Date: Tue, 01 Mar 1994 07:37 -0500 (EST) From: jem3@donuts0.bellcore.com (mc killop) Subject: USAAF FEB 44 COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES FEBURARY 1944 FTP SITES 1. ftp.rutgers.edu in directory pub/wwii/usaf 2. byrd.mu.wvnet.edu (129.71.32.152) in pub/history/military/airforce/ wwii_chronology AIRCRAFT MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT: A-20, Douglas Havoc A-24, Douglas Dauntless A-36, North American Apache B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress B-24, Consolidated Liberator B-25, North American Mitchell B-26, Martin Marauder Baltimore, Martin (RAF) Beaufighter, Bristol C-47, Douglas Skytrain F-5, Lockheed Lightning F-7, Consolidated Liberator F4U, Vought Corsair (USN) Hurricane, Hawker (RAF) L-5, Stinson Sentinel P-38, Lockheed Lightning P-39, Bell Airacobra P-40, Curtiss P-47, Republic Thunderbolt P-51, North American Mustang P-70, Douglas SBD, Douglas Dauntless (USN) Spitfire, Vickers Supermarine TBF, Grumman Avenger (USN) Ventura, Lockheed MONDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 6 B-24s bomb Mingaladon Airfield; another hits the airfield at Nyaungbinwun; 32 P-51s and A-36s and a single B-25 hit the main airfield at Myitkyina; some of the aircraft then strafe the Radhapur transport depot and storage area to the NW. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China during Feb 44, a detachment of the 16th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, based at Chengkung, operates from Nanning with P-40s; 449th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, transfers from Kunming to Suichwan with P-38s. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Transfers in England: 363d Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group from Raydon to Leiston with P-51s (first mission is 11 Feb); 752d, 753, 754th and 755th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy, 458th Bombardment Group (Heavy) from US to Horsham St Faith with B-24s (first mission is 24 Feb). Transfers in England during Feb 44: HQ 95th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) from Attlebridge to Ketteringham; HQ 491st Bombardment Group (Heavy) to North Pickenham. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Colonel Clarence E Crumrine temporarily takes command of the XIX Air Support Command, replacing Major General Elwood R Quesada. The latter assumes command of the IX Air Support Command which assumes control of all fighter and reconnaissance units of the IX Fighter Command. Transfers in England: HQ IX Air Support Command from Aldermaston Court to Middle Wallop; HQ XIX Air Support Command from Middle Wallop to Aldermaston Court; HQ 416th Bombardment Group (Light) and 669th, 670th and 671st Bombardment Squadrons (Light) from the US to Wethersfield with A-20s (first mission is 3 Mar); 30th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, III Reconnaissance Command, from the US to Chalgrove with F-5s (first mission is 25 Feb); 366th Fighter Squadron, 58th Fighter Group, from Leiston to Raydon with P-47s. Transfers in UK during Feb 44: HQ 438th Troop Carrier Group and 87th, 88th, 89th and 90th Troop Carrier Squadrons from the US with C-47s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Operations are limited to a fighter sweep of the Orvieto-Viterbo, Italy area by P-47s and to photo and weather reconnaissance. HQ 301st Bombardment Group (Heavy) transfers from Cerignola to Lucera, Italy. Transfers in Italy during Feb 44: HQ 305th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) from Foggia to Spinazzola. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s bomb the Albano Laziale road junction; P-40s bomb Cori, while A-36s hit Poggio Mieteto and P-47s attack the station at San Valentino; fighters cover the Anzio battle area. Detachment of 91st Fighter Squadron, 81st Fighter Group, operating from Capodichino, Italy with P-39s, returns to base at Montecorvino Airfield. During Feb 44, HQ 81st Fighter Group and 93d Fighter Squadron transfer from Castelvetrano, Sicily to Montecorvino Airfield with P-39s. During Feb, ground echelon of 417th Night Fighter Squadron, Twelfth Air Force (attached to RAF No. 337 Wing) transfers from Ghisonaccia to Borgo, Corsica; air echelon is at La Senia, Algeria with Beaufighters. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Makin Island, Gilbert Islands hit the beach defenses on Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands; P-40s on armed reconnaissance over Mille Atoll, Marshall Islands strafe a beached schooner. Operation CATCHPOLE (operations against Eniwetok and Ujelang Atolls in the Marshall Islands) is begun to occupy and defend Eniwetok Atoll, which is to furnish a striking base for operations against the Marianas Islands. During the operation, Seventh Air Force aircraft operating from newly acquired bases in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands neutralize airfields in the Marianas and continue to pound by-passed airfields in the Marshalls. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): Weather prevents 50 B-24s sent against installations in the Admiralty Islands from reaching the target; 2 B-24s bomb a freighter NE of Vanimo, New Guinea while a single B-24 on armed reconnaissance strafes barges in the Solomon Sea. HQ 308th and 309th Bombardment Wings (Heavy) and 310th Bombardment Wing (Medium) are activated at Oro Bay, Lae and Gusap New Guinea respectively; the wings will operate with various groups that are attached for brief periods. Transfers in New Guinea: 8th Bombardment Squadron (Light) from Dobodura to Nadzab with A-20s; 421st Night Fighter Squadron, V Fighter Command, from Milne Bay to Nadzab with P-70s. In New Guinea during Feb 44, a detachment of the 26th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, based at Dobodura, begins operating from Port Moresby with F-5s. WEDNESDAY, 2 FEBRUARY 1944 EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO): Marshall Josef V Stalin agrees to provide 6 bases for US aircraft in the USSR. STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 205: 95 of 110 B-24s hit V-weapon construction sites at St Pol/Siracourt and Watten, France; 2 B-24s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged; casualties are 10 KIA and 19 MIA. 183 P-47s escort the B-24s without loss. 364th Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, transfers from Raydon to Leiston, England with P-51s; first mission is 11 Feb. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 36 B-26s attack Triqueville Airfield, France. Eighth Air Force escorts are 34 P-38s and 44 P-47s. No losses. Transfers in England: 365th Fighter Squadron, 358th Fighter Group from Leiston to Raydon with P-47s; 381st Fighter Squadron, 363d Fighter Group, from Keevil to Rivenhall with P-51s, first mission is 24 Feb; 668th Bombardment Squadron (Light), 416th Bombardment Group (Light), from the US to Wethersfield with A-20s, first mission is 3 Mar. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): B-24s, with Spitfire escort, bomb the radar station at Durazzo, Albania. 32d, 352d, 353d and 419th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 301st Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfer from Cerignola to Lucera, Italy with B-17s. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): Major General Gordon P Saville becomes Commanding General, XII Air Support Command. In Italy, B-25s attack the Marino road junction and A-20s bomb Norma; A-36s and P-40s bomb villages, road junctions, trucks, trains, parked aircraft, supply dump, and the Viterbo road during several fighter-bomber missions; P-40s on patrol over the battle areas attack Cisterna di Latina and Formia. 23d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 5th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, transfers from San Servero, Italy to Alghero, Sardinia with F-5s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): A-24s and P-40s from Makin Island bomb runways and gun positions on Mille Atoll and along with P-39 escort strafe NE tip of the island; B-24s from Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands bomb Rongelap Island, Marshall Islands. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 31st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy), based on Guadalcanal Island, begins operating from Munda, New Georgia Island with B-24s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, B-24s bomb Sorong and Alexishafen; nearly 50 A-20s pound installations in the Madang area. B-25s hit coastal targets on New Britain Island from Cape Gauffre to Rein Bay. Other B-25s attack shipping off Tingwon Island in the Bismarck Archipelago and off the SE coast of New Britain Island. THURSDAY, 3 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 16 P-38s attack bridges, encampments, and buildings along the Prome-Taungup road; 1 bridge is knocked out and another damaged; a tugboat is sunk at Akyab; 14 A-36s and a B-25 attack troops and camp area at Kumnyen and Lalawng Ga, and hit a motor pool and repair depot at Shingban; 16 P-51s hit an encampment at Sawnghka. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 206: 553 of 671 B-17s hit the port area at Wilhelmshaven, Germany; another 56 hit the Emden area; and 1 hits Oldenburg; 1.8 million leaflets are dropped by B-17s; 193 B-24s are dispatched but they abort the mission over the Zuider Zee due to clouds; 0-1-0 Luftwaffe aircraft are claimed; 4 B-17s are lost, 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 47 B-17s are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 9 WIA and 42 MIA. Escort is provided by 74 P-38s, 508 P-47s of the Eighth and Ninth Air Force and 50 Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 8-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 P-47s and 1 P-51 are lost, 3 P-47s are damaged beyond repair and 13 P-47s are damaged; casualties are 9 MIA. Mission 207: 7 of 7 B-17s drop 420 bundles of leaflets on Paris, Rouen, Amiens, Reims, Orleans and Rennes, France at 2110-2146 hours; no losses. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): The 358th Fighter Group at Raydon becomes operational with P-47s. This is the first of 17 fighter groups which are to be added by 9 May 44 to the Ninth Air Force, which previously had only 1 fighter group, the 354th at Boxted with P-51s. 52 B-26s bomb V-weapon sites on the W coast of France. Weather causes 100+ other aircraft to abandon the mission. 380th Fighter Squadron, 363d Fighter Group, transfers from Keevil to Rivenhall, England with P-51s, first mission on 24 Feb. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In Italy, B-24s, finding the primary target obscured by bad weather, bomb targets of opportunity (railroad yards and stations) at Stimigliano and Sulmona; other B-24s return to base without bombing; P-47s fly a fighter sweep over the Prato-Pontassieve area. 154th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 68th Tactical Reconnaissance Group attached to Fifteenth Air Force, arrives at Oran, Algeria from Bari, Italy with P-38s, first mission as a weather reconnaissance unit on 13 Feb. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): Medium bomber missions are all aborted. In Italy, A-36s hit roads and other targets S of Rome, destroying or damaging numerous trucks and bombing the towns of Sezze and Fondi as US ground forces meet strong resistance in their drive toward Cassino; P-47s hit Manopello and railroad facilities at Sulmona; and fighters patrol the Anzio area. HQ 332d Fighter Group and 100th Fighter Squadron arrive at Montecorvino, Italy from the US with P-39s, first mission on 19 Feb. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): P-40s from Makin Island, bomb and strafe Mille Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, P-40s and US Navy (USN) fighters cover a USN dive-bomber strike on Tobera; 15 B-24s with P-38 and USN fighter escort bomb the airfield at Lakunai; Allied aircraft claim 13 Japanese interceptors downed during the 2 strikes. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, nearly 100 B-24s and B-25s, supported by P-38s, P-40s and P-47s, pound airfields in the Wewak area; about 8O aircraft are destroyed on the ground and in the air; A-20s attack Alexishafen and the Hansa Bay areas; P-39s and B-25s on armed reconnaissance hit trucks at Erima, barges on the New Britain coast, shipping in the N Bismarck Sea, and Momote and Hyane Harbor on Los Negros Island. Transfers in New Guinea: HQ 3d Bombardment Group (Light) from Dobodura to Nadzab; 25th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, from Brisbane, Australia to Lae with F-5s, first mission on 5 Feb; 673d Bombardment Squadron (Light), 417th Bombardment Group (Light), from Cape Sudest to Dobodura with A-20s, first mission on 25 Mar. FRIDAY, 4 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): 12 P-51s strafe runways and buildings at Indaw, Burma. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 208: 589 B-17s and 159 B-24s are dispatched to attack industry and railroad yards at Frankfurt/ Main, Germany; 346 B-17s and 27 B-24s hit the target; due to weather and navigational problems, 122 B-17s hit Giessen, 51 B-17s hit Wiesbaden, 17 B-24s hit the Trier area, 15 B-24s hit the Arloff area, 2 B-24s hit the Russelheim area, 1 B-24 hits Grafenhausen, 1 B-24 hits Darmstadt, 1 B-17 and 1 B-24 hit Koblenz and 26 B-24s and 23 B-17s hit unknown targets; they claim 4-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 18 B-17s and 2 B-24s are lost, 2 B-17s and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair and 359 aircraft are damaged; casualties are 7 KIA, 20 WIA and 203 MIA. Escort is provided by 56 P-38s, 537 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 44 Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 8-0-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38 is lost, 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair and 5 P-38s and 4 P-47s are damaged; casualties are 1 MIA. Mission 209: 7 of 7 B-17s drop 319 bundles of leaflets on Lorient, Tours, Nantes, Raismes, Lille and Cambrai, France and Antwerp, Belgium at 2102-2132 hours without loss. