USAAF Bomber loss of September 9, 1944

[Amrit1]

3 missions are flown.

Mission 613: 68 of 72 B-17s fly Operation GRASSY to drop 180 containers of supplies to French Resistance Fighters 25 miles (40 km) S of Besancon without loss. Escort is provided by 30 of 32 P-51s without loss.

Mission 614: 1,140 bombers and 435 fighters are dispatched to hit targets in W Germany; the primaries are attacked by both visual and PFF means;

14 bombers and 1 fighter are lost:

1. 419 B-17s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Mannheim (387); 2 others hit targets of opportunity; 5 B-17s are lost and 197 damaged; 10 airmen are WIA and 54 MIA. Escort is provided by 140 of 152 P-51s without loss.

2. 337 B-24s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Mainz (265); targets of opportunity are the marshalling yard at Worms (24) and Koblenz (6); 3 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 104 damaged; 5 airmen are KIA and 33 MIA. Escort is provided by 125 of 128 P-51s without loss.

3. 384 B-17s are dispatched to an armaments plant at Dusseldorf (251); targets of opportunity are Bonn (12), Leverkusen (11) and others (16); 6 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 148 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 3 WIA and 63 MIA. Escort is provided by 142 of 155 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost.

Mission 618: 7 of 7 B-17s drop leaflets on Belgium, France and Germany during the night.

VIII Fighter Command fighter-bomber missions:

1. 44 P-47s sweep the Lingen-Munster-Haltern area to spot flak positions and troop concentrations and strafe an airfield; they claim 1-1-0 aircraft in the air and on the ground.

2. 196 P-47s and P-51s bomb and strafe shipping between the German mainland and Schouwen, Overflakee and Walcheren Islands, the Netherlands, installations on the islands, and rail and road traffic NW and NE of Frankfurt/Main; they claim 13-0-5 aircraft in the air and on the ground; 7 P-47s and 1 P-51 are lost; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are damaged beyond repair and 14 P-47s and 3 P-51s are damaged; 1 pilot is WIA and 7 MIA. 40 B-24s and C-47s fly CARPETBAGGER mission during the night.

From: http://www.usaaf.net/chron/44/sep44.htm
(details of the other Air Forces/theatres also available for this date at the above link)