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8th Air Force Europe in August 1943
SUNDAY, 1 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): The 577th, 578th and 579th Bom- bardment Squadrons (Heavy), 392d Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrive at Wend- ling, England from the US with B-24's. The squadrons will fly their first mission on 6 Sep 43 and remain at this station until Jun 45.
MONDAY, 2 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Air Support Command Missions 12A and 12B: Two airfields in France are targetted.
1. 34 B-26's are dispatched to Merville Airfield; 31 hit the target at 0810 hours; 1 aircraft is damaged beyond repair and 15 are damaged.
2. 21 B-26's are dispatched to the St. Omer/Ft. Rouge Airfield; 18 hit the target at 0900 hours; 13 aircraft are damaged.
Total casualties for both missions are 6 WIA.
VIII Air Support Command Missions 13A and 13B: An attack Woensdrecht Airfield, The Netherlands is cancelled; Mission 13B is a diversion.
TUESDAY, 3 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Major General William E. Kepner becomes Commanding General, VIII Fighter Command.
HQ 353d Fighter Group and it's 350th Fighter Squadron transfer from Goxhill to Metfield, England with P-47's; the squadron will fly it's first mission on 9 Aug. These units will remain at this station until Apr 44.
WEDNESDAY, 4 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Air Support Command Mission 14: 36 B-26's are dispatched to shipyards at Le Trait, France; 33 hit the target at 1926 hours without loss or casualties.
The 416th Night Fighter Squadron, VIII Fighter Command, begins moving from Acklington, England to Algiers, Algeria with Beaufighters.
THURSDAY, 5 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): The 351st Fighter Squadron, 353d Fighter Group, transfers from Goxhill to Metfield, England with P-47's. The squadron will fly it's first mission on Monday and remain at this station until Apr 44.
FRIDAY, 6 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): The 352d Fighter Squadron, 353d Fighter Group, transfers from Goxhill to Raydon, England with P-47's. The squadron will fly it's first combat mission on Monday and will remain at this station until Apr 44.
SUNDAY, 8 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Air Support Command Mission 15: 36 B-26's are dispatched to Poix/Nord Airfield, France but the forma- tion is turned back by weather.
MONDAY, 9 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Air Support Command Mis- sions 16A and 16B: 72 B-26's are dispatched to the St Omer/Ft Rouge Air- field in France; clouds prevent bombing and only 1 aircraft hits the target at 1904 hours; 11 aircraft are damaged and 6 men are WIA.
THURSDAY, 12 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 81: The Ruhr is targetted with the bombers concentrating on manufacturing installations and synthetic oil.
1. 183 B-17's are dispatched to synthetic oil installations at Bochum, Gelsenkirchen and Recklinghausen; some B-17's become separated on the bomb run and bomb various targets of opportunity; 133 B-17's hit the targets at 0845-0925 hours; they claim 25-5-11 Luftwaffe aircraft; 23 B-17's are lost, 2 are damaged beyond repair and 103 are damaged; casualties are 5 KIA, 49 WIA and 232 MIA.
2. 147 B-17's are dispatched to manufacturing installations at Bonn; 110 hit the target at 0850-0858 hours; they claim 4-2-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 69 are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 7 WIA and 21 MIA.
VIII Air Support Command Missions 17 and 18: 71 B-26's are dispatched to the Poix/Nord Airfield in France; 34 hit the target at 1052 hours; 13 aircraft are damaged.
SUNDAY, 15 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 82: Luftwaffe airfields in France and the Netherlands are targetted today.
1. 180 B-17's are dispatched to Vlissingen Airfield in the Netherlands and Amiens and Poix Airfield in France; 147 aircraft hit the targets at 1926-1931 hours; 48 B-17's are damaged; casualties are 3 WIA.
2. 147 B-17's are dispatched to Merville, Lille/Vendeville and Vitry en Artois Airfields in France; 143 hit the targets at 1925-1933 hours; they claim 9-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17's are lost and 11 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 3 WIA and 20 MIA.
VIII Air Support Command Missions 19A, 19B and 20: Three Luftwaffe air- fields are targetted:
1. 36 B-26's are dispatched against St Omer/Ft Rouge Airfield in France; 31 hit the target at 0959 hours; 18 B-26's are damaged.
2. 36 B-26's are dispatched against Woensdrecht Airfield, The Netherlands; they turn back at the Dutch coast aborted the mission.
3. 21 B-26's are dispatched against the marshalling yard at Abbeville, France; 19 hit the target at 1933 hours; 9 aircraft are damaged; casualties are 1 WIA.
MONDAY, 16 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 83: Luftwaffe facilities in France are targetted today.
1. 179 B-17's and 1 YB-40 are dispatched to Le Bourget air depot in the Paris area; 171 hit the target at 0929-0937 hours; they claim 29-3-11 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17's are lost and 46 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 4 WIA and 31 MIA; this mission is escorted all the way to the target by P-47's using drop tanks.
2. 66 B-17's are dispatched to Poix and Abbeville Airfields; all 66 hit the targets at 0911-0923 hours; 38 aircraft are damaged; no casualties.
