The Official Chronology of the U.S. Army Airforce in World War II 1945

JANUARY 1945

MONDAY, 1 JANUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 5 B-24s fly coverage for a naval force upon aborting a bomb

Mission to the Kurile Islands.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 3 B-24s bomb Ft Bayard; 40 P-51s and P-40s pound railroad targets, warehouses, industrial works, and gun positions from Yoyang to Puchi; 8 P-51s hit Suchow Airfield, claiming 25 aircraft destroyed; 47 other P-40s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance hit troops, horses, town areas, and rail and road traffic at several locations especially at Liuchenghsien and between Siaokan and Hsuchang; a detachment of the 16FS, 51FG, begins operating from Laohokow with P-51s (squadron is based at Chengkung; another detachment is at Kwanghan); during Jan 45, the detachment of the 25FS, 51 FG operating from Poashan with P-51s moves to Leangshan; the 26FS, 51FG sends detachments to operate from Poseh, Liangshan and Laohokow with P-51s; and the detachments of the 528th Fighter Squadron, 311FG, operating from Hanchung and Liangshan with P-51s, return to base at Shwangliu.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 71 P-47s and P-38s attack villages, general supply areas, fuel dumps, tanks and other vehicles, and troop concentrations at several locations including Man Hio, Bahe, Mongmit, Hatka, Namhpakka, Loi-hseng, Mong Yaw and in the Hsenwi area, 4 others hit targets of opportunity along the Irrawaddy River from Tanaung to Kyungyi; 4 B-25s harass communications lines during the night of 1/2 Jan. Large-scale air transport operations continue. The 14th and 15th Combat Cargo Squadrons, 4thCCG, move from Sylhet to Argartala, India with C-46s. During Jan, the detachment of the 436BS(H), 7BG(H), based at Luliang, China with B-24s ferrying gasoline to Suichwan, China, returns to base at Madhaiganj, India.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 774: 845 bombers and 725 fighters are dispatched to hit oil installations and rail bridges and junctions in W Germany visually and by PFF; they claim 23-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft including a jet fighter; 8 bombers and 2 fighters are lost: 1. 451 B-17s are sent to hit an oil refinery at Magdeburg (11); secondary targets are the Henschel marshalling yard at Kassel (292) and the Gottingen marshalling yard (26); targets of opportunity are Hadamar (12), Wetzlar (12), Dillenburg (15), Koblenz (11), Wetter (12), Limburg (8), Kirchbunden (7) and other (22); 2 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 71 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 18 MIA. Escorting are 327 of 374 P-51s; they claim 17-1-1 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 2. 109 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil industry targets at Dollbergen (54): and Ehmen (24); targets of opportunity are the Koblenz marshalling yard (12), Limburg (4) and other (5); 3 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 43 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA. Escort is provided by 199 P-47s and P-51s without loss. 3. 273 B-24s hit the Lutzel (56) and Guls (30) rail bridges at Koblens, the Irlich rail bridge (57) and the Remagen rail bridge (6); targets of opportunity are Andernach (26), Engers rail bridge (9), Trier (1) and others (6); 1 B-24 is lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 63 damaged; 20 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 10 MIA. The escort is 66 of 70 P-51s without loss. 4. 12 of 12 B-17s fly a screening force mission; they are 8 minutes late for their escort and are attacked by Fw 190s when 50 miles (80 km) ahead of the bombers; they claim 6-0-2 aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost and 1 damaged beyond repair; 45 airmen are MIA. Escort is supposed to be 23 of 26 P-51s. 5. 2 of 5 B-17s fly an APHRODITE mission against Oldenburg without loss. 6. 11 of 11 P-51 s escort 9 F-5s and 1Spitfire on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany without loss. 7. 25 P-47s and P-51s escort 3 of 4 Mosquitoes on a special operations mission without loss.

Mission 775: 5 B-24s and 3 B-17s drop leaflet on Belgium and Germany during the night without loss. The 1, 2 and 3Bombardment Divisions are redesignated 1, 2 and 3d Air Divisions.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The Luftwaffe launches an attack of 700-800 aircraft against 9AF and Allied airfields, mainly in the Brussels, Belgium and Eindhoven, the Netherlands areas, and to a lesser degree in the Metz, France area; 127 operational Allied aircraft are destroyed; Allied fighters claim 160 air victories while AA claims 300. 190 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s hit rail bridges, communications centers, a road junction, a command post, and HQ, all in Belgium and Germany; fighters escort 9th Bombardment Division and 8AF bombers, fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance (claiming 39 air victories and numerous ground targets destroyed) and support the US III, VII, and XII Corps between Saint-Hubert, Belgium and the Mosel River, Germany. In France, the detachment of the 72d Liaison Squadron, 9AF (attached to Sixth Army Group), ceases operating from Steinbourg with L-5s and returns to base at Buhl. During Jan 45, HQ XIX Tactical Air Command moves from France to Luxembourg.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Unfavorable weather permits only P-38 reconnaissance flights.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers attack bridges at Palazzuolo sull'Oglio, Parma, and Calcinato (the latter 2 targets are missed) and an ammunition dump at Parma; fighter-bombers support ground forces S of Bologna, hit communications and numerous targets of opportunity to the N and completely destroy a fuel dump at Parma; A-20s on intruder missions during the night of 31Dec/1Jan, achieve excellent results on a motor park near Molinella and hit a marshalling yard near Milan. HQ 319BG(M) departs Corsica for the US where it converts to A-26 aircraft in preparation for assignment to the Pacific.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 19 B-24s from Saipan Island, Mariana Islands, bomb Iwo Jima Island, Volcano Islands; 9 more, during snooper missions on the night of 1/2 Jan, hit the island at varying intervals.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In the Philippine Islands, B-25s and fighter-bombers make low level attacks on Negros Island airfields; B-24s, with P-38 cover, bomb Clark Field on Luzon Island and others pound the Sasa area on Mindanao Island. On Halmahera Island, Moluccas Islands, B-24s along with B-25s hit the Djailolo, Wasile Bay bivouac areas, and Miti ammunition dump. B-25s bomb airfields on Ceram Island, Moluccas Islands and barracks at Laoag on Luzon. Fighter-bombers are active against targets in the Manila area on Luzon and also hit Silay on Negros. Airfields, shipyards, and other targets in the Borneo, Celebes and Lesser Sunda Islands also sustain light raids, by FEAF fighters and bombers, which also fly armed reconnaissance. HQ 345BG(M) moves from Dulag to Tacloban, Leyte Island, Philippine Islands. During Jan 44, the detachment of the 4(Photo)Charting Squadron, 311(Photo)Wing [attached to 4PRG] ceases operating from Morotai Island, Moluccas Islands, with F-7s and returns to base at Hollandia, New Guinea; at the same time, a detachment of this squadron begins operating in Australia during the month (this squadron is mapping areas of the SW and W Pacific); in New Guinea, the detachment of the 64TCS, 403TCG, operating from Noemfoor Island returns to base on Biak Island with C-47s. During Jan, the 8th Combat Cargo Squadron, 2Combat Cargo Group, moves from Finschhafen, New Guinea to Biak with C-46s.

TUESDAY, 2 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 6 B-25s bomb Kentung, Burma. 30+ P-40s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance attack targets of opportunity, mainly railroad traffic, at or near Lohochai, Pengpu, and Sinyang, China; and Man Pong, Wanling, and Wan Pa-Hsa, Burma.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 24: 49 B-29s, operating from the Calcutta, India area, are dispatched to attack a railroad bridge at Bangkok, Thailand; 44 hit the primary target and 2 hit an alternate and a target of opportunity; they claim 0-1-1Japanese aircraft.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, troop concentrations and supplies are attacked at Mabein, Panghka, Mansut, Letpangon, Loi-mun, Panghkai, Namhsan, Thabeikkyin, and in the Lashio area by 66 P-47s and 13 P-38s. 546 transport sorties are flown to forward bases and frontline areas. In India, the 13th Combat Cargo Squadron, 4thCCG, moves from Sylhet to Agartala with C-46s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 776: 1,011bombers and 503 fighters are dispatched to attack communications and tactical targets in W Germany visually and using Gee-H; 4 bombers and 3 fighters are lost: 1. 299 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Gerolstein marshalling yard (74) and communications centers are Mayen (68), Prum (34), Daun (34), Kyllburg (37): and Bitburg (36); 3 others hit a target of opportunity; 70 B-17s are damaged. Escorting are 128 of 130 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 2. 296 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Lutzel (65) and Guls (59) rail bridges at Koblenz plus rail bridges at Irlich (59), Remagen (56) and Engers (43); 3 others hit a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 26 damaged. The escort is 215 P-47s and P-51s without loss. 3. 410 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Bad Kreuznach (73) and Ehrang (66), a rail junction at Bad Kreuznach (67), a rail bridge at Kaiserslautern (34) and tank concentrations at Lebach (128); targets of opportunity are marshalling yards at St Wendel (11) and Trier (3) and other (3); 4 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 36 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 37 MIA. Escort is provided by 125 of 127 P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 6 of 6 B-17s fly a screening force mission. 5. 23 P-51s escort 6 F-5s and a Spitfire on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.

Mission 777: 2 B-17s and 6 B-24s drop leaflets in France and Germany during the night. HQ VIII AF Services Command (Advanced) is established in Brussels, Belgium, along with a "Far Shore" staff division; through this HQ, the Commanding General AF Services Command can administer his command and closely communicate with other commands operating on the Continent; this arrangement functions until 29 Apr 45 when it is relieved by the 5th Strategic Air Depot at Merville, France.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): The 314th, 315th and 316FSs, 324FG, move from Tavaux to Luneville, France with P-47s. 9AF: 135 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s hit rail bridges and communications centers in Belgium and Germany; fighters escort the 9th Bombardment Division, fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance and support the US III and VIII Corps in the Bastogne, Belgium area and the XII Corps S of the Clerf River, Luxembourg, and W of the Sauer River in Germany. The 72Liaison Squadron, 9AF (attached to Sixth Army Group), moves from Buhl to Epinal, France with L-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather restricts operations to reconnaissance flights,

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, fighter-bombers concentrate their effort in the W Po Valley and Brenner area, claiming large number of rail lines cut and many vehicles and trains destroyed and damaged; the Milan marshalling yard is hit hard and good coverage is achieved on support targets in the US Fifth Army battle area; A-20s during the night of 1/2 Jan, continue intruder missions over the Po Valley; the 84th and 86BS(L), 47BG(L) move from Rosignano Airfield to Grosseto with A-20s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 Guam Island-based B-24s hit Haha Jima Island in the Bonin Islands while 14 others pound Iwo Jima Island; during the night of 2/3 Jan, 10 B-24s, flying snooper strikes out of Guam, hit Iwo Jima over a 7-hour period.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): P-38s and A-20s hit shipping in San Fernando harbor on Negros Island; on Luzon Island, B-24s pound Clark Field and B-25s hit Batangas; airfields in the C Philippine Islands area are bombed by B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers while B-24s strike Likanan on Mindanao Island; Menado on Celebes Island; and the Wasile Bay area on Halmahera Island. Other FEAF aircraft make armed reconnaissance and harassing strikes on targets of opportunity throughout the C Philippine Islands area and the Netherlands East Indies. The 8FS, 49th FG, moves from Tacloban, Leyte Island to San Jose, Mindoro Island, Philippine Islands, with P-38s.

WEDNESDAY, 3 JANUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): B-25s fly coverage for a naval force over the Kurile Islands.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 10 P-51s hit the airfield at Tsinan, claiming 13 aircraft destroyed; 6 P-51s claim several river steamers sunk in the Hankow-Chiuchiang area while 6 others damage bridges at Chinchengchiang. 20+ other P-40s, P-51s, and P-47s on armed reconnaissance attack various targets of opportunity in the Wuchang-Hankow and Shwangliu, China areas, and at Namtao, S and SW of Man Pong, and W of Wanling, Burma.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 10 B-25s, supported by 12 P-47s, attack the airfield at Aungban; troop concentrations and supply and ammunition dumps are pounded at several locations, including Man Kun, Loi Hkam, Ngawnga, Chakau, Mulaw, and Man Pwe. 575 transport flights are completed to forward areas; the 115th Liaison Squadron, 10AF [attached to 1Liaison Group (Provisional)], based at Ledo, India, sends a detachment to operate from Myitkyina with L-1s and L-5s; the 165th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, based at Kawlin, sends a detachment to operate from Inbaung with UC-64s and L-5s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 778: 1,168 bombers and 589 fighters are dispatched to attack rail and communications targets in W Germany; all are PFF attacks using H2X, Gee-H and Micro H; they claim 4-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 fighters are lost: 1. 417 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Fulda (141) and Aschaffenburg (124) and communications centers at Gemund (38) and Schleiden (36); the Mosel marshalling yard at Koblenz, a secondary target, is hit by 36 bombers; targets of opportunity are the Pforzheim marshalling yard (25) and other (3); 1 B-17 is damaged; 2 airmen are WIA. Escort is provided by 219 of 227 P-51s; they claim 4-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 4 damaged beyond repair. 2. 325 B-24s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Altstadt (31), Homburg (41), Zweibrucken (55), Neunkirchen (84), Landau (59) and the Pirmasens railhead (41); 2 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged. Escorting are 143 of 148 P-51s. 3. 421 B-17s are sent to hit the Hermulheim W (72) and E (36) marshalling yards, a communications center at St Vith, Belgium (98), and rail junctions at Mondrath (36) and Horrem (1); 100 B-24s hit the secondary target, Cologne; targets of opportunity are Rheydt (10) and other (3); 11 B-17s are damaged. The escort is 145 of 150 P-51s; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 32 of 32 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 5. 32 of 32 P-51s escort 5 F-5s on a photo reconnaissance over Germany.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): All combat operations are cancelled because of weather.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather curtails operations for the fifth successive day. P-38s fly photo and weather reconnaissance missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers score direct hits on 2 railroad bridges at Lavis and fly good coverage of the Chiusaforte, Canale d'Isonzo, and Padua railroad bridges; fighter-bombers hit a large number of communications targets (mainly railroad targets) in the Po Valley which is also subjected to intruder missions during the night of 2/3 Jan, when pontoon bridges, vehicles, and Ghedi Airfield are hit.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 22 B-24s from Saipan Island bomb Iwo Jima Island. 3 from Guam Island, on armed reconnaissance, hit Marcus Island in the North Pacific. During a 6-hour period on the night of 3/4 Jan, 10 B-24s from Guam hit Iwo Jima.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 17: 97 Mariana Island-based B-29s are sent to bomb docks and urban areas of Nagoya, Japan; 57 hit the primary target and 21others bomb alternates and targets of opportunity; Japanese fighters fly 300+ attacks on the B-29s and 5 are lost; B-29 gunners claim 14-14-20 Japanese aircraft.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s pound Clark Field and the Mabalacat areas on Luzon Island. B-25s hit 5 airfields in the C Philippine Islands while B-24s bomb 2 on Mindanao Island. B-24s attack the Djailolo supply area on Halmahera Island, while B-25s bomb Namlea Airfield on Buru Island, Moluccas Islands. Numerous other FEAF aircraft on armed reconnaissance, harassing raids, and light strikes attack a vast variety of targets throughout the Netherlands East Indies and Philippine Islands. The 25(Photo)RS, 6th Photographic RG, moves from Dulag, Leyte Island to San Jose, Mindoro Island with F-5s.

THURSDAY, 4 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 4 B-24s bomb the Ft Bayard area in China and the Samah Bay area on Hainan Island. In Burma, 6 B-25s damage a bridge and a warehouse, and destroy 2 other buildings at Kentung and 21 P-40s on armed reconnaissance pound targets of opportunity in the Wanling area. 8 P-51s knock out a bridge at Huizan, Thailand and damage another, and 20 other fighters hit targets of opportunity around Lohochai, Sinyang and Hankow, China.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 13 B-25s, escorted by 12 P-47s, bomb Namsang Airfield; 12 P-47s hit bypass road bridges at Inailong and Bawgyo, damaging approaches to the latter; troops and supply areas are hit at Man Kat, Hsenwi, Yi-ku, Se-hai, and near Nawnghkio by 36 P-47s and P-38s; 6 P-47s bomb cable and pontoons along the N riverbank at Na-lang; 6 hit enemy activity near Twinnge and 5 attack a truck dispersal area and warehouses at Mogok. Transports fly 597 sorties to front areas and forward bases.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 779: 1 B-17 and 2 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany during the night; 1 B-24 is lost.

Mission 780: 10 of 12 B-24s dispatched to hit the Coubre Point Coastal battery near Bordeaux, France hit the target using H2X radar. The transfer of HQ VIII Fighter Command from Bushey Hall, England to Charleroi, Belgium begins; the HQ is to provide administrative and operational support for FGs operating with the 9AF on tactical support missions.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): HQ 324FG moves from Tavaux to Luneville, France. 9AF: All combat operations, except a defensive patrol by 4 fighters, are cancelled because of bad weather. The 161Tactical RS, 363Tactical RG, ceases operating from Conflans, France and returns to base at Le Culot, Belgium with F-6s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Italy, 370+ B-24s and B-17s bomb marshalling yards at Verona, Bronzolo, Vicenza, Padua, Trento, and Bolzano, and station sidings at Trento; 200+ fighters accompany the bombers; 54 P-38s attempt high-level bombing of Cismon del Grappa but fail to hit the target. 9 B-24s drop supplies in Yugoslavia. P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and escort operations.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers hit bridges at Lavis and Calliano; fighters and fighter-bombers interdict Po Valley communications and hit an ammunition dump at San Felice del Benaco; during the night of 3/4 Jan, A-20s successfully hit a stores dump and bridge near Mestre, and destroy or damage 50+ vehicles. The 416th Night Fighter Squadron, 62FW, based at Pisa, Italy with Mosquitoes, sends a detachment to operate from Etain, France attached to the 425th Night Fighter Squadron.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 13 Guam Island-based B-24s pound Iwo Jima Island. During the night of 4/5 Jan, 10 more hit the island with individual harassment strikes.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s pound Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island; B-25s hit a railroad and highways in the San Pedro area on Luzon Island. B-25s and P-38s hit Tanamon and Sidate on Celebes Island. Other B-24s and B-25s, flying small scale strikes, hit airfields on S Luzon and Mindanao Islands, on NE Celebes Island, and in the C Philippine Islands, and bomb shipyards in N Borneo. The ground echelon of the 110TRS, 71Tactical RG, begins a movement from Tacloban, Leyte Island to Luzon (the air echelon is operating from San Jose, Mindoro Island with P-40s).

