26 November 1943
Not yet known
This mission is composed of two fighter elements. The first element is a combined force of 28 P-38s from 55FG and some of 20FG/73FS despatched to escort B-17 formations attacking Bremen, Germany. There are no losses of claims in this element.
The seconf element is a combined force of 353 P-47s from 4FG, 56FG, 78FG, 352FG, 353FG, 355FG, and 356FG. 4 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 2KIA 1POW 1EVD. 3 crash land on return and are Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) 3RTD. 7 others are damaged. The fighters claim 36-3-9 of attacking German aircraft.
FIGHTER ESCORT
P-38 Lightning
20th Fighter Group/77th Fighter Squadron flew with the 55th Fighter Group. Escort for heavy bombers on Bremen raid.
Group
In August 1943, the 20th Fighter Group arrived in Clyde, Scotland, before travelling to Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, which was to be their base for the rest of the war. The Group flew 312 missions before their last mission on 25 April 1945. The...
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 | 28 |
FIGHTER ESCORT
P-47 Thunderbolt
Fighters rack up good scores on the Luftwaffe.
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 | 353 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 4 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 2 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 1 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 1 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Fighter Command | 36 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Fighter Command | 3 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 9 |
Military | Technical Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 351st Bomb Group
Damaged by fighters and flak enroute on a mission to Schweinfurt, GR and crashed on the return near Amiens, FR on 24 Feb 1944 in B-17F #42-3517 'Happy Warrior'. Evaded (EVD).
...
Military | Flight Officer | Fighter pilot
Killed in Action (KIA) on 26-Nov-43 as pilot of P-47D 42-8681 [HL:E], 78FG/83FS when his aircraft was shot down by German fighters near Val d'Oise, France. He was on a mission to escort bombers attacking at Paris, France. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot
On 26-Nov-43 while piloting P-47D 42-8573 [WZ:L], 78FG/84FS the aircraft was attacked by German fighters and shot down near Moiselles, France while on a mission to escort bombers attacking at Paris, France. 2LT Dougherty was able to bale out of the...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot
On 26-Nov-43 as pilot of P-47C 41-6188 [MX:U], 78FG/82FS 2LT John Herrick was despatched with 76 other P-47s to provide escort for bomber formations attacking at Bremen, Germany. His aircraft was shot down by German fighters near Chantilly, France. He...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 56th Fighter Group
On 26-Nov-43 as pilot of P-47D 42-7979 [LM:C] "Annie M", 56FG/62FS he was despatched with other P-47s of 56FG to provide escrot for bombers attacking at Bremen, Germany. His aircraft was hit by flak which punctured to fuel tanks and he was forced to...
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47D-2-RE 42-7979 [LM:C] "Annie M" was assigned to the 56FG/62FS at Halesworth, UK. On 26-Nov-43 the aircraft, piloted by 1LT Byron L. Morrill, was despatched with other P-47 from 56FG to provide escort to bomber formations attacking at Bremen,...
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47D-5-RE 42-8573 [WZ:L] was assigned to the 78FG/84FS at Duxford, UK. On 26-Nov-43 the aircraft, piloted by 2LT Wayne W. Dougherty, was despatched with other P-47s from 78FG to escort bombers attacking at Paris, France. The aircraft was shot down by...
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47D-5-RE 42-8681 [HL:E] was assigned to the 78FG/83FS at Duxford, UK. The aircraft, piloted by F/O Ralph E. Cormier, was despatched with other P-47 from 78FG to provide escort to bombers attacking at Paris, France. The aircraft was shot down by...
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47C-2-RE 41-6188 [MX:U] was assigned to 78FG/82FS at Duxford, UK. On 26-Nov-43 the aircraft, piloted by 2LT John Herrick, was despatched with others from 78FG to provide escort to bombers attacking at Bremen, Germany. The aircraft was shot down by...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 14 July 2015 20:38:03 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 14-Jul-2015. Added fighter claims on enemy aircraft to P-47 element atatistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 July 2015 20:36:38 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to name and description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 14-Jul-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth 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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