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VIII Fighter Command FO-157 FIGHTER SWEEPS

15 October 1943

Official description

Not yet known

Description

This mission is composed of two fighter elements. The first element is a formation of 36 P-38s despatched from 55FG to fly fighter sweeps over the Dutch Islands. This is the first mission for 55 FG and the first to use the P-38 "Lightning" from England in over a year. One aircraft is damages. There are no losses or claims.

The second element is a formation of 34 P-47s from 356FG which also joins with the P-38s in fighter sweeps ove the Dutch Islands. This is the first combat mission for the 356FG. There are no losses or claims.

Mission details

1. DUTCH ISLANDS

Description

FIGHTER SWEEP

Aircraft type

P-38 Lightning

Notes

Not yet known

Units

  • 55th Fighter Group

    55th Fighter Group

    Group
    The 55th Fighter Group were the first P-38 Lightning Group to go fully operational from England. The pilots flew long-range escort missions for bombers flying over occupied Europe and racked up 'kills' of their own by destroying enemy aircraft in...

Mission Statistics

Number of aircraft Sent 36
Number of aircraft Damaged 1

2. DUTCH ISLANDS

Description

FIGHTER SWEEP

Aircraft type

P-47 Thunderbolt

Notes

55th Fighter Group (P-38) and 356th Fighter Group (P-47) first missions. This is the first time P-38s had operated in other than a photo reconnaissance role for over a year.

Units

  • 356th Fighter Group

    356th Fighter Group

    Group
    The 356th Fighter Group flew 413 missions between 15 October 1943 and 7 May 1945 and suffered the highest ratio of losses to enemy aircraft claims of any Eighth Air Force Group. This gave the Group the reputation of being the 'hard luck' outfit. The...

Mission Statistics

Number of aircraft Sent 34

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
05 July 2015 22:46:22 Lee8thbuff Changes to name and description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 5-Jul-2015. Added Mission Narrative base on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:43:19 AAM AAM 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'.

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