VIII Fighter Command FO 238 BOMBER ESCORT

8 February 1944

Description

A combined force of 553 fighters of types: P-38, P-47 and P-51 are despatched to provide escort for heavy bombers attacking the railroad marshalling yards at Frankfurt, Germany and Targets of Opportunity in the Frankfurt area. Mission Summary follows:

A combined force of 77 P-38s from: 20FG & 55FG are despatched. 2 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) - 2POW. There are no other aircraft losses or casualties. The fighters in this element claim 4-0-0 of attacking German aircraft.

A combined force of 435 P-47s are despatched. 48 of these are from IX Fighter Command 368FG. The balance of 387 P-47s are from: 4FG; 56FG; 78FG; 352FG; 353FG; 355FG; 356FG; and 361FG. 3 aircraft from VIII Fighter Command Failed to Return (FTR) - 3 KIA. 1 aircraft with battle damage makes a crash landing at RAF Manston as is Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) - 1RTD. 4 other aircraft are damaged. There are no other aircraft losses or casualties. The fighters of this element claim 12-1-7 of attacking German aircraft (2 of the "kills" are credited to IX FC 358FG) and also destroy 7 locomotives as Targets of Opportunity (TO).

A force of 41 P-51s from IX Fighter Command 354FG also joion in the escort. 3 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 1KIA 2 POW. There are no other aicraft losses or casualties. The fighters in this element claim 0-0-1 of attacking German fighters.

Mission Details

FRANKFURT

Description: FIGHTER ESCORT

Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning

Mission Statistics

  • Prisoners of war: 2
  • Enemy aircraft destroyed by fighter: 4
  • Aircraft sent: 77
  • Aircraft effective: 77
  • Aircraft missing in action: 2

FRANKFURT

Description: FIGHTER ESCORT

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt

Notes: The IX Fighter Command contributes 48 P-47s from 358th Fighter Group. Fighter claims include 2-0-7 on the ground. Some of the fighters strafe targets of opportunity on the ground, destroying 7 locomotives (1 by 20th Fighter Group and 6 by 358th Fighter Group).

Mission Statistics

  • People killed in action: 3
  • People returned to duty: 1
  • Enemy aircraft destroyed by fighter: 10
  • Enemy aircraft probably destroyed by fighter: 1
  • Enemy aircraft damaged by fighter: 7
  • Aircraft sent: 387
  • Aircraft missing in action: 3
  • Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 1

FRANKFURT

Description: FIGHTER ESCORT

Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang

Notes: Apparently 357th Fighter Group provided an number of P-51 aircraft to this effort, but the total number has not been determined. These flew with the IX Fighter Command 354th Fighter Group. 3 P-51 lost from 357th Fighter Group.

Mission Statistics

  • People killed in action: 2
  • Prisoners of war: 2
  • Enemy aircraft damaged by fighter: 1
  • Aircraft sent: 41
  • Aircraft effective: 41
  • Aircraft missing in action: 4

Frankfurt, Germany

Description: BOMBER ESCORT

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt

Notes: 48 P-47s from IX Fighter Command 358FG join the escort.

Mission Statistics

  • Enemy aircraft destroyed by fighter: 2
  • Aircraft sent: 48
  • Aircraft effective: 48

Connections

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

People

Kenneth Chetwood

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 66th Fighter Wing 353rd Fighter Group 350th Fighter Squadron 83rd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17054191 / O-736111
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Fighter pilot
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

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
ChangesChanges to event
Sources

Lee Cunningham 5-Feb-2016. Corrected statistics on P-51 element and added fighter claims on enemy aircraft per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman ans "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
ChangesCreated event
Sources

Lee Cunniningham 5-Feb-2016. Added Mission event for P-47s deptached from IX Fighter Command 358FG per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
ChangesChanges to event
Sources

Lee Cunningham 5-Feb-2016. Added figther claime on enemy aircraft to VIII Fighter Command statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
ChangesChanges to event
Sources

Lee Cunningham 5-Feb-2016. Added fighter claims to P-38 element statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
ChangesChanges to name and description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 5-Feb-2016. Adde Mission Narrative per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freemam, IX FIghter Command losses from "The Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.

Date
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'.