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Operation Cobra began. This operation was drawn up to do what mission 52 (18 July 44) had failed to do — crush the Wehrmacht defenses in the hedgerows of Normandy. All bomber groups were given targets just west of St Lo, France.
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The Group dispatched 36 crews for the effort under the command of Lt Col Turnbull, the Group Operations Officer. He flew with the Velarde Crew 615. None of the planes aborted.
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The 8th and 9th Air Forces combined their fighter strength to escort and cover the entire mission. The Luftwaffe did put a few planes up to gauge and report the bombers' altitude and such. However, the Group didn't see any of them.
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Flak over the target area was reported by the 8th Air Force as being moderate, yet they still lost 3 bombers and 4 fighters. The faster flying B-24s were scheduled to go in first. The German batteries weren't firing as accurately at the 492nd as they were later at the other groups flying through.
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The undercast skies over the target forced the Group to abort the mission. The target area was extremely close to the Allied positions and chances could not be taken.
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Not all groups aborted that day, but most of them did. There were some cases of bombs dropping on US troops. See "The Bigger Picture."
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This day ended up being a dress rehearsal for the following mission.
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