43 per MACR 625 (image #28599086) So, it appears that the Bishop citation is in error. In researching this loss on the littlefriends.co.uk under the pilot's name (which Bishop DOES have correct as "Lt Col Joseph A. Morris"), Peter Randall has this aircraft identified as 42-7990 which was confirmed by Mr. Cunningham with Mr. Randall in a Skype contact. No MACR was found for this loss.

Mission Details

LE BOURGET / POIX / ABBEVILLE

Description: FIGHTER ESCORT

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt

Notes: Escort for the raid on Le Bourget, Poix and Abbeville.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: Not Applicable
  • People evaded: 1
  • Prisoners of war: 1
  • People returned to duty: 2
  • Aircraft sent: 180
  • Aircraft missing in action: 2
  • Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 2

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: 334th Fighter Squadron No 71 'Eagle' Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-885185
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 336th Fighter Squadron No 133 'Eagle' Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-885255
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 334th Fighter Squadron No 71 'Eagle' Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-885187
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 352nd Fighter Squadron Headquarters (353rd Fighter Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-22421
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot / Commanding Officer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 351st Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-793559
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot, Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Miss San Carlos
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 336th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 350th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 336th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group Headquarters (353rd Fighter Group)
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 351st Fighter Squadron Headquarters (66th Fighter Wing)

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 17-May-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman and notes based on personal discussion with Peter Randall : littlefriends.co.uk.

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'.