FRIDAY, 5 JANUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 4 B-24s fly an air coverage mission for a naval task force on its approach to Suribachi on Paramushiru Island.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 4 B-25s pound 13 storage buildings at Kengtung, China. 5 B-25s knock out a bridge at Dara, Thailand. 3 B-25s bomb Wan Pa-Hsa and Hawng Luk, Burma while 1 B-24 bombs the Cap-Saint-Jacques, French Indochina area. 29 P-40s and P-51s hit airfields at Hankow and Wuchang, China, claiming 50 aircraft destroyed in the air and on the ground. 23 P-51s and P-38s hit the airfield and other targets in Samah Bay area on Hainan Island, claiming 11 aircraft destroyed. 30 P-40s and P-38s attack various targets of opportunity, Sinsiang, and Kengtung, China, and Wan Pa-Hsa and in the Wanling area of Burma. 4 P-40s pound fortified hill positions in the Salween, Burma area.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 16 B-25s flying an airfield sweep inflict considerable damage on the Laihka, Aungban, Kunlon, and Mong Long airfields; in the Namhkam sector, 2 P-47s join ground forces in blasting artillery positions at Kunlong, China and Wingkang; 9 P-47s damage bypass bridges at Mongmit; 70+ fighter-bombers attack storage areas, tanks and trucks, and troop concentrations at Mong Yaw, Hsenwi, Hpa-Pen, Man Ton, Tunghka, Man Peng, and Longhsu. Transports fly 550+ sorties to forward bases and frontline areas. Operation GRUBWORM, one of the major transport achievements of the war, is completed on this date one month from its start. The Chinese 14th and 22Divisions, Chinese Sixth Army HQ, a heavy mortar Company, a signal Company, and 2 portable surgical hospitals have been airlifted; the move required 1,328 transport sorties; Air Transport Command provided 597 sorties; the air commando squadrons, 488; and 10AF, 243; the airlift included 25,000+ Chinese soldiers, 396 US soldiers, 1,596 animals, 42 jeeps, 48 howitzers, 48 heavy mortars, and 48 antitank guns; the troops and supplies have been landed at Chanyi, Kunming, Luliang, and Yunnani, China. Only 3 aircraft were lost during the operation. HQ 4thCCG moves from Agartala to Chittagong, India.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 781: 1,032 bombers and 584 fighters are dispathed to hit rail targets and airfields in C Germany; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 4-0-0 on the ground; 1 B-17 and 1 P-51 are lost. 1. 259 B-24s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Neustadt (32), Sobernheim (42), Kirm (18) and St Ingbert (3), the marshalling yard and rail bridge at Cochem (31) and the Pirmasens railroad (39); 51 hit the Neunkirchen marshalling yard, a secondary target; targets of opportunities hit are communications centers at Rheinkirchen (8), Neubrucke (7), Prum (1) and Burg (1); bombing is visual and with Gee-H; 3 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 51 damaged; 6 airmen are KIA and 1 WIA. Escorting are 164 of 177 P-51s. 2. 370 B-17s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Hanau (57) and Frankfurt (81) and communications centers at Waxweiler (32), Wetteldorf (27): and Pronsfeld (33); 29 hit the secondary target at Kaiserslautern; targets of opportunity are Heilbronn (29) and other (11); bombing is visual and PFF; 1 B-17 is lost, 6 damaged beyond repair and 89 damaged; 13 airmen are KIA, 9 WIA and 1 MIA. Escort is provided by 194 of 213 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 4-0-0 on the ground. 3. 379 B-17s are sent to hit airfields at Niederbreisig (70) and Niedermendig (54), communications centers at Dumpelfeld (37), Kall (35) and Mechernich (1), and the the railroad at Heimbach (37); 96 hit the secondary target, the Koblenz marshalling yard; targets of opportunity are communications centers at Pronsfeld (2) and Waxweiler (1) and other (4); bombing is by Gee-H and H2X; 1 B-17s is damaged beyond repair and 20 damaged. Escort is 109 of 117 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 4. 24 of 24 B-17s fly a screening mission. 5. 26 of 33 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 782: 4 B-24s and 1 B-17 drop leaflets during the night over SE Belgium.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 9th Bombardment Division attacks rail bridges at Ahrweiler, Simmern, and Bullay, Germany and communications centers at Gouvy, Houffalize, and near Durler, Belgium, and Massen, Luxembourg. Fighters escort the 9th Bombardment Division and VIII Bomber Command, fly armed reconnaissance, attack airfields, communications centers, traffic concentrations, and other targets, and support the US III and VIII Corps W and E of Bastogne and the 2 and 3Armored Divisions near Manhay, Belgium. HQ 368FG and the 395th, 396th and 397th Fighter Squadrons move from Juvincourt to Metz, France with P-47s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Yugoslavia, 1 B-24 bomBSZagreb railroad sidings; 69 others abort due to total cloud cover over the target; 38 P-51s fly cover over the target area; 33 P-38s bomb the N railroad bridge at Doboj; other operations are limited to reconnaissance, supply drops, and escort.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): During the night of 4/5 Jan, A-20s on a S Po Valley intruder Mission bomb the Modena, Italy area. Bad weather cancels all other operations.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 22 B-24s from Saipan Island, in morning and afternoon raids, pound Iwo Jima Island; 7 P-38s, with 3 B-24s as navigational escort, fly a strafing mission against Iwo Jima. Other B-24s act as airborne spotters for the naval bombardment of Chichi Jima and Haha Jima Islands.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In major strikes of the day B-25s hit shore installations along Lingayan Gulf, Luzon Island, and bomb Menado on Celebes Island. B-24s attack Miri Airfield in Borneo. Numerous smaller strikes are flown throughout the Philippine Islands and Netherlands East Indies. A-20s and fighter-bombers attack airfields on Luzon, the C Philippine Islands area and Mindanao Island, fighter-bombers and B-24s hit the Pombelaa and Tondano area, and targets of opportunity on NE Celebes Island. Other FEAF aircraft fly scattered strikes at various targets in Borneo, Lesser Sunda Islands, and Tanimbar Island in the Moluccas Islands. The 4FS (Commando), 3Air Commando Group, arrives on Leyte Island from the US with P-51s. The detachment of the 68th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433TCG, operating from Nadzab, New Guinea with C-47s, returns to base on Biak Island. The 69TCS, 433d TCG moves from Nadzab, New Guinea to Biak with C-47s. The 547NPS, 86FW [attached to 310BW(M)], moves from Owi, Schouten Island to San Jose, Mindoro Island with P-38s and P-61s.

SATURDAY, 6 JANUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): On Paramushiru Island, 2 B-24s bomb Suribachi Bay Airfield, also hitting buildings and pier areas. 10 B-25s fly single air coverage sorties for a naval task force.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 40 P-40s, P-51s, and P-47s pound the Hankow-Wuchang area; 9 aircraft are claimed destroyed. 4 B-24s bomb the Cap-Saint-Jacques, French Indochina area.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 25: 49 Chengtu, China-based B-29s are dispatched to bomb an aircraft factory at Omura, Kyushu Island, Japan; 28 hit the primary target, 13 bomb a secondary target at Nanking, China while 6 attack targets of opportunity; they claim 4-6-10 Japanese aircraft; 1 B-29 is lost. The is the XX BC's last mission against targets in Japan.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Bad weather cancels all combat mission s. Transports manage 310 sorties, landing men and supplies at advanced bases and dropping supplies to frontline troops. The 317th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, moves from Myitkyina, Burma to Kalaikunda, India with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 783: 816 bombers and 622 fighters are dispatched to hit rail and communications targets in W Germany; all but a few attacks are made using Gee-H and H2X; they claim 14-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 1 B-17 and 2 P-51s are lost: 1. 258 B-17s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Worms (62) and Kaiserslautern (34); 64 hit a secondary target, the marshalling yard at Ludwigshafen; targets of opportunity are Annweiler (31), the marshalling yard at Kusel (22) and other (29); some targets are bombed visually; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 55 damaged; 5 airmen are KIA and 2 WIA. Escorting are 109 of 121 P-51 s; they claim 14-0-1 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 2 damaged beyond repair (1 pilot KIA). 2. 422 B-17s are sent to hit the Cologne South rail bridge (71) and Cologne North highway bridge (35) and the communications center at Kempernich (72); secondary targets are the Kalk marshalling yard at Cologne (183) and the highway bridge across the Rhine River at Bonn (38); 3 others hit a target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 17 damaged; 1airman is WIA and 10 MIA. Escort is provided by 219 of 229 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 2 damaged beyond repair (1 pilot KIA). 3. 31 of 130 B-24s hit the highway bridge across the Rhine River at Bonn; 95 hit the secondary target, the Mosel marshalling yard at Koblenz; 1 hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 17 damaged. The escort is 172 of 181 P-51 s. 4. 6 of 6 B-17s fly a screening mission. 5. 36 of 60 P-47s attack the marshalling yard at Siegen. 6. 23 of 23 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 7. 8 of 8 P-51s escort 4 F-5s on a photo reconnaissance mission over W Germany.

Mission 784: 6 B-17s drop leaflets over Belgium and the Netherlands during the night. TACTICAL OPERATIONS: (9AF): 26 bombers of the 9th BombardmentDivision strike Prum, Germany. Bad weather prevents all fighter operations.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather precludes all operations except a single reconnaissance mission by 2 P-38s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Bad weather over N Italy grounds the medium bombers. In Italy, XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighterbombers hit rail lines and bridges in the Genoa-La Spezia coastline area, and bomb vessels in the harbors at Genoa and Imperia. The air echelon of the 417NPS, Twelfth AF (attached to Mediterranean Allied Coastal AF and air echelon attached to the 422Night Fighter Squadron), based at La Vallon, France, begins operating from Florennes, Belgium with Beaufighters.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 15 B-24s, based on Guam Island, bomb Iwo Jima Island airfields. During the night of 6/7 Jan, 9 B-24s on individual snooper strikes continue to pound the airfields. HQ 508FG and the 466th, 467th and 468FSs arrive at Kahuku, Hawaii from the US with P-47s (the group will serve as air defense for Hawaii, train replacement pilots and ferry aircraft to forward areas).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In the day's major operations, B-24s bomb Clark Field while B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers blast bridges and targets of opportunity at Calumpit and Plaridel and in nearby S Luzon Island areas and B-24s bomb Nichols Field and Nielson Airfield on Luzon. A-20s, with P-38 cover, bomb Carolina Airfield on Negros Island. B-25s and fighter-bombers hit Mapanget Airfield on Celebes Island. FEAF flies numerous smaller strikes against various points throughout the Netherlands East Indies and Philippine Islands.

SUNDAY, 7 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 5 B-24s bomb Ft Bayard, China and attack shipping in Samah Bay on Hainan Island, claiming 1vessel sunk.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Bad weather cancels all combat mission s. Transports complete 383 sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 785: 1,073 bombers and 700 fighters attack communications centers, rail targets, bridges and an oil storage depot in W Germany using PFF methods; 3 bombers and 1 fighter are lost. 1. 265 B-17s are dispatched but hit secondary targets, the marshalling yard at Hamm (109), Paderborn (74) and Bielefeld (74); 2 hit a target of opportunity; all attacks made using H2X radar; 5 B-17s are damaged. Escorting are 197 of 204 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 2. 351 B-17s are dispatched to hit communications centers at Blankenheim (39), Kall (39), Bitburg (110) and Euskirchen (75); 35 hit the Lutzel Bridge at Cologne; all attacks made using Gee-H and H2X; 3 B-17s are damaged; 2 airmen are WIA. Escort is provided by 159 of 160 P-51s. 3. 147 B-17s are dispatched to hit the bridge at Hohenzollern (14) and the highway bridge at Rodenkirchen (22); 80 hit the secondary target, the Kalk marshalling yard at Cologne; targets of opportunity are Limburg (11), Koblenz (11) and other (1); all attacks are made using Micro H and H2X; 2 B-17s are lost and 10 damaged; 1airman is KIA and 19 MIA. The escort is 91 of 95 P-51s. 4. 304 B-24s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yards at Landau (54), Zweibrucken (64) and Rastatt (99), the rail and communications center at Achern (31) and the railway at Kaiserslautern (26); all attacks made using Gee-H; targets of opportunity hit visually are Durrmenz (8) and Karlsuhe (1); 1 B-24 is lost and 10 damaged; 1airman is WIA and 9 MIA. Escorting are 94 of 102 P-51s. 5. 6 of 6 B-17s fly a screening mission. 6. 88 P-47s and P-51s fly a fighter sweep without loss. 7. 12 of 12 P-51s escort 2 F-5s and 2 Mosquitoes on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 8. 33 of 33 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 786: 2 B-17s and 5 B-24s drop leaflets during the night in SE Belgium and France.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) fighters escort VIII BC bombers. All other commands and the 9th Bombardment Division cancel operations as the weather is bad.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Unfavorable weather again curtails operations. 3 P-38s complete photo and weather reconnaissance missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, weather grounds the medium bombers and A-20s; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighterbombers make 6 cuts on the Brenner rail line, damage the W end of the rail bridge at Cittadella, and hit the marshalling yard S of Trento; most of the XXII Tactical Air Command's effort is concentrated against land and water communications in the La Spezia-Genoa area, including attacks on shipping at Savona and San Remo harbors.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 11 B-24s, flying out of Saipan Island, bomb an airfield on Iwo Jima Island. During the night of 7/8 Jan, 10 more B-24s again pound airfields, striking in single-bomber snooper missions over a 7-hour period.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In major strikes of the day against targets on Luzon Island, large numbers of B-25s and A-20s, supported by P-38s, hit the network of airstrips from Clark Field to Angeles Airfield, B-24s bomb Nielson and Grace Park Airfields and Nichols Field and B-25s and fighter-bombers pound bridges in the Plaridel and Calumpit areas. B-24s raid Padada and Daliao Airfields on Mindanao Island. B-25s and fighter-bombers hit Lembeh Strait and the Langoan areas on Celebes Island. Other FEAF aircraft on small-scale armed reconnaissance missions strike targets of opportunity throughout the Philippine Islands. The 17th RS (Bombardment), 71Tactical RG, moves from Tacloban, Leyte Island to San Jose, Mindoro Island with B-25s.

MONDAY, 8 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In Burma, 8 P-51s hit targets of opportunity E of Muse and E of Wanling.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 21 B-25s hit troops and supply areas at Nampeng and Mong Long; 74 P-47s and P-38s attack troop concentrations and supply areas at Tunhunghkam, Monguy, Hpa-hpun, and Man Om; and 12 P-47s knock out a bypass bridge at Namhkai. Transports complete 470+ sorties to forward bases and frontline areas. The 317th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda, India, sends a detachment to operate from Dinjan, India with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 787: 736 bombers and 269 fighters are dispatched to make PFF attacks on communications centers, rail targets and bridges in Germany; 2 bombers are lost. 1. 151 B-17s are sent to hit the Wissembourg communications center (36) and highway and rail bridge at Alzey (36); 65 hit a secondary target, the marshalling yard at Speyer; 4 hit a target of opportunity; all attacks are made using Gee-H and H2X; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair. 2. 117 B-17s are dispatched to hit communications centers at Kyllburg (37), Schweich (24) and Speicher (37); 12 hit a secondary target, the marshalling yard at Koblenz; all attacks use Gee-H and H2X; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 24 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 7 WIA and 9 MIA. 3. 24 of 30 B-24s hit the Stadtkyll communications center and 2 hit a target of opportunity using Gee-H without loss. 4. 204 B-24s are sent to hit communications centers at Wittlich (14), Oudler (29), Clerf (18), Burghreuland (31) and Dasburg (30); 2 others hit a target of opportunity; all use Gee-H; 2 B-24s are damaged beyond repair; 1 airman is WIA. 5. 225 B-17s are sent to hit communications centers at Waxweiller (33) and Lunebach (29); 131 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Frankfurt; 1 hits a target of opportunity; attackers use Micro H and H2X; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 47 damaged. 6. 219 of 229 P-51s fly a freelance escort Mission of all the bombers above without loss. 7. 9 of 9 B-17s fly a screening mission. 8. 29 of 32 P-51fly a scouting mission. 9. 8 of 8 P-51s escort 2 Mosquitoes on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

Mission 788: 1 B-17s and 2 of 4 B-24s drop leaflets over St Hubert, Belgium.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Weather prevents operations. The 153Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), moves from Tongres to Rutten, Belgium with L-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Austria, 300+ B-17s and B-24s bomb the main station yard and N main marshalling yard at Linz plus marshalling yards at Graz, Villach, Klagenfurt, and Salzburg, escorted by 200+ P-38s and P-51s; 30+ other P-38s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort. HQ 1FG moves from Salsola Airfield to Vincenzo Airfield, Italy.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, XXII Tactical Air Command A-20s fly 33 effective sorties in the Po Valley during the night of 7/8 Jan; bad weather sharply reduces daytime operations; of 3 medium bomber mission s dispatched, only 1reaches the target (the Chivasso railway bridge): where only 6 medium bombers bomb through the overcast; less than 20 XXII Tactical Air Command fighters hit scattered targets in the Po Valley; HQ 51 Troop Carrier Wing moves from Lido di Roma to Siena; and HQ 62Troop Carrier Group moves from Malignano Airfield to Tarquinia. The 437BS(M), 319BG(M), begins a movement from Serragia, Corsica to the US (the squadron will convert to A-26s and transfer to the Pacific in Jul 45).

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 26 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb airfields on Iwo Jima Island, while, during the night of 8/9 Jan, 10 more B-24s subject the island to individual snooper strikes over a 6-hour period.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In the main strikes during the day on Luzon Island, P-51s and P-40s strafe airfields in the Lingayen Gulf area; A-20s pound railroad yards at Cabanatuan, motor convoys between Cabanatuan and Bongalion and between Bongabon and Mojon, Rosales and San Quintin rail installations, bridges at Cuyapo, Paniqui, and near Santa Rosa; P-47s hit rail yards and a truck convoy in the San Jose area; and B-24s and A-20s attack Nichols Field and Nielson, Lipa, and Calingatan Airfields. B-25s with P-47 cover, bomb Fabrica Airfield on Negros Island, while B-24s bomb Likanan Airfield and oil storage at Matina on Mindanano Island. P-38s attack Manggar and Sepinggang Airfields in Borneo. Numerous small-scale attacks over the Philippine Islands and Netherlands East Indies continue.

TUESDAY, 9 JANUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): For the first time the Eleventh radar-bomBSwith H2X equipment as 4 B-24s hit Suribachi Bay Airfield on Paramushiru Island.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 6 B-25s hit railroad targets, road bridge, and building area NE of Thanh Moi, French Indochina. 25 P-40s, P-38s, and P-51s hit targets of opportunity S, SW, and NE of Wanling, Burma. 8 P-51s bomb railroad repair shops at Sinsiang, China while 3 P-40s hit a road W of Muse, Burma, causing a traffic block. EASTERN AIR COMMAND (EAC): Colonel Minton W Kaye assumes command of the Photographic Reconnaissance Force, a component of the EAC.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 26: 46 B-29s from Chengtu, China are dispatched to bomb the harbor at Kirun, Formosa; 39 hit the target and 6 bomb targets of last resort along the China coast; this raid is the first of several such operations against Formosa in conjunction with the US invasion of Luzon Island.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 8 P-47s hit division HQ at Ho-na while 4 others support ground forces in the Si-U sector; 90+ fighterbombers hit supply areas, tanks, AA positions, and troop concentrations at Man Kat, Tonghsim, Kong-lin, Bawdwin, Mong Tat, and in the Hsenwi vicinity. 488 transport sorties are flown to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 15 B-26s bomb the Rinnthal rail bridge with the aim of isolating 3 enemy armored divisions in the Landau area; XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) fighters escort the B-26s. Weather prevents other operations.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather permits only reconnaissance missions. In Italy, the 94FS, 1 fighter Group, based at Salsola Airfield, sends a detachment to operate from Vincenzo Airfield with P-38s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers attack bridges at Palazzuolo sull'Oglio, Pontetidone, Romano di Lombardia, and an assembly area at Crespellano; fighters and fighter-bombers in an excellent day against communications in the W and C Po Valley and other points in N Italy make numerous rail cuts, destroy or damage many vehicles and trains and effectively hit ammunition and fuel dumps, guns, and strongpoints along the US Fifth Army front in the N Apennines; the 4th and 8th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 62TCG, move from Malignano Airfield to Tarquinia with C-47s; the 18th and 35TCSs, 64th Troop Carrier Group, move from Ciampino to Rosignano Airfield with C-47s. The 438th, 439th and 440BS(M), 319BG(M), begin a movement from Serragio, Corsica to the US (they will convert to A-26s and move to Okinawa in Jul 45).

