On this day the 4th FG suffered disastrous and experienced the highest losses of any American fighter group during the D-Day, with seven pilots killed, two captured and one evading.

This day this fighter group was the only USAAF unit not tasked with the protection of the landing beaches, instead the unit went inland for fighter sweeps and ground attacks missions.

The last mission of the day would be the worst for the 4th FG when some 50 P-51 led by Lt.Col. Donald J Blakeslee took of from Debden at around 19:00 hours.

A section from 4th FG was later bounced by 10 Fw 190s out of the cloud cover at 20.30 near Rouen. The composite formation of German fighters that hit the 4th FG came from JG 2 and 2./JG 26 and was led by the Kommandeur of III./JG 2 Hauptmann Herbert Huppertz.

In the following battle four P-51s was shot down, with the loss of Lt. Bernard McGrattan, Lt Cecil Garbey, Lt. Harold Ross and F/O Walter Smith. Later the gaggle of Luftwaffe fighters catched up with the commander, Maj. Winslow M. Sobanski and his wing man Lt. Edward J. Steppe, both shot down and KIA near Dreux.

The last loss of the evening was Major Michael McPharlin of the 339th FG, who on this occasion was loaned to and flew this missions with his old 334th Squadron buddies. After experienced magneto problems he was shot down while attempted to return to Debden.

The pilot who claimed his P-51 was ObLt. Franz Kunz, the commander of the 2nd Staffel of JG 26 for his 10th Abschüsse. McPharlin, known as "Wee Mike" an veteran from 71 Eagle Squadron RAF was hereby the 10th and final 4th FG casualty of the day.

In all, these Luftwaffe pilots were engaged by at least the Mustangs of 4th and 352nd FG, the Thunderbolts of 56 FG, and Typhoons of 2nd TAF. Probably they were engaged by even further Allied units on this day - when the Luftwaffe fighters in France performed a total of 172 sorties throughout the day (divided between at least 13 separate missions from 0800 hrs to midnight ), versus 14,674 Allied sorties (including 2,185 by US 8th AF fighters).

During the day JG 2 pilots claimed six P-51s during this mission, matching perfectly the 4th FG losses, they also added claims for another three P-47 and nine Typhoons for an own loss for nine Fw 190s.

JG 26 on the another hand filed just one claim, that of Kunz, with another P-51 from 352nd FG that was damaged by Lt. Adolf Glunz for the loss of one Fw 190, with its pilot Uffz. Lindner manage to parachute to safety after beeing boxed in by two 352 FG Mustangs.

It interesting to note that the pilots from the 4th FG that the JG 2 and JG 26 pilots clashed with this day, many where veterans with years of combat experience, notable was two of the ace pilots killed this day, Major Sobanski with 6 and Major McPharlin with 6.5 enemy aircraft downed.