VIII Fighter Command FO-138 FIGHTER SWEEPS

22 September 1943

Description

A combined force of 240 P-47s from: 4FG; 56FG; 78FG; 352FG; 353FG; and 355FG are despatched on fighter sweeps of the Calaise/Egmond area of France. One aircraft Failed to Retunr (FTR) 1KIA and another sustained a mechanical failure of the propellor governor and caught fire but was able to land safely at Debden. The aircraft was declared ot be Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR).

Mission Details

CALAIS / EGMOND

Description: FIGHTER SWEEP

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt

From left to right: Captain Walker L. Boone, Flight Officer Manuel S. Martinez and Flight Officer Gerry E. Brasher, pilots of the 82nd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, sit on the bonnet of a jeep at Duxford air base. Passed for publication 28 October 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Thunderbolts - the "Guardian Angels" of Flying Fortresses. Here are pictures of Thunderbolts P-47s, the famous American fighter planes, which escort Flying Fortresses on their daylight missions over Occupied Europe. Pho

78th Fighter Group

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

Mission Statistics

People killed in action: 1
People returned to duty: 1
Aircraft sent: 240
Aircraft missing in action: 1
Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 1

Connections

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Revisions

Date27 Jun 2015 20:15:25

ContributorLee8thbuff

Changes

Sources

Lee Cunningham 27-Jun-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:43:19

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'.