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 24 B-24s, based on Saipan Island, hit an airfield on Iwo Jima Island which is struck again by 8 B-24s on individual snooper missions during the night of 9/10 Jan.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 18: 72 Mariana Island-based B-29s are dispatched against the Musashino aircraft plant near Tokyo; high winds break up the formations so that only 18 B-29s can bomb the primary target; 34 hit alternates and targets of opportunity; they claim 13-3-11Japanese aircraft; 6 B-29s are lost.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): Amphibious forces of the US Sixth Army begin landing on the shores of Lingayen Gulf, Luzon Island at 0930 hours local; in N Luzon, B-24s bomb Mabalacat while B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers destroy several bridges and numerous vehicles and trains throughout Luzon, and bomb several airfields; B-24s also hit Nielson Airfield and Nichols Field. FEAF aircraft make small-scale attacks on barges, airfields, and targets of opportunity on Mindanao and Halmahera Islands, the Ceram Island area, N Borneo, and on Timor Island.

WEDNESDAY, 10 JANUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-24s on an armed photo mission bomb and photograph Kurabu Airfield on Paramushiru Island, scoring hits on the runway.

ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 32FS, XXVI Fighter Command, moves from France Field to Howard Field, Canal Zone with P-39s.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 2 B-24s bomb the Cap-Saint-Jacques area of French Indochina. In Burma, 50+ P-51s, P-40s, and P-38s pound various targets of opportunity throughout the Wanling area and 6 P-40s hit targets of opportunity in the Muse area. The 25FS, 51FG, based at Yunnani with P-51s, sends a detachment to operate from Leangshan, China.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 75 fighter-bombers pound troop concentrations, supplies, tanks, artillery, and buildings at Kawnglang, Nampa-chi, Man Namman, Pangkai, Mong Yai, Namhsan, Namyao, Se-ping, Panghai, and in the Hosi area; 17 P-47s knock out a bridge, damage another at Bawgyo and 2 others at Ho-kho; 8 P-47s support ground forces in the Si-U battle sector; 8 others hit supplies and ferry crossing at Ta-mawngtawn. 472 transport sorties are flown to forward bases and frontline areas. The 165th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Kawlin to Ye-U, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s (a detachment is operating from Inbaung, Burma).

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 789: 1,119 bombers and 362 fighters are dispatched to attack airfields, rail targets and bridges in Germany; most attacks are made using PFF methods; they claim 3-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 10 bombers and 2 fighters are lost: 1. 429 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Rodenkirchen (31) and Deutz (10): highway bridges at Cologne, the South (34) and Hohenzollern (52) rail bridges at Cologne and the marshalling yard at Karlsruhe (105); 20 hit the secondary target, the Gereon marshalling yard at Cologne; targets of opportunity are bridges at Duisburg (11) and Oberkassel (21), Dusseldorf (28) and other (33); some targets hit visually but most by PFF methods; 5 B-17s are lost, 5 damaged beyond repair and 199 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA, 6 WIA and 48 MIA. 2. 233 B-24s are dispatched to hit highway bridges at Steinbruck (23), Schonberg (70), Weweler (60) and Dasburg (20); 1 hits Prum, a target of opportunity; targets are hit using Gee-H; 2 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 7 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. 3. 458 B-17s are sent to hit the Hangelar Airfield at Bonn (63); Odendorf Airfield at Euskirchen (98), Osteheim Airfield at Cologne (83) and Gymnich Airfield (52); 43 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Cologne; targets of opportunity are the marshalling yards at Euskirchen (8), Belecke (8) and Duren (12) and other (26); Gee-H is used in bombing with some visual sightings; 5 B-17s are lost, 11 damaged beyond repair and 140 damaged; 5 airmen are KIA, 15 WIA and 52 MIA. 4. The bombers are escorted by 137 of 152 P-51s; 6 P-51s are lost and 1 damaged beyond repair. 5. 123 P-47s and P-51s make a freelance sweep to cover the bombers; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 2-0-0 on the ground; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 is lost (1 pilot MIA); 4 P-51s are damaged beyond repair. 6. 13 of 15 P-51s dive bomb the marshalling yard at Neustadt without loss. 7. 6 of 8 P-51s escort 2 Mosquitoes on a photo reconnaissance of the Brux, Czechoslovakia area. 8. 28 of 32 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 30+ B-26s sent against communications center and road bridge abort due to weather; the XIX Tactical Air Command escorts the B-26s, flies patrols, attacks bridges and other targets and supports the US III, VIII, XII, and XX Corps in the Saint-Hubert, Belgium-Bastogne, Belgium-Wiltz, Luxembourg area, in the Diekirch and Echternach area of Luxembourg and points to the SE.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Weather restricts operations to photo and weather reconnaissance missions. The 27th and 71 fighter Squadrons, 1FG, based at Salsola Airfield with P-38s, send a detachment to operate from Vincenzo Airfield, Italy.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, weather restricts operations but fighter-bombers effectively attack communications and supply dumps in the C and N Po Valley; the strikes are concentrated in the N and around Piacenza, and score nearly 50 rail cuts, along with destruction of 80 motor transports and several trains; fuel and ammunition dumps in the Milan area are bombed and a 400-foot (122 m) naval vessel at Venice is destroyed; HQ 64TCG and the 16th and 17TCSs move from Ciampino to Rosignano Airfield with C-47s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 30 Guam Island-based B-24s operating in 2 separate formations, bomb airfields on Iwo Jima Island; 2 other B-24s, on armed reconnaissance, hit airfield on Woleai Atoll, Caroline Islands. Iwo Jima airfields are hit again on the night of 10/11Jan by B-24s flying snooper missions from Guam.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s bomb Grace Park Airfield and warehouse area near Manila, A-20s and fighter-bombers pound trucks, trains, railroad yards, railroads, and highways over wide areas of N and S Luzon, and bomb Vigan and Laoag Airfields. About 60 P-40s bomb and strafe the Galela area on Halmahera Island. B-25s and P-38s hit Kendari Airfield on Celebes Island. Other B-25s, A-20s, and fighterbombers, operating in smaller forces, hit numerous shipping and communications targets, airfields, and other targets throughout the Philippine Islands. HQ XIII Fighter Command moves from Sansapor, New Guinea to Leyte Island. The detachment of the 12FS, 18th Fighter Group, operating from Morotai Island with P-38s, returns to base at Sansapor, New Guinea.

THURSDAY, 11 JANUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 3 B-24s on an armed reconnaissance to Suribachi on Paramushiru Island, bomb NW of Taro Lake; 5 B-25s hit Kotani Shima.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In Burma, 5 B-25s damage a bridge at Wan Mai-Lo; 12 fighter-bombers hit targets of opportunity NE of Wanling, 7 drop napalm on targets of opportunity NE of Muse, and 11attack targets of opportunity SE of Wanting, China and in the E end of the Wanting River valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 27: 47 B-29s out of Calcutta, India are dispatched to bomb 2 large drydocks at Singapore, Malaysia; 25 hit the primary targets; around 15 others bomb Penang Island, Malaysia, Mergui, Burma, and various targets of opportunity; they claim 6-1-17 Japanese aircraft; 2 B-29s are lost.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 P-47s support ground forces in the Si-U and Namhkam sectors. 3 others strafe trucks between Namhkam and Selan; troop concentrations, vehicles, artillery pieces, supply areas, and general enemy movement are pounded by 80+ fighter-bombers; 12 B-25s bomb storage buildings in the Lashio area. 509 transport sorties are flown to forward areas. The 6FS (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, based at Asansol, India, sends a detachment to operate from Cox's Bazar, India with P-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 790: 2 B-17s and 4 of 6 B-24s drop leaflets in Belgium during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): About 120 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s attack communications centers and rail bridges in Belgium and Germany; fighters escort the bombers, hit an ammunition dump at Mayen, Germany, and patrol areas around Malmedy, Belgium and NE of Trier, Germany.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather limits operations. P-38s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 10/11 Jan, A-20s attack targets of opportunity in the W Po Valley; clearing weather during the day enables an increase of fighter and fighter-bomber attacks in the Po Valley and in the US Fifth Army battle area in the N Apennines; many ammunition and fuel dumps, rail lines, trains, and vehicles are pounded, and an alcohol refinery at Piacenza is severely damaged.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 23 B-24s from Saipan Island pound airfields on Iwo Jima Island; the bombing of Iwo Jima is continued during the night of 11/12 Jan, by 3 B-24s flying individual snooper strikes from the Mariana Islands. The 6NPS, VII Fighter Command (attached to 318FG), moves from Kipapa, Hawaii to East Field, Saipan Island (a detachment has been operating from Saipan with P-47s and P-61s since Jun 44; a detachment operates from Kipapa, Hawaii until May 45).

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): The 3(Photo)RS (VH), 311(Photo)Wing (attached to XXI BC), moves from Saipan Island to Guam Island with F-13s (the squadron flies photo, electronic and weather reconnaissance missions in the W Pacific).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): Large numbers of B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers concentrate on communications targets throughout N Luzon Island and attack airfields, communications, and town areas in S Luzon, the C Philippine Islands, and on Mindanao Island. B-25s and P-38s attack Kendari Airfield on Celebes Island. HQ 308BW(H) moves from Leyte Island to Luzon.

FRIDAY, 12 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 6 B-25s again damage a bridge at Wan Mai-Lo, Burma. 35 fighter-bombers pound targets of opportunity around Wanting, China and Muse, Burma.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 16 fighter-bombers support ground forces in the battle sectors at Si-U and at Lawa on the Irrawaddy River; 70+ fighter-bombers hit troops, supplies, vehicles, and general enemy movement at Namsa-lap, Longmao, Hsa-ihkao, Mangpu, Pangnim, and near Lashio, Hsipaw, and Hsenwi. Transports fly 544 sorties, landing men and supplies at forward bases and dropping supplies to troops in battle sectors.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): All combat operations are cancelled because of weather.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): For the fourth consecutive day, all bombing operations are cancelled by bad weather. P-38s fly photo and weather reconnaissance and escort missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, weather severely curtails operations, but fighters and fighter-bombers of the XXII Tactical Air Command score successfully against communications targets in W and C Po Valley, claiming 50+ rail cuts and destruction or damage of 100+ vehicles.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 28 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb airfields on Iwo Jima Island; 3 B-24s, on armed reconnaissance from Saipan Island, bomb Marcus Island. Iwo Jima is hit by snooper strikes during the night of 12/13 Jan, by 4 B-24s from the Mariana Islands.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s bomb the San Jose del Monte area and bivouac areas on N Luzon; other B-24s hit Legaspi, and Batangas Airfields on Luzon, and Matina Airfield on Mindanao Island while B-25s bomb Fabrica warehouses on Negros Island.

SATURDAY, 13 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 6 B-25s blast 6 storage buildings at Kengtung, China. 3 others damage a bridge at Hawng Luk, Burma. In China, 31 P-51s, P-38s, and P-40s hit targets of opportunity in the Wanting area; 16 P-51s hit targets of opportunity around Shanhsien, Chiatsochen, and Chaling.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 10 fighter-bombers hit Aungban Airfield while 4 others support ground forces along the Irrawaddy River at Molo; 20+ fighter-bombers hit horses and vehicles at Hsa-ihkao, buildings at Man Ping, and troops at Mankang and Man Sang. Transports fly 556 sorties to forward areas. The detachment of the 317th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, operating from Dinjan, India with C-47s, returns to base at Kalaikunda, India.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 791: 958 bombers and 469 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards and Rhine rail bridges mostly by PFF methods; they claim 6-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 bombers and 2 fighters are lost: 1. 367 B-17s are sent to hit the Mainz rail bridge (31), the Gustavsburg rail bridge at Mainz (95) and the Bischofsheim marshalling yard (119); 74 hit the secondary target, the Mainz marshalling yard; targets of opportunity are Euskirchen (13) and other (7); most attacks are made using Micro H but some formations bomb visually; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 126 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 4 WIA and 19 MIA. Escorting are 79 of 80 P-51s; 3 are damaged beyond repair. 2. 276 B-24s are dispatched to hit rail bridges at Worms (86) and Rudesheim (89) and the Kaiserslautern marshalling yard (87); 1 hits a target of opportunity; most attacks are made using Gee-H but some formations bomb visually; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 39 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA and 10 MIA. The escort is 114 of 118 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost and 1 damaged beyond repair. 3. 315 B-17s are sent to hit rail bridges at Germersheim (71, using Gee-H): and Maximiliansau (159) and rail and highway bridges at Mannheim (76): visually; 1 hits a target of opportunity; 5 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 9 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 7 WIA and 42 MIA. Escorting are 77 of 82 P-51s; 2 are damaged beyond repair. 4. 102 P-47s and P-51s fly a freelance fighter sweep supporting the bombers; they claim 3-0-0 aircraft in the air and 3-0-1on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost and 1 damaged beyond repair. 5. 45 of 45 P-51s fly a fighter-bomber mission against Mannheim, Trier, etc without loss. 6. 20 of 28 P-51s fly a scouting Mission without loss. 7. 4 of 4 P-51s escort an F-5 on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 95 9th BombardmentDivision bombers strike road and rail bridges at Dasburg, Steinebruck, and Simmern to disrupt enemy movements; fighters escort the 9th BombardmentDivision, 8AF, and RAF bombers, fly armed reconnaissance and patrols, and bomb and strafe numerous ground targets. The IX Tactical Air Command supports the US VII Corps near Houffalize, Belgium, the XIX Tactical Air Command supports the US III, VIII, XII, and XX Corps elements in the Saint- Hubert, Belgium-Bastogne, Belgium-Wiltz, Luxembourg areas and points E and S near the Clerf River, Luxembourg and the Mosel River, Germany.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): For the fifth successive day no bombing operations are flown. Weather permits only reconnaissance and escort missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, Bad weather prohibits all but weather reconnaissance and a scramble mission, all uneventful.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 14 Saipan Island-based B-24s hit an airfield on Iwo Jima Island; 2 B-24s from Guam and Saipan Islands, again raid the airfields on the night of 13/14 Jan.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s hit the Tarlac barracks and storage area, Batangas Airfield, and troop concentrations at San Juan, Del Monte, Muzon, and San Vicente, P-47s fly a sweep from Laguna de Bay to Tarlac, destroying parked aircraft and vehicles and A-20s hit the town of Batangas and nearby railroads and highways, and bomb Lucena and Calingatan Airfields. Also the N Luzon area is hit throughout the day by small raids. HQ 18FG and the 12FS move from Sansapor, New Guinea to Lingayen, Luzon Island with P-38s (the 12th has been operating from Morotai Island since Nov 44).

SUNDAY, 14 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 27 B-24s, supported by 45 P-51s and P-40s, pound Hankow; 8 enemy aircraft are claimed destroyed; 7 B-25s hit targets at and W of Kengtung; 42 P-47s, P-40s, and P-51s attack airfields at Wuchang and Hankow; 17 Japanese aircraft are claimed destroyed; 21 P-40s and P-51s hit targets of opportunity in the Wanting area; 5 P-51s blast trucks and buildings at Shanhsien; 8 others attack shipping on the Yangtze River near Anking.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 28: 82 B-29s out of Chengtu, China are dispatched to bomb air installations at Kagi, Formosa; 55 hit the primary target while 1bombs Heito, Formosa; 22 others hit alternates and targets of opportunity at several points, among them Taichu Airfield, Formosa and Hengyang, China; no B-29s are lost.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 B-25s hit troops, stores area, and knock out 3 bridges near Nampawng and Hay-ti; 26 fighterbombers support ground forces at Si-U and at Mabein; 60+ fighter-bombers pound supply areas, troop concentrations, and general targets of opportunity at or near Hsenwi, Se-u, Kongnyaung, Kutkai, Mongmit, Manai, and Kawnghka. Transports fly 487 sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 792: 911bombers and 860 fighters are dispatched to attack oil refineries and plants in C Germany and highway bridges at Cologne; clear skies allow all bombers to bomb visually; about 250 Luftwaffe fighters attack and the AAF claims 158-0-30 aircraft; 7 bombers and 11 fighters are lost: 1. 370 B-17s are sent to hit oil targets at Derben (186) and Magdeburg (90); 36 hit Hallendorf, the secondary target; targets of opportunity hit are the Osnabruck marshalling yard (8) and other (19); they claim 31-9-7 aircraft; 6 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 121 damaged; 4 airmen are WIA and 149 MIA. Escorting are 295 of 331 P-51 s; they claim 89.5-0-14 aircraft in the air and 3-0-5 on the ground; 5 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA): and 3 damaged beyond repair. 2. 348 B-24s are dispatched to hit oil targets at Hallendorf (145), Hemmingstedt (91) and Ehmen (89); 1 hits Wangerooge Island, a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 80 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA and 1 WIA. The escort is 261 of 295 P-51s; they claim 14.5-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 3. 187 B-17s are sent to hit highway bridges at Cologne, the Deutz Bridge (71), the Hohenzollern Bridge (67) and the Rodenkirchen Bridge (36); targets of opportunity are Berg (1) and Cologne (1); 1 B-17 is lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 92 damaged; 4 airmen are WIA and 10 MIA. Escort is provided by 40 of 42 P-51s; they claim 9-0-5 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 pilot is WIA. 4. 6 of 6 B-17s fly a screening Mission without loss. 5. 116 P-47s and P-51s fly a sweep over N Germany and claim 42-0-6 aircraft; 2 P-47s and 1 P-51 are lost (pilots MIA); 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair. 6. 30 of 32 P-51s fly a scouting missions without loss. 7. 19 of 22 P-51s escort 12 F-5s and 4 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.

Mission 793: 2 B-17s and 5 B-24s drop leaflets over SE Belgium and Germany during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 280+ A-20s and B-26s strike bridges and communications centers in the base area of the Ardennes salient and in other areas of W Germany. Fighters escort 9th Bombardment Division and 8AF bombers, fly armed reconnaissance and patrols, attack numerous ground targets, and support the US First Army in the Vielsalm, Belgium area and the US Third Army around Diekirch, Luxembourg.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): For the sixth consecutive day bad weather permits only reconnaissance missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, weather again cancels all combat mission s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 22 B-24s from Saipan Island and 21from Guam Island bomb airfields on Moen Island, Truk Atoll; 9 P-38s escort the Saipan B-24s. 12 B-24s from Guam pound an airfield on Iwo Jima Island; 2 B-24s from the Mariana Islands fly snooper strikes against Iwo Jima airfields during the night of 14/15 Jan.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 19: 73 B-29s from the Mariana Islands are dispatched to bomb the Mitsubishi aircraft plant at Nagoya, Japan; 40 hit the primary target and 23 hit alternates and targets of opportunity; they claim 16-7-26 Japanese aircraft; 5 B-29s are lost.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-25s pound Aparri Airfield while supporting P-51s destroy several parked aircraft; A-20s bomb Clark Field destroying numerous parked aircraft, while B-24s hit troop concentrations at Cabanatuan; B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers over wide areas of Luzon hit tanks, trucks, and other vehicles near Norzagaray, Masbate, Tartaro, Bulac, Banglos, and San Felipe; bomb a bridge N of Bocaue; hit airfields at Tuguegarao and Batangas on Luzon, Malabang on Mindanao Island, and Silay on Negros Island; bomb the Cotabato supply area on Mindanao; and attack numerous other targets. B-25s bomb the Goeroea area in the Moluccas Islands. The 408BS(H), 22BG(H), moves from Angaur Island, Palau Islands, Caroline Islands, to Samar Island, Philippine Islands with B-24s.