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Major General Otto P Weyland becomes Commanding General, XIX Air Support Command. HQ 313th Troop Carrier Group transfers from Trapani/Milo Airfield, Sicily to Folkingham, England. US STRATEGIC AIR FORCES IN EUROPE: The abbreviation for this unit is changed from USSAFE to USSTAF. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In France, B-17s bomb Antheor viaduct and Toulon harbor; B-24s are forced by bad weather to return bombs to base; many of the B-17s returning from the Toulon raid are forced to land at various friendly fields because of unsafe flying conditions. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, weather prevents all medium, light and fighter-bomber missions; P-40s and Spitfires maintain patrols over the Anzio area, where a strong German counter-offensive had been launched during the night of 3/4 Feb. Detachment of 414th Night Fighter Squadron, 63d Fighter Wing, operating from Ghisonaccia with Beaufighters transfers to Borgo, Corsica; squadron is based at Elmas, Sardinia. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s, flying from Tarawa Atoll and Makin Island, bomb Wotje, Maloelap and Mille Atolls, Marshall Islands; B-25s from Tarawa and Abemama Island, Gilbert Islands also hit Wotje and Maloelap Atolls; P-40s based on Makin Island bomb and strafe Mille Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, 25 B-25s, escorted by 40+ fighters, pound the airfield at Tobera; 18 B-24s, covered by 30+ P-38s and USN fighters, hit the airfield at Vunakanau. HQ 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy) transfers from Guadalcanal Island to Munda, New Georgia Island. 68th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group, transfers from Fiji to Bougainville Island, Solomon Islands with P-38s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In the Moluccas Islands, B-24s and B-25s carry out small raids against Laha on Ambon Island, Namlea on Buru Island and Amboina on Ambon Island. In New Guinea, 170+ B-24s, A-20s. and B-25s bomb But and Dagua Airfields, Marienberg and the Madang- Alexishafen area; P-39s bomb and strafe Atemble and strafe targets of opportunity in the Alexishafen area. 672d, 674th and 675th Bombardment Squadrons (Light), 417th Bombardment Group (Light), transfer from Cape Sudest to Dobodura, New Guinea with A-20s, first mission on 25 Mar. SATURDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 1944 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): In the Kurile Islands, 6 B-24s and 16 P-38s join USN aircraft to fly air cover in several relays during retirement of US light cruisers and destroyers following bombardment of installations in the Kurabu Cape-Musashi Bay areas; shortly afterwards, the aircraft also photograph and attack installations at Paramushiru and Shimushu. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma during the early morning hours, 8 B-24s bomb the airfield at Heho while 6 others hit Aungban Airfield; 9 B-25s follow with strikes on Heho, Sagaing and Myittha Airfields. During the daylight hours 14 fighter-bombers hit the marshalling yard at Wuntho; during the night of 5/6 Feb, 9 B-24s again hit Heho and 4 bomb Aungban. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 8 B-24s during the night of 5/6 Feb bomb Bangkok, Thailand. 3 others hit Nakhon Nayok and an unidentified airfield on the Mekong River both in French Indochina. 2 B-24s and 2 B-25s attack a convoy E of Hong Kong and claim 2 freighters and 3 smaller cargo vessels sunk. In Burma, 4 P-40s on armed reconnaissance strafe a big wagon and truck column N of Hsenwi; 4 others bomb and strafe Hopang, causing large fires in the village. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): In view of the previous decision to concentrate most of the training activities of the Eighth Air Force in the VIII Air Force Composite Command, a decision is made to transfer HQ from Limavady, County Derry, Ireland, to Cheddington, England, to bring it closer to the combat crew training stations over which it is to be given supervision. Most of the transfer is completed between 7 and 15 Feb. Mission 210: Airfields in France are targetted. 103 B-17s are dispatched to Chateauroux/Martinerie and Avord Airfields with 50 hitting each target; 121 B-17s are dispatched to Chateaudun (61 bomb) and Orleans/Bricy (60 bomb) Airfields; 182 B-17s are dispatched to Romilly-sur-Seine air depot but 133 hit Villacoublay; 103 B-24s are dispatched to Meslay Airfield (90 bomb) and 8 hit Chateaudun; they claim 5-0-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-24s are lost, 3 B-17s and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair and 39 B-17s and 31 B-24s are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 15 WIA and 22 MIA. Escort is provided by 92 P-38s, 496 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 46 Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 6-0-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-47s are lost, 1 P-38 and 1 P-47 are damaged beyond repair and 1 P-38 and 1 P-47 are damaged; casualties are 2 MIA. Mission 211: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 300 bundles of leaflets during a CARPETBAGGER mission on Ghent, Monceau-sur-Sambre, Antwerp and Brussels, Belgium at 2026-2037 hours without loss. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Around 180 B-26s attack 6 V-weapon sites in N France. HQ 437th Troop Carrier Group transfers from Balderton to Ramsbury, England. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s bomb Terni marshalling yard, and A-20s hit the Lanuvio and Piedimonte areas. P-40s and A-36s hit road junctions at Cisterna di Latina, Vetralla, and Velletri, bomb the towns of Vetralla, Ardea, and Villa Santa Lucia degli Abruzzi, and attack motor transport at several points, including areas N, NE and SE of Rome. 58th, 59th and 60th Fighter Squadrons, 33d Fighter Group, begin a movement from Cercola, Italy to India with P-40s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): P-40s from Makin Island dive- bomb and strafe oil storage area, radio facilities, and small craft at Jaluit Atoll, Marshall Islands; P-39s strafe runways on Mille Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 24 P-40s join 40+ USN fighters in covering a strike by more than 60 USN dive bombers on Lakunai, New Britain Island. This strike is followed by an attack of 13 B-24s, with 30+ P-38 and USN fighter escort, on the same target. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 70+ B-25s and A-20s attack the Hansa Bay area; 48 B-24s pound Hoskins Airfield, and some also bomb Gasmata Island off New Britain Island, after weather prevents an attack on Kavieng, New Ireland Island. B-24s fly a light raid on Kaimana, New Guinea. B-25s on armed reconnaissance in the W Bismarck Sea claim 1 freighter sunk; others bomb wrecked ships off New Hanover Island. SUNDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): 12 P-51s hit warehouses and freight cars at Wuntho, Burma and claim 4 warehouses destroyed. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 11 P-40s on armed reconnaissance strafe sampans and power launches between Yoyang and Puchi, China. 6 B-25s knock out bridges and damage 3 trains at Anxuan, Tien An, Phong Loc and Dong Hoi, French Indochina. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 212: Airfields in France are targetted but weather forces 400+ bombers to abort the mission. 189 B-17s are dispatched against the Romilly-sur-Seine Air Depot and 60 hit St Andre de L'Eure Airfield and 40 hit Evreux/Fauville Airfield; 303 B-17s are dispatched to Nancy/Essay and Dijon/Longvic Airfields but only 60 hit Caen/Carpiquet Airfield; 150 B-24s are dispatched to St Pol/Siracourt V-weapon site but 37 hit Chateaudun Airfield and 9 hit the Eclimeux V-weapon site; they claim 3-3-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17s are lost, 1 B-17 and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair and 43 B-17s and 7 B-24s are damaged; casualties are 7 KIA, 3 WIA and 43 MIA. Escorting are 85 P-38s, 506 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 47 Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 11-2-3 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 2-0-7 on the ground; 3 P-38s and 1 P-47 are lost, 1 P-38 and 2 P-47s are damaged beyond repair and 1 P-38 and 1 P-47 are damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 4 MIA. Mission 213: 6 of 6 B-17s drop 363 leaflet bundles in a CARPETBAGGER mission over Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Liege and Monceau-sur-Sambre, Belgium at 2202-2225 hours without loss. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Around 120 B-26s bomb V-weapon sites, airfields, and a factory, all in France; principal targets bombed are at Rosieres-en-Santerre, Amiens/Glisy, Cormeilles-en-Vexin, and Grandvilliers. Transfers in England: 34th Troop Carrier Squadron, 315th Troop Carrier Group, from Wilford to Spanhoe (air echelon is operating from Blida, Algeria with C-47s); 83d, 84th, 85th and 86th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 437th Troop Carrier Group, from Balderton to Ramsbury with C-47s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Bad weather restricts operations to photographic and weather reconnaissance flights. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-26s bomb the Orte marshalling yard while B-25s hit the Frascati road junction; A-20s bomb the Campoleone railroad station and the town of Roccasecca; P-40s bomb Cisterna di Latina, Santa Lucia (near Campoleone), Cori (and nearby road junction) and Atina; A-36s hit San Stefano al Mare, Cisterna di Latina, Frascati and Albano Laziale, and strike numerous vehicles, railroad cars and other targets of opportunity on armed reconnaissance missions N and S of Rome. A German counteroffensive against the Anzio beachhead and on the Cassino front forces an Allied withdrawal. HQ 12th Bombardment Group (Medium) and 81st, 82d, 83d and 434th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) begin a movement from Gaudo Airfield, Italy to India with B-25s. HQ 33d Fighter Group begins a movement from Cercola, Italy to India. HQ 350th Fighter Group transfers from Sardinia to Corsica; 345th Fighter Squadron based in Sardinia begins operating from Corsica with P-39s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Tarawa Atoll hit Maloelap and Wotje Atolls; A-24s and P-40s from Makin Island attack Mille Atoll; Tarawa-based P-39s strafe Jaluit Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): P-39s and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Ventura's hit barges in the Green Island area. Lakunai Airfield, New Britain Island, is hit by 32 B-25s, covered by 60+ AAF and USN fighters, and shortly afterwards by 19 B-24s, escorted by nearly 50 Allied fighters; Allied aircraft claim 16 aircraft shot down; Lakunai is practically unserviceable as a result of cumulative damage. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, B-25s and B-24s pound Bunabun Harbor, Madang, and targets from Bogia to Cape Croisilles; P-39s strafe and sink barges near Nubia; and A-20s hit shipping near Kairiru and Mushu Islands causing considerable damage and destruction. Other bombers hit targets in the Admiralty Islands (concentrating on Momote on Los Negros Island) and carry out light attacks on Talasea village and Cape Dampier gun positions on New Britain Island. MONDAY, 7 FEBRUARY 1944 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN (Sixth Air Force): 35th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 25th Bombardment Group (Medium), transfers from Vernam Field, Jamaica to Trinidad with B-25s. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): A single B-25 bombs a motor pool at Sumprabum, Burma. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 16 P-40s and 4 P-51s damage railroad bridges at Kienchang and Puchi and strafe warehouses at Teian. In French Indochina, 2 B-25s score 2 direct hits on the powerplant at Thanh Hoa, strafe nearby barracks, and attack the radio station at Vinh. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): 36th and 406th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 1st Bombardment Division attached to 482d Bombardment Group (Heavy), transfer from Alconbury to Watton (36th continues operating from Alconbury) with B-24s; the squadrons fly CARPETBAGGER missions. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ 315th Troop Carrier Group transfers from Welford to Stanhoe, England. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Bad weather again limits operations to photographic and weather reconnaissance missions. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-26s bomb the bridge approach S of Manziana; B-25s hit the Viterbo marshalling yard and, in support of US Fifth army troops, bomb the town of Cisterna di Latina as the enemy counterattack begins in the Anzio area; A-20s hit Piedimonte and the road junction and railway station at Campoleone; A-36s hit San Stefano al Mare and nearby railroad siding, Pontecorvo and Belmonte in Sabina, plus several targets of opportunity and targets in support of ground forces in the battle areas; P-40s attack an observation tower at Littoria, trucks at Villa Santa Lucia degli Abruzzi, Campoleone, a railroad gun, the Sezze railroad yards, Cisterna di Latina and gun positions in battle areas. Fighters encounter heavy aircraft activity over the Anzio battle area and claim 16 shot down. 302d Fighter Squadron, 332d Fighter Group, arrives at Montecorvino, Italy from the US with P-39s; first mission is 17 Feb. Detachment of 346th Fighter Squadron, 350th Fighter Group, based in Sardinia with P-39s, begins operating from Sidi Amor, Tunisia. