USAAF Mission 4

[Adam]

Can someone give me further information on this raid. I have Mission 4 carried out 21/8/42 by 12 B-17s to Rotterdam shipyards but aborted due to heavy Luftwaffe activity.

Any further info on if the mission was actually aborted for this reason, Luftwaffe units invovled, waypoints and at what time mission aborted would be greatly appreciated

regards

Adam T

[shooshoobaby]

No 8th AF Mission was ever aborted due to enemy opposition.
!2 - 17s from the 97th BG , 342d and 412th Sqs. The formation was late and the Spitfires assigned to escort ran low on fuel and had to abort. It was decided by 8th Bomber Command to abort the mission and they were recalled while over the channel. Fw - 190s attacked the formation after it had turned back and badly damaged B - 17 #419089. Copilot Lt. Donald Walter was KIA and 5 crewmen wounded.
Mike

[Adam]

Shooshoobaby,

I knew there had to be a reason for it and didn't whole-heartedly believe it was aborted due to GAF intercepts.
Thanks

Adam T

[Boomerang]

[quote=shooshoobaby]No 8th AF Mission was ever aborted due to enemy opposition.

In Donald Caldwell's terrific JG 26 War Diary Volume 2, he refers to the 8AF sending 16 B 24s to attack the Rouen railway yards on 8 March 1943 (with 55 B17s to Rennes on the same day), which were attacked by JG26: 'The bomber formation fell apart completely; bombs were scattered over the French countryside....The fighters suffered no damage or loss. They were proudest, however, of having forced the bombers to turn back before reaching their target'.
Caldwell states this was the only such setback ever for the 8AF. Perhaps this is a semantic debate about whether a mission was aborted, or just broke down in confusion, but perhaps some clarification about this mission (8th Bomber Command Mission No.41?) is needed