MONDAY, 15 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 18 B-25s, supported by 20 P-51s and P-40s, attack Hankow, China. Others hit the Wan Pa-Hsa, Burma town area and damage a nearby bridge and in China, attack shipping near Amoy, and hit targets of opportunity in the Siang-Chiang and Hsiang River Valleys and from Hong Kong to Foochow. 130+ P-40s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance attack numerous targets of opportunity throughout S China from the Burma border to the SE coast.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 B-24s bomb a troop concentration and the supply area at Mong Ngaw; 6 fighter-bombers damage a bridge at Namhkai; 11support ground forces along the Irrawaddy River, bombing Mabein, hitting a cable crossing at Myitson, and attacking a ferry landing on the Nampaw River, a tributary; troops, supplies, tanks and targets of opportunity are attacked at several points in N Burma including Mong Tat, Mong Yok and Mong Pa. Transports fly 527 sorties to forward areas. Lieutenant Generals Albert C Wedemeyer, Commanding General China Theater, George E Stratemeyer, Commanding General Eastern Air Command, and Daniel I Sultan, Commanding General India-Burma Theater, confer at Myitkyina, Burma and agree that an AAF HQ to command the US Tenth and 14AFs should be set up in China. The 15th Combat Cargo Squadron, 4thCCG, moves from Argartala to Chittagong, India with C-46s. The 164th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Inbaung to Kan, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 794: 640 bombers and 782 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards in Germany; they claim 14-0-19 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 fighters are lost. 1. 223 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Ingolstadt (111) and Freiburg (107); 1 hits the Reudenstadt marshalling yard as a target of opportunity; H2X radar is used to bomb; 5 B-17s are damaged. Escorting are 183 P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair. 2. 75 of 120 B-24 hit the secondary target, the Reutlingen marshalling yard; targets of opportunity are Tubingen (19), Urich (10), the Tubingen marshalling yard (7), Mahlberg (1) and other (1); all attacks are made visually; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair. The escort consists of 109 of 117 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft without loss. 3. 253 of 297 B-17s hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Augsburg using H2X radar; targets of opportunity are Bobingen (29) and other (5) bombed visually; 16 B-17s are damaged; 1airman is KIA. The escort is provided by 184 of 204 P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 156 of 167 P-51s fly a fighter sweep over Germany; they claim 13-0-19 aircraft without loss. 5. 62 of 63 P-51s fly a fighter bomber mission against the marshalling yard at Gensingen without loss. 6. 6 of 7 P-51s escort a Spitfire on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany. 7 29 of 32 P-51s fly a scouting Mission without loss.

Mission 795: 2 B-17s and 7 B-24s drop leaflet on the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss. HQ VIII Fighter Command moves from Bushey Hall, England to Charleroi, Belgium.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): HQ 64FW moves from Ludres to Nancy, France. 9AF: In Germany, 16 B-26s hit the Simmern bridge to help thwart movement in the Trier area; the XIX Tactical Air Command escorts the B-26s, flies armed reconnaissance and patrols, and supports the US III and VIII Corps in the Houffalize, Belgium-Bastogne, Belgium-Wiltz, Luxembourg areas.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 400+ B-24s and B-17s escorted by 270+ P-38s and P-51s, bomb marshalling yards and other railroad communications in NE and SE Vienna, Austria and marshalling yard at Treviso, Italy.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, operations resume as the weather clears; medium bombers concentrate on the Brenner rail line, flying nearly 150 sorties against bridges at San Michele all'Adige, Rovereto, Ala, Lavis, Santa Margherita d'Adige, and Motta di Livenza; the XXII Tactical Air Command attacks communications in the Po Valley and further N, destroying or damaging several bridges and a very large number of railway cars (most of them at the Como marshalling yard); during the night of 14/15 Jan, A-20s hit targets in the Po Valley, including Po River crossings at Borgoforte, Piacenza, and San Benedetto Po.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 B-24s from Saipan Island hit airfields on Iwo Jima Island; 2 B-24s, operating singly from Guam Island and Saipan, strike Iwo Jima airfields during the night of 15/16 Jan.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers attack objectives on Luzon Island, in the C Philippine Islands, and on Palawan Island, hitting highways, railroads, airfields and numerous targets of opportunity including tanks, trucks, and other vehicles. B-24s also bomb Jesselton Airfields in Borneo. The 318th TCS (Commando), 3Air Commando Group, moves from Nadzab, New Guinea to Leyte Island with C-47s.

TUESDAY, 16 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 4 B-25s and 8 P-40s destroy a train N of Hankow and 8 B-25s pound Wanting. 180+ P-51s, P-40s, and P-38s on armed reconnaissance over vast expanses of China S of the Yangtze River and from the Burma border to the S China Sea attack numerous targets of opportunity; the Muse, Burma and Wanting and Changsha, China areas are hit especially hard.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 B-25s attack a troop concentration and supply dump at Namtoi; 15 P-47s support ground forces near Yenya-u and S of Shadaw; 22 bomb airfields at Anisakan and Nawnghkio; a troop concentration, supplies, town areas, vehicles, and other targets are attacked by 40+ fighter-bombers; the 71Liaison Squadron, 10AF [attached to 1 Liaison Group (Provisional)] moves from Sahmaw to Katha with UC-64s, L-1s, L-4s and L-5s. Transports fly 550 sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 796: A planned major strike at oil and industrial targets in Germany is cancelled by weather; 627 bombers and 693 fighters are dispatched to hit oil targets; 2 B-24s and 1 P-51 are lost; due to heavy fog a large percentage of the bombers are diverted to various landing fields in the UK and on the Continent: 1. 364 B-24s are sent to hit the Rothensee synthetic oil plant at Magdeburg (61) and the oil plant at Ruhland (67); secondary targets hit are the marshalling yard at Dresden (138) and a tank factory at Magdeburg (61); 5 others hit a target of opportunity; targets are bombed visually and using H2X radar; 2 B-24s are lost and 8 damaged beyond repair; 3 airmen are KIA, 20 WIA and 22 MIA. Escorting are 368 of 392 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 7 damaged beyond repair. 2. 263 B-17s dispatched hit secondary targets, the marshalling yard at Dessau (146) and 2 aircraft engine plants at Bitterfeld (96); 4 others hit targets of opportunity; all attacks are made using H2X radar; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair; 1airman is KIA and 3 WIA. The escort is 194 of 203 P-51s. 3. 68 P-47s and P-51s fly a sweep. 4. 19 of 20 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 5. 5 of 7 P-51s escort a Spitfire on a photo reconnaissance mission on Berlin and Misburg.

Mission 797: 1 B-24 drop leaflets on Belgium during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 311A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s hit road and rail bridges, communications centers, motor transport repair center, and other targets in Germany; fighters escort 9th Bombardment Division and 8AF bombers, fly armed reconnaissance and defensive patrols, and support US First Army elements along the battleline NE of Houffalize, Belgium, and the III Corps along the battleline SE of Houffalize.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather restricts operations to reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort missions by 30 P-38s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 15/16 Jan, A-20s exploit a break in the bad weather and blast motor transport around Genoa and NE of Milan; during the day bad weather returns, grounding the medium bombers and limiting fighter-bombers to 16 completed sorties against communications in the Po Valley and NE Italy; the 23Photographic RS, 3PRG, moves from Malignano to Peretola Airfield, Florence with F-5s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 10 B-24s from Guam Island bomb an airfield on Iwo Jima Island; 12 P-38s from Saipan Island assigned to high cover for the B-24 strike fail to make contact with the formation due to bad weather; 3 of the fighters strafe beached vessels. 3 B-24s fly snooper strikes against Iwo Jima airfields during the night of 16/17 Jan.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 32 of 44 B-29s of the 313BW (VH), fly a shakedown

Mission against the airfield on Pagan Island, Mariana Islands. Units arriving at North Field, Guam Island from the US: HQ 316BW(VH),; HQ 19BG(VH),: and the 28th, 30th and 93BSs(VH), with B-29s (first Mission 12 Feb 45).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In the day's principal strikes B-24s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers pound Japanese concentrations, trains, trucks, and targets of opportunity on Luzon Island. Other B-24s hit airfields in N Borneo and on Halmahera Island. B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers on small raids, armed reconnaissance, and harassing strikes hit airfields on Negros Island and airfields, communications targets, trains, trucks, and other targets of opportunity throughout Luzon. HQ 86FW moves from Sansapor, New Guinea to Luzon. The 26th Photographic RS, 6(Photo)RG, moves from Biak Island to Lingayen, Luzon with F-5s. The 70FS, 18th FG, ceases operating from Morotai Island with P-38s and begins a movement to Luzon. The 547NPS, 86FW (attached to 308BW) moves from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Lingayen, Luzon with P-38s and P-61s.

WEDNESDAY, 17 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 12 B-25s bomb the town area, river shipping, and trucks at Ishan and 3 B-25s and 8 P-40s pound sampans and storage areas W of Hengshan while 2 B-25s hit an oil dump and other targets of opportunity in the Hsiang River Valley and another blasts a troop compound at Chaling. 4 B-25s damage a bridge at Phu Lang Thuong, French Indochina. 180+ P-40s, P-51s, and P-38s hit a large number of targets of opportunity from the Burma border to Shanghai, China, concentrating on the Wanling, Burma area and airfields in the Shanghai, Wuchou, and Wuchang, China areas.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 29: 77 of 92 B-29s from Chengtu, China bomb the airfield at Shinchiku, Formosa; 8 other hit alternates and targets of opportunity in SE China; 1 B-29 is lost.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 4 B-25s demolish 2 bypass bridges at Ho-hko; 8 pound the village of Mansam; 20 P-47s support ground forces along the Irrawaddy River, hitting targets at Konkha, Onbaing, and Wabyudaung; troop concentrations and supplies are bombed by 75 fighterbombers at Nawngchio, No-na, Man Hpa-yaw, Man Namket, Nanhu, Panghai, Mong Nge, and Ho-Pok. Transports fly 489 sorties to forward bases and frontline areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 798: 700 bombers and 362 fighters are dispatched to make visual attacks on oil refineries at Hamburg and Harburg and Gee-H and H2X attacks on rail targets; 9 bombers and 7 fighters are lost: 1. 158 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Rhenania (40) and Albrecht (34) oil refineries at Hamburg and the U-boat base at Hamburg (73); 1other hits a target of opportunity; 4 B-17s are lost and 88 damaged; 1airman is KIA and 39 MIA. Escorting are 61 P-47s and P-51s; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair. 2. 78 of 84 B-24s hit the Rhenania oil refinery at Harburg; 1other hits Borkum Airfield as a target of opportunity; 4 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 57 damaged; 7 airmen are WIA and 44 MIA. Escort is provided by 46 of 55 P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 3. 458 B-17s are sent to hit the Paderborn marshalling yard (397) and the Schildesche rail viaduct at Bielefeld (37); 4 others hit a target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 6 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. The escort is 108 of 118 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 80 of 87 P-51s fly a fighter sweep against a rail target without loss. 5. 25 of 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Weather cancels all bomber operations and limits the fighters; the XIX Tactical Air Command flies a night patrol while the IX Tactical Air Command flies a leaflet

Mission and patrols the XIX Corps area around the Hurtgen Forest, Germany.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Continued bad weather cancels all operations.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers, taking advantage of improved weather conditions, attack 6 rail targets on the Brenner rail line, blocking the line at Calliano, cutting tracks at Ora, and destroying a section of the bridge at Sacile; in NE Italy fighters and fighter-bombers concentrate their large effort on rail lines and bridges, destroying 4 and damaging another, cutting tracks at numerous points, and blasting vehicles and trains; HQ 3PRG and the 5(Photo)RS move from Rosia and Malignano respectively to Florence/Peretola with A-20s, B-25s and F-5s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 14 B-24s from Saipan Island pound airfields on Iwo Jima Island; 3 from Guam Island, on armed reconnaissance flight, bomb Marcus Island in the N Pacific; 2 B-24s, from Guam and Saipan, fly individual harassment strikes against Iwo Jima during the night of 17/18 Jan.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): HQ 29BG(VH), and the 6th, 43and 52BSs(VH), arrive at North Field, Guam Island from the US with B-29s (first Mission is 16 Feb).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In principal strikes of the day on Luzon Island, B-24s bomb railroad yards at Legaspi while B-25s hit roads and railways E of Manila, destroying many railroad cars and troop-laden trucks. Other B-24s pound the Daliao area on Mindanao Island and Talisay Airfield on Negros Island. B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers continue to fly small strikes and armed reconnaissance against bridges, shipping, port areas, airfields, trucks, and other targets of opportunity throughout Luzon and in the C Philippine Islands. The air echelon of the 82d TRS, 71Tactical RG, moves from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Lingayen, Luzon with F-6s and P-40s (ground echelon is enroute from Morotai Island to Lingayen).

THURSDAY, 18 JANUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-24s fly an unsuccessful reconnaissance mission to Kurabu Airfield on Paramushiru Island; one of the B-24s forcelands in the USSR on the return trip.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 29 B-24s bomb and 25 P-40s pound shipping and railroad targets at Hong Kong; 7 B-25s bomb Ishan and Chinchengchiang, 4 B-25s and 12 P-40s hit shipping in the Puchi area, 4 B-25s bomb the town of Wanting, and 2 hit troop compounds at Chaling. 11 B-25s and 12 fighter-bombers attack Phu Lang Thuong, French Indochina. About 140 P-51s, P-40s, and P-38s on armed reconnaissance over S China from the Burma boundary to Hong Kong attack a huge variety of targets of opportunity.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 23 P-47s and P-38s hit Anisakan and Hsumhsai Airfields; 12 B-25s bomb the airfield at Nawnghkio; 20+ P-47s support ground forces at Si-U and near Yenya-u and Mahlainggon; troops, supplies, and general targets of opportunity are attacked at Antawsai, Mong Nak, Namhpakka, Mong Yok, Loi-pyek, Kyawnghkam, Pangnok, and in the Namtu vicinity. 529 transport sorties are flown to forward areas. In India, the detachment of the 6FS (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, operating from Cox's Bazar, India with P-47s returns to base at Asansol.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 799: Bad weather limits operations; 114 of 114 B-17s attack the marshalling yard at Kaiserslautern without loss; most are diverted to bases on the Continent after the raid because of heavy clouds; escort is provided by 105 of 113 P-51s with the loss of 3 aircraft and pilots. 6 of 6 B-17s fly a screening Mission and 4 of 4 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ IX Tactical Air Command returns to operational control of the 9AF (from the RAF Second Tactical AF) as the US First Army returns from the Twenty First Army Group to the Twelfth Army Group. In Belgium, HQ IX Tactical Air Command (Rear) returns to Verviers from Charleroi. Weather prevents all 9AF operations except for alert flights by 11 fighters of the IX and XXIX Tactical Air Commands. The 153d Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), moves from Rutten to Spa, Belgium with L-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Weather prevents bombing operations; P-38s and P-51s fly photo reconnaissance and escort missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 17/18 Jan, A-20s attack Po River crossings, lights and movement throughout the Po Valley; during the day medium bombers pound targets on the Brenner line, including a temporary bridge between San Michele all'Adige and Ora, and an overhanging cliff over the railroad at San Ambrogio di Valpolicella; fighters and fighter-bombers blast communications lines in NE Italy and fuel and supply dumps in the Piacenza area, destroying numerous railroad tracks, trains, and vehicles, and causing explosions or fires in most of the dumps.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 19 Saipan Island-based B-24s bomb targets on Chichi Jima and Haha Jima Islands, damaging the naval base and the town of Okimura on Chichi Jima. 10 B-24s from Guam Island pound an airfield on Iwo Jima Island. During the night of 18/19 Jan, 3 B-24s continue snooper strikes against Iwo Jima airfields. In Hawaii, HQ VII Fighter Command moves from Hickam Field to Ft Kamehameha.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-25s blast the Cotabato area on Mindanao Island. B-24s bomb targets in the Miti area of Halmahera Island, and on Luzon Island, B-25s hit troop concentrations at Bamban, A-20s hit warehouses and highway traffic N of Bataan, and P-38s strafe parked aircraft at Tuguegarao and vehicles at Enrile and Butigui and Calarian on Mindanao. A variety of FEAF aircraft fly small-scale raids and armed reconnaissance missions against road and rail targets, bridges, airfields, and numerous targets of opportunity throughout the Philippine Islands. The 66TCS, 433TCG, based on Biak Island, begins operating from Hill Field, Mindoro Island and Dulag, Leyte Island with C-46s and C-47s. The 67TCS, 433d TCG, moves from Biak to Tinauan, Leyte with C-46s and C-47s.

FRIDAY, 19 JANUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-24 flies a radar ferret

Mission over Shimushu and Onnekotan Islands in the Kurile Islands; 2 other B-24s hit Matsuwa and Onnekotan Islands.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 4 B-25s bomb Monguy, Burma and vicinity, 5 bomb Ishan, China, and in French Indochina, 8 hit shipping and rail targets at Song Cau, and 4 hit shipping, railroad targets, and a bridge at Do Len. About 115 P-51s, P-40s, and P-38s on armed reconnaissance over S China and N French Indochina attack a great variety of targets of opportunity covering especially in the Wanting, China area.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 9 B-25s bomb troops and stores at Na-mon and near Hsenwi; 28 fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Si-U and Namhkam battle sectors and along the Irrawaddy River near Yenya-u, Kyaukpyu, and Myitson; 4 others bomb a causeway in the lake at Mogok; troops, supplies, and artillery are hit by 80+ fighter-bombers at Tonghsim, Konghsa, Mankang, Mong Pa, Pangkawlong, Saihkao, Man Hio, Man Mao, and other locations in N Burma. Transports complete 500+ sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 800: 2 B-17s and 9 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Bad weather cancels bomber operations; fighters fly patrols and armed reconnaissance; the XIX Tactical Air Command also supports elements of the US III and VIII Corps NE of Houffalize, Belgium and around Clervaux, Luxembourg, and the 5th Infantry Division around Bettendorf, Germany.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Yugoslavia, 400+ B-17s and B-24s attack N and S marshalling yards, a railroad bridge, and a highway bridge at Brod; because of overcast, only 1 of 112 bombers sent against the Zagreb marshalling yard bombs the target while others abort; 46 P-38s bomb the S railroad bridge at Doboj and 59 P-51s sweep from Zagreb to Gyor, Hungary. Other P-38s fly reconnaissance missions and reconnaissance escort and cover Mediterranean Allied Tactical AF (MATAF) B-25s on a supply run.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 18/19 Jan, A-20s bomb motor transport movements, lights, roads, and railroads throughout the Po Valley; weather cancels medium bomber operations and prevents fighter-bombers from completing the XXII Tactical Air Command's only

Mission airborne during the day.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 7 B-24s from Saipan Island bomb harbor installations at Chichi Jima Island; 9 from Guam Island hit airfields on Iwo Jima Island; 7 B-24s escort photo planes over the Bonin and Kazan Islands and 1bombs Iwo Jima; during the night, 3 B-24s on individual snooper strikes from the Mariana Islands bomb Iwo Jima.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 20: 80 B-29s are dispatched to hit the Kawasaki aircraft plant at Akashi, Japan; 62 hit the primary target and 9 others bomb alternates and targets of opportunity; they claim 4-4-8 Japanese aircraft.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In principal missions of the day, B-24s and B-25s bomb La Carlota and Bacolod Airfields on Negros Island. On Luzon Island, A-20s attack shipping at Salomague and Callaguip and B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers attack throughout Luzon, hitting airfields, vehicles, storage areas, highways, and a variety of other targets. HQ 433TCG moves from Biak Island to Tanauan, Leyte Island. The 70FS, 18FG, arrives at Lingayen, Luzon from Sansapor, New Guinea with P-38s.

