VIII Fighter Cmd FO 66 Fighter Wing 40 FIGHTER/BOMBER

25 January 1944

Description

A combined force of 218 P-47s from: 78FG; 352FG; 353FG; 358FG and 359FG are despatched on a fighter/bomber attack on the German airfield at Leeuwarden, Holland. Only the 354FG actually makes the attack dropping 11 tonss of 500-pound bombs. The 359FG carreid out a weather recce of the area and the other Fighter Groups provided escort and cover. There are no losses or claims. Source data did not have any indication of how many German aircraft might have been destroyed or damaged in the attack.

Mission Details

LEEUWARDEN AIRFIELD (Primary)

Description: DIVE BOMBING AIRFIELD

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt

Notes: Only the 353rd Fighter Group attacked the Leeuwarden airfield all the other groups provided cover. The 359th Fighter Group carried out a weather recce of the area.

The insignia of the 358th Fighter Group.

358th Fighter Group

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

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 11.00
  • Aircraft sent: 218

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

People

A P-47 Thunderbolt (LH-T, serial number 42-74665) nicknamed "Fatty Patty II" of the 353rd Fighter Group flown by Captain Charles W Dinse shoots down a BF 110 during a mission. Gun camera image. Printed caption on reverse: '50416 AC - Discovering an Me 110 below him, Capt. Charles W. Dinsa, 304 Touhy Ave., Park Ridge, Ill., dove down and destroyed it. The pictures were taken by his automatic camera as his bullets found their mark. Credit for the kill was shared with Lt. Richard A. Stearns, Jr., 102 Forest

Charles W Dinse

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 350th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-665391
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Revisions

Date13 Jan 2016 22:44:54
ContributorLee8thbuff
ChangesChanges to name and description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Jan-2016. Added Mission Narrative per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman

Date27 Sep 2014 18:43:21
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
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'.