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Summary:
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The 401st provided three squadrons making up the 94th Combat Wing "B" Group. While the target was partly visible, cloud obstruction dictated bombing by Gee-H (radio beam)technique. Unfortunately, strike photos indicated that all squadrons had missed the target area. No enemy fighters were encountered and flak was meager and inaccurate. As a result, none of the 401st ships suffered battle damage or casualties.
However, our friends in the 3rd Air Division, who were bombing different targets, were heavily attacked by enemy fighters, resulting in the loss of 27 B-17's and battle damage to 288 others out of a total of 526 aircraft. B-17 gunners claimed 26 German fighters downed, while the Allied escort claimed another 61, for a loss of ten of their number.
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