“I spotted two fighters explode not far below, disappearing during the sheets regarding tangerine fire, B-17s losing out in all the state away from worry, from engines unstoppable to deal with surfaces try out, friendly and you can opponent parachutes floating down and you will, for the eco-friendly carpet far underneath united states, multiple funeral pyres out-of cigarette of fallen routes, marking our path.”

The three electric batteries out-of 88-mm weapons positioned within the address performed their very best to help you interrupt this new bomb operates, nevertheless best bomb communities laid their activities off bombs accurately. Upcoming, of course took place during the a massive assault using one address, dust and you can cigarette regarding explosions and you can fireplaces blurry the fresh new aiming facts, and you can then bombing is reduced appropriate.

Just after bombing the mark, new B-17s went on southern. A couple of damaged bombers left the brand new development and you can went to own natural Switzerland. 7 much more damaged planes transpired on the way to Algeria.

Of the 146 heavier bombers that had put down having Regensburg, eight turned-back, and you may 139 crossed new Dutch coast. Twenty-five of these were forgotten.

The fresh new Schweinfurt raiding force, spanning 230 B-17s, launched the attack later in the day. They too suffered greatly about Italian language competitors and you will flak, losing 30-half dozen bombers.

The following escort Hall in Tirol “new” gun is actually the latest 21-cm skyrocket, an excellent German Army infantry gun adapted to possess sky-to-sky play with

Thus, of 376 B-17 Flying Fortresses you to lay out out-of England to bomb the fresh new a couple essential objectives, 60 had been missing. That has been perhaps not the past rates. In the event the Regensburg force returned to The united kingdomt seven days later, fighting an airfield near Bordeaux on the way, it absolutely was in the place of other 50-four routes, that was broken past instantaneous resolve, and you will around three so much more was in fact forgotten for the go back flight. For the short term, the latest dual attacks hence towards French airfield deprived Eighth Air Force out-of 118 bombers-nearly one to-third of your force committed towards August 17.

Despite bomber crew reports to the contrary, their return flames did not cause significant loss for the Italian language competitors. The fresh Luftwaffe forgotten simply twenty-7 competitors when you look at the a few higher heavens matches.

On weeks you to definitely observed, the massive-scale regarding several guns caused a formidable boost in the firepower of German family coverage fighters. The original is the new Mk. 108 canon, a thirty-mm gun that fired eleven-oz, high-volatile incendiary rounds at a rate of more than 600 for every single minute; typically, about three particularly moves were sufficient to down a heavy bomber.

Brand new Bf-109s was in fact suitable that have a 30-mm cannon shooting through the propeller center

Climbed within the a pipe that also supported just like the launcher, the 248-lb, spin-stabilized weapon transmitted good 90-lb warhead powerful sufficient to damage one bomber within this 30 meters of your own part regarding detonation. The new missile is big date-fuzed to explode on a preset journey distance, however, therefore the target’s assortment must be evaluated contained in this fine constraints in advance of discharge.

Such while the FW-190s was modified to bring that rocket launcher lower than for every side. In another relocate to buttress the latest combatant defenses, Destroyer Squadron twenty six are reformed once the a property safeguards unit which have a nominal strength away from eighty “bomber-destroyers.” The brand new unit’s formidable dual-engine Bf-110s and you can Me-410s carried a forward-shooting armament away from five 20-mm canon, a couple 31-mm cannon, and four 21-cm skyrocket launchers.

In action, the 21-cm skyrocket turned-out apparently incorrect. It downed pair bombers, however it tend to broken airplanes sufficiently to force them of formation with the intention that other fighters you will definitely find yourself her or him off.

8th Sky Force’s big bombers resumed symptoms for the Germany for the Sep 6, 1943, whenever 338 Traveling Fortresses establish having Stuttgart. Italian language combatant forces once more responded strenuously and you may efficiently, as well as on so it celebration brand new raiders was required to contend with terrible climate. The key needs was basically blanketed because of the clouds, and the routes bombed “objectives out-of opportunity” on your way household. Brand new September six assault cost 40-four bombers.