VIII Fighter Command FO-150 BOMBER ESCORT

4 October 1943

Description

A combined force of 223 P-47s from 4FG; 56FG; 78FG, 353FG and 355FG are despatched to provide escort to the B-17 formations attacking at Franfurt, Saarlautern; Sarreguemines and Saarbrucken, Germany. There are no losses, but one aircraft is heavily damaged and the pilot crashlands at Monkton, UK and is killed (KOM); 15 other aircraft are damaged. The fighters claim 19-1-2 of attacking German fighters.

Mission Details

FRANKFURT / SAARLAUTERN / SARREGUEMINES

Description: FIGHTER ESCORT

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt

Notes: Fighter escort fro raids on Frankfurt, Saarlautern and Sarreguemines. 355th Fighter Group uses drop tanks for the first time.

353rd Fighter Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

355th Fighter Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

4th Fighter Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

56th Fighter Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

From left to right: Captain Walker L. Boone, Flight Officer Manuel S. Martinez and Flight Officer Gerry E. Brasher, pilots of the 82nd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, sit on the bonnet of a jeep at Duxford air base. Passed for publication 28 October 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Thunderbolts - the "Guardian Angels" of Flying Fortresses. Here are pictures of Thunderbolts P-47s, the famous American fighter planes, which escort Flying Fortresses on their daylight missions over Occupied Europe. Pho

78th Fighter Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

Mission Statistics

People killed in action: 1
Enemy aircraft destroyed by fighter: 19
Enemy aircraft probably destroyed by fighter: 1
Enemy aircraft damaged by fighter: 2
Aircraft sent: 223
Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 1

Connections

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People

Ralph Lee Dean

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 355th Fighter Group 358th Fighter Squadron
Service Numbers: 15097031 / O-796666
Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Aircraft

42-74667

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
Unit: 355th Fighter Group 358th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date2 Jul 2015 19:28:15

ContributorLee8thbuff

Changes

Sources

Lee Cunningham 2-Jul-2014. Added fighter claims on German aircraft to statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.

Date2 Jul 2015 19:26:59

ContributorLee8thbuff

Changes

Sources

Lee Cunningham 2-Jul-2014. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:43:19

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'.