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s from Tarawa Atoll and Abemama Island hit Wotje and Maloelap Atolls and P-40s from Makin Island hit a storage area at Jaluit Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, P-40s join USN fighters in covering a USN dive-bomber strike on Tobera; several gun positions and grounded aircraft are hit and the runway is bombed into unserviceable condition; 11 aircraft are claimed shot down; Vunakanau Airfield is bombed by 17 B-24s, escorted by P-38s and USN fighters. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 14 B-24s bomb Amboina, Ambon Island and Lautem, Timor Island. P-39s fly strafing sweeps over New Britain Island. Single B-25s on reconnaissance bomb Garua Harbor, Cape Dampier on New Britain Island and Kavieng on New Ireland Island. Transfers in New Guinea: HQ 35th Fighter Group from Nadzab to Gusap; HQ 417th Bombardment Group (Light) from Cape Sudest to Dobodura; 25th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, from Lae to Nadzab with F-5s; 110th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter), 71st Reconnaissance Group, from Port Moresby to Gusap with P-39Qs. COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES TUESDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 1944 FTP SITES 1. ftp.rutgers.edu in directory pub/wwii/usaf 2. byrd.mu.wvnet.edu (129.71.32.152) in pub/history/military/airforce/ wwii_chronology AIRCRAFT MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT: A-20, Douglas Havoc A-36, North American Apache B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress B-24, Consolidated Liberator B-25, North American Mitchell B-26, Martin Marauder P-38, Lockheed Lightning P-39, Bell Airacobra P-40, Curtiss P-47, Republic Thunderbolt P-51, North American Mustang CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 7 B-25s bomb bridges at Budalin and Songon, displacing a section of the former and destroying an approach to the latter; 7 others hit the stronghold at Badana; 16 A-36s and P-51s and 1 B-25 hit a camp at Mogaung; 4 P-51s strafe railroad cars NW of Myitkyina while 1 B-25 bombs a camp at Kumnyen. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 214: 53 of 54 B-24s hit the V-weapon site at Siracourt, France while 57 of 73 B-24s hit the V-weapon site at Watten, France; 41 B-24s are damaged and 10 airmen are WIA; escort is 89 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s. 88 of 236 B-17s hit the marshalling yards at Frankfurt, Germany using blind-bombing techniques; 107 other B-17s hit targets of opportunity; they claim 1-3-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 13 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 108 damaged; casualties are 11 KIA, 4 WIA and 130 MIA; escort is provided by 77 P-38s, 435 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 41 Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 16-1-8 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-38s, 3 P-47s and 4 P-51s are lost, 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair and 4 P-47s are damaged; casualties are 9 MIA. Mission 215: 6 of 6 B-17s drop 360 bundles of leaflets in a CARPETBAGGER operation over Caen, Rouen, Paris, Rennes and Amiens, France at 2106-2136 hours without loss. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ Ninth Air Force extends IX Bomber Command's choice of targets considerably, although first priority for Operation POINTBLANK missions [the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) of US and RAF air forces against the Luftwaffe and German aircraft industry] and next priority for Operation CROSSBOW (code name for operations against German V-weapon sites) targets is maintained. In a morning raid, nearly 200 B-26s attack V-weapon sites and targets of opportunity in NW France. In an afternoon raid, 100+ B-26s bomb V-weapon sites and military instsllations in the same general area, most of the B-26s attacking Breck-sur-Mer. This is the IX Bomber Command's first 2-mission day. 494th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 344th Bombardment Group (Medium), arrives at Stansted, England from the US with B-26s; first mission is 29 Feb. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): The 454th Bombardment Group (Heavy) with B-24s becomes operstional, giving the Fifteenth Air Force 10 operational heavy bomber groups. In Italy, B-24s bomb airfields at Viterbo, Tarquinia, Orvieto, Piombino and Prato; B-17s hit the marshalling yard at Verona; P-38s and P-47s escort the Orvieto, Piombino, and Prato missions. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s bomb Cisterna di Latina; B-26s hit the Siena marshalling yard and warehouses, and a railway bridge NE of Civita Castellana; A-20s bomb Piedimonte; A-36s attack gun positions near Ausonia, tracks between Rome and Orte, and the town of Veroli, and fly strafing and bombing sweeps in the Anzio battle area against motor transport, gun positions, road junction E of Cisterna di Latina, and the town of Pontecorvo; P-40s hit Roccasecca, Castello, Caprile. Piedimonte, Aquino and other targets, including a supply dump and gun positions; P-47s bomb Atina; Desert Air Force (DAF) fighters (US and RAF) destroy a large number of trucks near Sora. 301st Fighter Squadron, 332d Fighter Group, arrives at Montecorvino, Italy from the US with P-39s; first mission is 15 Feb. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Makin and Abemama Islands hit Maloelap and Mille Atolls. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): P-39s over Bougainville Island bomb and strafe Tiaraka huts and bivouac area. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, nearly 50 A-20s and B-25s hit the Alexishafen and Madang areas; P-39s strafe targets of opportunity during sweeps over wide areas of NE New Guinea and New Britain Island; during the night of 8/9 Feb, B-25s bomb Toeal. WEDNESDAY, 9 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, B-25s, P-51s, P-38s, P-40s, and A-36s carry out 75 attack sorties against Seinnyinba, bivouac and supply areas in the Mogaung-Loilaw area, bivouac and buildings at Pyindaw, camps at Kumnyen and near Maingkwan and Shingban, and storage area and bivouac on the Mogaung-Kamaing road near Sawnghka; a bridge over the Namtamng River near Maingkwan also is destroyed. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 16 P-40s strafe and bomb large barracks and oil storage at Chefang and pound town areas of Homun and Mangshih. 2 B-25s demolish a radio station SW of Haiphong, French Indochina. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 133 B-26s bomb V-weapon sites in coastal France, marshalling yards at Tergnier, France and targets of opportunity in the area. This marks the first of the IX Bomber Command raids on marshalling yards. HQ 344th Bombardment Group (Medium) arrives at Stansted, England from the US. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Weather grounds all aircraft with exception of 1 P-38 which flies a weather reconnaissance mission. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s and B-26s, in close support to US Fifth Army forces, attack motor transport and troop concentrations in the Campoleone area while A-20s blast another troop concentration to the W; P-40s hit Cisterna di Latina and gun positions; A-36s and P-40s pound concentration points of a counterattack against the Fifth Army beachhead in the Anzio area, strike along the main Fifth Army front, and attack the villages of Piedimonte and Aquino and gun positions near Cassino and Ausonia. HQ 87th Fighter Wing transfers from Nouvion, Algeria to Caserta, Italy. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): A-24s from Makin Island along with supporting P-40s, bomb and strafe oil storage and gun positions on Jaluit Atoll; during a dusk-to-dawn operation on 9/10 Feb B-24s operating at intervals from Tarawa Atoll maintain strikes against Wotje Atoll and Taroa Island in Maloelap Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, P-40s and USN fighters cover a USN dive-bomber attack on Vunakanau Airfield, scoring many hits on AA positions, buildings, and runways; 24 B-24s with USN fighter escort follow with a strike on the same target hitting runways and revetment area; 19 B-24s. with 20 P-38s supporting, hit Tobera Airfield, thoroughly saturating the runway. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): On New Guinea, the occupation of the Huon Peninsula is completed as US and Australian forces meet SE of Saidor; A-20s pound the village of Mindiri. B-24s bomb Amboina, Ambon Island and Lautem, Timor Island. THURSDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Thailand, 9 B-24s bomb the Ban Mah arsenal at Bangkok and Don Maung Airfield immediately to the N. In Burma, 3 B-24s bomb Prome and Akyab, 9 B-25s pound Chiradan and Godusara, and 16 P-51s hit barracks and a road at Chishidu. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 8 P-40s bomb Wanling and vicinity while 3 others fly top cover; the target area, a supply staging and training center, is heavily damaged; 5 B-24s during the night of 9/10 Feb mine the mouth of the Yangtze River; B-25s on sea sweeps claim 2 freighters sunk near Hainan Island and SW of Hong Kong; 12 P-51s and P-38s strafe boats and parked aircraft in the Chiuchiang area; 12 P-40s strafe power boats and sampans along the Yangtze River from Puchi to Yoyang. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 216: 141 of 169 B-17s hit the industrial area at Brunswick, Germany and 2 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 42-30-61 Luftwaffe aircraft; 29 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 52 damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 3 WIA and 295 MIA; escort is provided by 64 P-38s, 357 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 45 Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 56-1-40 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 0-0-2 on the ground; 5 P-38s and 4 P-47s are lost, 1 P-38 and 1 P-51 are damaged beyond repair and 6 P-47s are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 1 WIA and 9 MIA. 27 of 81 B-24s hit the Gilze-Rijen Airfield, The Netherlands; dense contrails and frost prevent most aircraft from attacking; 4 B-24s are damaged beyond repair; casualties are 26 KIA and 14 WIA; escort is provided by 91 P-47s without loss. Mission 217: In a CARPETBAGGER mission, 5 of 5 B-17s drop 260 bundles of leaflets on Rennes, Caen, Rouen and Amiens, France and Antwerp, Belgium at 2111-2145 hours without loss. HQ 364th Fighter Group and 383d, 384th and 385th Fighter Squadrons arrive at Honington, England from the US with P-38J's; first mission is 2 Mar. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 114 B-26s attack V-weapon sites in coastal France, airfields at Poix and Beauvais/Tille, a bridge at Le Crotoy, and a coastal battery N of the Conch River. 496th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 344th Bombardment Group (Medium), arrives at Stansted, England from the US with B-26s; first mission is 29 Feb. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In Italy, B-17s bomb Albano Laziale, Cisterna di Latina and Cecina; B-24s strike Campoleone and Velletri; P-38s bomb and strafe the Tivoli, Vicovaro, and Monterotondo area; P-47s fly uneventful sweeps over Cisterna di Roma and Albano; numerous heavy bombers are forced to abort operations because of unsafe flying conditions. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): Light and medium bomber missions are aborted because of bad weather. In Italy, P-40s and A-36s support an unsuccessful attempt of the US Fifth Army's 1st Infantry Division to stem an attack in the Carroceto area; P-47s fail to locate their target (Sora) and drop bombs on targets of opportunity. 347th Fighter Squadron, 350th Fighter Group, based on Corsica with P-39s, sends a detachment to Capodichino, Italy. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s from Tarawa Atoll hit Wotje and Maloelap Atolls; 9 B-24s from Abemama Island, sent to bomb a weather and radio station on Rongelap Island, abort due to a fuel leak in the lead B-24; an attempt to bomb Jaluit Atoll during the return flight is unsuccessful. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, P-40s and USN fighters cover a USN dive-bomber attack on Vunakanau Airfield; B-25s with fighter escort bomb Vunakanau later in the day; Tobera is pounded by 21 B-24s supported by P-38s and USN fighters; the Allied aircraft claim 30+ aircraft downed in the New Britain area. P-39s hit buildings at Bonis and barges in Matchin Bay on Bougainville Island and near Green Island. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 50+ B-24s bomb Boram Airfield and harbor at Wewak. 6 B-25s and a B-24 hit Momote Airfield on Los Negros Island and jetties at Manus Island. P-39s strafe targets of opportunity during a sweep over wide areas of New Britain Island. The junction of Allied forces from Arawe and Cape Gloucester marks the completion of the campaign for the W end of New Britain Island; occasional missions will still be flown in the area, but most will be restricted to barge sweeps and patrols. FRIDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 1944 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 77th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 28th Bombardment Group (Composite), moves from Amchitka Island to Attu Island with B-25s. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 10 A-36s and P-51s hit the supply area at Sawnghka; 12 A-36s and P-51s and a single B-25 bomb a supply and bivouac area at Pyindaw; 8 P-51s hit a road junction near Mogaung and nearby supply area; 8 P-51s and P-40s on armed reconnaissance strafe a large river steamer and a launch in the Mandalay-Shwebo area. