8th Air Force Field Order 393

16 June 1944

Mission Details

Description: FIGHTER ESCORT

Notes: Specific groups not identified in source data. All Fighter Groups except 4th Fighter Group participated.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: NA

ANGOULEME/POITIERS

Description: TRAINS

Notes: 70 P-51s perform a sweep against stalled trains between Angouleme and Poitiers. They drop their external fuel tanks on the trains and then set the trains on fire with strafing.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: NA

ARRAS-ST POL

Description: FIGHTER- BOMBER MISSIONS

Notes: 50 P-38s and 75 P-47s make fighter-bomber attacks on troop in the Arras-St Pol area; at St-Pol-sur-Ternoise a large number of railroad cars are burned by oil and phosphorus bombs and strafing attacks. Marshalling yards, a power station, railroad station, trains, barges, tanks, trucks, gun emplacements, AA towers and armored vehicles are attacked. A total of about 400 railroad cars are attacked and set on fire.

Description: TRAIN and TROOP CONCENTRATIONS

Notes: The same tactics of dropping external fuel tanks upon trains and setting them alight with strafing are used on this target. Heavy damage is inflicted upon the trains and the Germans suffer heavy troop casualties.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 32 T

ST-POL-SUR-TERNOISE

Description: RAILROAD CARS

Connections

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

People

Lawrence James Berry

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15069920 / O-756453
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter pilot

Calvin Jay Butler

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group 435th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19015084 / O-417939
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Clyde A Thompson

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 486th Bomb Group 832nd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Commanding Officer

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'.