Official description
12 Heavy Bombers hit the shipyard of Ateliers et Chantiers Maritime de la Seine at Le Trait.
General Spaatz reports RAF attitude towards US daylight precision bombing seems to be changing from one of skepticism to one of tentative approval.
Description
97BG despatches 12 B-17s on a mission to bomb the shipyards at Le Trait, France.
Mission details
1.
Description
FIGHTER INTERCEPT
Aircraft type
Spitfire
Notes
One group of 12, and another of 6, Spitfires of 31st Fighter Group are despatched to intercept an enemy raider. No enemy aircraft is sighted.
Units
-
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...
Mission Statistics
Number of aircraft Sent |
18 |
2. LE TRAIT
Description
SHIP YARD
Aircraft type
B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes
No fighters escort this mission. The general consensus of opinion by 8th Air Force Staff at this time in the war was that the B-17 "FLYING FORTRESS" was such a formidable aircraft, and so well armed, that fighter escort would not be needed. It will take some time and unacceptable losses before this attitude changes.
Units
-
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...
Mission Statistics
Tonnage dropped |
None |
Number of aircraft Sent |
12 |
Number of aircraft Effective |
12 |
Number of aircraft Damaged |
3 |
Number of people Wounded in Action |
5 |
Number of people Returned To Duty |
5 |
Service
People
-
Military | Captain | Bombardier | 97th Bomb Group
Woodford Ross "Tommy" Thompson, Jr. Bombardier on B-17F "Berlin Sleeper II" A/C 41-24370, 97th BG, 342nd Sqdn, 1942-1943, completed 50 missions from England and North Africa
Aircraft
-
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered MacDill 29BG 7/5/42; Assigned 340BS/97BG Polebrook /6/42; 92BG Bovingdon /9/42; CCRC /43; Salvaged NBD 6/10/44. (? first B-17 to crash landed ELG Manston, UK 24/8/42 ?).