SATURDAY, 20 JANUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 4 B-24s bomb the Kataoka area on Shimushu Island, Kurile Islands.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 4 B-25s hit a bridge and railroad cars near Hanoi, French Indochina. In China, 3 B-25s attack targets of opportunity W of Hengshan, 2 hit a troop compound and other targets at Chaling and Anjen, and 1damages a small freighter in the E China Sea; 32 P-51s pound airfields in the Shanghai area, claiming 22 aircraft destroyed; 200+ P-40s, P-51s, and P-38s on armed reconnaissance over vast S China and N French Indochina areas attack bridges, town areas, rail, road and river traffic, and other targets of opportunity at numerous points. The detachment of the 22BS(H), 341BG(M), operating from Yunnani, China with B-25s, returns to base at Yangkai.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Brigadier General Roger M Ramey officially becomes Commanding General XX BC.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 16 fighter-bombers support ground forces along the Irrawaddy River near Mabein, Shadaw, and Myitson; 8 others hit an ammunition dump at Namhkai and a supply dump at Kutkai; also hit are troop concentrations, supply areas and targets of opportunity at Kyaunghkam, Panghung, Kawnglom, Namhsan, Loi-kang, and in the Hsenwi area. 482 transport sorties are flown to advanced bases and battle sectors. HQ 80th FG moves from Tingkawk Sakan to Myitkyina, Burma. In India, the 127th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda with UC-64s and L-5s, sends a detachment to operate from Cox's Bazar (first mission is today).

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 801: 772 bombers and 455 fighters are dispatched to hit synthetic oil plants at Sterkrade and rail targets and bridges in W Germany using H2X radar; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 bombers and 3 fighters are lost: 1. 36 of 309 B-17s hit the Holten oil plant at Sterkrade; 225 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Rheine; 1 B-17 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 68 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA, 33 WIA and 61 MIA. Escorting are 189 of 199 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 2. 187 of 223 B-17s hit the Heilbronn marshalling yard; 8 hit the secondary, the Pforzheim marshalling yard and 2 hit a target of opportunity; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 18 damaged. Escort is provided by 39 of 48 P-51s without loss. 3. 170 of 230 B-17s hit the Mannheim marshalling yard and rail bridge; targets of opportunity are Stuttgart (24), Mannheim (21) and other (1); 1 B-17 is lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 29 damaged. The escort is 130 of 137 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 36 of 39 P-51s fly a fighter sweep in the Frankfurt area; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 5. 16 of 16 P-51s fly a sweep in the St Vith/Duren area without loss. 6. 16 of 16 P-51s fly a scouting Mission without loss.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Bomber operations are cancelled due to weather; fighters fly armed reconnaissance, alerts, and night patrol; the IX Tactical Air Command also supports the 7th Armored Division on the Dutch- German boundary.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): The tactical organization of the 15AF becomes fully developed when a supply-dropping group, the 15th Special Group (Provisional), organized on 18 Jan, is given control of the 859th (B-24) and 885th (B-17) BS(H) which drop supplies in France, Italy, and Yugoslavia. [In Mar, the 15th Group will be redesignated the the 2641Special Group (Provisional) and with its units attached to the Twelfth AF for operational control, the Fifteenth retaining administrative control]. 345 B-17s and B-24s attack N and S main marshalling yards and station sidings at Linz, Austria, marshalling yards at Salzburg, Austria and Rosenheim, Germany, and oil storage at Regensburg, Germany; fighters escort the bombers and fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers destroy 1 and damage another bridge near San Michele all'Adige, and score good coverage on the Trento marshalling yard; the XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers very successfully blast communications and fuel and ammunition dumps in the Po Valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb airfields on Iwo Jima Island; 5 from Saipan Island hit the town of Okimura on Chichi Jima Island; during the night of 20/21Jan, 10 B-24s from Guam fly separate snooper strikes against Iwo Jima airfields. The 163Liaison Squadron, AAFPOA (attached to Tenth Army) arrives at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii from the US with L-5s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Major General Curtis Emerson LeMay takes command of the XXI BC.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s pound Fabrica Airfield on Negros Island and bomb underground storage area at Bamban on Luzon Island. On Luzon, A-20s and B-25s hit railroads and trains near the Bicol River and between Calauag and Legaspi; other A-20s and fighter-bombers hit Aparri-Laoag and Tubang Airfields, hit artillery positions W of Bong Bong and destroy railroad bridge at Aloneros. HQ 35FG moves from Morotai Island to Mangaldan, Luzon. The 2BS(H), 22d BG(H), moves from Angaur Island to Samar Island with B-24s. The 82 and 110TRSs, 71Tactical RG, arrive at Lingayen, Luzon from Morotai Island and Dulag, Leyte Island respectively with F-6s and P-40s (82d) and P-40s (110th).

SUNDAY, 21 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 30 B-24s pound the Hong Kong area; 12 P-51s hit Nanking Airfield (claiming 11enemy aircraft destroyed) and targets of opportunity along the Yangtze River to Hankow; 30 P-51s and P-40s on armed reconnaissance hit targets of opportunity at several locations; 12 of the fighter-bombers concentrate on the Wanting area.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 10 B-25s bomb Heho Airfield; 12 P-38s bomb the bridge area at Nampawng; 26 P-47s support ground forces near Twinnge, Mahlainggon, and Konkha along the Irrawaddy River, and in the Si-U sector; 50+ P-38s and P-47s hit troop concentrations, supplies, and targets of opportunity at Me-han, Mogok, Hsenwi, Na-makhkaw, Kutkai, Kunhkan, and Man On. Nearly 500 transports sorties are flown to forward areas. Units moving to Myitkyina, Burma: 90FS, 80th Fighter Group, from Tingkawk, Burma with P-47s; 115th Liaison Squadron, 10AF [attached to 1Liaison Group (Provisional)], from Ledo, India with L-1s and L-5s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 803: 912 bombers and 523 fighters are dispatched to hit industrial and rail targets in C Germany using PFF methods with some visual bombing; they claim 8-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 bombers are lost: 1. 379 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yard (257) and oil plant (66): at Aschaffenburg; targets of opportunity are the Pforzheim marshalling yard (24) and military vehicle plant at Mannheim (3); Gee-H and H2X are used; 2 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 4 damaged; 18 airmen are KIA and 2 MIA. Escorting are 112 of 139 P-51s. 2. 382 B-17s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard (254), Lanz military vehicle factory (21) and highway and rail bridges (16) at Mannheim; targets of opportunity are the Pforzheim marshalling yard (16), Speyer (4) and other (3); bombing is by Micro H and H2X; 6 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 53 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 12 WIA and 55 MIA. The escort is 138 of 150 P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft on the ground. 3. 152 B-24s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Heilbronn (68) using H2X; targets of opportunity bombed visually are the marshalling yard at Pforzheim (11), the communications centers at Arnbach (14) and Mannheim (1): and Reutlingen (1); 4 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. Escort is provided by 120 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 6-0-1 aircraft on the ground. 4. 26 of 26 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 5. 6 of 7 P-51s fly an armed photographic Mission over Politz. 6. 22 of 23 P-51s escort 4 F-5s on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.

Mission 804: 2 B-17s and 9 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during the night without loss.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 166 A-26s, A-20s, and B-26s hit a rail junction and bridge at Euskirchen and marshalling yard and defended positions at Mayen; fighters fly armed reconnaissance, escort bombers, bomb bridges, and support the US 7th Armored Division.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 170 B-17s bomb the Lobau and Schweehat oil refineries at Vienna, Austria; 131 P-51 s and P-38s provide support. 43 P-38s bomb an oil refinery at Fiume, Italy. Other fighters escort reconnaissance missions and accompany supply-dropping operations to Yugoslavia.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, weather restricts operations during the night of 21/22 Jan to armed reconnaissance by 5 A-20s; the A-20s bomb communications targets in the Po Valley. During the day B-25s hit bridges at Rovereto and Lavis, destroy a bridge at Pontetidone, and blast a railroad fill at San Michele all' Adige, and supply dump at Cremona; fighters and fighter-bombers concentrate on communications in the same area as the medium bombers, destroying 1bridge, inflicting 36 rail cuts, hitting fuel and ammunition dumps, and destroying and damaging many vehicles and much railroad rolling stock, mostly in Milan area.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb airfields on Iwo Jima Island; during the night of 21/22 Jan, 8 more, flying separate snooper strikes from Saipan Island, pound the airfields.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 21: 30 of 33 B-29s, flying out of the Mariana Islands, bomb Moen Airfield in Truk Atoll.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s bomb Marikina Airfield and hit barracks and coastal defense guns at Calabasan. B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers fly sweeps, small strikes, and armed reconnaissance attacks on airfields, road networks, bridges, gun positions, numerous vehicles, and other targets of opportunity throughout C and S Luzon. HQ 22BG(H) and the 33BS(H) move from Angaur Island to Samar Island with B-24s.

MONDAY, 22 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 16 P-40s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance attack various targets in the Wanting area and in SW China; 10 P-51s bomb buildings at the Kunlong ferry; 14 P-51s and P-40s hit the Sintsiang railroad yards and destroy several locomotives and trucks E of Tsinan and Suchow; the flights of the 21 and 35th Photographic RSs and 118TRS, 14AF, operating from Suichwan with F-4s, F-5s, P-40s and P-51s, return to base at Kunming and Chengkung.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 46 P-47s support ground forces near Si-U, Namhkam, and along the Irrawaddy River near Twinnge, Bahe, the Nam Mit River, Myitson, and Banwe; 12 others hit targets of opportunity along roads near Kutkai, Hsenwi, Lashio, and Namtu; troop concentrations, fuel and ammunition dumps, vehicles, and general supplies are pounded at Kin, Padan, Man Lom, Namtu, Hkamtung, Kabaing, Nammaw-hpek, Panglaw, and Na-hsang. Transports fly 449 sorties to advanced bases and frontline areas. In Burma, the 5th Liaison Squadron, 10AF [attached to 1Liaison Group (Provisional)], moves from Mytikyina to Bhamo with L-1s and L-5s; the 165th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Ye-U to Shwebo with UC-64s and L-5s. The 317TCS (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda, India with C-47s, sends a detachment to operate from Bikram, India.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 805: 206 B-17s and 258 fighters are dispatched to make visual attacks on the Holten synthetic oil plant at Sterkrade (167); 1 hits the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Rheine; targets of opportunity are Dinslaken (12), Osnabruck (5), Heiden (8) and other (4); 5 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 144 damaged; 13 airmen are WIA and 45 MIA. Escort is provided by 85 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 3-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground. Other fighter missions are: 1. 128 of 136 P-51s fly a sweep in the St Vith, Belgium-Karlsruhe- Darmstadt and Kobenz, Germany areas, some as escort for 9AF bombers; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 2. 10 of 11 P-51 s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 806: 1 B-17 and 8 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and France.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 304 B-26s, A-26s, and A-20s bomb a marshalling yard, railhead, and road and rail bridges in Germany with the aim of obstructing troop movement; fighters escort the 9th Bombardment Division, fly armed reconnaissance and sweeps and airfield cover, and support the US 7th Armored Division near Montfort, the Netherlands; the III, VIII, and XII Corps from S of Saint-Vith, Belgium along the battlefront to NW of Echternach, Luxembourg; and the 4th, 5th, 94th, and 95th Infantry Divisions from Echternach, Luxembourg S to just W of Saarlautern, Germany. In Belgium, HQ 70FW moves from Liege to Verviers. In France, the 514FS, 406FG, based at Mourmelon with P-47s, begins operating from Prosnes.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather limits operations to 1 P-38 weather reconnaissance flight.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, B-25s score damaging hits at Rovereto, San Michele all' Adige and on the Dogna bridge, and attack the Chiari and Crema bridges with fair results; fighter-bombers range over practically all of N Italy destroying and damaging a large number of vehicles and railway cars and several locomotives, also hitting fuel and ammunition dumps around Mantua. The air echelon of the 417NPS, Twelfth AF (attached to 422NFS) operating from Florennes, Belgium with Beaufighters, returns to base at La Vallon, France.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 20 B-24s from Guam Island blast airfields on Iwo Jima Island, while 8 more B-24s flying individual strikes from Guam pound the airfields again during the night of 22/23 Jan.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s, escorted by P-38s, bomb Heito Airfield in the first major 5AF strike on Formosa. On Luzon Island, other B-24s bomb barracks in the Cabaruan Hills and gun positions across Manila Bay and hit Fabrica Airfield. In smaller miscellaneous strikes, FEAF fighters and bombers over C and S Luzon hit enemy positions, small shipping, and highways at several points, and damage a bridge over the Magata River. HQ 5AF, HQ V BC and HQ V Fighter Command move from Leyte Island to Mindoro Island. The 20th Combat Mapping Squadron, 6(Photo)RG, based at Dulag, Leyte, begins operating from Biak Island with F-7s. The 39th Fighter Squadron, 35FG, moves from Morotai Island to Mangaldan, Luzon with P-47s. The air echelon of the 110TRS, 71Tactical RG, ceases operating from San Jose, Mindoro and moves to Lingayen, Luzon with P-40s.

TUESDAY, 23 JANUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 1 B-24 flies a reconnaissance sortie along Onnekotan Island-Matsuwa Island E coasts; 4 B-24s strike the Kakumabetsu cannery and targets on Paramushiru Island; 8 to 10 fighters intercept and the B-24s claim 2 victories; 1 B-24 is lost.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 40 P-51s and P-40s on armed reconnaissance attack targets of opportunity (mainly river, road, and rail traffic) at several locations in both S China and in the N China plain, including the Wanting, Suchow and Yuankiang areas, the lower Tungting Lake region, points between Kiaotow and Kweiyi, and points as far N as Peking.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 B-25s bomb airfields at Aungban and Hsumhsai; 34 P-47s support ground forces near Namhkam and along the Irrawaddy River in the the Twinnge and Bahe areas; 55 P-47s and P-38s hit troop concentrations, storage areas and vehicles at Kawngwang, Sati, Kyaukme, Wengnan, Hko-lawng, Lothke, and Panglaw. Transports fly 542 sorties, carrying men and supplies to advanced bases and drop supplies to troops in frontline areas. In Burma, the 88FS, 80FG, moves from Shingbwiyang to Myitkyina with P-47s. The detachment of the 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, operating from Arakan, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s, returns to base at Asansol, India.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 807: 209 B-17s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Neuss, Germany (169); 12 others hit the Neuss Bridge; the attacks are made using Gee-H and Micro H; 1 B-17 is lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 95 damaged; 5 airmen are KIA, 6 WIA and 10 MIA. Escort is provided by 74 of 79 P-51s; 1 is damaged beyond repair. Other operations are: 1. 68 of 75 P-51s fly a sweep over the Neuss area; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft without loss. 2. 16 of 17 P-51s fly a scouting Mission without loss.

Mission 808: 5 B-24s drop leaflet in the Netherlands during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, a small B-26 force hits troop concentrations, a road bridge, and military transport targets at Blankenheim, Dasburg, and Arzfeld. Fighters fly armed reconnaissance, alert flights, and patrols, and support the US III, VIII, and XII Corps and 4th, 94th, and 95th Infantry Divisions from S of Saint-Vith, Belgium, S and E along the battleline to just W of Saarlautern, Germany.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Continued bad weather cancels all operations.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 22/23 Jan, A-20s bomb lights, roads, and river crossings at over 50 locations in the Po Valley, hit several targets of opportunity, and attack Borgoforte and San Benedetto Po and airfields at Villafranca di Verona and Ghedi; weather cancels medium bomber operations during the day; fighter-bombers operate mainly against communications, principally railroad targets, in the Po Valley but also hit ammunition dumps, shipping, guns, vehicles, and other targets in N Italy scattered from Genoa to NE Italy.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 B-24s from Saipan Island bomb Iwo Jima Island airfields. 3 from Guam Island fly armed reconnaissance over Woleai Atoll, 2 of them bombing the main runway on the island. During the night of 23/24 Jan, 10 B-24s from Saipan strike Iwo Jima singly at about 45-minute intervals.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 22: 73 B-29s of the XXI Bomber Command are dispatched to bomb the Mitsubishi engine plant at Nagoya; 28 hit the primary and 27 hit the secondary target, the urban area of the city; 9 bomb other alternates and targets of opportunity; an estimated 600+ fighters offer heavy and aggressive opposition; the AAF claims 33-22-40 Japanese aircraft; 2 B-29s are lost.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): During the night of 22/23 Jan, B-24s again hit Formosa in force, bombing an aluminum factory at Takao. In the day's principal missions against Luzon Island, B-24s bomb Baguio and, along with A-20s, hit Corregidor Island in Manila Bay; other A-20s attack Aparri Airfield while fighter-bombers hit a bridge at Digdig, luggers S of Alcala, guns on Grande Island at the mouth of Subic Bay, a bridge over the Magata River, and the base at Camp John Hay. B-24s hit Silay Airfield on Negros Island.

