Mission 8

Mission Summaries > January 1944

TUESDAY, 4 JANUARY 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):

2 missions are flown:

Mission 174:

2 targets in Germany are hit; 19 bombers and 2 fighters are lost.

371 of 439 B-17's and 115 of 130 B-24's are dispatched to the port area at Kiel; 7 B-17's and 34 B-24's hit targets of opportunity; they claim 4-12-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 11 B-17's and 6 B-24's are lost; 2 B-17's and 3 B-24's are damaged beyond repair and 111 B-17's and 16 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 22 KIA, 53 WIA and 170 MIA. 70 P-38's and 42 Ninth Air Force P-51's escort; they claim 1-1-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38 and 1 P-51 are lost and 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair; casualties are 1 WIA and 2 MIA.

68 of 75 B-17's hit Munster; 2 B-17's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 35 damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 20 MIA. 430 P-47's escort; they claim 7-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is damaged.

Mission 175:

During the evening, 4 B-17's drop 800,000 leaflets on Orleans, Lorient, Rouen and Tours, France at 2005-2021 hours; no losses. This is the first CARPETBAGGER operation from Tempsford, England on this night. US airplanes begin flying supplies from UK to underground resistance forces in W Europe, this operation being coded CARPETBAGGER.

Target: Kiel, Germany - Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft U-Boot-Stift
8th Air Force F.O. No:	174
Aircraft Taking Off:	27
Aircraft Dispatched:	17
Aircraft Aborts:	1
Aircraft Over Primary:	16
Aircraft Over Secondary:	0
Aircraft Over Last Resort:	0
Aircraft Bomb Load:	5 x 500 lb. AN-M43 General Purpose bombs 5 x 500 lb. AN-M50-E4 Incendiary Cluster bombs
Group Bomb Load:	80 x 500 lb. AN-M43 General Purpose bombs 80 x 500 lb. AN-M50-E4 Incendiary Cluster bombs
Results:	Unobserved
Tactical Mission Report:	Mission Data: Date: Primary Target: Secondary Target: Last Resort Target: Units Participating: Narrative: Assembly: First ship off at 0800, 10 more followed immediately followed. Remainder was delayed 20 minutes because a plane got stuck in mud off the perimeter track and another plane which had taken off ran off the runway upon returning to field for electrical flying equipment which was lost between briefing room and aircraft. Normal Group assembly plan was used at 10,000 ft. altitude over Splasher #6. Group was in formation by 0928. Departed Splasher #6 at 0935 at 16,000 ft altitude on time and headed for Buncher #6. Arrived 0940 at Buncher #6, made 180 degree left hand turn in front of 389th Group, and a 90 degree right turn into 2nd Bomb Wing formation with 3 minutes to spare. Wing, Division and Air Force assembly was very good. We followed close behind 1st Division (B-17's), zig zagging to avoid over-running their formation. We made enemy landfall at 1200, which was visible due to a break in 10/10 cloud cover. The Isle of Heligoland put up very heavy flak barrage low and right of our course. Target: Some confusion arose because of turns that were made between the I.P. and the target. This was due to a sudden wind shift which changed the axis of attack. Bombs were released on smoke markers dropped by PFF aircraft. At the Bomb Release Line the clouds were 10/10 coverage, however there was a hole directly over Kiel and we were able to orient ourselves immediately and saw several rows of bombs in the target area. Flak was moderate in the target area and bursting at our altitude - 24,000 ft. Return: On turning off target a B-17 Group passed in front of us at our altitude, and so close that we could not avoid their contrails. Our Group went on instruments for about a minute and was badly broken up. The entire Group was never able to reform on return. Crossed the English coast at 12,000 ft at 1432. Landed at 1445.
Losses: None
Note: 10 aircraft were not dispatched; aircraft 42-7563 aborted over enemy territory and jettisoned his bombs in the channel.

Kiel Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft U-Boot-Stift and Port Area