65th Fighter Wing FO-81 FIGHTER/BOMBER

23 December 1943

Description

46 P-47s from 353FG are despatched on a dive-bombing mission to attack the German airfield at Gilze-Rijen, Holland. 46 P-47s from 56FG provide escort. There are no losses. There are no aerial claims on German aircraft. The number of German aircraft that may have been destroyed or damaged on the ground at the airfield has not yet been determined.

Mission Details

GILZE-RIJEN

Description: DIVE-BOMB ATTACK

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt

Notes: 353rd Fighter Group dive-bombed the airfield at Glize-Rijen, Belgium while the 56th Fighter Group provided escort. Amount of bombs dropped not in available record.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: Not determined
  • Aircraft sent: 46

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 27-Jul-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.

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'.