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 12 P-38s knock out 1 bridge and damage another at Sheklung; 6 B-25s, escorted by 20 US and Chinese P-40s, bomb the storage area at Kai Tek Airfield; the P-40s claim 5 Japanese fighters shot down; Japanese aircraft bomb and strafe Namyung putting the field out of use for several days. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 218: 94 of 201 B-24s bomb the Siracourt V-weapon site in France with PFF equipment; the remaining aircraft were assigned individual targets without PFF and were unable to locate their targets; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 17 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 1 WIA and 10 MIA; escort is provided by 85 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47's and 41 P-51s without loss. The primary target for 223 B-17s is the marshalling yard at Frankfurt, Germany; 157 hit the primary, 32 hit Ludwigshafen, 19 hit Saarbrucken and 4 hit other targets of opportunity; they claim 3-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 124 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 26 WIA and 51 MIA; escort is provided by 82 P-38s, 486 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47's and 38 Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 30-2-28 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 2-1-4 on the ground; 8 P-38s, 4 P-47's and 2 P-51s are lost, 2 P-47's and 1 P-51 are damaged beyond repair and 2 P-38s and 4 P-47's are damaged; casualties are 14 MIA. Mission 219: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Ghent, Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium at 2118-2146 hours without loss. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Most of the 139 B-26s dispatched to attack NOBALL (V-weapon) targets in N France are recalled because of bad weather; 35 manage to bomb the marshalling yard at Amiens. 495th and 497th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 344th Bombardment Group (Medium), arrives at Stansted, England from the US with B-26s; first mission is 29 Feb. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): HQ 460th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 760th, 761st, 762d and 763d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) arrive at Spinazzola, Italy from the US with B-24s; first mission is 19 Mar. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): P-40s and P-39s dive-bomb and strafe hangar, airfield installations and gun positions on Mille Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, P-40s join USN fighters in covering a USN dive-bomber strike on Wunapope; 22 B-25s, escorted by USN fighters, pound Vunakanau Airfield; Tobera Airfield is bombed by 15 B-24s with P-38 and USN fighter escort. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): About 50 B-24s pound the airfield at Kavieng, New Ireland Island, and 2 bomb Garove Island. 7 B-24s bomb Kendari Airfield, Celebes Island and Dili, Timor Island. P-40s and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft pound Japanese forces still remaining in the Saidor, New Guinea area. Fighter sweeps and armed reconnaissance continue over wide areas of the SWPA. 25th Liaison Squadron, 512th Photographic Wing (Provisional), arrives at Lae, New Guinea from Brisbane, Australia with L-5s. SATURDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 8 P-40s hit the town of Ransa and motor convoys S of Sumprabum; 40 P-51s and A-36s attack bivouacs at Walawbum, bivouac and motor pool at Padaw, storage area at the road junction near Chishidu and the town of Chishidu; 30+ P-51s and B-25s hit camps between Tsumhpawng Ga and Walawbum, storage area and motor pool S of Kamaing, motor convoy on the Myitkyina-Sumprabum road, the town of Namting and bridges at Meza and Kanni. 59th Fighter Squadron, 33d Fighter Group, arrives at Karachi, India from Italy; they will be equipped with P-47Ds. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 9 P-40s pound the warehouse area at Wanling, Burma. In French Indochina, 6 P-40s bomb the barracks at Vinh and strafe Dong Cuong Airfield, railroad yards at Cam Duong, and sampans at Phu Tho; 5 B-25s on a sea sweep in the Gulf of Tonkin claim 2 trawlers sunk and hit shore targets of opportunity SW of Haiphong; a single B-25 damages a bridge at Ha Trung. 24 P-38s, P-51s, and P-40s intercept 25 Japanese fighters near Suichwan, China, claiming 7 shot down; 2 US fighters are lost. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 220: 97 of 99 B-24s hit the V-weapon site at St Pol/Siracourt, France; 29 B-24s are damaged; no losses or casualties; escort is provided by 84 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47's and 41 P-51s; no claims, losses or casualties. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ 370th Fighter Group and 401st, 402d and 485th Fighter Squadrons arrive at Aldermaston, England from the US with P-47's; the unit will transition to P-38s and fly their first mission on 1 May. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In Italy, B-17s and B-24s strike troop concentrations and highways in the Cecina area and near Lake Nemi. Bad weather causes all other missions to abort. HQ 459th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 756th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) arrive at Giulia Airfield, Italy from the US with B-24s; first mission is 2 Mar. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s attack gun positions at Campoleone and the surrounding area; B-26s hit Cecina; A-36s hit aircraft and trucks on the landing ground and in the area near Fahrica di Rorila, attack troops in the area, bomb gun positions SW of Roccasecca, and hit the towns of Fondi and Lanuvio; P-40s attack Gisterna di Roma, Sezze station and road junction, Cori and gun positions NW of Atina. HQ 61st Troop Carrier Group and 14th and 15th Troop Carrier Squadrons begin a movement from Sciacca, Sicily to England with C-47s. HQ 62d Troop Carrier Group and 7th Troop Carrier Squadron move from Ponte Olivo, Sicily to Brindisi, Italy with C-47s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s from Tarawa Atoll and Abemama Island hit Wotje and Maloelap Atolls; A-24s and P-39s from Makin Island bomb and strafe Mille Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, 23 B-25s, with US Navy (USN) fighters in support, bomb Tobera Airfield; 21 B-24s, escorted by P-39s and USN fighters, pound Vunakanau Airfield; P-40s join USN fighters in covering a USN dive-bomber strike on Lakunai. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): Brigadier General Carl W Connell resumes command of the V Air Force Services Command. About 50 A-20s blast occupied areas SE of Wewak, New Guinea. SUNDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 1944 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ZONE OF INTERIOR: The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) accepts revision of the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) Plan. The targets are reduced to a number that can be decisively attacked and target lists are revised to keep up with the effort of the Germans to relocate vital industrial plants. Disruption of communication lines and reduction of the Luftwaffe are high priority aims included in the CCS directive on this date. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 6 P-51s and a B-25 damage a road bridge and 2 warehouses in the Wuntho area; 32 P-51s and A-36s hit the supply area and radio installations S of Kamaing and blast bivouacs S of Walawbum; 18 P-51s hit the road and railroad junction N of Sahmaw, a bivouac N of Kamaing and a camp between Tsumhpawng Ga and Walawbum; during the night, 16 B-24s bomb Heho Airfield. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 23 B-24s pound railroad shops at Vinh; 4 B-25s hit a convoy E of Foochow, China claiming 3 freighters and a transport sunk; 4 other B-25s damage 2 vessels off SW Hainan Island and bomb dock, railroad, and oil dump at Bakli on Hainan Island; 6 P-40s bomb and strafe barracks and hangars at Phu Tho and strafe freight cars at Yen Bay and Suo Ha. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 221: V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area of France are hit; 266 of 277 B-17s hit 12 sites and 138 of 192 B-24s hit 5 sites; 12 B-24s hit targets of opportunity; they claim 0-1-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17s are lost, 2 B-17s and 2 B-24s are damaged beyond repair, and 74 B-17s and 57 B-24s are damaged; casualties are 7 KIA, 23 WIA and 24 MIA. Escort is provided by 189 P-47s and 43 P-51s; they claim 6-1-4 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 0-0-4 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost and 4 P-47s damaged; no casualties. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 182 B-26s attack V-weapon sites in the coastal area of France; 16 others bomb secondary targets in the area. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Operations are restricted to weather reconnaissance. 757th and 758th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 459th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Giulia Airfield, Italy from the US with B-24s; first mission is 2 Mar. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-26s bomb the Bucine viaduct; B-25s and A-20s support Fifth Army forces N and E of the Anzio beachhead, blasting an ammunition dump and troop and vehicle concentrations; P-40 and A-36 fighter-bombers give support in the same areas, hitting troop concentrations, a railway tunnel, buildings, vehicles, a supply dump, and gun positions. Units moving from Sicily to England: HQ 52d Troop Carrier Wing from Agrigento; HQ 314th Troop Carrier Group and 32d Troop Carrier Squadron from Castelvetrano with C-47s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): During the night of 13/14 Feb, B-24s from Tarawa Atoll operating individually at intervals, bomb Wotje and Mille Atolls and Taroa Island in Maloelap Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, 20 B-25s bomb Tobera Airfield and 23 B-24s bomb Lakunai Airfield; both forces are escorted by fighters; P-40s and USN fighters escort USN SBDs and TBFs dive-bombing runway and AA positions at Vunakanau. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 24 A-20s hit Aitape, New Guinea. 70+ B-25s pound Momote Airfield on Los Negros Island and 35 B-24s bomb Kavieng Airfield on New Ireland Island. MONDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): P-51s and A-36s carry out 70+ sorties against a variety of targets in Burma; targets include the supply area at Shingban, a truck convoy N of Maingkwan, supply dumps and motor transport in the Kamaing area, a bivouac near Mogaung, troop and vehicle concentrations between Mogaung and Kamaing, artillery positions at Laawn Ga, and railroad station and warehouses at Lundaung. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO): General Dwight D Eisenhower establishes HQ Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). Chief of Staff, Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC) comes under control of SHAEF. STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 222: 48 P-47s are dispatched to Eindhoven Airfield in the Netherlands; the primary target is overcast and 46 of 48 hit Gilze-Rijen Airfield without loss. 22d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) based at Mount Farm, England, sends a detachment to operate from Attlebridge, England with F-5s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In Italy, B-17s attack the marshalling yards at Modena, Brescia, and Verona and several targets of opportunity including the airfield and Piaggio aircraft factory at Pontedera and railroad bridges and lines at Parma, Sassuolo, Rubiera, and S of Vicenza; B-17s and escorting P-47s claim 20 fighters shot down; B-24s bomb the marshalling yards at Mantua, Verona, Massa Lombarda, Fenara and Arezzo, and targets of opportunity including the Pisa and Prato marshalling yards, airfields at Pisa and Pontedera, and road-rail junction near Vaiano. 759th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 459th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives at Giulia Airfield from the US with B-24s; first mission is 2 Mar. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): The Twelfth Air Force loses several of its operational units, the 12th Bombardment Group (Medium) and 33d and 81st Fighter Groups being moved to India, and the 52d Troop Carrier Wing and its 4 groups being sent to England. In Italy, B-25s bomb the Perugia marshalling yard, A-20's hit Grottaferrata; A-36s attack guns in the Pontecorvo area, railway yards at Civita Castellana and Frosinone, motor transport near Genzano di Roma, airfield at Furbara, and Ferentino railway station, some of the missions being in direct support of the US Fifth Army main front; P-40s bomb and strafe troop concentrations N and E of the Anzio beachhead, scoring hits on tanks, motor transport and guns near Cisterna di Roma, Cori and Rocca di Papa; P-47s hit Colleferro and dump at Valmontone; P-40s score direct hits on a vessel and fuel dump in the Rogoznica area. 92d Fighter Squadron, 81st Fighter Group, begins a movement from Capodichino, Italy to India. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): 40+ B-24s from the 11th and 90th Bombardment Groups (Heavy), flying out of Makin Island and Tarawa Atoll strike Ponape Island in the first Seventh Air Force raid on the Caroline Islands; 2 of the B-24s hit the alternate target of Emidj Island. