Official description
Not yet known
Description
176 P-47s from: 4FG; 56FG; 78FG; and 353FG are despatched on figher sweeps of the Knokke/Bruges/Lille/St. Omer areas of Belgium and France. There are no losses or claims and no german fighters are encountered. This is typical for the Luftwaffe whose strategic aims are to not to engage in purely fighter-on-fighter encounters. The Luftwaffe wants to conserve their fighter resources to attack bombers (US and RAF).
Mission details
1. KNOKKE / BRUGES / LILLE / SAINT OMER
Description
FIGHTER SWEEP
Aircraft type
P-47 Thunderbolt
Notes
Fighter sweep of Knokke/Bruges/Lille/St.Omer area
Units
-
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...
-
Group
Some of the pilots of the 4th Fighter Group had seen many hours of combat by the time they joined the 4th Fighter Group as they had volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The three 'Eagle Squadrons' of RAF Fighter...
-
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...
-
Group
The 78th Fighter Group was initially based at Goxhill but moved to Duxford in April 1943 and stayed there until October 1945. The 78th FG flew each of the three US built principal fighters of the AAF in the ETO. In their Thundetbolts, the 78th FG ...
Mission Statistics
Number of aircraft Sent |
176 |