22 October 1943
Not yet known
This mission was composed of two fighter elements. The first element was a force of 45 P-38s from 55FG despatched to provide escort to B-26s of 9th Air Force. 1 aircraft was damaged. There are no losses or claims.
The second element was a combined force of 349 P-47s from 4Fg, 56FG; 78FG; 352FG; 353FG; 355FG; and 356FG despatched to provide escort to B-26s of 9th Air Force. 2 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 2KIA. 1 aircraft returned too damaged to repair. There are no claims on enemy aircraft.
FIGHTER ESCORT
P-38 Lightning
Not yet known
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...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 33 |
FIGHTER ESCORT
P-47 Thunderbolt
Fighters escort 9th Air Force B-26s on a raid to Evreux/ Fauville Airfield. 353rd Fighter Group loses two aircraft Missing in Action (MIA)-pilots Killed in Action (KIA) and 355th Fighter Group has one aircraft crash-land as a DBR-pilot OK.
Group
The 352nd Fighter Group were based at Bodney, Norfolk from July 1943 until November 1945 but in the winter months of 1944/1945 detachments moved to bases in Belgium to provide extra air support to ground forces during the Battle of the Bulge and to...
Group
The 353rd Fighter Group was assigned to the Eighth Air Force on 7 June 1943. The group flew P-47 Thunderbolts, and from October 1944, P-51 Mustangs, as escorts for bombing missions across occupied Europe and to strafe targets on the ground. Tactical...
Group
Where the 353rd Fighter Group had pioneered ground strafing techniques, it was the 355th Fighter Group who destroyed more enemy aircraft by ground strafing than any other Eighth Air Force Group. Based at Steeple Morden from July 1943 to July 1945, the...
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...
Group
Some of the pilots of the 4th Fighter Group had seen many hours of combat by the time they joined the 4th Fighter Group as they had volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The three 'Eagle Squadrons' of RAF Fighter...
Group
Flying P-47 Thunderbolts throughout their time stationed in England, the Group, known as "the Wolfpack", had more ace pilots than any other Eighth Air Force Fighter Group. The 56th Fighter Group also destroyed more enemy aircraft in air combat than any...
Group
The 78th Fighter Group was initially based at Goxhill but moved to Duxford in April 1943 and stayed there until October 1945. The 78th FG flew each of the three US built principal fighters of the AAF in the ETO. In their Thundetbolts, the 78th FG ...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 349 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 2 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 1 |
Military | Flight Lieutenant | Pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
Crashed near St. Omer in P-47D 42-8683 on 22 Oct 43 on a mission in support of B26's of 9th Air Force. Earlier may have been pilot who on return from escorting B17s, ran out of gas and made a forced landing at RAF Ludham on Sept. 27, 1943.
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
16 APR 2019 - update -Previously listed on the Tablets of the Missing in Ardennes American Cemetery & Memorial, Belgium. His remains have been 100% identified in 2019. He will be laid to rest on 11 MAY 2019 in him home town of Andalusia, Alabama,...
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47D-2-RE 42-7989 was assigned 353FG/350FS at Metfileld, UK, On 22-Oct-43 the aircraft, piloted by 2LT Walter B. Stone, was despatched with others of the 353FG to provide escort to b-26 bombers from 9th Air Force. The aircraft was last seen entering a...
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47D-5-RE 42-8683 was assigned to the 353FG/350FS at Metfield, UK. On 22-Oct-43 the aircraft, piloted by 1LT Alan W. Lowe was despatched with other fighters from the 353FG to provide escort to a formation of B-26s from 9th Air Force. While flying at...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 07 July 2015 20:44:03 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to name and description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 7-Jul-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eight War Diary", Roger A. Freeman. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:20 | 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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