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, B-24s bomb the Rabaul area in a diversionary strike while USN TBFs lay mines in Simpson Harbor; 30 escorted B-25s pound Vunakanau Airfield while 28 B-24s, also with escort, bomb Rapopo Airfield; P-40s and USN fighters escort a USN dive-bomber raid on Tobera gun positions and airfield revetments; 4 B-25s also bomb Tobera. On Bougainville Island weather clears, permitting the first attacks, by 19 B-25s, on Kara and Kahili, in recent weeks; P-39s attack Puriata River bridges. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): A-20s with P-40 support, bomb and strafe Dagua airfield, New Guinea, destroying and damaging 20+ aircraft. 80+ plus B-25s pound Momote Airfield on Los Negros Island. 40+ B-24s bomb the airfields at Kavieng and Panapai on New Ireland Island. 20th Combat Mapping Squadron, 6th Photographic Group, moves from Port Moresby to Nadzab, New Guinea with F-7s; first mission is 5 Apr. TUESDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): P-40s, P-51s, and A-36s hit targets in Burma, including rice mill and radio station at Waingmaw, targets of opportunity along the Hukawng-Walawbum road, motor pool and dumps in the Kamaing area, troops and supplies at Padi Ga and a canal bridge at Ye-u; P-40s also drop land mines on Nampaung. HQ 443d Troop Carrier Group is moved from the US to Sylhet, India without personnel and equipment. The 1st, 2d and 27th Troop Carrier Squadrons, already in the theater, will be assigned on 6 Mar. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 4 B-25s on a sweep in N French Indochina score a direct hit on a steamer at Haiphong and nearby railroad station, damage bridges near Viet Tri and a patrol launch at Hanoi, and hit engine sheds at Thanh Hoa. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 223: 52 of 54 B-24s hit V-weapon sites at St Pol/Siracourt, France; 29 B-24s are damaged; no losses or casualties. Mission 224: 95 P-47s are dispatched to bomb 2 airfields in France but are recalled; 1 P-47 is damaged; no casualties Mission 225: 6 of 6 B-17s drop 300 bundles of leaflets on Orleans, Chartres, Cambrai, Le Mans, Lille and Reims, France at 2124-2155 hours without loss. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 194 B-26s bomb V-weapon sites, Cherbourg/Maupertus Airfield and targets of opportunity during a morning mission. 122 B-26s again bomb V-weapon construction sites in the coastal area of N France during the afternoon. HQ IX Air Support Command moves from Middle Wallop to Uxbridge, England. HQ 316th Troop Carrier Group arrives at Cottesmore, England from Sicily. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In Italy, around 100 B-17s bomb the Monte Cassino Benedictine Abbey. 60+ B-24s attack the Poggibonsi marshalling yard, Campoleone and Porto d'Ascoli; heavy cloud cover causes numerous aborts; all the missions are unescorted. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-26s and B-25s bomb the Monte Cassino Benedictine Abbey in support of the New Zealand Corps assault to establish a bridgehead across the Rapido River S of Cassino; other B-26s bomb the railroad at Monte Molino and marshalling yard at Montepescali; A-20s attack motor transport, roads and road junction in the Albano Laziale area and NW of Valmontone; P-40s bomb concentrations near Cisterna di Roma and dumps in the Valmontone and Rocca di Papa areas; A-36s hit concentrations N of the Anzio beachhead, strafe trucks and barracks in the Frosinone-Rieti areas, bomb the Tiburtina and Trastevere marshalling yards in the Rome area and hit buildings N of Velletri. Units beginning a movement from Sicily to England with C-47s: 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, 313th Troop Carrier Group, from Trapani/Milo Airfield; 36th and 37th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 316th Troop Carrier Group, and 62d Troop Carrier Squadron, 314th Troop Carrier Group, from Castelvetrano. 91st Fighter Squadron, 81st Fighter Group, begins a movement from Montecorvino Airfield, Italy to India. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Tarawa Atoll and Makin Island pound Mille Atoll and Ponape Island; 10 P-40s from Makin Island bomb and strafe runways and a disabled vessel at Mille Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 23 B-25s, with fighter cover, bomb the runway and dispersal area of Vunakanau Airfield on New Britain Island; 20 B-24s hit Borpop Airfield on New Ireland Island causing heavy damage in the runway and revetment areas. In ground action, US and New Zealand troops land on Nissan Island in the Green Islands, 40 mi (64 km) NW of Buka on Buka Island; opposition is weak and organized resistance will end on 23 Feb. 424th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy), ceases operating from Munda, New Georgia Island with B-24s and returns to base on Guadalcanal Island. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): On New Ireland Island, 70+ B-24s, A-20s, and B-25s bomb the Kavieng town area, harbor, and shipping and Panapai Airfield; 17 other B-24s, prevented by weather from reaching Panapai, bomb Talasea on New Britain Island. WEDNESDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, A-36s and P-51s hit supply dumps, troop concentrations and an encampment area near Myitkyina, Kamaing, Tonkin and Walawbum; B-25s and P-51s destroy 3 locomotives at Kyaingkwin. 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, AAF, India-Burma Sector (attached to Tenth Air Force), arrives at Gushkara, India from the US with P-51s. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 2 B-25s knock out a railroad bridge at Yen Bay, French Indochina and damage 2 other bridges to the S near the coast. 74th Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group, based at Kweilin with P-40s, sends a detachment to Liuchow. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In Italy, B-24s, unescorted, bomb marshalling yards at Pontassieve, Siena, Poggibonsi and Prato, a bridge at Cecina, and a railroad and highway near Rieti. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s bomb the Orte marshalling yard and attack the Campoleone area; B-26s bomb San Stefano al Mare and hit the area near the Perugia railroad bridge, a bridge N of Orvieto, a factory near the Marsciano bridge and a bridge at Albinia Station; A-20s, with RAF and South African Air Force (SAAF) Baltimores and Spitfires, hit concentrations in the Anzio battle area; A-36s bomb the Rome/Tiburtina and Rome/Ostiense marshalling yards in the Rome area; P-40s attack Monte Cassino Abbey, pound tanks, trucks, and troop concentrations along the US Fifth Army front, and hit the towns of Fondi and Roccasecca; fighters over Anzio encounter increased air effort in conjunction with an all-out ground offensive against the Allied beachhead. 61st Troop Carrier Squadron, 314th Troop Carrier Group, begins a movement from Castelvetrano, Sicily to England with C-47s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Tarawa Atoll bomb Wotje Atoll and Taroa Island in Maloelap Atoll; P-40s from Makin Island fly 2 bombing-strafing strikes against Jaluit Atoll; A-24s bomb Mille Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 12 B-24s, with 30+ P-38s and USN F4Us, pound the runway at Vunakanau Airfield on New Britain Island. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 40+ B-25s attack a convoy off New Hanover Island. 30+ B-24's bomb Panapai Airfield and Kavieng on New Ireland Island, and some hit Cape Balangori and Talasea, New Britain Island. 19 B-24s and B-25s bomb Halong in the Celebes Islands. P-40s hit shipping and barges in the Wewak, New Guinea area. Transfers in New Guinea: HQ 345th Bombardment Group (Medium) from Dobodura to Nadzab; 25th Liaison Squadron, 5212th Photographic Wing (Provisional), from Lae to Nadzab with L-5s. THURSDAY, 17 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 38 A-36s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance hit troops and supplies from Lonkin to Kamaing; 6 P-51s hit supply areas along roads around Lonton and Manywet; 2 others hit a road junction near Maingkwan; 2 B-25s and 6 P-51s strike a road bridge, railroad station, and rail cars in the Pyingaing area; 2 B-25s and 6 P-51s attack but fail to damage a bridge near Ye-u. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 4 B-25s on a sweep of the Gulf of Tonkin score 2 direct hits on a freighter at Vinh, damage a bridge approach and locomotive at Yen Xuon Station, and destroy a locomotive at Yen Ly Station. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Advanced HQ, Ninth Air Force, is opened at Hillingdon House, Uxbridge. It is later joined in the area by advanced units of the IX Fighter Command and by troop carrier units, all of which form a nucleus of advanced echelons so as to centralize tactical operations in anticipation of combat on the Continent. Arrivals in England from Sicily: HQ 52d Troop Carrier Wing at Cottesmore; 15th Troop Carrier Squadron, 61st Troop Carrier Group, at Bardston with C-47s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): The 455th and 456th Bombardment Groups (Heavy) become operational giving the Fifteenth Air Force 12 B-24 groups. In Italy, unescorted B-17s and B-24s attack Campoleone and Grottaferrata, motor transport parks in the Campoleone junction and Rocca di Papa areas, a troop concentration near Frascati, stores depots in the Grottaferrata area, and other targets in advance of the US Fifth Army's Anzio battle line which is under heavy counterattack by German forces. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s bomb the Campoleone and Lanuvio area, B-25s hit dumps SW of Rome and N of Anzio, and also hit guns nearby; A-20s blast a dump and troop concentrations in the Anzio area; P-47s bomb dumps near Valmontone; A-36s hit Carroceto, concentrations SE of Rome, and a railroad underpass and a factory N of Anzio; P-40s blast enemy transport, guns, and assembly areas N of Cisterna di Latina, trucks N of Anzio and N of the beachhead battleline, railroad stations at Campoleone and Carroceto, and bivouac areas, dumps, a factory, and bridge in the battle area; this entire air effort (the heaviest to date in support of troops) is aimed at helping prevent a breakthrough at the beachhead, where the Germans are committed to a full-strength counter- offensive; A-36s bomb Monte Cassino Abbey in the only air action on the US Fifth Army main front. Detachment of 23d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 5th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, operating from San Servero, Italy with F-5, returns to base at Alghero, Sardinia. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Tarawa Atoll and Abemama Island hit Ponape and Kusaie Islands, and Jaluit Atoll. P-40s strafe floatplanes off Emidj Island, as a USN Task Force begins a heavy attack on Truk Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 20 P-40s join 40+ USN fighters in covering an attack by 70 USN dive bombers on shipping in Keravia Bay, New Britain Island; 8 Japanese aircraft are claimed shot down; 2 USN fighters are lost. In the N Solomons Allied fighters hit Queen Carola Harbor, Kessa Plantation and a bridge N of Kahili. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 40 B-24s bomb Panapai Airfield, New Ireland Island and Talasea, New Britain Island. 16 B-25s claim 2 surface vessels and a submarine sunk off New Hanover Island. 16 P-47's strafe targets of opportunity in the Alexishafen, New Guinea area. HQ 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group moves from Port Moresby to Nadzab, New Guinea. FRIDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 40+ B-25s, A-36s and P-51s attack the town of Ye-u and nearby bridge, bivouacs N of Laban, bridges in the Pyingaing area and along the Mu River, supply and troop concentrations at Waingmaw radio station and a supply area near Kamaing and gun emplacements SE of Taihpa Ga; the strikes are generally successful. 58th Fighter Squadron, 33d Fighter Group, arrives at Karachi, India from Italy; they will be equipped with P-47Ds. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 4 B-25s on a sweep of the Gulf of Tonkin damage 2 large boats N of Bakli Bay on Hainan Island, destroy an ammunition dump at Phu Ly and knock out a nearby railroad bridge. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ Eighth Air Force issues orders to establish a photographic reconnaissance wing [8th Reconnaissance Wing (Provisional)] in Cheddington. The purpose is to make the Eighth independent in aerial reconnaissance and to consolidate the efforts of units presently engaged in this and related activities. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt, the President's son and currently Director of Reconnaissance for the Ninth Air Force, is named Commanding Officer. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ 61st Troop Carrier Group arrives at Barkston, England from Sicily. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Operations are restricted to photographic and weather reconnaissance. 764th, 765th, 766th and 767th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 461st Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Venosa, Italy from the US with B-24s; first mission is 2 Apr. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, A-20s hit a troop concentration near Piedimonte; XII Air Support Command P-40s and A-36s fly 17 missions in support of US Fifth Army troops resisting the German counteroffensive which reaches its deepest penetration into the Anzio beachhead on this day; objectives include tanks, vehicles, gun positions, troop concentrations, and a railroad underpass along the Anzio-Albano Laziale axis; fighters over Anzio successfully intercept air strikes on the beachhead; New Zealand troops capture Cassino Station. HQ 321st Bombardment Group (Medium) and 445th, 446th, 447th and 448th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) move from Vincenzo Airfield to Gaudo Airfield, Italy with B-25s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): P-40s from Makin Island bomb and strafe Jaluit and Mille Atolls. US forces land on Engebi Island in Eniwetok Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, 34 B-25s and 18 B-24s, both forces with fighter escorts, pound Vunakanau Airfield; 2 B-25s and 4 P-38s hit Tobera. