VIII Fighter Command FO-88 BOMBER ESCORT

31 July 1943

Description

A combined force of 128 P-47 from "4FG; 56FG; and 78FG are despatched to ecsort 24 B-26s from 387BG that are flying a diversion (VIII ASC 11E) for VIII ASC 11A-11D.

Mission Details

DUNKIRK

Description: FIGHTER ESCORT

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt

Notes: Fighter escort for 387th Bomb Group diversion to Dunkirk.

4th Fighter Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

56th Fighter Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

From left to right: Captain Walker L. Boone, Flight Officer Manuel S. Martinez and Flight Officer Gerry E. Brasher, pilots of the 82nd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, sit on the bonnet of a jeep at Duxford air base. Passed for publication 28 October 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Thunderbolts - the "Guardian Angels" of Flying Fortresses. Here are pictures of Thunderbolts P-47s, the famous American fighter planes, which escort Flying Fortresses on their daylight missions over Occupied Europe. Pho

78th Fighter Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

Mission Statistics

Aircraft sent: 128
Aircraft effective: 128

Revisions

Date12 May 2015 20:54:29

ContributorLee8thbuff

Changes

Sources

Lee Cunningham 12-May-2015. Added Mission Statistics of number of AC despatched per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman

Date12 May 2015 20:52:45

ContributorLee8thbuff

Changes

Sources

Lee Cunningham 12-May-2015. Edited Title and added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:43:21

ContributorAAM

Changes

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'.