Bombs Away! by John R. Bruning

Author:John R. Bruning
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MBI
Published: 2011-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

Curtis LeMay (far right) led the 4th Bomb Wing during the famous double strike mission to Regensburg and Schweinfurt. LeMay’s combat experience in the Eighth Air Force shaped his vision of strategic bombing for years to come. Later, he commanded the B-29 forces in the Pacific and burned Japan’s major cities to the ground. After the war, he forged Strategic Air Command into an elite and highly effective force.

The Germans attacked them over Belgium. Swarms of interceptors swept out down into deadly head-on passes. The Luftwaffe pilots concentrated on the trailing combat wing—the unlucky 91st again along with the 381st. The escorting American P-47s could not handle the German onslaught, and the interceptors broke through their cordon to flame six of LeMay’s B-17s. At the German frontier, the Thunderbolts ran low on fuel and turned for home, leaving the Forts to the depredations of hundreds of German fighters. Before even reaching Regensburg, another eight Forts went spinning down to their destruction.

Bombing from below 20,000 feet, the 4th Wing inflicted considerable damage to the aircraft factories. Later estimates put the production loss at almost a thousand fighters. With their bays now empty, the Forts continued southward for North Africa, a move that did catch the Luftwaffe’s ground controllers by surprise. A few Bf-110s gave chase, shooting down three more American planes.

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