VIII Air Support Command Missions 21, 22A and 22B: Airfields in France are targetted today; no casualties.
1. 36 B-26's are dispatched to Bernay St Martin Airfield; 31 hit the target at 1117 hours; 2 aircraft are damaged.
2. 36 B-26's are dispatched to Beaumont Le Roger Airfield; 29 hit the target at 1700 hours and 3 hit Conches Airfield at 1703 hours; 3 aircraft are damaged.
3. A diversion is flown by B-26's of the 323d Bombardment Group (Medium).
TUESDAY, 17 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 84: On the first anniversary of US heavy bomber operations from the UK, a two-pronged attack into Germany is launched, marking the deepest penetra- tion of German territory to date. The critical targets are the Messer- schmitt complex at Regensburg, and the anti-friction-bearing factories at Schweinfurt.
1. 230 B-17's are dispatched to Schweinfurt; 188 hit the target at 1459- 1511 hours; they claim 148-18-63 Luftwaffe aircraft; 36 B-17's are lost, 3 are damaged beyond repair and 118 damaged; casualties are 3 KIA, 12 WIA and 352 MIA; there are 80 high explosive hits on the 2 main bearing plants.
2. 146 B-17's are dispatched to Regensburg; 127 hit the target at 1148- 1207 hours; they claim 140-19-36 Luftwaffe aircraft; 24 B-17's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 50 are damaged; casualties are 4 KIA, 9 WIA and 200 MIA; every important building in the complex is damaged; the surviving aircraft continue on to bases in North Africa.
60 B-17's are lost in the fierce air battle that extends to the targets and continues after the bombing.
VIII Air Support Command Missions 23 and 24: Two airfields in France are targetted.
1. 36 B-26's are dispatched to Bryas Sud Airfield; 29 hit the target at 1051 hours; 2 aircraft are damaged.
2. 72 B-26's are dispatched to Poix/Nord Airfield; 35 hit the target at 1552 hours; 20 aircraft are damaged; casualties are 1 WIA.
During the night of 17/18 Aug the Royal Air Force (RAF) begins Operation CROSSBOW, massive attacks on German V-weapon sites. About 570 aircraft drop 2,000 tons of bombs on Peenemunde, Germany.
WEDNESDAY, 18 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Air Support Command Missions 25A and 25B: Two Luftwaffe airfields are targetted:
1. 36 B-26's are dispatched to Lille/Vendeville Airfield in France; because of mechanical trouble with communications equipment and the bombsight in the lead plane, 22 aircraft bomb the Ypres/Vlamertinge Air- field in Belgium at 1016 hours; 23 aircraft are damaged; there are no casualties.
2. 36 B-26's are dispatched to Woensdrecht Airfield in the Netherlands; 32 hit the target at 1032 hours; 8 aircraft are damaged; there are no casualties.
THURSDAY, 19 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 85: Three Luftwaffe airfields in The Netherlands are targetted:
1. 125 B-17's are dispatched to Gilze-Rijen and Flushing Airfields; 38 B-17's hit Gilze-Rijen at 1802-1814 hours and 55 hit Flushing at 1756 hours; they claim 29-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17's are lost and 42 damaged; casualties are 9 WIA and 41 MIA; this mission is escorted by 175 P-47's who claim 9-2-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is lost and the pilot is listed as MIA.
2. 45 B-17's are dispatched to Woensdrecht Airfield but weather prevents them hitting the target.
VIII Air Support Command Missions 27A, 27B and 28: Three Luftwaffe air- fields in France are targetted:
1. 36 B-26's are dispatched to Amiens/Glisy Airfield; all hit the target at 1129 hours; they claim 1-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-26 is damaged beyond repair and 9 are damaged; casualties are 2 WIA.
2. 36 B-26's are dispatched to Poix/Nord Airfield; 35 hit the target at 1218 hours; 1 aircraft is damaged; there are no casualties.
3. 36 B-26's are dispatched to Bryas Sud Airfield but the target is obscured by cloud and the mission is aborted.
FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ 66th Fighter Wing transfers from Duxford, England to Sawston, England where it will remain until Oct 45.
HQ 482d Bombardment Group (Pathfinder) and it's 812th, 813th and 814th Bombardment Squadrons (Pathfinder) are activated at Alconbury, England where they will remain until May/Jun 45. The 812th and 813th, equipped with B-17's, will fly their first pathfinder mission on 27 Sep 43 and 24 Sep respectively; the 814th, equipped with B-24's, will fly it's first path- finder mission on 11 Jan 44.
SUNDAY, 22 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Air Support Command Missions 30A and 30B: Two Luftwaffe airfields in France are the targets:
1. 36 B-26's are dispatched to the Beaumont-le-Roger Airfield; 35 hit the target at 2110 hours; they claim 3-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-26 is lost and 8 are damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 6 MIA.
2. 36 B-26's are dispatched to the Poix/Nord Airfield; they all return early when they are unable to contact the escort fighters, RAF Spitfires.
TUESDAY, 24 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 86 Part I: An air depot and airfields in France are targetted:
1. 110 B-17's are dispatched to the Villacoublay Air Depot; 86 hit the target at 1800-1805 hours; they claim 1-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 64 aircraft are damaged; casualties are 10 WIA.
