Airbattle Report |
19 September: D + 2 |
Daylight: - AEAF: The third lift: 612 planes in total, with gliders. 103 Stirling’s, 63 R.A.F Dakota’s, 41 Halifax’s, 345 US. Dakota’s. With Para’s and supplies 60 US. Dakota’s. 176 R.A.F planes with gliders reached their target, and 178 US. Dakota’s with their load. Losses: 10 Stirling’s , 5 R.A.F Dakota’s and 24 U.S. Dakota’s. The support was by 210 Spitfire’s and RAF. Mustangs, they engaged with some enemy fighters and destroyed two. One RAF.figther did not return. In the afternoon 163 planes flew the southern route making the first big supplies drop ( at 1000 feet roughly ). 145 planes could drop very close to their target in spite of heavy and well aimed ground fire. 97 planes were damaged 13 got lost. - ADGB: 37 Typhoons 13 Spitfire’s and 13 RAF. Mustangs flew close support to the groundtroops, one did not return. - 8 Th Airforce: 172 Mustangs flew in support to the ground troops and shot down or damaged 23 enemy planes. 8 Mustangs did not return. - Bomber Command: 28 Lancaster’s and 27 Halifax’s were send to Holland but because of poor weather conditions they were called back to base. - Luftwaffe: At least 15 planes (Bf-109 and Fw-190) did not return to base and several others were damaged. 78 planes (11 Donniers 217-K) did a bomber attack on the Eindhoven area and coursed a big fire in the town centre. This attack was to slow down the advancing ,Garden’’ ( XXX British army ) troops and many roads were damaged. Also 200 civilians were killed in this action. |
