[horseback]

Originally Posted by MiloMorai

Combat sorties flown in the ETO, http://www.usaaf.net/digest/t119.htm

1943
Jun - 2,107 - 1,268 (airborne - effective)
Jul - 2,829 - 1,743
Aug - 2,265 - 1,850
Sep - 3,259 - 2,457
Oct - 2,831 - 2,117
Nov - 4,157 - 2,581
Dec - 5,973 - 4,937

1944
Jan - 6,367 - 5,027
Feb - 9,884 - 7,512

As can be seen there was a dip in Oct '43 but there was a steady increase in the number of sorties flown.

Good info, but most of those sorties between October and January reflect the enormous increase of groups (both Bomb and Fighter) added to the 8th AF that became possible once the U-Boat threat had been beaten in the summer of 1943; a lot of acclimatization to radio and ground control procedures, plus re-familiarization with their aircraft after at least a month of travel (or for some fighter groups, familiarization with entirely new fighter types), and constant drill on the latest formations, tactics and the requirement for precise timing and navigation to coordinate rendezvous with escorts. Most of these groups would do their initial 3-5 missions over relatively 'safe' targets, not too close to German airspace, and well within range of their escorts.

cheers

horseback