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Maître Lydie BRIOULT

Confidential Report: 8th Air Force Fighter Operations, 17 Ma…
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Estimate €20 - €40
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Description
Confidential Report: 8th Air Force Fighter Operations, 17 March 1944, concerning operations on 6 March 1944 A rare report from the USAAF intelligence services (A-2) circulated in the United States within the 1st Fighter Command. Ten pages of intelligence on the course of the 8th Air Force’s operations on 6 March 1944 during the first raid on Berlin. The report states that this was the second raid on Berlin, but the two raids on 3 and 4 March were merely aborted attempts. Only a few scattered aircraft reached the German capital. Following the first two aborted raids, on 6 March 1944, the entire Luftwaffe was on alert. The ensuing aerial confrontation remains the largest air battle in history. On the 8th Air Force’s side, 69 heavy bombers and 16 fighters were lost. Despite these heavy losses, American fighters claimed 81 German fighters shot down. The Luftwaffe’s losses on that single day proved fatal for the remainder of the air war in Europe. The pilots lost that day – most of them seasoned veterans – were sorely missed thereafter, a development that quickly signalled the beginning of the end. The route taken by each air division is detailed across the three phases: penetration, overflight of the target and the withdrawal of the air formations. The report concludes with a map showing the routes taken by the various formations and the different targets; beyond the centre of the Berlin metropolitan area, the famous ball-bearing factory at Erkner, to the east of the German capital, was a target of the utmost importance. (Grégory Pons Collection)
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About the sale Sale of the Grégory Pons collection and miscellaneous items (Aviation and WW2 Militaria)
Auction location
Auction time 11/14/2026 at 1:30 PM
Lot description modified on 09/25/2026 at 9:08 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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