WEDNESDAY, 24 JANUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 4 B-25s on a lowlevel attack on Torishima Island abort due to mechanical trouble; 4 more B-25s bomb buildings on Torishima; AA fire damages 2 B-25s. In the Aleutian Islands, 6 fighters take off after radar reports an unidentified target SE of Attu Island; they spot a balloon which they shoot down with tracers.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 12 P-51s on armed reconnaissance attack railroad targets N of Siangsiang, between Loyang and Kaifeng, and near Tungchen; 21locomotives are claimed destroyed.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 B-25s bomb Hsumhsai Airfield; 17 P-47s support ground forces at Padin near Namhkam, and along the Irrawaddy River in the Bahe area; 6 P-47s knock out the Inailong bypass bridge; troop concentrations and supply areas are attacked at Nawng-ang, Pangsan, Mansak, Konsan, Yaunggwin, Mangkung, Nawngngun, Mong Long, Mogok, Namhsan, and in the Mongmit area. Transports again fly 500+ sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 67 of 70 P-51s based in Belgium are dispatched in 4 flights to fly sweeps over Wahn Airfield-Dorweiler area and Karlsruhe-Koblenz area in Germany, claiming 3 fighters downed; 1 P-51 is lost.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 25 9th Bombardment Division bombers hit communications centers at Schleiden, Stadtkyll, and Pronsfeld, Germany; fighters fly armed reconnaissance, sweeps, airfield cover, and bomb 1bridge; the XIX Tactical Air Command supports US III, VIII, XII, and XX Corps elements along the battlefront at several points from SW of Saint-Vith, Belgium to the Saarlautern, Germany area. The 39th Photographic RS, 9AF, arrives at Valenciennes, France from the US with F-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Unfavorable weather limits operations to 1complete weather reconnaissance mission.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, cloud conditions and ground fog at bases nearly halt operations; 1medium bomber flies weather reconnaissance over the Venice area and P-47s fly weather reconnaissance over the Bologna-Parma area; 2 of the P-47s destroy a truck and damage a train near Parma.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 33 B-24s, from Guam and Saipan Islands, pound Iwo Jima Island during 4 raids; 6 others act as airborne spotters for a naval bombardment of Iwo; during 5 hours on the night of 24/25 Jan, 10 B-24s maintain harassment strikes against the island's airfields. The 78th Fighter Squadron, 15FG, departs Bellows Field, Hawaii for Iwo Jima with P-51s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 23: 20 of 28 B-29s dispatched hit 2 airfields on Iwo Jima Island without loss.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s pound Corregidor Island, Cavite, the Canacao peninsula seaplane base, and Grande Island at the mouth of Subic Bay. FEAF fighters and bombers on sweeps, armed reconnaissance, and light raids attack a variety of targets all over Luzon including small shipping, airfields, defensive positions, storage and town areas, roads, and vehicles. During the night of 24/25 Jan, B-24s on a snooper mission again hit Takao Airfield on Formosa. The 65th TCS, 433TCG, based on Biak Island begins operating from Hill Field, Mindoro Island with C-46s and C-47s.

THURSDAY, 25 JANUARY 1945

ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 30FS, XXVI Fighter Command, moves from Aguadulce, Panama to Howard Field, Canal Zone with P-39s and P-40s.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 21 P-51 s hit rail targets and airfields in the Peking area, claiming 4 locomotives and 40 aircraft destroyed; 16 P-40s and P-51s attack railroad targets around Kaifeng, Shihkiachwang, Pengpu, and Chingmen; 42 locomotives are claimed destroyed.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 24 P-47s support ground forces in the Namhkam area, near Molo, and near Myitson; 12 B-25s pound the Heho airfield; 80+ fighter-bombers attack troops, supplies, and targets of opportunity at Hsenwi, Loi-weng, Ho hpong, Loi Nan, Ting-yet, Mong Tat, Ho-mong, Mong Long, Pangkwai, and in the Kutkai area. Transports fly 581 sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 111 of 121 P-51 s based in Belgium fly a sweep over wide areas of SW Germany, claiming 2 Luftwaffe fighters NE of Mannheim and E of Kirrlach; 1 P-51 is lost.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 170 A-20s and B-26s hit communications centers and railroad bridges, overpasses, and lines in W Germany with the aim of harassing and obstructing troop movement; fighters of the 3 Tactical Air Commands fly armed reconnaissance, alerts and night patrols, escort bombers, and attack numerous ground targets; the XIX Tactical Air Command supports the US 5th Infantry Division in the Echternach, Luxembourg area.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Weather curtails operations; P-38s, with P-51escort, fly photo and weather reconnaissance missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 24/25 Jan, A-20s make several intruder attacks on roads, motor transport, bridges, and trains; bad weather during the day greatly curtails flying; the only medium bomber mission dispatched achieves poor results on the Cremona ammunition dump; fighter-bombers and fighters of the XXII Tactical Air Command hit communications and dump areas, mainly in the Milan area, with good general success.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 14 Saipan Island-based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima Island in the afternoon; during the night of 25/26 Jan, 10 more, flying individual harassment strikes at intervals, pound the island.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s, operating in force, again pound Corregidor Island in Manila Bay, Luzon Island; B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers on sweeps, armed reconnaissance, and smallscale strikes hit vehicles, enemy positions, airfields, ammunition and supply dumps, barges, communications, and targets of opportunity in general, over wide areas of Luzon and Palawan Islands, and in the C Philippine Islands. During the night of 25/26 Jan, B-24s fly a harassing raid on Takao, Formosa. The 20th Combat Mapping Squadron, 6(Photo)RG, based at Dulag, Leyte Island, begins operating from Tacloban, Leyte with F-7s; the 387BS(L), 312BG(L) moves from Tanauan, Leyte to San Jose, Mindoro Island with A-20s.

FRIDAY, 26 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 15 P-51s and P-40s hit Chenghsien Airfield and locomotives, tracks, and motor transport at Nanking and Sinsiang.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 2 missions are flown during the night of 25/26 Jan.

Mission 30: In French Indochina, 25 of 26 B-29s mine Saigon, Camranh Bay and Phan Rang Bay without loss.

Mission 31: 41 of 50 B-29s mine the 6 approaches to Singapore harbor and Penang harbor in the Malayan States and the Pakchan River and Koh Si Chang Channel in Thailand.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 8 fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Namhkam area; 140+ fighter-bombers hit troops, supplies, guns, railroad targets, and targets of opportunity at Tangtong, Panghai, Man Pwe, Kyaunghkam, Mong Pa, Na-lang, Hsenwi, Molo, Mong Tat, Humon, Tonghkan, Pangnim, Konghsa, Namtu, Namhsan, and in the Nampok area. Transports fly 500+ sorties to advanced bases and frontline areas. The detachment of the 493d BS(H), 7BG(H), operating from Luliang, China, transporting gasoline to Suichwan, China with B-24s, returns to base at Pandaveswar, India.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 31 of 32 P-51s based in Belgium, fly an uneventful fighter sweeps over the Heilbronn, Aschaffenburg, Giessen, and Trier, Germany areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 27 B-26s bomb the Euskirchen rail bridge to interdict rail traffic SW from Euskirchen, much of which comes from Cologne and Bonn. The 3 Tactical Air Commands fly armed reconnaissance, alert flights, and patrols; the XIX Tactical Air Command supports US Third Army elements from S of Saint-Vith, Belgium to W of Saarlautern, Germany.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Weather prevents bombing operations. P-38s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance-escort missions and escort RAF supply drop over Yugoslavia.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 25/26 Jan, A-20s fly armed reconnaissance of the Po Valley, bombing Po River crossings, Ghedi Airfield, and general movement throughout the area; both the 57BW and the XXII Tactical Air Command cancel all operations for the day because of bad weather.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 17 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima Island airfields; during then night of 26/27 Jan, the airfields are hit by 9 B-24s on individual harassment missions.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s hit coastal guns on Corregidor Island and in Balete Pass; B-25s bomb the Cabcaben Airfield area and coastal guns on Carabao Island and A-20s attack Grande Island coastal defenses at the mouth of Subic Bay. On Mindanao Island, B-25s bomb Likanan and Sasa and P-38s strafe the same targets and also hit Padada. A-20s and fighter-bombers, along with a few B-24s, continue armed reconnaissance and miscellaneous attacks against airfields, communications, vehicles, coastal guns, town areas, and other targets throughout Luzon and in the C Philippine Islands. HQ 3Air Commando Group, the 3and 4FSs (Commando) and the 318th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando) move from Leyte Island to Mangaldan, Luzon with P-51s and C-47s. HQ 90BG(H) and the 321 and 400BS(H) move from Biak Island to San Jose, Mindoro Island with B-24s. The 69TCS, 433TCG, moves from Biak to Tanauan, Leyte with C-47s. The 386BS(L), 312BG(L), moves from Tanauan, Leyte to San Jose, Mindoro with A-20s.

SATURDAY, 27 JANUARY 1945

ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 29BS(H), VI BC, moves from Howard Field, Canal Zone to Rio Hato, Panama with B-24s.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 22 P-40s and P-51s attack locomotives, trucks, and shipping at Sinsiang, Kihsien, and Nanking, from Taiyuan to Puchou, and E of Yiyang.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): By this date the complete forward detachments of the 4 B-29 groups in the Chengtu, China area have evacuated their bases and moved to more permanent bases in India; this move complies with the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) directive formulated on 15 Dec 44 and received on 18 Dec; the long-existing understanding that the XX BC might be moved from the CBI Theater when more convenient bases are available is thus put into its initial stage when the XX BC's Commanding General, Major General Curtis Emerson LeMay, and the JCS agree that on logistical grounds XX BC's operating scheme is basically unsound, a situation made more apparent when in Nov the Japanese had overrun Luchou and Yungning and threatened Kunming, China; this development necessitated air tonnage flown over the Hump being diverted to Chinese ground forces and the 14AF, resulting in curtailed supplies to XX BC and providing the catalyst for beginning a movement of the command from China.

Mission 32: 22 of 25 XX BC B-29s based in India hit the navy yard and arsenal at Saigon, French Indochina and 1bombs a bridge at Bangkok, Thailand without loss; the results are poor.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 30+ fighter-bombers support ground forces at Mansak, Molo Ywama, the area S of Molo, and the area S of Banwe; 8 others knock out a bypass bridge at Bawgyo; about 100 fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations, supplies, and targets of opportunity at or near Man Kyan, Kuinkuiloi, Ho-hkun, Pongkalau, Hsenwi, Kutkai, Hsa-tong, Pinghoi, Ho-mong, Padon, and Kyaung-hen. Transports fly 527 sorties to advanced bases and over forward areas, landing men and landing and dropping supplies.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 352FG and the 486th and 487FSs move from Bodney, England to Chievres, Belgium with P-51s.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Weather grounds the 9th BombardmentDivision and the XIX Tactical Air Command; the IX and XXIX Tactical Air Commands fly armed reconnaissance over the battle area and parts of W Germany, along with alert flights and a leaflet mission. In Belgium, HQ 370th FG and the 401, 402 and 485FSs move from Juzaine Airfield, Florennes to Zwartberg with P-38s. The 388th Fighter Squadron, 365FG, moves from Metz, France to Juzaine Airfield, Florennes, Belgium.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): For the sixth consecutive day bad weather restricts operations to reconnaissance and escort missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, bad weather during the morning causes all medium bombers to abort except for an attack on a bridge at Bressana Bottarone; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers continue the interdiction of communications with good results against motor transport, trains, rail lines, bridges, and storage dumps; P-47s of the 57th FG destroy an oil plant near Fornovo di Taro. The 414th Night FS, 62FW, based at Pontedera, Italy sends a detachment to operate from Florennes, Belgium with Beaufighters attached to the 422NFS.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 19 B-24s, based on Saipan Island, bomb Iwo Jima Island; 10 B-24s from Saipan and Guam Island follow up with individual harassment raids against the island during the night of 27/28 Jan. In the Palau Islands, Caroline Islands, 1 B-24 from Angaur Island bombs Arakabesan Island.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 24: 76 B-29s of the 73Bombardment Wing(VH), are dispatched from the Mariana Islands against the Musashiho and Nakajima aircraft plants near Tokyo; clouds and high winds over the target area prevent bombing of the primary; 56 B-29s bomb the secondary target, the Tokyo urban area, and 6 others attack alternates and targets of opportunity; fighter opposition is the heaviest to date and 5 B-29s are downed; 4 others ditch or crashland; B-29 gunners claim 60-17-39 Japanese aircraft, the highest claim to date.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s pound the Canacao seaplane base, Cavite, and Grande Island at the mouth of Subic Bay while B-25s hit Cabcaben and the airfield at Calingatan. Other FEAF aircraft continue small-scale strikes against numerous other airfields, town areas, gun emplacements, harbors, and communications and transportation targets throughout Luzon. The 19BS(H), 22d BG(H), moves from Angaur Island to Samar Island with B-24s. Units moving to San Jose, Mindoro Island: 320BS(H), 90BG(H), from Biak Island with B-24s and 388th and 389BS(L), 312BGLight), from Tanauan, Leyte Island with A-20s.

SUNDAY, 28 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 23 P-40s and P-51s attack railway and river traffic at Wuhu, Sinyang, and Linfen, in the Sinsiang- Hantan area, between Loyang and Sinyang, and along the Pinghan (Hankow- Peking) railroad.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 40 fighter-bombers support ground forces SE of Banwe, E of Molo, S of Molo Ywama, and near Namhkam; 80 fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations, supply areas, and enemy movement and active areas at or near Namsangsok, Namlan, Pangmakmo, Wengnan, Kutkai, and Mu-lwat. Again 500+ sorties are flown to forward areas by transports. The first convoy from Ledo, India crosses the Chinese border heading for Kunming, China.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 809: With the prospect of improved weather over Germany, 1,006 bombers and 249 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards, bridges and benzol plants at Dortmund; 10 bombers are lost: 1. 225 B-24s are sent to hit oil targets at Kaiserstuhl (115) and Gneisenau (58); targets of opportunity are Lippstadt (9), Neheim (5) and other (11); bombing is by Gee-H; 7 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 97 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 7 WIA and 71 MIA. Escorting are 68 of 77 P-51s. 2. 421 B-17s are sent to hit the Gremberg marshalling yard at Cologne (273): and the Hohenzollern Bridge at Cologne (69); secondary targets are Gutersloh (31) and Bielefeld (7); 3 others hit a target of opportunity; Gee-H and H2X radar are used to bomb; 3 B-17s are lost and 172 damaged; 4 airmen are WIA and 35 MIA. The escort is 69 of 76 P-51s. 3. 360 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Hohenbudberg marshalling yard (169): and Rheinhausen Bridge at Duisburg (80); 10 hit the secondary, the highway bridge at Duisburg; targets of opportunity are Friemersheim (13) and other (2); some targets are hit visually while others are hit using Micro H; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 195 damaged; 14 airmen are KIA and 20 WIA. 35 of 38 P-51s escort the B-17s. 4. 40 P-51s fly a sweep of the tactical area escorting 9AF B-26s. 5. 13 of 18 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 810: 2 B-17s and 6 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany during the night. The 328th, 486th and 487FSs, 352FG, move from Bodney, England to Chievres, Belgium with P-51s (detachments have been operating from Asch, Belgium since 23 Dec 44).

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 95 9th BombardmentDivision B-26s hit a communications center at Mayen, rail bridges and an overpass at Eller, Sinzig, Remagen, and Kaiserslautern, targets of opportunity in W Germany, and fly cover for US First Army forces on the frontline in the Monschau-Butgenbach area.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Continued bad weather (for the seventh successive day) restricts operations to 3 weather reconnaissance flights.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, weather again hampers operations; B-25s have good results on railroad bridges at Lavis and San Michele all'Adige; XXII Tactical Air Command aircraft operate effectively against communications and transport targets throughout N Italy including at Milan, Pavia, Cremona, Nervesa della Battaglia, Treviso, Genoa, Padua, and the Lake Maggiore areas.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 10 B-24s from Guam Island and 10 from Saipan Island bomb airfields on Iwo Jima Island; 10 more follow during the night of 28/29 Jan with single-bomber harassment raids on the airfields. In the Palau Islands, 2 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb Arakabesan Island.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s, B-25s, A-20s and fighter-bombers concentrate attacks on Luzon Island, the heaviest tonnage (from B-24s) falling on Corregidor Island in Manila Bay; Cavite and targets between Manila and Subic Bay, including Laoag Airfield, are also hit; A-20s concentrate on targets in the Aparri-Gattaran area while fighter-bombers and A-20s hit airfields in the Cagayan Valley and troops, trucks, and roads in the San Felipe and Talavera areas. HQ 91Photographic Wing(R): moves from Leyte Island to Mindoro Island.

MONDAY, 29 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, Pailochi Airfield, river and road shipping, troops, gun positions, buildings, and other targets of opportunity are attacked at Kweiyi, Hankow, Sinyang and Chihkiang, between Hengshan and Siangtan, between Wuhu and Anking, N of Hengyang, and E and S of Yutze.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 13 B-25s knock out road bridges at Loi-leng and Tonglau and hit several nearby targets of opportunity; 26 P-47s hit troop positions in the Namhkai area; 11 P-38s and 16 P-47s attack airfields at Aungban and Heho; 8 P-47s support ground forces near Banwe; 70 P-47s and P-38s pound troop concentrations and supplies at Panglong, Tangyan, Wengnan, Homang, Mong Long, Namtu, Mongyin, Mong Yang, and Namhsam. Largescale transport operations continue. The 1Combat Cargo Squadron, 1Combat Cargo Group, moves from Tsuyung to Hsinching, China with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 811: 1,158 bombers and 700 fighters are dispatched to hit industrial plants at Kassel and rail targets in C Germany; the attacks were made using H2X radar; they claim 6-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-24 and 2 P-51s are lost: 1. 415 B-17s are sent to hit rail centers at Niederlahnstein (110) and Siegen (144); 104 hit the secondary, the Mosel marshalling yard at Koblenz; 37 hit the marshalling yard at Bad Kreuznach, a target of opportunity; 4 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 7 damaged. Escorting are 235 of 254 P-51s; they claim 1-0-1 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost and 1 damaged beyond repair; 1 pilot is KIA. 2. 386 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Henschel oil plant at Kassel (93); 154 hit the secondary, the Kassel marshalling yard; targets of opportunity are the Bielefeld marshalling yard (76), Koblenz (35) and other (2); 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 28 damaged; 18 airmen are KIA and 1 WIA. The escort is 207 of 224 P-51s; they claim 4-0-1 aircraft; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair. 3. 357 B-24s dispatched hit secondary targets, the marshalling yards at Munster (206) and Hamm (124); 9 others hit the Soest marshalling yard, a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost and 18 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. 173 P-47s and P-51s escort; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 23 of 27 P-51s fly a scouting Mission without loss.

Mission 812: 1 B-17 and 8 B-24s drop leaflets in Germany and the Netherlands during the night.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): Brigadier General Glenn O Barcus becomes Commanding General XII Tactical Air Command. 9AF: 364 A-20s, B-26s, and A-26s bomb rail bridges, supply and communications centers, and defended areas in W Germany; fighters escort the bombers, fly armed reconnaissance and patrols and support US Third Army units at points along the frontlines from S of Saint-Vith, Belgium to the bridgehead area around Saarlautern, Germany.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Weather prevents bombing operations for the eighth consecutive day; P-38s fly photo and weather reconnaissance missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, due to high winds and generally bad weather, medium bombers successfully bomb only 2 targets, the railway bridges at Calliano and Rovereto, and attack with less success bridges at Motta di Livenza, Lavis, Mantua, and Chiusaforte, and railway station at Lavis; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers operate primarily against communications throughout the Po Valley; results are generally good and a bridge at Nervesa della Battaglia is cut; bridges or their approaches at Cittadella, Santa Margherita d'Adige and Cismon del Grappa are damaged along with a variety of targets. During the night of 28/29 Jan, A-20s hit rail facilities, pontoon bridge, lights, and motor transport at nearly 50 locations in the Po Valley. The 5(Photo)Reconnaissance Squadron, 3PRG, based at Peretola Airfield, Florence with F-5s, sends a flight to operate from Pisa.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 19 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb Iwo Jima Island airfields. 2 from Saipan Island, on an armed reconnaissance flight, bomb Marcus Island in the N Pacific. In the Palau Islands, 1 B-24 from Angaur Island bombs Arakabesan Island. During the night of 29/30 Jan, 5 B-24s from Saipan continue harassment raids on Iwo Jima airfields.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 25: 28 of 33 Mariana Islands based B-29s strike at 2 airfields on Iwo Jima Island without loss.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): Heavy B-24 daylight raids concentrate on the Heito airfield area of Formosa and Corregidor Island in Manila Bay while B-25s bomb nearby Cabcaben, Luzon Island. On Luzon, fighter-bombers and A-20s hit targets of opportunity from Aparri to Echague; further S fighters hit gun positions in the Batangas and Verde Islands areas; A-20s support ground forces inland from Lingayen by hitting the Carranglen road network; others hit Talavera and Carabao. HQ 38BG(M) and the 822BS(H), move from Morotai Island to Lingayen, Luzon with B-25s. The 319BS(H), 90BG(H), moves from Biak Island to San Jose, Mindoro Island with B-24s.

