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The Mighty 8th was given 13 targets throughout France and Germany. The objective was two-folded. One was to destroy German logistics. The other was to probe the Luftwaffe's new perimeter. The 492nd was assigned to bomb a marshalling yard at Saarbrucken, Germany, just over the French border.
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The Group sent up 27 of their ships and crews. For reasons unstated, 2 of them had to abort. Of the 25 credited sorties, 23 were able to bomb their targets.
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Once again the fighter escort was excellent, as the 8th Air Force borrowed additional fighters from the 9th Air force.
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We haven't heard or read anything to give an indication of the flak encountered. There are reports that the Luftwaffe was up within their perimeter, but no attacks were attempted against the 492nd.
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When the Group reached their IP, the Daly Crew 605 began having mechanical problems and soon lost one engine. Not only could they not keep up with the Group, they calculated that they didn't have enough gas to reach England on 3 engines. Rather than risk being found by the Luftwaffe's straggler-hunters, they went to Switzerland. We've read that Lt Daly escaped his internment and returned to England in August.
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The Group went on and hit their target with good results.
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Other than the Daly Crew, the Group returned to North Pickenham without incident.
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The loss of the Daly Crew 605 from mechanical difficulties gave each crewman an even higher appreciation for his own crew chief back at base. All crew chiefs took their jobs seriously. It was one thing to lose a ship to the enemy, but to mechanical failure was something very personal to them.
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The Luftwaffe had been probed and tested. Not all of the groups had it as easy as the 492nd did that day. The 8th Air Force lost 24 heavy bombers. Tomorrow's assignment would be designed to push the Luftwaffe back even further. The Group would be going even deeper into Germany.
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