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-25s and RAAF Beaufighters hit Koepang, Timor Island. P-39s strafe targets of opportunity at Madang, New Guinea and Cape Raoult, New Britain Island. 499th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 345th Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Dobodura to Nadzab, New Guinea with B-25s. SATURDAY, 19 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): 60+ A-36s and P-51s and a few B-25s hit a variety of targets in Burma; targets include fuel and supply dumps at Manywet and in the Shaduzup area, the Tonkin-Kansi road and a junction W of Manywet, the Mu River bridge at Ye-u, railroad cars and tracks, locomotives, and river traffic between Monywa and Natyekan and between Alon and Segyi; rail and road traffic in the Bhamo and Hukawng Valley-Kamaing areas is also hit. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): B-24s, B-25s, and P-40s fly sea sweeps over wide-spread coastal areas from the Formosa Straits to French Indochina, claiming 3 ships sunk and others damaged; railroad bridges, trains, and other targets of opportunity near coastal areas are also attacked. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Operations are again limited to reconnaissance flights. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): Colonel Peter S Rask becomes acting Commanding Officer of the XII Troop Carrier Command (Provisional) until its disbandment on 5 Mar 44. In Italy, B-25s blast troop concentrations to the N of Anzio beachhead; A-36s and P-40s keep troops, tanks, and motor transport in the beachhead battle area under attack, flying 200+ sorties in 20+ missions as an Allied counterattack turns the tide of battle; fighters maintain control over the N part of the battle area. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Tarawa Atoll and Makin Island pound Ponape and Kusaie Islands; B-25s from Tarawa hit Wotje Atoll while Makin-based P-40s bomb and strafe Mille Atoll. US forces land on Eniwetok Island in Eniwetok Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, 20 P-40s and 40+ USN fighters escort about 70 USN dive bombers in an attack on Lakunai Airfield; fighter cover claims 22 Japanese aircraft shot down; 6 B-24s bomb the same target immediately afterward; 14 B-24s, with P-38 and USN fighter escort, hit Tobera Airfield. 12th Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter Group, based on Guadalcanal Island with P-38s, begins operating from Treasury Island. 69th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 42d Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from the Russell Islands to Stirling Island with B-25s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 12 B-25s attack shipping SW of New Ireland Island, claiming a small freighter and a patrol boat sunk and other vessels damaged. 7 A-20s hit shipping at Kavieng, New Ireland Island. Single B-24s and B-25s carry out armed reconnaissance over wide areas of the Bismarck Sea. Movements in New Guinea: 26th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, from Dobodura to Finschhafen with F-5s (a detachment is at Port Moresby); 35th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, from Finschhafen to Cape Gloucester, New Britain Island with P-40s. SUNDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): Bad weather limits operations to a routine patrol over Sumprabum, Burma. HQ 33d Fighter Group and 60th Fighter Squadron arrive at Karachi, India from Italy; they will be equipped with P-47Ds. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 226: The Eighth Air Force begins "Big Week," attacks on German aircraft plants and airfields. For the first time, over 1,000 bombers are dispatched; 21 bombers and 4 fighters are lost hitting 3 areas in Germany, i.e.: 1. 417 B-17s are dispatched to Leipzig/Mockau Airfield, and aviation industry targets at Heiterblick and Abnaundorf; 239 hit the primary targets, 37 hit Bernburg, 44 hit Oschersleben and 20 hit other targets of opportunity; they claim 14-5-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 161 damaged; casualties are 7 KIA, 17 WIA and 72 MIA. 2. 314 B-17s are dispatched to the Tutow Airfield; 105 hit the primary and immediate area, 76 hit Rostock and 115 hit other targets of opportunity; they claim 15-15-10 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 37 damaged; casualties are 3 KIA and 60 MIA. 3. 272 B-24s are dispatched to aviation industry targets at Brunswick, Wilhelmtor and Neupetritor; 76 hit the primary, 87 hit Gotha, 13 hit Oschersleben, 58 hit Helmstedt and 10 hit other targets of opportunity; they claim 36-13-13 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 37 damaged; casualties are 10 KIA, 10 WIA and 77 MIA. Missions 1 and 3 above are escorted by 94 P-38s, 668 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 73 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 61-7-37 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38, 2 P-47s and 1 P-51 is lost, 2 P-47s are damaged beyond repair and 4 aircraft are damaged; casualties are 4 MIA. Mission 227: 4 of 5 B-17s drop 200 bundles of leaflets on Tours, Nantes, Brest and Lorient, France at 2123-2200 hours without loss. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 35 B-26s bomb Haamstede Airfield, The Netherlands, as a target of opportunity, after about 100 B-26s abort attacks on other airfields because of weather. HQ 314th Troop Carrier Group and 32d Troop Carrier Squadron arrive at Saltby, England from Sicily with C-47s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): B-24s blast troop concentrations in the Anzio, Italy beachhead area as the Axis efforts end. HQ 461st Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrives at Torretto Airfield, Italy from the US. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-26s hit troop concentrations along roads in the Vallalta area; B-25s hit dumps and assembly areas at the N edge of the Anzio beachhead, and A-20s bomb a troop and motor transport concentration SE of Carroceto; A-36s and P-40s hit troops, trucks and tanks NE of Carroceto, bomb the town of Fondi, a factory E of Carroceto, the town of Piedimonte, and hit guns and targets of opportunity along the N line of the beachhead; an Axis attempt to achieve a breakthrough is decisively defeated in the center of the salient created by a counteroffensive and their efforts end. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): 9 B-25s from Tarawa Atoll bomb the airfield at Wotje Atoll; P-40s from Makin Island strafe and bomb runways and small vessels at Mille Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 35 B-25s, with fighter escort, pound Lakunai Airfield on New Britain Island. P-39s attack barge traffic, which has greatly increased off SE and NW Bougainville Island, claiming 20 of the craft sunk. 18th Combat Mapping Squadron, 4th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), is inactivated on Espiritu Santo Island. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 38 B-24s bomb the Alexishafen-Hansa Bay area. 18 B-24s bomb the airfield at Laha, Ambon Island and 12 others hit shipping off Kavieng, New Ireland Island. Transfers in and out of New Guinea: HQ Fifth Air Force advance echelon and HQ V Bomber Command from Port Moresby to Nadzab; HQ 8th Fighter Group from Finschhafen to Cape Gloucester, New Britain Island; 498th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 345th Bombardment Group (Medium), from Dobodura to Nadzab with B-25s. MONDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 50+ P-51s and A-36s and a few B-25s hit a command post at Shingban, the town of Mohnyin, a bridge at Loilaw, a camp at Shaduzup, 2 bridges at Namkwin, and warehouses and other buildings at Kawlin and Wuntho; fighter-bombers attacking a fuel dump at Pin Hmi drop bombs in the wrong area; B-25s, escorted by RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes, score effective hits on a tunnel on the Maungdaw-Buthidaung road. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 228: "Big Week" continues with 3 areas in Germany targetted with the loss of 16 bombers and 5 fighters: 1. 336 B-17s are dispatched to the Gutersioh, Lippstadt and Werl Airfields; because of thick overcast, 285 hit Achmer, Hopsten, Rheine, Diepholz, Quakenbruck and Bramsche Airfields and the marshalling yards at Coevorden and Lingen; they claim 12-5-8 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 63 damaged; casualties are 4 KIA, 13 WIA and 75 MIA. 2. 281 B-17s are dispatched to Diepholz Airfield and Brunswick; 175 hit the primaries and 88 hit Alhorn and Verden Airfields and Hannover; they claim 2-5-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 36 damaged; casualties are 20 KIA, 4 WIA and 57 MIA. 3. 244 B-24s are dispatched to Achmer and Handorf Airfields; 11 hit Achmer Airfield and 203 hit Diepholz, Verden and Hesepe Airfields and Lingen; they claim 5-6-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 6 damaged; casualties are 3 WIA and 31 MIA. Escort for Mission 228 is provided by 69 P-38s, 542 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 68 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; the P-38s claim 0-1-0 Luftwaffe aircraft, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair; the P-47s claim 19-3-14 Luftwaffe aircraft, 2 P-47s are lost, 2 are damaged beyond repair, 3 are damaged and 2 pilots are MIA; the P-51s claim 14-1-4 Luftwaffe aircraft, 3 P-51s are lost and the pilots are MIA. Mission 229: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Rouen, Caen, Paris and Amiens, France at 2215-2327 hours without loss. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 18 B-26s bomb Coxyde Airfield, Belgium; weather causes almost 190 aborts. The Ninth Air Force's Pathfinder Squadron (provisionally activated on 13 Feb) takes part in this operation, its first venture into combat. 185 aircraft scheduled to attack other airfields in the Netherlands and France in the afternoon are recalled because of bad weather. Arrivals in England from the US: HQ 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) at Chalgrove; HQ 439th Troop Carrier Group and 91st and 92d Troop Carrier Squadrons at Balderton with C-47s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s bomb Orte marshalling yard, and B-26s hit Imperia docks; A-20s pound troop concentrations near Campoleone, along with P-40s and A-36s which also hit a fuel dump, tank and truck concentrations, and gun positions in the area; fighter-bombers also bomb and block the Itri-Gaeta road. 100th Fighter Squadron, 332d Fighter Group, moves from Montecorvino to Capodichino, Italy with P-39s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Tarawa Atoll and Abemama Island hit Ponape and Kusaie Islands and Jaluit Atoll. B-25s from Abemama bomb Maloelap Atoll. P-40s from Makin Island hit Mille Atoll. US forces gain complete control of Eniwetok Island in Eniwetok Atoll. 9th Troop Carrier Squadron, Seventh Air Force, arrives at Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii from the US with C-47s. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, 15 B-24s bomb Lakunai Airfield; 4 others, with fighter support, attack the airfield at Rapopo; 20 P-38s join USN fighters in covering a USN dive bomber strikes on Lakunai gun positions. In the Bougainville Island area 3 B-24s bomb Kara airfield while P-39s hit buildings at Tsundawan and in the area S of Tabut, and bomb barges and jetty in the Matchin Bay area. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, almost 30 A-20s hit Madang and the Hansa Bay area. On New Britain Island, P-39s hit Raiven Plantation; 40+ B-24s bomb the Rein Bay and Eleonora Bay areas; others attack shipping off New Hanover Island. TUESDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 1944 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS CARIBBEAN (Sixth Air Force): In Panama, the 28th Fighter Squadron, XXVI Fighter Command, based at Chame with P-39s, sends a detachment to Pocri. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): 70+ B-25s, P-51s, and P-40s again hit a variety of targets in Burma; bridges are severely damaged or put out of use at Zawa, Tindeinyan, Ye-u, Namkwin, and Loilaw; warehouses and supply dumps are hit at Segyi and at Chantha, and the Pahok road and railroad junction are blasted; also hit are targets of opportunity at Kawlum and along the Walawbum-Kamaing road. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): P-40s on armed reconnaissance strafe the airfield at Kengtung, China and nearby truck convoy. At Bhamo, Burma a large rivercraft is hit and left sinking. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ VIII Bomber Command is redesignated as HQ, Eighth Air Force. Mission 230: "Big Week" continues with 799 aircraft dispatched against German aviation and Luftwaffe airfields; 41 bombers and 11 fighters are lost. 1. 289 B-17s are dispatched against aviation industry targets at Aschersleben (34 bomb), Bernburg (47 bomb) and Halberstadt (18 bomb) in conjunction with a Fifteenth Air Force raid on Regensburg, Germany; 32 hit Bunde, 19 hit Wernegerode, 15 hit Magdeburg, 9 hit Marburg and 7 hit other targets of opportunity; they claim 32-18-17 Luftwaffe aircraft; 38 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 141 damaged; casualties are 35 KIA, 30 WIA and 367 MIA. 2. 333 B-17s are dispatched to Schweinfurt but severe weather prevents aircraft from forming properly and they are forced to abandon the mission prior to crossing the enemy coast; 2 B-17s are damaged. 