8th Air Force 482 Fighter Escort
19 July 1944Official 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Unit Hierarchy: Command
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
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
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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
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
Revisions
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'.