Over Regensburg the fresh raiders found affect-free skies and profile in excess of twenty-four kilometers, best weather for an attack
“We saw a couple of fighters burst maybe not much below, vanishing for the sheets away from tangerine fire, B-17s losing in all of the condition out-of worry, of motors ablaze to deal with counters shot out, friendly and you may opponent parachutes drifting down and you will, towards the environmentally friendly carpet much underneath all of us, several funeral pyres of smoking out of dropped aircraft, marking our very own trail.”
The three batteries away from 88-mm guns organized within the address performed their best to disturb the fresh bomb runs, however the top bomb teams placed its activities regarding bombs truthfully. Following, as always took place through the a big attack on a single address, dirt and you can cigarette smoking regarding explosions and you will fires obscured the latest aiming products, and subsequent bombing try quicker real.
Shortly after bombing the target, the new B-17s went on southern. A couple of broken bombers remaining the newest formation and you will lead to have basic Switzerland. Eight a lot more broken airplanes transpired on the road to Algeria.
Of one’s 146 big bombers which had set-out getting Regensburg, seven turned back, and you may 139 entered brand new Dutch coastline. Twenty-five ones was shed.
The newest Schweinfurt raiding force, comprising 230 B-17s, released the assault at night. It also suffered greatly throughout the German competitors and you will flak, shedding thirty-half dozen bombers.
Another “new” weapon try the fresh new 21-cm rocket, a great Italian language Armed forces infantry weapon adapted for air-to-sky play with
For this reason, of 376 B-17 Traveling Fortresses that set out of The united kingdomt so you’re able to bomb new a couple crucial goals, 60 was lost. Which had been not the last rates. (more…)