8th Air Force Field Order 353

29 May 1944

Mission Details

Description: FIGHTER ESCORT

Notes: A mix of 673 fighters from 8th Air Force provides escort: 184 P-38s, 187 P-47s and 302 P-51s. In addition IX Fighter Command contributes a mix of 592 fighters, mix not described in source data and are not included in the table. IX Fighter Command claimed 0-0-1 but lost 2 (not in table). In addition to the 62-37-29 claimed by the bomber crews, the escort confirmed 39-1-5 in the air and 16-0-15 on the ground (claims bundled in table). These are devastating losses for the Luftwaffe, especially for the number of pilots lost.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: NA

Revisions

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'.