70 years ago today 22 July 1944 - From the 8th AF Historical Society database and The Mighty Eighth War Diary by Roger A. Freeman. Bad weather restricted operations on this date, and no bombing missions were dispatched. Operations were limited to leaflet drops and weather reconnaissance. Mission 488: Three 305BG and four 306BG B-17s drop leaflets on Bremen, Hamburg and Kiel, Germany; 1 B-17 is damaged. Escort is provided by 27 of 34 P-51s of 4FG; 2 P-51s are damaged beyond repair, one after t/o, Audley End, pilot KIA, the other P-51 c/l on return Carlton Hawthorne, pilot safe. OTHER OPERATIONS: 802RG dispatched 5 B-17s (2 aborted) on WR Atlantic/Azores and 1 Mosquito on WR central France. Mission 489 - NIGHT LEAFLET OPERATION: 7 of 7 B-17s of 1BD, 422BS drop leaflets in France and the Netherlands during the night. 801BG dispatched 44 B-24s on CARPETBAGGER missions.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 18:32:25 +0000