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The targets given to the 2nd Air Division were marshalling yards in the region of the Belfort Gap. Like the Group's first mission this one was to sell Hitler on the idea of an Allied invasion on France's Mediterranean coast. Since last time the 492nd didn't have any problem finding the town of Belfort, they got assigned a target there. Mulhouse was given to another Wing that was able to find it before.
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The 492nd dispatched 30 of its planes but 3 of them had to abort. One of the credited sorties wasn't able to bomb the target.
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The 8th Air Force put up 200 more fighters than it did bombers. After losing 33 B-17s the day before, General Doolittle made sure there would be extra protection.
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The 2nd Air Division got the Luftwaffe's attention since the target was so close to Germany. But with the extra protection the Group didn't have to lock horns with the enemy. However the 492nd did fly through some flak zones but suffered no severe damages.
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With the experience of 8 missions under their belts, the 492nd was able to hit their target this time instead of some poor French farmer's orchard.
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Unlike their first trip to the Belfort Gap, the 492nd didn't waste any time getting there and back. No planes ran out of gas. The Group returned intact without any loss of aircraft or casualties.
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The crews didn't know it yet, but this mission would be be their last target in France for a while. The string of four easy ones had been good for the Group's morale. It was obvious that the Luftwaffe wasn't a threat in western France anymore. The Luftwaffe's new air-defense perimeter would need to be tested. The Group would be going back into Germany.
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