Marauder loss? 7 June 1944 - KU 2161

[Leendert]

KU-2161 (see https://catalog.archives.gov/id/147883155?objectPage=3) refers to an apparent shoot down of a B-26 Marauder near Coxyde (Koksijde) in SW Belgium on the French border. Other German entries say nearby La/De Panne. This on 7 June 1944.
Before embarking on a wild goose chase, were any USAAF B-26 (or A-20) Groups active in that area? I gathered all/most were busy in the Normandy invasion instead.
Since I found no direct MACR or MIA linked to the claim, I wonder if the report was a bit optimistic from German perspective.

Any info to the contrary is welcome, thanks.

Leendert

[Buckeye30]

Hi Leendert. The Ninth AF missions were to French targets on 7th; 2 bomber losses but not near Belgium.
( B-26B 42-95848 391BG, target Briouze, crashed Bretteville (Flak) Normandy, MACR 5689).
( A-20G 43-10205 410BG target La Haye, crashed in the Channel on return, MACR 5653).
Not much help I'm afraid.


Nick

[Leendert]

Indeed, just like Luc Vervoort's post on 23 April 2026 about a bomber emergency landing near Aartrijke (BE), this German Flak claim near Coxyde is bound to stay a mystery.

Leendert

[Laurent Rizzotti]

The KU file says that the loss occured at sea in Coxyde area, so the type was probably a guess by the Germans.

A little possibility (in the absence of any us loss in the area) could be the Mosquito MM451 of 96 Sqn that was abandonned at 0150 hrs on 7 June off Manston. An empty aircraft could very well have flown up to off Coxyde, especially as the crew (that went missing) probably directed it away from UK before bailing out. But it will require a typo on the German document (0150 hrs becoming 1050 hrs)