The Mysteries of Fighter Escort Planning and execution - 8th AF WWII

[drgondog]

A question came up recently regarding the co-ordination of bombers and fighters for a mission. Interestingly enough, I once had a conversation on this topic with General Gunther Rall, who had continued his career after the war was over in the new Luftwaffe formed by West Germany.

Long story short - while he greatly respected 8th Air Force Fighter Command in its role as escort to 8th Air Force bombers, the most impressive facet of American Airpower, aside from the strength of arms, was the incredible achievement of launching 35+ Bomb groups and 15 Fighter groups in good weather and bad, forming them up from 50 different airfields at different times, assembling the Task Forces in the order they were planned, lifting the fighter groups at different times to meet the bombers at different times and locations to meet the bombers at a precise time and location and executing the missions in a manner, when achieved, that it made for very difficult task for Luftwaffe to attack an undefended Bomber group.

Below is a Mission Briefing map for the 355th FG which 355th Operations team puts together following arrival of teletype "Frag Order' detailing the assignment for the 355th FG with respect to a.) Target, b.) Rendezvous Point and time to hook up with the assigned bomb groups to escort, c.) the specific boxes assigned and where in the bomber stream they should be (as identified by the Group symbol on the tail), d.) the other Fighter Groups also expected to escort other boxes in say a 10 box Task Force, as well as their order along the bomber track, and e.) the route to be flown.

From the map developed and the time and place of the R/V point, each stage from R/V time, back to Take Off time, back through Engine Start time, through Briefing time, through Breakfast and Wake up time is developed. The Group Commander decides the order and placement of the individual fighter squadrons - which in turn fine tunes engine Start time based on the formation organization. The Squadron Engineering Officer checks the Status Board for available aircraft, reports back to Squadron CO who then develops the pilots and flight assignment for those aircraft and alerts the Tower Control Officer regarding the Order of Battle and issues instruction for Wake Up to the selected pilots, aircraft and ground crews so that the aircraft receive a final pre-flight check on time for the pilot to make his own walk around.

Once Take Off commences and the Group forms up, they climb for altitude and head for the R/V point, checking times against the Waypoints for the route to the R/V. The Group Commander and each squadron Commander are tuned into C channel for their comm sets listening for any alerts from their assigned bomber Wing Commander until they reach the bomber stream. Normally the fighter Group CO gets status updates from the lead bomber regarding their estimated progress toward being at the R/V point on-time. This is critical as other fighter groups (mostly P-47 in 1944) launched earlier to escort this same bomb Division on Penetration, will be running low on fuel and the need to connect before they turn back is crucial.

Notice some interesting aspects regarding Field Order 1785A, for the 2nd BD targets near Ingolstadt, including Leiphem and Neuberg airfields.

First, the combined bomber stream with all three Bomb divisions spilt up over France with both B-17 Bomb Divisions continuing eastward to attack Zwickau, Jena, Plauen as primary targets as the B-24s of the Second BD head southeast where the 479, 361st, 4th and 355th arrive at the R/V point south of Strasbourg, then take a convoluted route to avoid the flack concentrations denoted by 'circles'. The order of the B-24 bomb groups are displayed as 'tail symbols' on the far right with the 355th escorting the leading three boxes, then the 4th picking up the next three boxes, then the 361st and finally the 479th FG.

After the 2nd Division targets are bombed they turn north to rejoin the 1st and 2nd BD and planned R/V west of Fulda near Freidberg where the 2n BD picks up the rear position and all head back for England on the same track. The 355th breaks escort at Aachen and returns home..

 

[BiffF15]

A question came up recently regarding the co-ordination of bombers and fighters for a mission. Interestingly enough, I once had a conversation on this topic with General Gunther Rall, who had continued his career after the war was over in the new Luftwaffe formed by West Germany.

