<p>In October, 1943, the Luftwaffe drove the USAAF out of German skies in a classical demonstration of the importance of seizing and holding air superiority. Four major raids were mounted by Eighth AF from 8 to 14 October. The bombers fought their way through to the targets each time, but the cost was unacceptable. Within that single week, Eighth AF lost 158 B-17s and their crews. Many other bombers were mangled so badly they had to be scrapped. Coming less than two months after the heavy losses of the double mission, it was a hard blow, and a decisive one.
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<p>The early October missions once again underscored the pressing need for long-range escort fighters that could go the distance with the bombers. The P-47, then predominant in escort flights, had a 300-mile (482-km) operational radius when it was carrying droppable wing tanks. The Luftwaffe knew just where the P-47s had to drop out of formation and return home on the deeper missions to targets that lay over 400 miles (643 km) inside the Reich. Within minutes, black-crossed fighters would swarm over the bomber formations.
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<p>The most notorious victims were the 100th Bomb Group, forever after called the 'Bloody Hundredth'. On the 10 October mission against Munster's railroads and waterways, they were low lead group of the combat box. German fighters stood off, lobbed rockets into the group, and broke it up. Then they picked off the Fortresses, one by one, downing an even dozen in seven minutes.
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<p>The Luftwaffe repeated the tactic against the second mission to Schweinfurt on 16 October. Just after the P47s turned back above Aachen, the Luftwaffe showed in force. The attackers lost 28 B-17s before they reached the target, but 229 of the 291 dispatched dropped their bombs in the most damaging of the 16 missions eventually flown against the ball-bearing factories.
