II./JG 53 - June 8, 1944

[Henofred]

Hello/Bonjour,

A question regarding the excerpt below.

On June 8, 1944 - with regard to the II./JG 53 - Jean-Bernard Frappé in its book « La Luftwaffe face au débarquement allie » states : […] At the same time, other Me-109 start a fight against a composite group of allied four-engines where the Germans counted about 25 B-17 and as many B-24. Two bombers are claimed by pilots of the 4. Staffel, a Liberator by Lt. Schmiedel and a Flying Fortress by Lt. Russ. This latter falls into the sea some thirty kilometers north-east of the Pointe of Barfleur [...]. He added also that: […] Uncertainties remain as to the date and time of victories claimed [...] by Lt. Schmiedel [...]

Provided that it is the correct date, any idea of the USAAF Bombs Groups which have been attacked by the Me-109 of II./JG 53?

Regards,
Frederic

[focusfocus]

Bonsoir

under reserve,probably the 446 B.Group,390 B.Group or 493 B.Group (each lost a plane that day;a B.24 for the 446 and B.17 for the others)

regards

[Henofred]

Hello focusfocus,

I made some quick searches and none of the crashes location are North-East of Cherbourg.

446 BG - B-24 serial 42-109830 “Daisy Mae Scraggs” – Crashed Isle of Chausey
390 BG – B-17 serial 42109830 “Prowlin Tom” – Crashed near Roye-Amy, France
493 BG – B-24 serial 42-94927 “Sweet Job!” – Crashed Lanrelas, France

Thanks a lot for your answer and these few possibilities.

Regards,
Frederic

[Andy Mitchell]

Not much help but below is an extract from "U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II - Combat Chronology 1941 - 1945"
Compiled by Kit C. Carter Robert Mueller (Center for Air Force History
Washington, DC 1991)

6/8/44 Eighth AF
Attacks are made on comm to isolate German forward elements, and A/Fs are bombed to prevent German air spt. Cloud conditions prevent over 400 HBs from executing assignments but 735 attack tgts including A/Fs at Rennes and Le Mans and bridges, M/Ys and other railroad facilities, and various
T/Os at or near Tours, Nantes, Cinq Marsla-Pile, Pontaubalt, La Vicomte-sur-Rance, Angers, Orleans, la Friliere, Etampes, and Morigny. 3 bmrs are lost. VIII FC, flying 1,405 ftr sorties on this day, sends FB attacks against nearly 75 tgts, including railroad facilities, bridges, convoys, A/Fs, barges, radio
towers, troop concentration, a transformer, and a coastal gun. Ftrs and FBs destroy nearly 400 rail, ground transport, and military vehicles and claim 46 airplanes destroyed. 22 ftrs of VIII FC are lost.

[Andy Mitchell]

From "Eigth Air Force Historical Society hopefully this and the earlier post may help in identifying the target. Using other functionality on this site you can find more details of the mission reports and the three losses.

THURSDAY, 8 JUNE 1944

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 400: 1,178 bombers and 1,353 fighter sorties are flown on communications in France to isolate German forward elements, and airfields are bombed to prevent Luftwaffe support. Cloud conditions prevent 400+ bombers from executing attacks.
1. 640 B-17s are dispatched to La Frilliere (66 bomb), Orleans (36 bomb), Rennes Airfield (30 bomb), Orleans/Les Aubrais marshalling yard (60 bomb), Nantes (25 bomb), La Huchetiere (31 bomb), Tours/La Riche (61 bomb) and Cinq Mars bridge (57 bomb); 18 hit Bruz, 2 hit Rennes and 13 hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 63 damaged; 11 airmen are KIA and 10 MIA.

2. 538 B-24s are dispatched to Pontaubault (67 bomb), Angers/St Laud (24 bomb), Angers (19 bomb), Le Mans/Arnage Airfield (14 bomb), Pontaubault (13 bomb), Nantes (42 bomb) and Cinq Mars bridge (55 bomb); 5 hit Dinon, 1 hits Precey, 1 hits Cinq Mars bridge, 30 hit Grandville Harbor, 19 hit a bridge at Rennes, 9 hit Precey and 26 hit targets of opportunity; an attack on the Melun bridge by an Azon unit is foiled by clouds; 2 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 73 damaged; 17 airmen are KIA, 4 WIA and 20 MIA. Escort for the bombers is provided by 116 P-51s; they claim 3-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost and 1 is damaged beyond repair. Other fighter-bomber missions are:
1. 381 P-38s, 24 P-47s and 89 P-51s fly sweeps and patrols along the Normandy beachhead and the Channel area; P-47s claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 P-51s are lost; 1 P-38 and 1 P-51 are damaged beyond repair.

2. 333 P-47s and 526 P-51s fly fighter-bomber missions against communications in NW France; they claim 27-2-4 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 21-0-11 on the ground; 6 P-47s and 11 P-51s are lost; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair.

Overall, the fighters fly 1,405 sorties and attack nearly 75 targets; 1 pilot is KIA and 21 MIA during the day.

[Henofred]

Thank you Andy for these excerpts and also for your work via the vaious websites you feed.

Best regards,
Frederic

[Andy Mitchell]

no problem