August 1943

The U.S, Army Air Force, based in England, carried out a strategic bombing mission against Germany on the 17^th August 1943. 376 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers attacked separate targets which was to become known as the Schweinfurt -Regensburg mission. The ambitious plan was to cripple the German aircraft industry. However, both targets were well beyond the range of escorting fighters. England was covered in fog and take-off was delayed for a couple of hours. The Regensburg strike force was the first to leave and was led by Bombardment Wing commander Curtis E. LeMay. The task force consisted of 146 B-17 bombers accompanied by 87 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter escorts. The attacking formation of aircraft was not compact enough for their mutual defence and the individual wing groups were extended into a long stream of aircraft. Of the two groups of P-47 fighter escorts only one arrived on time to meet with the leading task force. The second arrived 15 minutes late. Finally, without engaging with any German interceptors, both P47 escort groups were forced to return to base after only 15 minutes of escort duty. Approximately 15 minutes after the Regensburg formation crossed the Dutch coast they encountered the first German fighter interception. The interception continued with growing intensity nearly all the way to the target. After 90 minutes of combat the intercepting fighters broke off the engagement, low on fuel and ammunition. Before retiring the German fighters had shot down or badly damaged 15 bombers. With visibility clear and anti-aircraft flak light, the remaining 131 bombers dropped nearly 300 tons of bombs on the fighter aircraft factories with a great deal of success. The Regensburg force then turned south to cross the Alps to enable them to land in North Africa. Additional losses of bombers were encountered through lack of fuel. After losing a total of 24 bombers, of the remaining 122 who landed in Tunisia 60 had suffered battle damage.

The Schweinfurt strike force consisted of 230 B-17 bombers and was commanded by Brigadier General Robert B. Williams. The strike force followed the same route as the Regensburg force. 96 RAF Spitfire fighters were added to the strike force, owing to the delayed start of the mission, to provide fighter escort. The Spitfires escorted the Schweinfurt strike force as far as Antwerp, where U.S. P-47 fighters took over to escort them to Eupen in Germany. The mission was planned to attack from 25,000/26,000 ft. (7,000/8,000 m). As they crossed the Dutch coast the clouds were at about 17,000 ft. (5,000 m) and the bombers flew below that level. However, they were more susceptible to German fighter attacks. The attacks began almost immediately with over 300 fighters attacking the bombers head-on which continued all the way to the target. The RAF Spitfires engaged the German fighters and claimed eight victories, but were forced to return to their bases early in the engagement to refuel and re-arm. U.S. P-47 escorting fighters, who were meeting the Schweinfurt strike force, arrived five and eight minutes late. The escorting fighters consisted of 88 aircraft from two separate groups. The two groups were forced to break off the contact virtually as soon as they arrived. Before departing there were some individual combats, although nothing of any consequence. After which the bombers continued un-escorted onto their target. At approximately 2.30 pm the force deviated from the Regensburg route at Worm in Germany, which alerted the defenders that the target was Schweinfurt. Of the 57 bombers of the leading group, only 40 dropped their bombs over the target. The remainder of the 300 defending fighters disengaged 15 miles from Schweinfurt in order to refuel and re-arm and commence the attack on the bombers during the return journey. Five miles from their target the bombers faced anti-aircraft guns. During the 24 minute span 183 B-17s dropped their bombs on five factories and 30,000 workers. They dropped nearly 425 tons of bombs which included 125 tons of incendiary bombs. Three bombers were shot down by flak over Schweinfurt. Upon leaving the target each individual task force circled over the town of Meiningen to re-assemble their formation, Once re-assembled they continued west toward Brussels. At approximately 3.30 pm the German fighters renewed their attacks concentrating mainly on the damaged bombers. The returning bombers were met by 93 P-47 and 95 Spitfire fighters who provided withdrawal support. The Allied fighters claimed 21 German fighters were shot down. However, on the return journey eight more bombers were lost before reaching the North Sea. A further three bombers were lost when they crash landed. The Schweinfurt force lost a total of36 bombers that day. Coupled with the 24 bombers lost on the Regensburg raidthe loss of60 bombers was a high price to pay.

The Schweinfurt – Regensburg mission was successful in that 6 main factories were destroyed or damaged at Regensburg. Schweinfurt suffered damage that was less severe but was still extensive. A lot of the buildings and machinery at Schweinfurt were fire damaged from the incendiary bombs. Overall the Germans lost 27 fighters and 203 civilians killed. American losses were 60 bombers, 3 P-47 and 2 Spitfire fighters shot down. They had 585 airmen in total either killed, wounded, missing or taken prisoner of war. In effect the Germans were victorious that day but the mission shocked the Germans air command into realising the war was beginning to turn against them. For the Americans the mission against Schweinfurt would need to be made again, which did occur in October 1943.

——————————————————-