Mission

Date: 25 November 1944

Mission: 216 (8AF 723)

Target: synthetic oil installation at Merseburg and Bingen rail yard

Mission 723: 1,043 bombers and 965 fighters are dispatched to hit the synthetic oil plant at Merseburg, Germany using H2X and a marshaling yard; 8 bombers and 6 fighters are lost:

1. 671 of 766 hit the Leuna oil plant at Merseburg and 9 hit targets of opportunity; 8 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 197 damaged; 7 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 64 MIA. Escort is 716 of 800 P-51s; they claim 9-0-8 aircraft on the ground; 6 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair.

2. 254 of 271 B-24s hit the Bingen marshaling yard; 43 B-24s are damaged; 1 airman is WIA. Escort is 129 of 130 P-47s.

The target Merseburg on 25-11-2019

 

Bombers of the 385 BG 533 BS