2. 42 B-17's are dispatched to the Conches and Evreux/Fauville Airfields; 22 hit the target at 1844-1858 hours; they claim 0-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is lost and 15 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 9 WIA.
3. 35 of 36 B-17's fly a diversion without incident.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 86 Part II: 85 B-17's, which had flown to North Africa after attacking Regensburg, Germany on 17 Aug, are dispatched to the Bordeaux/Merignac Airfield; 58 hit the target at 1157-1200 hours; they claim 3-3-10 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-17's are lost, 2 are damaged beyond repair and 40 damaged; casualties are 30 MIA. 9 B-17's returned to North Africa after encountering difficulties.
VIII Air Support Command Missions 33A & 33B: B-26's fly 2 diversions for the B-17's.
WEDNESDAY, 25 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): US heavy bombers are assigned i role of bombing important Luftwaffe targets in Operation STARKEY, designed to contain enemy forces in the west to prevent their transfer to Eastern Front, and to serve as a dress rehearsal in the Pas de Calais, France area for the invasion of W Europe. The Allies hope to provoke the Luftwaffe into a prolonged air battle.
VIII Air Support Command Missions 34A & 34B: Two locations in France are targetted:
1. 21 B-26's are dispatched to the power station at Rouen; all hit the target at 1832 hours; 2 aircraft are damaged.
2. 36 B-26's are dispatched to Tricqueville Airfield; 31 hit the target at 1834 hours; they claim 1-8-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-26's are damaged.
HQ 45th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) arrives at Brampton Grange, England from the US; it will remain at this station until Sep 43.
THURSDAY, 26 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Air Support Command Mission 35: 36 B-26's are dispatched to Caen/Carpiquet Airfield, France; all hit the target at 1846 hours; 1 B-26 is damaged beyond repair when it crashes on landing.
HQ 67th Fighter Wing arrives at Walcot Hall, England from the US. The wing will remain at this station until Oct 45.
HQ 20th Fighter Group arrives at Kings Cliffe, England from the US. The group will remain at this station until Oct 45.
The 359th and 360th Fighter Squadrons, 356th Fighter Group, arrive at Goxhill, England from the US with P-47's.
FRIDAY, 27 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 87: 224 B-17's are dispatched to the German rocket-launching site construction at Watten, France; 187 hit the target at 1846-1941 hours; they claim 7-0-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 98 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 18 WIA and 32 MIA. The mission escort consists of 173 P-47's; they claim 8-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is lost and the pilot is listed as MIA. This is the first of the Eighth Air Force's missions against V-weapon sites (later designated NOBALL targets).
VIII Air Support Command Missions 36A & 36B: Two missions are scheduled to targets in France:
1. 36 B-26's are dispatched to the Poix Nord Airfield; 35 hit the target at 0826 hours; there are no losses or casualties.
2. 21 B-26's are dispatched to the Rouen Power Station but the mission is aborted because of bad weather and extremely heavy enemy fighter opposition.
HQ 356th Fighter Group and it's 360th Fighter Squadron arrive at Goxhill, England from the US with P-47's. The squadron will fly it's first combat mission on 15 Oct.
The 77th and 79th Fighter Squadrons, 20th Fighter Group, arrive at Kings Cliffe, England from the US with P-38's. The squadrons will fly their first mission on 28 Dec 43.
SUNDAY, 29 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Major General William E Kepner succeeds Major General Frank O Hunter as Commanding General VIII Fighter Command.
MONDAY, 30 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): The 482d Bombardment Group (Pathfinder), a Pathfinder (PFF) group fitted with British Oboe and H2S and US H2X blind-bombing equipment, becomes operational.
VIII Air Support Command Mission 38: 36 B-26's are dispatched to an ammunition dump at Foret d'Eperlecques near Saint-Omer, France; 33 hit the target at 1859 hours; 14 aircraft are damaged; casualties are 3 WIA.
TUESDAY, 31 AUGUST 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 88: Two aviation locations in France are targetted:
1. 170 B-17's are dispatched to Amiens/Glisy Airfield; 105 hit the target at 1807-1824 hours; they claim 5-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-17's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 35 damaged; casualties are 5 KIA, 8 WIA and 33 MIA.
2. 149 B-17's are dispatched to the aircraft plant at Meulan; the plant is cloud covered and 1 B-17 hits a railway NE of Rouen; 19 B-17s are damaged; casualties are 1 WIA.
These missions are escorted by 160 P-47's which claim 2-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-47's are lost and both pilots are listed as MIA.
VIII Air Support Command Missions 41 and 42: 216 B-26's are dispatched to Rouen and Mazingarbe power stations; Poix/Nord and Lille/Nord Airfields; and the Hesdin fuel dump; 104 hit the targets; 1 B-26 is lost and 13 damaged; casualties are 5 WIA and 6 MIA.
Source:
COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
Jack McKillop
USAF (Airways and Air Communications Service)
1955-59
used sources by McKillop:
AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1961, ISBN 0-912799-02-1
COMBAT SQUADRONS OF THE AIR FORCE, WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF 1982
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by the Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1973
