La Coupole - Air Raids On The Wizernes Site

Air Raids On The Wizernes Site

Wizernes World War II bombings
Date
11 March 1944	34 of 51 B-24 Liberators of the 2d Bombardment Division's 44th and 93d Heavy Bombardment groups attacked Wizernes using blind-bombing techniques due to thick overcast, dropping 127 tons of bombs.
19 March 1944	152 B-26 Marauders of IX Bomber Command attacked V-weapon sites around Saint-Omer.
26 March 1944	500 heavy bombers of the 8th Air Force attacked a total of 16 V-weapon sites in northern France, including Wizernes, dropping 1,271 tons of bombs. Allied losses were four B-17s and one B-24; a further 236 bombers were damaged by enemy fire.
17 April 1944	14 B-24s and five pathfinder aircraft used an experimental bombing technique to attack Wizernes.
25 April 1944	27 B-24s from 2d Bombardment Division bombed Wizernes in a special test of new pathfinding equipment.
3 May 1944	47 B-24s escorted by 101 fighters from VIII Fighter Command attacked Wizernes using blind-bombing techniques.
20 June 1944	17 Lancasters and 3 Mosquitos of No 617 Squadron attempted to attack Wizernes but were forced to abort by cloud cover over the target.
22 June 1944	A second 617 Squadron attack on Wizernes was again thwarted by cloud cover.
24 June 1944	617 Squadron returned to Wizernes with 16 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitos, losing one Lancaster to anti-aircraft fire. Several Tallboy bombs were dropped but failed to cause much damage.
28 June 1944	103 Halifaxes and 5 Mosquitos from No. 4 Group and 2 Lancasters of the Pathfinder Force attacked Wizernes without loss.
17 July 1944	72 Halifaxes, 28 Stirlings, 20 Lancasters, 11 Mosquitos and 1 Mustang attacked three V-weapons sites including Wizernes, which was attacked with a dozen Tallboys. The attack caused severe damage to the site and buried the entrances to the launch tunnels Gustav and Gretchen. The site was abandoned a few weeks later.
20 July 1944	174 Lancasters, 165 Halifaxes and 30 Mosquitos attacked V-1 launching sites and the Wizernes site.
20/21 July 1944	54 Halifaxes, 23 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos attacked V-weapon sites at Ardouval and Wizernes, but no bombs were dropped at Wizernes due to bad weather.
4 August 1944	An experimental Operation Aphrodite attack using remotely-controlled B-17s packed with explosives failed when the drone aircraft overshot Wizernes by 2,000 feet.

Famous quotes containing the words air, raids and/or site:

“It’s a perfect night for mystery and horror. The air itself is filled with monsters.”
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“Prosperity cannot be restored by raids upon the public Treasury.”
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