Missie
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 484:
1,172 bombers and 542 fighters are dispatched to hit oil and industrial targets in C Germany; 19 bombers and 8 fighters are lost: 1.
Of 417 B-17s, 107 hit Dessau, 69 hit Kothen, 56 hit Leipzig/Mockau, 45 hit the Leipzig bearing industry, 36 hit Nordhuasen Airfield, 23 hit Kolleda Airfield, 20 hit targets of opportunity, 12 hit Bitterfeld, 12 hit Giessen Airfield, and 12 hit Rudolstadt; they claim 11-9-7 Luftwaffe aircraft;
15 B-17s are lost and 188 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 10 WIA and 129 MIA.
Escort is provided by 253 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s; they claim 5-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 2-0-0 on the ground;
2 P-47s and 4 P-51s are lost, 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair; 1 airman is WIA and 3 MIA. 2.
Of 295 B-17s, 155 hit Merseburg, 53 hit Lutzkendorf, 47 hit Wetzlar and 7 hit targets of opportunity;
2 B-17s are lost and 153 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA and 21 MIA.
Escort is provided by 178 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s; they claim 1-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-4 on the ground;
1 P-51 is lost (pilot is MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 3.
Of 460 B-24s, 123 hit Erfurt Nord and 11 hit Erfurt/Bindersleben Airfields; 80 hit Schmalkalden; 72 hit Gotha; 24 hit Freiburg, 18 hit Fulda, 12 hit Idstein, 10 hit Bad Salzungen, 10 hit Wernhausen and 9 hit Homburg marshalling yards; 21 hit Berka, 12 hit Bad Nauheim, 7 hit Koblenz, 6 hit Boppard and 6 hit targets of opportunity;
1 B-24 is lost and 31 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA and 9 MIA.
Escort is provided by 45 of 47 P-47s; they claim 6-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground;
1 P-47s is lost (pilot is MIA).
Track chart for 20 July 1944 (Info from 458th BG website)
![](https://primary.jwwb.nl/public/2/2/3/aircraft-crashes-belgium/9pe6ba/Plan2.jpg?enable-io=true&enable=upscale&crop=1342%2C696%2Cx1%2Cy0%2Csafe&width=590&height=306)
![](https://primary.jwwb.nl/public/2/2/3/aircraft-crashes-belgium/gn1xxt/Plan.jpg?enable-io=true&enable=upscale&crop=1322%2C704%2Cx0%2Cy0%2Csafe&width=590&height=314)
Formation:
![](https://primary.jwwb.nl/public/2/2/3/aircraft-crashes-belgium/torcwx/page11.jpg?enable-io=true&enable=upscale&crop=1000%2C1186%2Cx0%2Cy0%2Csafe&width=590&height=700)
Tactical Report:
![](https://primary.jwwb.nl/public/2/2/3/aircraft-crashes-belgium/page2.jpg)
![](https://primary.jwwb.nl/public/2/2/3/aircraft-crashes-belgium/page3-1.jpg)
![](https://primary.jwwb.nl/public/2/2/3/aircraft-crashes-belgium/fg6bdq/page6.jpg?enable-io=true&enable=upscale&crop=932%2C580%2Cx0%2Cy0%2Csafe&width=590&height=367)
![](https://primary.jwwb.nl/public/2/2/3/aircraft-crashes-belgium/ubg1v8/page7.jpg?enable-io=true&enable=upscale&crop=937%2C565%2Cx0%2Cy0%2Csafe&width=590&height=356)
![](https://primary.jwwb.nl/public/2/2/3/aircraft-crashes-belgium/oy6m0q/page8.jpg?enable-io=true&enable=upscale&crop=874%2C370%2Cx0%2Cy0%2Csafe&width=590&height=250)
Evaluation Report 458th BG:
![](https://primary.jwwb.nl/public/2/2/3/aircraft-crashes-belgium/ufs3hg/page9.jpg?enable-io=true&enable=upscale&crop=703%2C714%2Cx0%2Cy0%2Csafe&width=590&height=599)
![](https://primary.jwwb.nl/public/2/2/3/aircraft-crashes-belgium/2uwexk/page10.jpg?enable-io=true&enable=upscale&crop=727%2C934%2Cx0%2Cy0%2Csafe&width=590&height=758)
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