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VIII Fighter Command FO-102 FIGHTER SWEEP

14 August 1943

Official description

Not yet known

Description

A combined force of 88 P-47s from: 56FG; and 353FG are dispatched on a divisionary sweep in support of bombers. The citation of this mission in Roger A. Freeman's "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" is not clear on which bombers were supported with this sweep as there are no citations of any bomber mission being flown by VIII Bomber Command on this date. No records could be found to establish that any RAF bomber mission was conducted on this date. So, assuming that Freeman is correct in citing that a fighter mission was flown on this date, it may have simply been a fighter sweep rather than a bomber support mission. There are no losses or claims.

Mission details

1.

Description

FIGHTER DIVERSION

Aircraft type

P-47 Thunderbolt

Notes

Diversion in support of RAF bombers.

Units

  • 353rd Fighter Group

    353rd Fighter Group

    Group
    The 353rd Fighter Group was assigned to the Eighth Air Force on 7 June 1943. The group flew P-47 Thunderbolts, and from October 1944, P-51 Mustangs, as escorts for bombing missions across occupied Europe and to strafe targets on the ground. Tactical...

  • 56th Fighter Group

    56th Fighter Group

    Group
    Flying P-47 Thunderbolts throughout their time stationed in England, the Group, known as "the Wolfpack", had more ace pilots than any other Eighth Air Force Fighter Group. The 56th Fighter Group also destroyed more enemy aircraft in air combat than any...

Mission Statistics

Number of aircraft Sent 88

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
16 May 2015 20:10:50 Lee8thbuff Changes to name and description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 16-May-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:43:19 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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