Long story short - while he greatly respected 8th Air Force Fighter Command in its role as escort to 8th Air Force bombers, the most impressive facet of American Airpower, aside from the strength of arms, was the incredible achievement of launching 35+ Bomb groups and 15 Fighter groups in good weather and bad, forming them up from 50 different airfields at different times, assembling the Task Forces in the order they were planned, lifting the fighter groups at different times to meet the bombers at different times and locations to meet the bombers at a precise time and location and executing the missions in a manner, when achieved, that it made for very difficult task for Luftwaffe to attack an undefended Bomber group.

Below is a Mission Briefing map for the 355th FG which 355th Operations team puts together following arrival of teletype "Frag Order' detailing the assignment for the 355th FG with respect to a.) Target, b.) Rendezvous Point and time to hook up with the assigned bomb groups to escort, c.) the specific boxes assigned and where in the bomber stream they should be (as identified by the Group symbol on the tail), d.) the other Fighter Groups also expected to escort other boxes in say a 10 box Task Force, as well as their order along the bomber track, and e.) the route to be flown.

From the map developed and the time and place of the R/V point, each stage from R/V time, back to Take Off time, back through Engine Start time, through Briefing time, through Breakfast and Wake up time is developed. The Group Commander decides the order and placement of the individual fighter squadrons - which in turn fine tunes engine Start time based on the formation organization. The Squadron Engineering Officer checks the Status Board for available aircraft, reports back to Squadron CO who then develops the pilots and flight assignment for those aircraft and alerts the Tower Control Officer regarding the Order of Battle and issues instruction for Wake Up to the selected pilots, aircraft and ground crews so that the aircraft receive a final pre-flight check on time for the pilot to make his own walk around.

Once Take Off commences and the Group forms up, they climb for altitude and head for the R/V point, checking times against the Waypoints for the route to the R/V. The Group Commander and each squadron Commander are tuned into C channel for their comm sets listening for any alerts from their assigned bomber Wing Commander until they reach the bomber stream. Normally the fighter Group CO gets status updates from the lead bomber regarding their estimated progress toward being at the R/V point on-time. This is critical as other fighter groups (mostly P-47 in 1944) launched earlier to escort this same bomb Division on Penetration, will be running low on fuel and the need to connect before they turn back is crucial.

Notice some interesting aspects regarding Field Order 1785A, for the 2nd BD targets near Ingolstadt, including Leiphem and Neuberg airfields.

First, the combined bomber stream with all three Bomb divisions spilt up over France with both B-17 Bomb Divisions continuing eastward to attack Zwickau, Jena, Plauen as primary targets as the B-24s of the Second BD head southeast where the 479, 361st, 4th and 355th arrive at the R/V point south of Strasbourg, then take a convoluted route to avoid the flack concentrations denoted by 'circles'. The order of the B-24 bomb groups are displayed as 'tail symbols' on the far right with the 355th escorting the leading three boxes, then the 4th picking up the next three boxes, then the 361st and finally the 479th FG.

After the 2nd Division targets are bombed they turn north to rejoin the 1st and 2nd BD and planned R/V west of Fulda near Freidberg where the 2n BD picks up the rear position and all head back for England on the same track. The 355th breaks escort at Aachen and returns home..View attachment 581925

Bill,

Excellent post! I wondered about the mission planning for these raids, and you have now laid it out. My question is more historical, and that is the reference to the "frag order", or more specifically its origins. I last flew a fighter in 2007ish and it's still referenced as the or by the frag.

I finished in the military at an Air Operations Center (AOC) which generates the Air Tasking Orders (ATO) andthis has been a nice look back at its origins.

Cheers,
Biff

 

[drgondog]

Bill,

Excellent post! I wondered about the mission planning for these raids, and you have now laid it out. My question is more historical, and that is the reference to the "frag order", or more specifically its origins. I last flew a fighter in 2007ish and it's still referenced as the or by the frag.

I finished in the military at an Air Operations Center (AOC) which generates the Air Tasking Orders (ATO) andthis has been a nice look back at its origins.