3. 177 B-24s are dispatched but they are recalled when 100 miles (160 km) inland; since they were over Germany, they sought targets of opportunity but strong winds drove the bombers over The Netherlands and their bombs hit Enschede, Arnhem, Nijmegen and Deventer; they claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-24s are lost and 3 damaged; casualties are 30 MIA. These missions are escorted by 67 P-38s, 535 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s, and 57 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; the P-38s claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair and 6 are damaged; the P-47s claim 39-6-15 Luftwaffe aircraft, 8 P-47s are lost and 12 damaged, 8 pilots are MIA; the P-51s claim 19-1-10 Luftwaffe aircraft, 3 P-51s are lost and 3 damaged, 3 pilot are MIA. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 66 B-26s bomb Gilze-Rijen Airfield, The Netherlands; bad weather causes 100+ others to abort. UNITED STATES STRATEGIC AIR FORCES IN EUROPE (USSTAF): HQ Eighth Air Force is redesignated as HQ, USSTAF. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): B-17s attack Petershausen marshalling yard and Regensburg aircraft factory in Germany and the air depot at Zagreb, Yugoslavia; a large force of B-24s hits Regensburg aircraft plants about the same time as the B-17 attack; other B-24s pound the town of Sibenik and the harbor at Zara, Yugoslavia; they claim 40 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed; 13 bombers are lost. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s bomb Foligno marshalling yard and Montalto di Castro railroad bridge, and B-26s attack Albinia Station railroad bridge; A-20s hit the area E of Campoleone; P-47s strike troops, gun positions, and a road junction N of Carroceto, roads near Roccasecca, and the town of Campoleone; A-36s hit guns NW of Carroceto and the town of Formia; P-40s attack guns SE of Campoleone. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): 1 B-24 bombs Kusaie Island. 8 A-24s and 9 P-40s from Makin Island bomb Mille Atoll; 1 P-40 launches rockets against airfield targets in the first such attack by a Seventh Air Force aircraft. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, 20 P-40s and 40+ USN fighters cover 70 USN dive bombers attacking Keravia Bay shipping; 40+ B-24s, with fighter escorts, bomb Lakunai and Keravat Airfields. 370th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Guadalcanal Island to Munda, New Georgia Island with B-24s. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): 30+ B-25s and P-39s attack the Madang, New Guinea area. 60+ B-25s and B-24s pound Iboki Plantation on New Britain Island in support of US Marines (USMC) advancing on the area from Natamo (and who capture Perry Island). 319th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 90th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Dobodura to Nadzab, New Guinea with B-24s. WEDNESDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 14 B-24s bomb airfields and other targets at Akyab and Dabaing; 3 B-25s and 12 P-51s hit a radio station at Man Pang; 4 other P-51s hit warehouses at Chantha. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 4 B-25s attack 2 ships in the Gulf of Tonkin and hit railroad cars and engine shed at Van Trai Station, French Indochina. 4 P-40s strafe Lashio Airfield, Burma. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 232: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Rennes, Le Mans, Chartres, Lille and Orleans, France at 2136-2232 hours without loss. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): B-24s bomb the industrial complex at Steyr, Austria. Other heavy bombers are forced to abort because of bad weather; the bombers and escorting fighters claim 30+ aircraft shot down. Moves in Italy: HQ 306th Fighter Wing from Foggia to Lucera; 764th, 765th, 766th and 767th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 461st Bombardment Group (Heavy), from Venosa to Torretto with B-24s (first mission is 2 Apr). TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, P-40s hit a gun position N of Campoleone and patrol the Anzio area. Weather prevents other operations. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): P-40s from Makin Island bomb Mille Atoll; 2 small boats are destroyed by strafing; B-25s from Abemama Island hit Taroa Island in Maloelap Atoll. B-24s from Makin Island and Tarawa Atoll bomb Kusaie and Ponape Islands and Jaluit Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Ireland Island, 4 B-24s on armed reconnaissance strafe the Cape Saint George area and bomb buildings and pier at Labur Bay and 4 B-24s attack bivouacs in the upper Saua River area. On New Britain Island, 9 B-25s, with USN fighter support, bomb Vunakanau Airfield; 10 other B-25s hit Keravat Airfield; 16 P-38s dive-bomb the Wunapope supply area and some attack the town of Rabaul; this is the first P-38 bombing raid on the Rabaul area; (P-38s, now free from constant responsibility of guarding bombers against interceptors, will continue to dive-bomb the Rabaul area through Apr 44; during the latter part of this campaign against the famed Japanese garrison, which is to be bypassed by Allied ground forces, P-39s will add their strength due to completion of an airstrip on Nissan Island in the Green Islands; by 20 Apr only 120 of 1400 buildings in Rabaul will still be standing). SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): Almost 50 A-20s and B-24s blast the airfield, buildings, and AA positions in the Wewak, New Guinea area. Units moving from Dobodura to Nadzab, New Guinea: HQ 90th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 320th, 321st and 400th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) with B-24s; 500th and 501st Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 345th Bombardment Group (Medium), with B-25s. THURSDAY, 24 FEBRUARY 1944 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 3 B-24s from Shemya Island search for enemy shipping; 1 B-24 crashes during takeoff, the others find nothing. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 6 B-25s hit bridges and trains between Pintha and Kinu; 1 bridge is damaged and several boxcars are destroyed; 13 B-24s bomb the marshalling yard at Mandalay and targets of opportunity at Akyab, Monywa, and Pakokku; P-51s, A-36s and P-40s attack bridges, radio stations, supply dumps, bivouacs, troop concentrations, railroad by-passes, AA positions, and other targets at Seton, Sinkan, Ye-u, Kawlin, Loilaw, Namkwin, Shaduzup, and the Mogaung-Kamaing area. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 6 P-40s on armed reconnaissance strafe the airfield at Myitkyina, Burma. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Missions 237, 238 and 239 are flown today against targets in France; 7 B-17s are lost. Heavy clouds cause over half the bombers dispatched to return without bombing. Mission 237: 49 of 81 B-24s hit the Ecalles sur Buchy V-weapon sites; 1 B-24 is damaged. Escort is provided by 61 P-47s. Mission 238: 258 B-17s are dispatched against V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais; 109 hit the primary target, 10 hit a road junction E of Yerville, 7 hit a rail siding SW of Abbeville and 6 hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-17s are lost and 75 damaged; casualties are 5 WIA and 63 MIA. Escort is provided by 81 P-38s, 94 P-47s and 22 P-51s; 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair; the P-51s claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground. Mission 239: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Amiens, Rennes, Paris, Rouen and Le Mans, France at 2023-2055 hours without loss. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 180 B-26s attack NOBALL (V-weapon) targets and Rosieres-en-Santerre, France. Bad weather makes bombing difficult and causes 34 other B-26s to abort. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s attack Canino landing ground, but clouds prevent accurate bombing and most bombs fall W and SW of the main target area; A-36s attack airfields at Littoria, Guidonia and Marciglialia. P-47's hit motor vessels and tug off Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia and targets of opportunity inland. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): P-40s from Makin Island strafe and bomb the runway and radio installation on Mille Atoll; B-25s from Tarawa Atoll pound the airfield on Wotje Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Isladn, 22 B-25s, with fighter escort, pound Rabaul; 9 minutes later 12 P-38s glide-bomb Rabaul; 2 minutes afterward 11 B-24s pound the same target; 6 other B-24s bomb Rapopo; P-40s and USN fighters escort USN dive bombers in a strike on Wunapope; P-39s attack Monoitu Mission. 394th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy), based on Guadalcanal Island with B-24s, begines operating from Munda, New Georgia Island. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 23 B-24s and 39 A-20s thoroughly pound the Hansa Bay area. Nearly 20 other B-24s bomb Nubia and Awar Airfields. In preparation for the Allied landing, 50+ B-25s and B-24s pound Momote on Los Negros Island, Lorengau on Manus Island and other targets in the Admiralty Islands. 80th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, moves from Dobodura, New Guinea to Cape Gloucester, New Britain Island with P-38s. FRIDAY, 25 FEBRUARY 1944 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 3 B-24s from Shemya Island are over Matsuwa Island shortly after midnight 24/25 Feb on a photographic reconnaissance and bomb run; the mission is not completed due to weather. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 8 B-25s and 4 P-51s attack bridges at Meza, Sinthe, and Natmauk, causing light damage to the bridges and destroying 3 locomotives and several railroad cars. 91st Fighter Squadron, 81st Fighter Group, arrives at Karachi, India from Italy; they will be equipped with P-47Ds and enter combat on 16 Jun. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 16 P-40s attack docks, railroad yards and warehouses at Hongay; in the harbor 1 large boat is sunk and another damaged; 2 P-40's hit a cargo vessel at Campha Port, leaving it sinking; 2 others bomb and strafe Weichow Island. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 235: In the final "Big Week" mission, 4 targets in Germany are hit; 31 bombers and 3 fighters are lost. 1. 268 B-17s are dispatched to aviation industry targets at Augsburg and the industrial area at Stuttgart; 196 hit Augsburg and targets of opportunity and 50 hit Stuttgart; they claim 8-4-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 13 B-17s are lost and 172 damaged; casualties are 12 WIA and 130 MIA. 2. 267 of 290 B-17s hit aviation industry targets at Regensburg and targets of opportunity; they claim 13-1-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 12 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 82 damaged; casualties are 4 KIA, 12 WIA and 110 MIA. 3. 172 of 196 B-24s hit aviation industry targets at Furth and targets of opportunity; they claim 2-2-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 44 damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 61 MIA. Escort is provided by 73 P-38s, 687 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 139 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; the P-38s claim 1-2-0 Luftwaffe aircraft, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair; the P-47s claim 13-2-10 Luftwaffe aircraft, 1 P-47 is lost and 6 damaged, 1 pilot is MIA; the P-51s claim 12-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft, 2 P-51s are lost and 1 damaged beyond repair, 2 pilots are MIA. Mission 236: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Grenoble, Toulouse, Chartres, Caen and Raismes, France at 2129-2335 hours without loss. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Major General Paul L Williams becomes Commanding General IX Troop Carrier Command. 191 B-26s bomb Venlo, Saint-Trond, and Cambrai/Epinoy Airfields, France in a morning raid as a diversion in support of the VIII Bomber Command heavy bombers over Germany; 36 abort, mainly because of a navigational error; 164 B-26s dispatched against military targets in France during the afternoon are recalled because of bad weather. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Continuing coordinated attacks with the Eighth Air Force on European targets, B-17s with fighter escorts pound Regensburg aircraft factory; enemy fighter opposition is heavy. Other B-17s hit the air depot at Klagenfurt, Austria and the dock area at Pola, Italy. B-24s attack Fiume, Italy marshalling yard and port and hit Zell-am- See, Austria railroad and Graz airfield and the port area at Zara, Yugoslavia; 30+ US aircraft are lost; they claim 90+ fighters shot down. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, P-40s attack guns and troop concentrations E of Campoleone and in the Carroceto area; A-36s bomb the towns of Terracina and Sperlonga and roads in the area; P-40s also maintain patrols over Anzio. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): P-40s out of Makin Island bomb and strafe targets at Jaluit Atoll; B-25's from Tarawa Atoll and Abemama Island hit Mille and Wotje Atolls; B-24s from Abemama and Tarawa pound Ponape Island. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, P-39s on armed reconnaissance bomb an AA position at Monoitu, hit the Aitara area, and attack a barge in the Cape Gazelle area; 20+ B-25s hit Matupi and Rapopo; 21 B-24s and 17 P-38s follow shortly with another strike on Rapopo. