8th Air Force 482 Fighter Escort

19 July 1944

Official Description

731 fighters, operating in 19 separate units, support the Heavy bombers; 8 of these units afterwards strafe ground targets, including parked aircraft, locomotives and rolling stock, and road vehicles....



7 fighters are lost.... and the fighters claim 17 destroyed in aerial combat and 39 on the ground.

Mission Details

Höllriegelskreuth / Lechfeld / Augsburg

Description: Fighter Escort for B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 1st Bomb Division bombing Hollsriegelskreuth, Lechfeld and Ausgburg

Notes: P-47 Thunderbolt - 73 P-51 Mustang - 198

Brigadier-General Frank Alton Armstrong Jr. during a visit to the 305th Bomb Group Official caption on image: "(GPR-83-9305) (18-6-43) (Brig. Gen. Armstrong..."
  • Unit Hierarchy: Division
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Mission Statistics

  • People missing in action: 1
  • Enemy aircraft destroyed by fighter: 17
  • Enemy aircraft damaged by fighter: 4
  • Aircraft sent: 271
  • Aircraft effective: 224
  • Aircraft missing in action: 4

Koblenz

Description: 48 P-47 Thunderbolts provide Fighter Escort to B-24 Liberators of the 2nd Bomb Division attacking Koblenz

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt

A formation of B-24 Liberators of the 446th Bomb Group enroute to Europe. Printed caption on reverse: '71049 AC- A formation of Consolidated B-24 "Liberators" of the 2nd Bomb Division, roars over Europe en route to the target area. 24 November 1944. US Air Force photo.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Division
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Combat organisation

Mission Statistics

  • Aircraft sent: 48
  • Aircraft effective: 44

Strasbourg

Description: Fighters provide escort to B-24 Liberators of the 2nd Bomb Division attacking Strasbourg

Notes: P-38 Lightning- 96 P-47 Thunderbolt- 48 P-51 Mustang- 100

A formation of B-24 Liberators of the 446th Bomb Group enroute to Europe. Printed caption on reverse: '71049 AC- A formation of Consolidated B-24 "Liberators" of the 2nd Bomb Division, roars over Europe en route to the target area. 24 November 1944. US Air Force photo.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Division
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Combat organisation

Mission Statistics

  • People missing in action: 1
  • Enemy aircraft destroyed by fighter: 18
  • Enemy aircraft damaged by fighter: 5
  • Aircraft sent: 244
  • Aircraft effective: 217
  • Aircraft missing in action: 1

Ebelsbach / Schweinfurt

Description: Fighters provide escort to B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 3rd Bomb Division attacking Ebelsbach and Schweinfurt

Notes: P-38 Lightning- 48 P-47 Thunderbolt- 70 P-51 Mustang- 46

Three B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 94th Bomb Group are attacked by a Nazi Fighter aircraft during a mission. Printed caption on reverse of print: 'A-62641 USAF: Nazi fighter plane attacking Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" during a bomb run over enemy installations somewhere in Europe, 10 September 1944. 100th[sic] Bomb Group, 3rd Bomb Division. U.S. Air Force Photo.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Division
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Combat organisation

Mission Statistics

  • People missing in action: 1
  • Enemy aircraft destroyed by fighter: 20
  • Enemy aircraft damaged by fighter: 9
  • Aircraft sent: 164
  • Aircraft effective: 153
  • Aircraft missing in action: 1

Saarbrücken

Description: 34 P-51 Mustangs provide fighter escort to B-24 Liberators of the 3rd Bomb division attacking Saarbrücken

Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang

Three B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 94th Bomb Group are attacked by a Nazi Fighter aircraft during a mission. Printed caption on reverse of print: 'A-62641 USAF: Nazi fighter plane attacking Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" during a bomb run over enemy installations somewhere in Europe, 10 September 1944. 100th[sic] Bomb Group, 3rd Bomb Division. U.S. Air Force Photo.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Division
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Combat organisation

Mission Statistics

  • Aircraft sent: 34
  • Aircraft effective: 32

Germany

Description: All Fighter Groups of VII Air Force Fighter Command provide fighter escort to heavy bombers attacking targets in Germany.

Notes: This was the first mission of the 55th Fighter Group after its conversion to P-51 Mustangs. The below Fighter Groups claimed the following enemy aircraft: 4th Fighter Group- 2 352nd Fighter Group- 8 355th Fighter Group- 4

Mission Statistics

  • People missing in action: 7
  • Enemy aircraft destroyed by fighter: 38
  • Enemy aircraft damaged by fighter: 14
  • Aircraft sent: 761
  • Aircraft effective: 670
  • Aircraft missing in action: 7
  • Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 1
  • Aircraft damaged: 7

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: 4th Fighter Group 336th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-1167874
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 335th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-758869
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Aircraft

A P-51 Mustang (WD-U, 42-106438) of the 335th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, flown by Lieutenant Curtis Simpson, after a forced landing in Switzerland, 19 July 1944. "P.51B Mustang , coded WD-U, right side three-quarter view, with mountainous background, which I said was in neutral country. It was, in fact, Switzerland, when Lt. Curtis Simpson was forced to abort a mission to Munich on 19th July, 1944, following a glycol leak." Information from Debden historian Keith Braybrooke
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron

Revisions

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Diary

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Air Force Combat Chronology

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Roger Freeman Mighty Eighth War Diary

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'.