Cheers,
Biff

The Frag Order is the portion extracted from the General Operations Order dispatched by 8th AF, then Division, then Bomb and Fighter wing - all the way down to the individual Fighter Group. The teletypes were slow. By the time it was decomposed by the Bomb Division it was disbursed as necessary for the Fighter Group CO/Ops and Deputy CO to gather Weather Ops and IO to produce the map, the target, the time over target, the way points/times for the Task Forces bomber forces and the RV Point.

For the 2nd BD/AD the call sign was Vinegrove. Its position in the bomber stream was identified as "-1, -2, -3" helping the fighter jocks traveling along the same route to find the position. Of course for 65th FW (4th, 56th, 361st, 355th and 479th) when assigned to 2AD, all they had to look for if approaching from the rear of the formation were 'twin tails attached to pregnant cargo ships). That said you might note the B-24 tail insignia on the right. The 355th is tasked to escort the lead two boxes comprised of the three bomb groups of the 14th CW. Fighter Groups were tasked to find those specific bomb groups no matter where they were positioned - but in the case of the 355th being assigned 'lead', they were gonna escort whichever BGs were in lead position.. Even though a group might be tasked to escort Vinegrove 3 & 4, those actual groups may have missed their position while forming up - and the FG looking for Box 3 &4 behind 1&2 may find their assigned sheep in a different location from the plan - and change accordingly.

 

[pbehn]

I saw a documentary on the planning of a raid, each one was a project in itself. Starting weeks before with intelligence and photo recon on the targets. Then collecting all the latest info of enemy airfields and flak. Then long term and short term weather forecasts with recon aircraft sent out to check visibility and weather conditions. It was a huge piece of choreography and a massive achievement without many aids we take for granted today. BTW who put the mermaid in the Channel?

 

[gjs238]

I saw a documentary on the planning of a raid, each one was a project in itself. Starting weeks before with intelligence and photo recon on the targets. Then collecting all the latest info of enemy airfields and flak. Then long term and short term weather forecasts with recon aircraft sent out to check visibility and weather conditions. It was a huge piece of choreography and a massive achievement without many aids we take for granted today. BTW who put the mermaid in the Channel?

Two mermaids

 

[drgondog]

I saw a documentary on the planning of a raid, each one was a project in itself. Starting weeks before with intelligence and photo recon on the targets. Then collecting all the latest info of enemy airfields and flak. Then long term and short term weather forecasts with recon aircraft sent out to check visibility and weather conditions. It was a huge piece of choreography and a massive achievement without many aids we take for granted today. BTW who put the mermaid in the Channel?

That 8th AF documentary done in late 1943 to mid 1944 was outstanding - if the same one I recall. At least and hour, maybe two hours long and focused entirely of VIII BC.

Cpl Art DeCosta did the mermaid... and the O club and many portraits including one of my father

 

[drgondog]

Bill,

Excellent post! I wondered about the mission planning for these raids, and you have now laid it out. My question is more historical, and that is the reference to the "frag order", or more specifically its origins. I last flew a fighter in 2007ish and it's still referenced as the or by the frag.

I finished in the military at an Air Operations Center (AOC) which generates the Air Tasking Orders (ATO) andthis has been a nice look back at its origins.

Cheers,
Biff

This is worth the 97 minutes. I figured out the mission was VIII BC F.O. 113 on October 9, 1943. A great day for bombing effectiveness but 28 MIA of 109 effectives was the highest % day loss for 8th AF to date.

 

[Crimea_River]

On a similar note, this book also gets into a lot of planning detail and the consequences when things go wrong.

