VIII Fighter Command FO-120 BOMBER ESCORT
2 September 1943Description
A combined force of 182 P-47s from: 4FG; 56FG; 78FG; and 353FG are despatched to escort the B-17 bomber formations that are sent to attck German airfields in NW France. Because the weather hampers boming efforts and most of the formations abort, the fighters conduct fighter sweeps instead. At this time in the air war, fighter escort for bombers was limited beacuse of the ahort range of the P-47 fighter. Even with the addition of drop tanks the range of the fighters was still limited. The fighters were instructed to stay with the bombers in primarily a defensive mode. There was some "sweeping" activity ahead of the bomber stream but very limited. It would still be a long time (March 1944) before fighters would be employed in a "search and destroy", offensive, capacity. 3 P-47s Failed to Return (FTR)-2KIA 1POW. Freeman lists one P-47 as a Category E (Damaged Beyond Repair) associated with this mission but further information was discovered by Bishop & Hey that this loss was associated with a training flight and not related to combat.
Mission Details
Description: FIGHTER ESCORT
Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
Notes: Fighter escort intended for bombers but carried out fighter sweep instead.
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Mission Statistics
- People killed in action: 2
- Prisoners of war: 1
- Aircraft sent: 182
- Aircraft missing in action: 3
- Aircraft damaged: 1
Connections
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People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 350th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-665391
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 56th Fighter Group 63rd Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-665556
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 334th Fighter Squadron 336th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-885233
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 56th Fighter Group 63rd Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-661401
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 29-May-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
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'.