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-25's pound Lorengau on Manus Island and the Alexishafen-Madang, New Guinea areas and Momote Airfield on Los Negros Island and A-20s bomb airfields at Alexishafen, New Guinea. HQ 85th Fighter Wing arrives at Gusap, New Guinea from the US. SATURDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 1944 AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): XI Bomber Command (Air Striking Group Task Group 90.1) is directed to conduct armed photographic reconnaissance missions in the Kurile Islands, day or night, as weather permits. HQ 28th Bombardment Group (Composite) moves from Adak Island to Shemya Island. CARIBBEAN (Sixth Air Force): 39th Reconnaissance Squadron, Antilles Air Command, begins a movement from Waller Field, Trinidad to the US; it will remain in the US until Dec 45. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 15 B-25s and P-51s demolish warehouses in Naba and Hopin, attack bridges at Yeu, Bawgyo and Tantabin, and strafe railroad cars and tracks at Tangon, Namyao, and Pyintha; the Tantabin bridge is rendered unusable while approaches of the Ye-u and Bawgyo bridges are damaged. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 11 B-25s from Nanning, China attack targets at Tourane, French Indochina, destroying 5 warehouses and a hangar at the airfield and a locomotive and 4 buildings at the railroad yard. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): Weather limits operations severely, but P-47's hit shipping N and S of Velaluka, Yugoslavia. 379th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 310th Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Philippeville, Algeria to Ghisonaccia, Corsica; they have been operating from Gambit, Libya with B-25s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s from Tarawa Atoll and Abemama Island attack Wotje and Jaluit Atolls; P-40s from Makin Island bomb and strafe targets on Mille Atoll. 27th and 38th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 30th Bombardment Group (Heavy), based on Nanumea Island, Ellice Islands begin operating from Abemama and Makin Islands, respectively, with B-24s. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, P-40s join USN fighters in covering a USN dive bomber strike on Wunapope supply and shipping facilities; 22 B-25s, with fighter support, follow up with the day's second strike on Wunapope; shortly afterwards, 17 P-38s strike the same target; 12 P-39s bomb and strafe Monoitu, Ruisei, Makapeko and Mawareka. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, B-24s bomb Wewak and Momote on Los Negros Island; B-25s, along with P-39s, hit the Madang-Alexishafen area and A-20s hit Angorum. SUNDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 30+ P-51s and A-36s and 2 B-25s hit ammunition dumps near the Kamaing-Walawbum road, warehouses, railroad and power facilities, bridges, and targets of opportunity in the Ye-u and Tindeinyan areas. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 4 B-25s fly a sea sweep from Vinh to Nam Dinh, bombing the Nam Dinh distillery and railroad yards; no ships are sighted. 8 P-40s hit the railroad bridge at Puchi, China, rendering it unusable. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Major General Elwood R Quesada (reappointed Commanding General IX Fighter Command on 21 Feb) receives authority to revive the IX Fighter Command (existing only on paper since creation of the IX Air Support Command) on a temporary basis as an operational HQ to function as a Combined Control Center with RAF 11 Group at Uxbridge, England, where Fighter Command will prepare operations orders for Ninth Air Force fighter and fighter-bomber groups. Quesada retains command of the IX Air Support Command. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, A-36s attack Littoria and Guidonia Airfields and Ladispoli dock area; rail cars NE of Rome are also attacked; P-40s follow up with a raid against Littoria and hit trucks and other targets in the area; weather prevents other operations by the Twelfth Air Force. 4th Troop Carrier Squadron, 62d Troop Carrier Group, moves from Catania to Ponte Olivo, Sicily with C-47s. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): A-24s and P-40s from Makin Island pound Jaluit and Mille Atolls, while B-25s from Abemama Island hit Wotje and Mille Atolls; B-24s from Makin Island and Tarawa Atoll bomb Ponape Island. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 16 P-39s strafe barges and other targets of opportunity along the SW coast of Bougainville Island throughout the day. On New Britain Island, Wunapope is attacked by 21 B-24s and 24 B-25s (both forces supported by fighter escorts) and by 14 P-38s; P-40s and USN fighters cover a USN dive bomber strike on Lakunai AA positions. 3 other P-38s strafe a radar station at Cape Saint George on New Ireland Island. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): Colonel Jarred V Crabb becomes Commanding General V Bomber Command. In New Guinea, 30+ B-24s, with P-40 support, hit airfields at Boram, Wewak, and Tadji, 27 B-25s hit the Hansa Bay area, and over 30 A-20s attack Alexishafen and Marakum village. 30+ other B-25s attack Momote on Los Negros Island, Lorengau on Manus Island and other targets in the Admiralty Islands. P-39s maintain armed reconnaissance over New Britain Island. MONDAY, 28 FEBRUARY AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): 3 B-24s from Shemya Island search for enemy shipping; 1 B-24 crashes during takeoff, the others find nothing. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 6 B-25s hit bridges and trains between Pintha and Kinu; 1 bridge is damaged and several boxcars are destroyed; 13 B-24s bomb the marshalling yard at Mandalay and targets of opportunity at Akyab, Monywa, and Pakokku; P-51s, A-36s and P-40s attack bridges, radio stations, supply dumps, bivouacs, troop concentrations, railroad by-passes, AA positions, and other targets at Seton, Sinkan, Ye-u, Kawlin, Loilaw, Namkwin, Shaduzup, and the Mogaung-Kamaing area. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 6 P-40s on armed reconnaissance strafe the airfield at Myitkyina, Burma. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Missions 237, 238 and 239 are flown today against targets in France; 7 B-17s are lost. Heavy clouds cause over half the bombers dispatched to return without bombing. Mission 237: 49 of 81 B-24s hit the Ecalles sur Buchy V-weapon sites; 1 B-24 is damaged. Escort is provided by 61 P-47s. Mission 238: 258 B-17s are dispatched against V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais; 109 hit the primary target, 10 hit a road junction E of Yerville, 7 hit a rail siding SW of Abbeville and 6 hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-17s are lost and 75 damaged; casualties are 5 WIA and 63 MIA. Escort is provided by 81 P-38s, 94 P-47s and 22 P-51s; 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair; the P-51s claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground. Mission 239: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Amiens, Rennes, Paris, Rouen and Le Mans, France at 2023-2055 hours without loss. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 180 B-26s attack NOBALL (V-weapon) targets and Rosieres-en-Santerre, France. Bad weather makes bombing difficult and causes 34 other B-26s to abort. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s attack Canino landing ground, but clouds prevent accurate bombing and most bombs fall W and SW of the main target area; A-36s attack airfields at Littoria, Guidonia and Marciglialia. P-47's hit motor vessels and a tug off Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia and targets of opportunity inland. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): P-40s from Makin Island strafe and bomb the runway and radio installation on Mille Atoll; B-25s from Tarawa Atoll pound the airfield on Wotje Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, 22 B-25s, with fighter escort, pound Rabaul; 9 minutes later 12 P-38s glide-bomb Rabaul; 2 minutes afterward 11 B-24s pound the same target; 6 other B-24s bomb Rapopo; P-40s and US Navy (USN) fighters escort USN dive bombers in a strike on Wunapope; P-39s attack Monoitu Mission. 394th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy), based on Guadalcanal Island with B-24s, begins operating from Munda, New Georgia Island. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 23 B-24s and 39 A-20s thoroughly pound the Hansa Bay area. Nearly 20 other B-24s bomb Nubia and Awar Airfields. In preparation for the Allied landing, 50+ B-25s and B-24s pound Momote on Los Negros Island, Lorengau on Manus Island and other targets in the Admiralty Islands. 80th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, moves from Dobodura, New Guinea to Cape Gloucester, New Britain Island with P-38s. TUESDAY, 29 FEBRUARY 1944 CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 7 B-25s knock spans out of 2 bridges N of Taungtha and damage bridges S of Myingyan and between Panaing and Mahlaing; 7 B-25s and 4 P-51s bomb a radio station at Sinkan, score near misses on a bridge below Kawlin, and knock out 2 bridges in the Ye-u area. 40+ P-51s, A-36s and P-40s hit a supply area S of Seton, camp and stores near Mogaung (at Pagoda Peak), and railroad station at Myitkyina. CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 23 B-24s pound the warehouse area at Yoyang, causing several fires and secondary explosions; 12 B-25s bomb Yoyang railroad yards; 16 P-40s provide support; 2 B-25s on a sweep of the NE China coast sink 3 sampans and damage a merchant ship at Siachwan Tao; 6 P-40s bomb and strafe ammunition dumps at Kunlong; 12 P-38s and P-51s sink a large motor launch NE of Anking, strafe barracks and 3 tugs in the Teian area, hit barracks NW of Nanchang and strafe railroad installations at Yangsin; 4 P-40s hit a barracks W of Nanchang; 2 B-25s sink a large river- craft on the Yangtze River near Chiuhsienchen and damage 2 more nearby. EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Missions 240, 241 and 242 are flown; 1 bomber and 5 fighters are lost. Mission 240: 218 of 226 B-17s hit aviation industry targets at Brunswick, Germany and targets of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 54 damaged; casualties are 4 WIA and 10 MIA. Escorting are 61 P-38s, 346 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 147 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; 2 P-38s are lost and 1 damaged, 2 pilots are MIA; the P-47s claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft, 1 P-47 is lost and 1 damaged, 1 pilot is MIA; 1 P-51 is lost, the pilot is MIA. Mission 241: 38 of 48 B-24s hit the V-weapon site at Lottinghen, France without loss. Escorting are 79 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s; 1 is lost and the pilot is MIA. Mission 242: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Orleans, Lille, Reims, Cambrai and Chateauroux, France at 2025-2121 hours without loss. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 19 B-26s bomb a coastal gun position and nearby Breck-sur-Mer Airfield, France. 216 B-26s abort a mission against 8 V-weapon sites in France because of total cloud cover over the targets. Moves in England: HQ 370th Fighter Group and 401st Fighter Squadron from Aldermaston to Andover with P-38s (first mission is 1 May); 389th Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Group, from Membury to Thruxton with P-47s. MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): For the fourth consecutive day, bad weather limits operations to reconnaissance missions. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-26s bomb the main and satellite airfields at Viterbo and several targets of opportunity along the W coast; B-25s bomb troops and gun positions W of Cisterna di Roma while A-20s hit concentrations to the S; P-40s and A-36s strike at troop concentrations along the N perimeter of the Anzio beachhead; other P-40s hit barracks and railroad yards at Littoria and a tank concentration S of Cisterna; P-47's (with British aircraft) hit Giulianova railway station and shipping off Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia; fighters maintain patrol over the Anzio beachhead. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s bomb Maloelap, Mille and Wotje Atolls; B-25s hit Jaluit and Mille Atolls; P-40s attack Mille Atoll. SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, 23 B-25s, with USN fighter escort, pound the Rabaul area; later 12 P-38s hit targets in the same area. 16 AAF fighters, along with 16 USN fighters, hit targets of opportunity throughout S Bougainville and Shortland Islands. Numerous other fighters, in forces of varying sizes, attack barges and scattered targets of opportunity throughout the N Solomons, Bismarck Archipelago, and waters in between. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): Allied amphibious forces land on Los Negros Island, temporarily taking Momote Airfield and then falling back to the beachhead on Jamandilai Point; weather prevents full air support but 7 B-24s and 8 B-25s manage to attack enemy positions and guns; Other B-24s and A-20s hit Erima, Wewak, Tadji, Awar, and Hollandia, New Guinea. SOURCES: AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1961, ISBN 0-912799-02-1 COMBAT SQUADRONS OF THE AIR FORCE, WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF 1982 THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by the Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1973 THE MIGHTY EIGHTH WAR DIARY by Roger A. Freeman, ISBN 1-85409-071-2 Jack McKillop USAF (Airways and Air Communications Service) 1955-59 ------------------------------------------------------------------- | Jack McKillop | Those who have long enjoyed such | | Bellcore | privileges as we enjoy forget in | | Piscataway, NJ USA | time that men have died to win | | jem3@donuts0.bellcore.com | them. FDR | -------------------------------------------------------------------