Day #19 - Saturday 4th September 1943
Action Phase
Never before seen a radio activity of 1300!!! It actually peaked well above.
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This is going to get ugly.
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First wave is engaged, some of the fighter bomber raids to the south have actually been forced to turn back!
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Second wave is crashing headlong into the massive bomber formation of several hundred viermots.
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The damage has been dealt. Engine factories! Allied fighter sweeps in Italy wiped out 20 or-so a/c on the ground.
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Now to try and maximize damage to the returning bombers, many if not most are now damaged.
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Action Report
This day radio activity peaked above 1300 with a massive effort by the Allies over Germany. Day bombers hit engine factories around Kassel primarily, but other areas were hit as well some even bombed at night. What is troublesome is that this is what the Allies have the capacity to do, despite my best efforts. On the positive side, I doubt the allies are happy with the damage dealt and the Jagdwaffe pilots managed to give a good serving in return downing no less than 95 Allied bombers. A considerable number that will be felt and affect morale for weeks. My losses will be regained within days but production rates at the damaged sites will be affected for weeks as well. The outcome of today I have to assess as close to a draw, the uncertainty factor is too great. We will not know for some time to come if today's effort was good enough.
The many NJ losses were because of the abundant night fighter patrols over German airfields. These patrols very effectively take out NJ-fighters in the landing pattern since the routine seems to be to light up the nav lights and landing lights when landing. At which point the Beaufighters can sweep in and take them out with ease, few of the pilots who fall victim to this tactic survive.
Some 20 fighters were lost on the ground in strafing attacks on Frosinone AF where two Gruppen of JG27 + Stab were located. After this attack they were relocated to Paderborn as continued efforts against the engine factories are bound to take place.
Losses
Axis
Zerstörer: 9
Bf109: 49
FW190: 29
Co-Axis: 20
NJ: 59
Total: 166 in 3060 sorties & 47 pilots dead, 67 wounded.
Allies
Fighters: 65
Bombers: 95
Recon: 0
Night B/F: 27
Total: 187 in 3748 sorties & 90 pilots dead, 86 missing, 16 wounded.
FlaK
Frontline troops in Italy were reinforced.
