Description

The 8th Air Force is intent on dishing out some "pay back" to the Luftwaffe for the toll it took on bombers of the 17-Aug-43 mission to Schweinfurt/Regensburg. So, This mission has three attack elements and a diversion element. The attack elements are all directed at German airfields in France, one of which is an air depot. There are attacks in the late morning and late afternoon.

The first element is composed of 85 B-17s of the 17-Aug-43 Regensburg element that landed at bases in North Africa. The target is the German airfield of Bordeaux/Merignac, France. The Groups participating are: 94BG (17); 95BG (8); 96BG (15); 100BG (6); 385BG (13); 388BG (16); and 390BG (10). 9 aircraft had mechanical difficulties and returned to North Africa, and the 385BG formation of 13 did not attack. 58 of the 85 are effective on the target. These attacked between 1157hrs and 1200 hrs. 3 aircraft are MIA - 5KIA 3POW 6EVD 6RTD (rescued by ASR). 2 aircraft are listed as Category E losses (Damaged Beyond Repair-DBR) but one of these was a ground accident prior to take-off from Telergma when someone in the crew retracted the landing gear while the aircraft was on the hardstand. The other DBR ran out of gas while in the landing pattern at Knettishall and the pilot was forced to make a crashlandind in a nearby field. The crew were all OK. The bomber gunners of this element claimed 3-3-10 of attacking fighters.

The second attacking element was a force of 110 B-17s from: 91BG (14); 92BG (19); 305BG (18); 306BG (18); 351BG (22); 379BG (12); and 381BG (7) despatched to bomb the large German air depot at Villacoublay, France. 86 aircraft are effective on the target between 1800hrs - 1805hrs. Weather prevented 91BG from dropping. There are no losses in this element but 64 are damaged. The bomber gunners claim 1-0-1 of attacking enemy aircraft.

The third element is a formation of 42 B-17s from: 94BG (6); 95BG (7); 96BG (3); 100BG (7); 385BG (6); 388BG (6); and 390BG (7) despatched to bomb the German airfields at Conches, France and at Evereux/Fauville, France. Weather hampers bombing: none of the aircraft despatched from 94BG, 385BG and 388BG are able to bomb because of cloud cover. 22 of the 42 despatched manage to bombe the target. 1 B-17 is MIA because of a mechanical failure and is ditched into the English Channel - 1KIA 9RTD (rescued by ASR). The bomber gunners calim 0-0-2 of attacking enemy aircraft.

A force of 36 B-17s from 303BG (18); 379BG (6); and 384BG (36) are despatched to fly a diversion for the elements attacking at Villacoublay and Chonches. One aircraft aborts. There are no losses or claims.