VIII Fighter Command FO-103 FIGHTER SWEEPS
15 August 1943Description
176 P-47s from: 4FG; 56FG; 78FG; and 353FG are despatched on figher sweeps of the Knokke/Bruges/Lille/St. Omer areas of Belgium and France. There are no losses or claims and no german fighters are encountered. This is typical for the Luftwaffe whose strategic aims are to not to engage in purely fighter-on-fighter encounters. The Luftwaffe wants to conserve their fighter resources to attack bombers (US and RAF).
Mission Details
KNOKKE / BRUGES / LILLE / SAINT OMER
Description: FIGHTER SWEEP
Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
Notes: Fighter sweep of Knokke/Bruges/Lille/St.Omer area
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Mission Statistics
- Aircraft sent: 176
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 16-May-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
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'.