 

[Col Campbell]

Also thanks so much for this post. My father was on that day's mission as a top turret gunner and flight engineer in a B-17 of the 731st Bomb Squadron, 452nd Bomb Group. It was his 20th mission. He wrote in his, probably illegal, flight diary:

March 19, 1945. Target: Ruhland, Gr. A 9-hour and 45-minute P.F.F. [path finder force] mission against synthetic oil plant. I flew with LT. Tennant's crew. Three ME 262's jumped us just before "bombs away." Made one pass at our formation but did no damage. Other jets hit rest of group and knocked down eight. Flew ship #356.
[Note: Mission 896. 1,273 bombers and 675 fighters are dispatched to hit airfields and industrial targets in Germany visually and with H2X radar; clouds force 2 [both B-17] of the 3 forces to hit secondaries; 100+ Luftwaffe fighters including 36 Me 262s in formation (largest number of jets seen as a unit) are encountered." I'm not sure in which of the two B-17 forces my father was a member. Neither description list Ruhland as the target.]

Jim

 

[drgondog]

Also thanks so much for this post. My father was on that day's mission as a top turret gunner and flight engineer in a B-17 of the 731st Bomb Squadron, 452nd Bomb Group. It was his 20th mission. He wrote in his, probably illegal, flight diary:

March 19, 1945. Target: Ruhland, Gr. A 9-hour and 45-minute P.F.F. [path finder force] mission against synthetic oil plant. I flew with LT. Tennant's crew. Three ME 262's jumped us just before "bombs away." Made one pass at our formation but did no damage. Other jets hit rest of group and knocked down eight. Flew ship #356.
[Note: Mission 896. 1,273 bombers and 675 fighters are dispatched to hit airfields and industrial targets in Germany visually and with H2X radar; clouds force 2 [both B-17] of the 3 forces to hit secondaries; 100+ Luftwaffe fighters including 36 Me 262s in formation (largest number of jets seen as a unit) are encountered." I'm not sure in which of the two B-17 forces my father was a member. Neither description list Ruhland as the target.]

Jim

By your drawing he was 3rd BD, 1st TF hitting synthetic targets - all 1st and 3rd BD B-17s tasked for synthetic (Ruhland, Zwickau, etc) but had to bomb H2X because of 10/10 cloud cover. Secondary and TOO included Plauen, Fulda M/Y, Fulda M/Y, etc - only the 2nd BD B-24s hit primary targets visually

 

[Col Campbell]

By your drawing he was 3rd BD, 1st TF hitting synthetic targets - all 1st and 3rd BD B-17s tasked for synthetic (Ruhland, Zwickau, etc) but had to bomb H2X because of 10/10 cloud cover. Secondary and TOO included Plauen, Fulda M/Y, Fulda M/Y, etc - only the 2nd BD B-24s hit primary targets visually

Yes, you are correct. I didn't mean to imply that my father's squadron was part of the mission covered by the 355th FG, just that he was involved in that day's entire mission by the 8th Air Force heavy bombers.

Again many thanks for posting this glimpse into the intricacies of planning an aerial bombing and escort mission. It was enlightening.

Jim

 

[Barrett]

Bill, you just carved another notch in your History Halo. Many thanks for pursuing the topic--you've already done sterling service on Facebook!

 

[gjs238]

Also thanks so much for this post. My father was on that day's mission as a top turret gunner and flight engineer in a B-17 of the 731st Bomb Squadron, 452nd Bomb Group. It was his 20th mission. He wrote in his, probably illegal, flight diary:

March 19, 1945. Target: Ruhland, Gr. A 9-hour and 45-minute P.F.F. [path finder force] mission against synthetic oil plant. I flew with LT. Tennant's crew. Three ME 262's jumped us just before "bombs away." Made one pass at our formation but did no damage. Other jets hit rest of group and knocked down eight. Flew ship #356.
[Note: Mission 896. 1,273 bombers and 675 fighters are dispatched to hit airfields and industrial targets in Germany visually and with H2X radar; clouds force 2 [both B-17] of the 3 forces to hit secondaries; 100+ Luftwaffe fighters including 36 Me 262s in formation (largest number of jets seen as a unit) are encountered." I'm not sure in which of the two B-17 forces my father was a member. Neither description list Ruhland as the target.]
Jim

Seems they're a bit prickly about their synthetic oil plants.