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20 August 1942
Principle of coordinated day and night bombing receive its first formal definition in ‘Joint British/American Directive on Day Bomber Operations involving Fighter Cooperation.’ Emphasis is placed on achieving continuity in bombing offensive from UK. 11 Heavy Bombers attack Longeau Marshalling Yard at Amiens, a vital point in the traffic flow between France and Germany.
Bombers from 97BG are despatched to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Amiens/Longeau, France. 12 Spitfires from 31st Fighter Group provide escort. 31st Fighter Group also despatches Spitfires on diversions and for an RAF Lysander on Air Sea Rescue (ASR) duties.
FIGHTER DIVERSION
Spitfire
A diversion sweep.
Group
The 31st Fighter Group only flew missions from England between June and September 1942 but during this period they supported the Dieppe raid, the assault on occupied Europe, predominantly by the Canadian army. The attack was forced into early retreat...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 12 |
FIGHTER DIVERSION
Spitfire
A diversion with RAF Defiants.
Group
The 31st Fighter Group only flew missions from England between June and September 1942 but during this period they supported the Dieppe raid, the assault on occupied Europe, predominantly by the Canadian army. The attack was forced into early retreat...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 12 |
FIGHTER DIVERSION
Spitfire
Diversion
Group
The 31st Fighter Group only flew missions from England between June and September 1942 but during this period they supported the Dieppe raid, the assault on occupied Europe, predominantly by the Canadian army. The attack was forced into early retreat...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 11 |
FIGHTER ESCORT
Spitfire
12 Spitfires escort the bombers.
Group
The 31st Fighter Group only flew missions from England between June and September 1942 but during this period they supported the Dieppe raid, the assault on occupied Europe, predominantly by the Canadian army. The attack was forced into early retreat...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 12 |
FIGHTER ESCORT
Spitfire
Escort for an RAF Lysander on Air Sea Rescue duties.
Group
The 31st Fighter Group only flew missions from England between June and September 1942 but during this period they supported the Dieppe raid, the assault on occupied Europe, predominantly by the Canadian army. The attack was forced into early retreat...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 2 |
MARSHALLING YARDS
B-17 Flying Fortress
Railroad marshalling yards at Amiens, France are attacked.
Group
The 97th Bomb Group flew the Eighth Air Force's first heavy bomber mission from the UK when they bombed a marshalling yard at Rouen on 17 August 1942. Just a month later though the Group were reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force and left England for the...
| Tonnage dropped | 23.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 12 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 11 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 18 September 2018 13:01:22 | Emily | Changes to official description |
| Sources | ||
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by Carter / Mueller, the Office of Air Force History, |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 25 October 2014 20:47:12 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 25-Oct-2014. Mission description based on "USAAF Combat Chronology" Jack McKillop http://www.usaaf.net/chron/index.htm |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:17 | 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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