TUESDAY, 30 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 27 B-24s, escorted by 32 P-40s and P-51s, bomb Hankow; 8 P-51s hit targets of opportunity in the areas around Loyang, Yuncheng, and Sinantien; the detachment of the 16th Fighter Squadron, 51FG, at Kwanghan with P-51s returns to base at Chengkung (another detachment is at Laohokow).

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 65 fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Banwe, Yenya-u, Hsenwi, Molo, and Mongmit areas; 5 others knock out a bridge E of Mong Long; 100+ fighter-bombers attack troops, supplies, artillery, and communications targets at several locations including Kutkai, Bawgyo, Hamn gai, Namhsan, Naleng, Pangsari, Hsenwi, and Wengnan. Transports again fly 500+ sorties to forward areas. HQ 1Combat Cargo Group moves from Tsuyung, China to Dohazari, India. The detachment of the 317TCS (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, operating from Bikram, India with C-47s, returns to base at Kalaikunda, India. The detachment of the 492BS(H), 7BG(H), at Luliang, China ferrying gasoline to Suichwan, China in B-24s, returns to base at Madhaiganij, India.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Weather cancels bomber operations. Fighters fly nightfighter and intruder reconnaissance missions; fighter cover for the US 5th Armored Division W of Gemund, Germany is recalled during the day. HQ 365FG and the 386FS move from Metz, France to Juzaine Airfield, Florennes, Belgium with P-47s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): For the ninth successive day, weather prevents bombing operations; during the night of 29/30 Jan, 13 B-24s drop supplies in N Italy; during the day P-38s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort and carry out supply missions and strafing attacks in Austria.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, good weather in the Po Valley permits full-scale operations against communications lines; during the night of 29/30 Jan, A-20s intruders pound scattered movement (much of it near Milan), several Po River crossings including Borgoforte, Piacenza, and San Benedetto Po, the harbor at La Spezia, and fuel dumps and other targets at many locations; B-25s effectively strike the Brenner rail line during the day, especially the Lavis and Trento marshalling yards and bridges at Lavis and Calliano; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers strike railroads and bridges in NE Italy cutting many lines and damaging several bridges, and hit fuel dumps and factories around Parma.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 17 B-24s from Saipan Island bomb an Iwo Jima Island airfield. 3 others bomb the airfield on Woleai Atoll, Caroline Islands. In the Palau Islands, 5 B-24s from Angaur Island strike Koror and Arakabesan Islands. During the night of 30/31Jan, 10 B-24s from Saipan fly single-bomber snooper raids against Iwo Jima airfields.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): Bad weather cancels most of the scheduled strikes over Luzon Island; however, B-24s bomb Cavite while fighter-bombers flying support for ground forces hit artillery and troop concentrations NE of Labayug and others attack ammunition dumps N of San Isidro. The 405BS(M), 38BG(M), moves from Morotai Island to Lingayen, Luzon with B-25s.

WEDNESDAY, 31 JANUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, P-51s strafe targets of opportunity along the Pinghan (Hankow-Peking) railroad.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 B-25s hit troops and stores at Namlan; 50+ P-47s attack troops and supplies at several locations including Na-mawtawng, Tawkut, Mong Long, Hsipaw, Hsenwi, and Namhpakka. Transports complete 535 sorties to forward bases and frontline areas. The 13th, 14th and 16th Combat Cargo Squadrons, 4thCCG, move from Agartala to Chittagong, India with C-46s. The 164th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Kan, Burma to Asansol, India with UC-64s and L-5s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 813: 291 B-24s, 112 B-17s and 186 P-51s are recalled from a mission against targets in Germany because of expected bad weather at UK bases and heavy clouds; 1 B-17 and 3 B-24s are damaged beyond repair; 6 airmen are KIA and 8 WIA.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): All operations are cancelled due to weather. The 387FS, 365FG, moves from Metz, France to Juzaine Airfield, Florennes, Belgium with P-47s. In France, the 512th and 514FSs, 406FG, move from Mourmelonle- Grand to Metz with P-47s (the 514th has been operating from Prosnes since 22 Jan).

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 670+ B-24s and B-17s bomb the Moosbierbaum, Austria oil refinery; marshalling yards at Graz, Austria and Maribor, Yugoslavia; and scattered targets of opportunity. P-38s and P-51s fly 300+ escorting sorties for the bombers; other P-38s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort and drop supplies into Austria; during the night of 30/31Jan, B-24s drop supplies in N Italy.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers attack railroad bridges at Chiusaforte, Voghera, Lavis, Rovereto, and San Michele all' Adige, and the marshalling yard at Rovereto, with only fair results; fighters and fighter-bombers hit bridges, rail lines, trains, vehicles, and other targets over widespread areas of N Italy; during the night of 30/31 Jan, A-20s hit several railroad targets during intruder missions in the Po Valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 20 B-24s from Guam Island bomb airfields and AA defenses on Iwo Jima Island; during the night of 31Jan/1Feb, 9 more B-24s, flying single-bomber harassment strikes, hit the island. HQ 419th Troop Carrier Group is activated on Guam; no tactical squadrons or aircraft are assigned; the group's HQ had detachments on Saipan, Tinian and Angaur Islands to operate transportation terminals that assisted in moving troops, equipment, food and mail to, and in evacuating wounded personnel from combat areas.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): Brigadier General Earl W Barnes again assumes command of the XIII Fighter Command. The 157th, 159th and 160LS (Commando), 3Air Commando Group, move from Leyte Island to Calasio, Mangaldan and Calasio, Luzon Island respectively with UC-64s and L-5s (first Mission is 17 Feb and 7 Feb respectively). FEBRUARY 1945

THURSDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 1945 ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The air echelon of the 19(Photo)Charting Squadron, 311(Photo)Wing (Mapping and Charting), based at MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida, begins operating from Accra, Gold Coast photo-mapping Africa with F-9s.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 6 B-24s attack shipping off the French Indochina coast, claiming 1cargo vessel sunk and a patrol boat damaged. In China, 4 P-40s attack a division HQ SW of Yungning; the 16FS, 51FG, based at Chengkung with P-51s, sends a detachment to operate from Poseh (another detachment is operating from Laohowkow).

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 33: 113 B-29s are dispatched to hit the naval base at Singapore, Malayan States; 67 bomb the Admiralty IX Floating Drydock (and a vessel berthed in it) and 21bomb the West Wall area of the naval base; 21others hit alternate targets at Martaban, Burma and George Town, Malayan States; they claim 3-4-14 Japanese aircraft; 2 B-29s are lost.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 28 fighter-bombers support ground forces around Hosi and Molo; 12 B-25s knock out the Mong Pawn bridge; 8 P-47s damage the approach to the Pa-mao bridge; 8 others hit Hsumhsai Airfield; 90+ fighter-bombers hit troops, supplies, vehicles, a ferry crossing, and various targets of opportunity at several locations including Nauchye, Hsenwi, Man Pwe, Pongkalau, Nawng Mawn, Na-lang, Kunhkan, and Panghtu-Iin. 550 transport sorties are flown to forward areas. The 2 and 4th Combat Cargo Squadrons, 1Combat Cargo Group, move from Tsuyung and Chengkung, China respectively to Dohazari, India with C-47s; the 459FS, 80FG, moves from Chittagong to Rumkha, India with P-38s. During Feb 45, the 24th Combat Mapping Squadron, 8th Photographic RG, based at Guskhara, India sends elements to operate from Tulihal and Cox's Bazar, India with F-7s.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): During Feb 45, HQ 438th TCG and the 87th, 88th, 89th and 90TCSs move from Greenham Common, England to Prosnes, France with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 814: 699 B-17s and 328 P-51s are dispatched to hit rail targets and bridges in W Germany using Micro-H and H2X radar; no losses: 1. 463 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yards at Mannheim (74) and Ludwigshafen (70); 270 hit the secondary target, the highway and rail bridge at Mannheim; targets of opportunity are Pforzheim (11) and other (3); 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 24 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. Escorting are 142 of 151 P-51 s. 2. 236 B-17s are send to hit the rail bridge at Wesel (139); 36 hit the marshalling yard at Krefeld, the secondary target; and 13 hit Barth, a target of opportunity; 2 B-17s are damaged. 49 of 53 P-51s escort. 3. 20 of 22 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 4. 87 of 102 P-51s fly a freelance sweep in support of the bombers.

Mission 815: 6 of 9 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during the night. HQ 361FG and the 374th, 375th and 376FSs move from Little Walden, England to Chievres, Belgium with P-51s (the squadrons have been operating from St-Dizier, France since 23 Dec 44).

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 146 B-26s, A-26s, and A-20s bomb rail bridges and defended areas on the Rhine and Mosel Rivers and in W Germany near the battlefront. The IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands escort the bombers, fly armed reconnaissance, and in Germany, attack the Euskirchen marshalling yard and the town of Arloff. In France, HQ 98th Combat BW(M) moves from Athies Airfield, Laon to Havrincourt and HQ 367FG moves from Juvincourt to St-Dizier.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Austria, 300+ B-17s and B-24s attack the Moosbierbaum oil refinery and the marshalling yards at Graz, Furstenfeld, and Klagenfurt. 1bomber bombs Pula, Yugoslavia. P-38s and P-51s fly 270+ sorties escorting the bombers; other P-38s carry out reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, bad weather curtails operations; A-20s and medium bombers are grounded and fighters and fighterbombers fly only 14 sorties, 12 against communications targets N of the battle area and 2 weather reconnaissance sorties.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 21Saipan Island, Mariana Island-based B-24s hit Iwo Jima Island, Volcano Islands, in the afternoon, and 10 more, flying individual snooper raids, hit the island during the night of 1/2 Feb. 20 B-24s from Angaur Island, Palau Island, Caroline Islands, bomb Corregidor Island in Manila Bay, Luzon Island, Philippine Islands. During Feb 45, the 6NPS, VII Fighter Command (attached to 318th Fighter Group) moves from East Field to Kaman Field, Saipan with P-61s (a detachment is operating from Kipapa, Hawaii); the detachment of the 17th Photographic RS, 4PRG, operating from Bougainville Island, Solomon Islands with F-5s, returns to base on Morotai Island, Moluccas Islands.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s pound the Canacao Peninsula and Cavite areas; targets include a shipyard, seaplane base, communications, and supply. B-25s hit Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island, Philippine Islands. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Okayama Airfield during the night of 31Jan/1Feb and hit Okayama and Heito Airfields and Toko seaplane base during the following day. The 71 and 823d BS(M), 38BG(M), move from Morotai to Lingayen, Luzon with B-25s. During Feb 45, the 160th Liaison Squadron, 3Air Commando Group, based at Calasio, Luzon with UC-64 and L-5s sends a detachment to operate from Mindoro Island, Philippine Islands; the 529BS(H), 380BG(H), moves from Darwin, Australia to San Jose, Mindoro with B-24s.

FRIDAY, 2 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 4 P-40s attack a regimental HQ and a storage area at Lungchow, China.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 11 B-25s pound troops and supplies at Loilem; 60+ fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Molo, Hosi, and Mabein areas; troops, supplies, town areas, and vehicles are attacked at Panma, Kan-loi, Pansak, Man Ho Pang, Pongkalau, Hsenwi, Namtu, Panghai, Kong kang, and Ondon. Transports complete 485 sorties to forward bases and over the frontline areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 22 of 24 P-51s fly an uneventful sweep in the Koblenz-Wetzlar-Siegen-Siegburg, Germany area.

Mission 816: During the night of 2/3 Feb, 1 B-17 and 8 B-24s drop leaflets in W Germany.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 350+ B-26s, A-26s, and A-20s bomb road and rail bridges to block the E-W movement E of the Rhine River and defended localities E of the battlefront in W Germany; fighters hit bridges and fly escort, armed reconnaissance and patrols, and support US Third Army elements along the Our River in Belgium and the Sauer River in Germany. In France, HQ 406FG and the 513FS move from Mourmelon-le-Grand to Metz with P-47s; the 393FS, 367th FG, moves from Juvincourt to St Dizier with P-38s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather cancels bombing operations; 1 B-17 and 1 B-24 drop supplies in N Italy. 33 P-51s, with 14 others flying top cover, strafe Kurilovec Airfield in Yugoslavia; 11other P-51s escort a RAF supply dropping

Mission over Yugoslavia. 11 P-38s fly photo and weather reconnaissance; photo reconnaissance is covered by 24 other P-38s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers, taking advantage of improving weather conditions in NE Italy, hit bridges at Lavis, Chiusaforte, Calliano, Mantua, Rovereto, Calcinato, and Dogna; bad weather at bases restricts XXII Tactical Air Command aircraft to 5 weather reconnaissance sorties.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 20 Guam Island, Mariana Island-based B-24s pound a storage area on Iwo Jima Island. During the night of 2/3 Feb, 10 B-24s, flying individual harassment raids, bomb the island's airfields. 4 P-47s, on a reconnaissance flight, strafe buildings on Pagan Island, Mariana Islands. 22 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb Corregidor Island.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): Colonel Carl A Brandt becomes Commanding Officer XIII BC. On Luzon Island, B-24s continue to pound Corregidor Island and Cavite and A-20s hit the Baler Bay area. In the Cagayan Valley on Mindanao Island, Philippine Islands, B-25s attack pillboxes, gun positions, and river barges. B-24s hit Okayama Airfield on Formosa during a dawn raid. HQ 71Tactical RG moves from Leyte Island, Philippine Islands to Binmaley, Luzon.

SATURDAY, 3 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 B-25s attack troops and supplies at Loilem; 27 fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Molo, Hosi, and Myitson areas; 80+ fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations, supplies, town areas, tanks, and other targets at Kyaung-hen, Mongkyet, Hsipaw, Hsenwi, Na-sang, Konghsa, and Hkaihsi. Transports complete 531 sorties, landing men and supplies at advanced bases and dropping supplies to forward troops.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 817: 1,437 bombers and 948 fighters are dispatched in a major strike on Berlin by B-17s while B-24s hit the synthetic oil industry at Magdeburg; they claim 38-1-18 Luftwaffe aircraft; 25 bombers and 8 fighters are lost: 1. 1,003 B-17s are sent to hit the Tempelhof marshalling yard in Berlin (937); targets of opportunity are Bad Zwischenahn (1), Bromsche (1), Gatow (13), Luneburg (2), Sogel (1) and other (1); 23 B-17s are lost, 6 damaged beyond repair and 339 damaged; 18 airmen are KIA, 11 WIA and 189 MIA. Escort is provided by 575 of 613 P-51s; they claim 12-1-0 aircraft in the air and 17-0-11on the ground; 7 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 2 damaged beyond repair. 2. 434 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Rothensee oil plant at Magdeburg (116); 246 hit a target of last resort, the marshalling yard at Magdeburg; targets of opportunity are Wesermunde (17), Mockern (12), Cuxhaven (9), Yechta Airfield (2) and other (3); 2 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 58 damaged; 19 airmen are MIA. Escorting are 210 of 232 P-51s without loss. 3. 41 of 44 P-47s fly a sweep over Friedersdorf Airfield; they claim 9-0-6 aircraft in the air; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 35 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 5. 24 P-51s escort 9 F-5s and 7 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.

Mission 818: 1 B-17 and 10 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and W Germany during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, the 9th BombardmentDivision attacks the Berg-Gladbach storage and repair depot, Dahlem communications center, rail bridges at Ahrweiler and Sinzig, and marshalling yard at Junkerath; fighters escort the 9th Bombardment Division, fly patrols, and carry out armed reconnaissance over W Germany. In France, the 394FS, 367FG, moves from Juvincourt to St Dizier with P-38s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Weather again cancels bombing operations. P-38s fly photo and weather reconnaissance. P-51s escort the photo reconnaissance aircraft while other P-38s escort Mediterranean Allied Tactical AF (MATAF) B-25s on a transport run to Yugoslavia.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, weather restricts combat operations to an attack by 4 P-47s on the Sonico marshalling yard.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 9 Saipan Island-based B-24s hit Chichi Jima Island, Bonin Islands; 10 others hit Iwo Jima Island while 9, flying single bomber harassment strikes, pound Iwo Jima during the night of 3/4 Feb; 15 P-38s, part of a force escorting photo aircraft, strafe the island in a 2-wave attack.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s again pound Corregidor Island and the Canacao peninsula; other B-24s hit Aparri and Tuguegarao an in the Batangas area, A-20s continue ground support missions. B-24s bomb Cebu City on Cebu Island, Philippine Islands, and surrounding targets. On Mindanao Island, B-25s and P-38s hit Matina, Daliao, and Padada Airfields.

SUNDAY, 4 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 10 P-40s bomb the airfield and Japanese HQ at Yungning and railroad yards at Sinyang; 2 of the P-40s over Sinyang are lost to ground fire. The detachments of the 25th and 26FSs, 51FG, operating from Leangshan and Laohokow, China respectfully with P-51s, return to base at Yunnani and Kunming, China respectfully; the 25FS sends a detachment to operate from Poseh with P-51s.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 54 P-38s and P-47s destroy or damage bridges at Inailong, Bawgyo, Ho-hko, Hay-ti, Mong Long, and Pa-mao; 26 P-47s support ground forces in the Myitson and Hosi areas. Troops, supplies, and vehicles are attacked at Nam Yem, Na-makhkaw, Mansam, Kong kang, Nawngsong, Mong Yai, Na-lang, and Pangmit. Again transports complete 500+ sorties to advanced bases and over forward areas, where supplies are dropped to troops. The 166th Liaison Squadron, 1Air Commando Group, moves from Asansol, India to Sinthe, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 819: 7 of 9 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, the 9th BombardmentDivision attacks a repair depot at Mechernich, the Arloff road and rail junction, and flies a leaflet mission. The IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands patrol the battle area. The 158LS, 9AF (attached to Twelfth Army Group) arrives at Somme-Suippe, France from England with L-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather cancels bombing operations for the third successive day. 24 B-24s and 1 B-17 drop supplies and leaflets in N Yugoslavia. 8 P-38s carry out photo and weather reconnaissance missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers bomb railroad bridges at Ala, San Michele all' Adige, Lavis, Dogna, and Bodrez, and attack the Ala marshalling yard; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers escort the medium bombers and, in widespread areas of N Italy, destroy 2 bridges, damage 8 others, and blast rolling stock.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 9 B-24s from Guam Island, bomb AA defenses on Iwo Jima Island while 10 hit the town of Okimura on Haha Jima Island in the Bonin Islands. 2 B-24s from Saipan Island, on an armed reconnaissance flight, bomb Marcus Island in the North Pacific. 23 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb Caballo Island in the Philippine Islands. During the night of 4/5 Feb, 8 Guam-based B-24s, operating singly, pound airfields on Iwo Jima.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 26: For the first time the XXI Bomber Command sends B-29s from 2 wings [the 73and 313BWs (Very Heavy)] against Japanese Home Islands. 110 B-29s are dispatched; 69 bomb the urban area of Kobe; 30 others, including 15 hitting Natsusaka, bomb last resort targets and targets of opportunity; about 200 attacking fighters down 1 B-29 and damage 35 others; 1other crashes upon landing at Saipan Island; B-29s claim 4-20-39 Japanese aircraft.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s continue to hit Corregidor Island and Cavite; in support of ground forces B-25s bomb and strafe coast targets from San Felipe to Maloma, hit targets around lba, and drop napalm on San Jose del Monte and A-20s bomb Lipa and Calingatan Airfields. HQ 348FG and the 340th Fighter Squadron move from Tanauan, Leyte Island to San Marcelino, Luzon with P-47s.

MONDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 5 B-24s bomb Kataoka on Shimushu Island in the Kurile Islands through solid overcast; a shipping sweep by B-25s is cancelled due to weather.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 14 P-51s and P-40s attack locomotives and trucks at the Pinghan railroad yards, Hsiangcheng, and Lohochai; at least 9 locomotives and an undetermined number of trucks are destroyed; the 21(Photo)RS, 14AF, based at Kunming with F-4s and F-5s, sends a flight to operate from Hsian (another flight is operating from Luliang).

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 35 P-47s support ground forces in the Myitson, Hosi, and Molo areas; 8 P-38s bomb Mong Long; 60 P-38s and P-47s hit troops and supplies at Kan-loi, Nam-yang, Man Peng, Pangmakheleng, Kwangteng, Mong Pa, and Mansam. Transports fly 554 sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Weather cancels all operations except IX Tactical Air Command fighter patrols over the US First Army area around Butgenbach, Belgium.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 730+ B-17s and B-24s bomb oil storage at Regensburg, Germany, the main station and 2 marshalling yards at Salzburg, Austria, the marshalling yards at Rosenheim, Germany and Villach, Austria, and Straubing, Germany railroad installations; 6 bombers bomb the Comeglians, Italy road bridge. P-38s and P-51s escort the bombers, fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance support missions, and accompany 25 B-24s on a supply

Mission to Yugoslavia.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, B-25s score excellently against the San Ambrogio di Valpolicella landslide (the overhanging cliff collapses on the railroad by bombing) and bridges at San Michele all' Adige and Calliano; during the night of 4/5 Feb, XXII Tactical Air Command A-20 intruder missions hit lights, motor transport, and roads in the Po Valley and areas S of Bologna; fighters and fighter-bombers fly 270+ sorties against communications targets in N Italy; incendiary bombing of a truck park damages numerous vehicles.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 21 B-24s from Saipan Island bomb AA positions, defense installations, and a bivouac on the N end of Iwo Jima Island; during the night of 5/6 Feb, Iwo Jima airfields are pounded by 10 Saipan-based B-24s flying individual snooper strikes. HQ 15FG departs Hawaii for Iwo Jima.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, 60 B-24s deliver the heaviest attack yet on Corregidor Island; support for ground forces continues in various Luzon battle zones. B-25s on a shipping sweep of the E coast claim 9 barges and luggers sunk and several more damaged. B-24s bomb Manggar and Sepinggang Airfields on Borneo. HQ 475th FG moves from Dulag, Leyte Island to San Jose, Mindoro Island (the group's 3 squadrons, the 431, 432 and 433FSs, remain at Dulag with P-38s and send detachments to operate from San Jose).

TUESDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 1945

ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 397BS(H), VI BC, moves from the Galapagos Islands to Rio Hato, Panama with B-24s.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 20 P-51s pound and considerably damage Peking Airfield, claiming 7 aircraft destroyed; other fighter-bombers on armed reconnaissance hit several targets of opportunity (mainly rail and river traffic) around Tsingpu, Wuhu, Suchow, Hsiangcheng, Ichang, Chingmen, and Yungning. Fighter-bombers sink numerous river craft on the Mekong River from Wan Mai-Lo to Nguen, Burma.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 86 P-47s and P-38s and 25 B-25s pound troop concentrations, supplies, and AA positions in the Lashio area; 4 P-38s damage the approach to Mong Tong bridge. Transports complete 514 sorties, carrying men and supplies to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 821: 1,383 bombers and 904 fighters are dispatched to attack oil targets in Germany; the expected clear weather does not materialize and the bombers attack secondary targets and targets of opportunity using H2X radar; they claim 4-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 bombers and 4 fighters are lost: 1. 474 of 949 B-17s hit the secondary target in 2 forces, the marshalling yard at Chemnitz; targets of opportunity are the Gotha marshalling yard (88), Giessen (68), Saalfeld (39), Ohrdruf (35), Eisfeld (34), Schmalkalden (32), Greiz (22), Zwickau (22), Eisenach (13), Waltershausen (12), Dirlos (12), Ostheim (12), Friedrichroda (11), Steinbach (2), Meppen (1), Reichenbach (1), Schmalkalden (1), and other (1); 3 B-17s are lost, 13 damaged beyond repair and 115 damaged; 41airmen are KIA, 7 WIA and 24 MIA. Escorting are 545 of 588 P-51s; they claim 1-0-1 aircraft in the air and 3-0-0 on the ground; 4 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 7 damaged beyond repair. 2. 418 of 434 B-24s hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Magdeburg; targets of opportunity are the Meppen Bridge (1) and Quackenbruck (1); 2 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 61 damaged; 18 airmen are MIA. The escort is 235 of 262 P-51s without loss. 3. 33 of 38 P-51s fly a scouting Mission without loss. 4. 8 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany. 5. 8 P-51s escort air-sea-rescue aircraft.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 261 B-26s, A-20s and A-26s attack the Rheinbach ammunition dump, Sotenich communications center, Vlatten defended village, Berg-Gladbach motor transport center, and several casual targets; fighters fly armed reconnaissance, alert flights and patrols, dive-bomb the Horrem bridge, cut rails, and escort the 9th BombardmentDivision bombers. The 160TRS, 363Tactical RG, ceases operating from Conflans, France with F-6s and returns to base at Le Culot, Belgium. In France, the 392FS, 367FG, moves from Juvincourt to St Dizier with P-38s. Units moving from France to Belgium with P-47s: the 509th and 510th Fighter Squadrons, 405FG, from St Dizier to Ophoven; the 513th and 514FSs, 406FG, from Metz to Asch.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather permits only supply and reconnaissance missions; 5 P-38s complete weather and photo reconnaissance while 12 B-24s and 1 B-17 drop supplies in Yugoslavia.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, B-25s attack railroad targets on the line running N to the Brenner Pass, damaging bridges at Rovereto and Ala; marshalling yards at Rovereto and San Ambrogio di Valpolicella and a bridge at Crema are less successfully hit; fighter-bombers cut railroad bridges at Nervesa delta Battaglia and San Michele all'Adige; the P-47s claim 3 fighters destroyed in combat N of Verona and attack numerous targets of opportunity throughout the target areas; during the night of 5/6 Feb, A-20s attack lights, roads, and motor transport in the C Po Valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 9 Guam Island-based B-24s hit AA defenses and radar and radio installations on Iwo Jima Island; 10 more bomb Ototo Jima Island in the Volcano Islands and the the town of Omura on Kyushu Island, Japan. 1 B-24 from Angaur Island bombs Koror Island in the Palau Islands, and on Luzon Island, 2 hit Bulan Airfield and 19 bomb Corregidor Island in Manila Bay. 8 B-24s from Guam Island fly individual strikes against Iwo Jima airfields during the night of 6/7 Feb.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon, B-24s bomb Corregidor Island gun positions; B-25s and P-38s hit Echague and a camp on the Rosario-Baguio road; A-20s attack gun positions and defenses at Nichols Field in support of ground forces and bomb Caballo Island. B-24s and B-25s fly coastal sweeps hitting various targets at Divilacan Bay, Hondagua, and the Bicol Peninsula. A-20s attack Fabrica Airfield on Negros Island, Philippine Islands. B-24s, with P-38 support hit Manggar and Sepinggang Airfields in Borneo. The detachment of the 25(Photo)Reconnaissance Squadron, 6(Photo)RG, operating from Dulag, Leyte Island with F-5s, returns to base at San Jose, Mindoro. The 342 and 460FSs, 348FG, move from Tanauan, Leyte to San Marcelino, Luzon with P-47s.

WEDNESDAY, 7 FEBRUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 6 B-24s off to Kataoka, Shimushu Island abort the mission when all aircraft accidentally drop bombs prior to the bombing run. 4 B-25s weather abort.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 11 P-51 s knock out a bridge at Hengshan; 34 P-40s hit river, road, and rail traffic from Kweiyi to Hengshan, from Chiuchiang to Wuhu, from Siaokan southward, in the area S of Tsinan, and N of Tehsien, and from Wan Mai-Lo, Burma to Luang Prabang, French Indochina. 2 fighter-bombers hit the warehouse area at Kweihsien, China.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 34: 67 B-29s are dispatched to hit Saigon, French Indochina; 44 bomb the primary target (11drop prematurely and 33 hit a residential section), 19 hit Pnom Penh, a target of opportunity, and 2 bomb the last resort target, the marshalling yard at Martaban, Burma; they claim 0-0-1 Japanese aircraft; 1 B-29 is lost.

Mission 35: 64 B-29s are dispatched to hit the Rama VI bridge at Bangkok, Thailand; 58 bomb and effect the collapse of most of middle span of the bridge (this is the 3strike at this target) and destroy the NE approach; 1 B-29 bombs the Martaban, Burma marshalling yard; no B-29s are lost.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 11 B-25s attack tanks and troops at Man Namman; 50 P-47s support forces preparing to cross the Shweli River in the Myitson area; 40+ P-47s and P-40s attack troops and supply areas at Nawngkalio, Man Li, Hsunkwe, Nawnghkio, Loi Hkam, Panghsapye, Na-lang, Wingnang, and Pang Eng Hkye. 464 transport sorties are flown to advanced bases and frontline areas. In India, the 5th and 6FSs (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, move from Fenny and Asansol respectfully to Hay with P-47s; the detachment of the 127th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, operating from Cox's Bazar with UC-64s and L-5s returns to base at Kalaikunda; and the 317TCS (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, moves from Kalaikunda to Palel with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 822: 295 B-17s and 80 P-51s are recalled when they encounter a weather front rising to 30,000 feet (9,144 m) over the North Sea; 1 B-17 attacks Essen; no bombers are lost. Escort is provided by 41 of 80 P-51s without loss. 36 of 36 P-51s patrol the Siegen, Germany area without loss.

Mission 823: 10 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 16 B-26s strike the rail siding at Lipp, Germany; weather cancels other operations. The 39th Photographic RS, 9AF, moves from Valenciennes to Amand, France with F-5s (first Mission is 16 Mar).

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 680 B-17s and B-24s bomb oil refineries at Moosbierbaum, Schwechat, and the Lobau, Floridsdorf, Korneuburg and Kagran refineries in the Vienna, Austria area; oil storage at Pula, Yugoslavia; shipyard and harbor of Trieste, Italy; the town of Bratislava, Czechoslovakia; Zwolfaxing Airfield, Austria; and several scattered targets of opportunity; 274 P-38s and P-51s provide escort. 8 B-24s drop supplies in Yugoslavia. 18 P-51s strafe the Zeltweg Airfield in Austria and the surrounding area while in Yugoslavia, 10 P-38s sweep the Zagreb-Karlovac- Sisak area. Other P-38s fly reconnaissance and escort operations.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 6/7 Feb, A-20s bomb lights and movement over extensive areas of N Italy; during the day B-25 blasts cut bridges at Bodrez and Lavis, a viaduct at Lavis, and block rail lines at San Michele all'Adige and Mantua; XXII Tactical Air Command P-47s destroy 4 railroad bridges and damage another severely in the NE and C Po Valley and Brenner Pass, and blast dumps and sugar refineries in the Mantua, Brescia, and Reggio Emilia areas.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 6 B-24s from Saipan Island bomb the town of Okimura on Haha Jima Island; 8 B-24s hit AA positions and radio and radar installations on Iwo Jima Island, while 2 others bomb the airfield in Woleai Atoll in the Caroline Islands. From Angaur Island 20 B-24s bomb Silay and Talisay Airfields on Negros Island and 1bombs Opon airfield on Mactan Island in the Philippine Islands. 9 B-24s on snooper raids from Saipan Island during the night of 7/8 Feb, bomb Iwo Jima airfields.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Formosa, B-24s, with P-38 support hit targets of opportunity at Heito Airfield and other points (after weather prevents the bombing of Takao) and B-25s, with P-51 cover, fly several sweeps, claiming a sub sunk, a tanker set afire, a large motor launch sunk, other shipping damaged, and several vehicles and an airplane destroyed. On Luzon Island, A-20s, supporting ground operations, attack the hills W of Clark Field. B-24s hit Bago and Mandaue on Negros Island. In Borneo, other B-24s bomb Tawau and-in another mission-Miri Airfield, Tutong oil refinery pump station and power house. The 341 fighter Squadron, 348FG, moves from Tanauan, Leyte Island to San Marcelino, Luzon with P-47s.

THURSDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 4 B-25s abort a mission to the Masugawa River when unable to identify the target.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 10 P-51s knock out a bridge at Shihtangchung and blast a bridge approach at Changsha; 9 other fighters knock out another bridge N of Changsha; 4 fighters hit railroad targets of opportunity from Linfen to Yutze to Shihkiachwang and bomb Tsinan Airfield.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): In India, HQ 58BW (Very Heavy) moves from Kharagpur to Hijli Base Area.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 72 P-47s support ground forces in the Myitson area; 37 P-47s and P-38s hit troops, supply areas, ammunition dumps, and targets of opportunity at Namsaw, Hsunkwe, Loi-Kong, Nawng-un, Hsipaw, Panghai, and Kongnio, and bomb a village near Pangkawn. Transports fly 581sorties carrying men and supplies to forward bases and dropping supplies to frontline areas. The 155th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda, India with UC-64s and L-5s, sends a detachment to operate from various bases in Burma.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 150 B-17s and 264 B-24s dispatched to attack targets in W Germany are recalled before leaving the UK coast due to clouds over bases, routes, and targets. 98 of 99 P-51s fly a sweep strafing rail traffic and parked aircraft; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft. 11 of 13 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 320+ B-26s, A-20s, and A-26s strike a road junction, marshalling yard, 3 defended areas, and 10 casual targets in Germany. Fighters fly armed reconnaissance, bomb numerous ground targets, and support the US XII Corps which has, on 7 Feb, crossed the Our and Sauer Rivers between Vianden and Echternach, Luxembourg and established bridgeheads. HQ 406FG and the 512FS move from Metz, France to Assche, Belgium with P-47s. The 39th Photographic RS, 9AF, based at St Amand, France with F-5s, sends a flight to operate from Le Culot, Belgium.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Austria, 500+ B-24s and B-17s bomb SE Vienna communications targets and the marshalling yard at Graz, plus several targets of opportunity; 270+ P-38s and P-51s escort. In Yugoslavia, 12 B-24s drop supplies and 11 P-51 s sweep the Zagreb area. Other P-51s and P-38s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 7/8 Feb, A-20s on intruder missions bomb various targets at 58 points in the Po Valley and Brenner Pass area; medium bombers during the day attack bridges at Calliano, Chiusaforte, Dogna and Piacenza; fighters and fighter-bombers closely support US Fifth Army forces in the Serchio Valley where counterattacks oppose the Allied offensive-and destroy the Nervesa della Battaglia railroad bridge and oil dump N of Mestre.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 20 B-24s from Guam Island bomb radar and radio installations and AA defenses on Iwo Jima Island in the afternoon; during the night of 8/9 Feb, 10 B-24s fly single-plane snooper strikes against Iwo Jima's airfields.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 27: 30 of 31 B-29s from the Mariana Islands bomb Airfield Number 1on Moen Island in Truk Atoll, Caroline Islands.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s bomb the town of Mariveles on Bataan Peninsula and B-25s sink or damage several small vessels along the E coast and hit Legaspi Airfield. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Manggar and Sepinggang Airfields. Units moving to San Marcelino, Luzon: HQ 309BW(H) from Owi, Schouten Islands and the 421NFS, 86FW, from Tacloban, Leyte Island with P-38s and P-61s.

FRIDAY, 9 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 8 fighters hit rail bridges in the Kiyang and Lukou areas, damaging 1bridge; several trucks are strafed and destroyed; 3 fighters on a railroad sweep destroy several locomotives between Peking and Sinsiang; several other fighters bomb railroad yards at Kaifeng and the airfield at Sinsiang; Chinese-American Composite Wing (CACW): fighters make a surprise strike at Tsingtao Airfield, and claim about 100 aircraft destroyed and damaged, and also destroy several nearby locomotives.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 10 B-25s damage a bridge at Tonglau and destroy 1bridge and damage another at Ke-hsi Mansam; 2 others pound trucks, gun positions, and buildings during a road sweep from Hsipaw to Loilem to Lashio; 9 P-47s knock out a bridge at Bawgyo and damage another at Inailong; 22 P-47s support ground forces in the Myitson area; troops, supplies, and communications are attacked at Tangtong, Man Mau, Se-u, Mansam, Panghai, Na-lang, and Man hpat by 40+ fighter-bombers. 479 transport sorties are flown to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 824: 1,296 bombers and 871 fighters in 6 forces hit oil targets in Germany; except where noted, attacks were made with PFF; they claim 61-4-22 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 bombers and 5 fighters are lost: 1. 313 B-24s are sent to hit the Rothensee oil plant at Magdeburg (10); 268 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Magdeburg; targets of opportunity are Tarchen (9) and Quackenbruck Airfield (1); the Magdeburg attacks are made using H2X; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft; 3 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 51 damaged; 14 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 20 MIA. Escorting are 151 of 173 P-51s; they claim 9-0-5 aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 2. 198 of 311 B-17s hit the secondary target, the munitions industry at Weimar; targets of opportunity are the marshalling yards at Giessen (25): and Gottingen (15), the munitions industry at Eisenach (11), Jena (11) and Fulda (24) and other (4); attacks are made using H2X and visually; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 7 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 28 MIA. The escort is 271 of 274 P-51s; they claim 8-1-3 aircraft in the air and 2-0-9 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 3. 304 B-17s are dispatched to the oil plants at Lutzkendorf (233); 12 hit the secondary target, Erfurt; targets of opportunity are Eisenach (13, using H2X radar), Eisleben (13), Montesada (11) and other (3); all attacks except 1 were visual; 1 B-17 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 64 damaged; 6 airmen are KIA, 3 WIA and 26 MIA. 193 of 215 P-51s escort and claim 2-1-0 aircraft in the air and 34-0-3 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 4. 64 of 65 B-24s hit the Schildesche rail viaduct at Bielefeld using Gee-H without loss. 39 of 40 P-47s escort without loss. 5. 151 B-17s are sent to hit the Altenbeken rail viaduct at Paderborn (72) and the Arnsberg rail viaduct (75) using Gee-H; 1 B-17 is lost and 1 damaged. 47 of 53 P-51s escort without loss. 6. 107 of 152 B-17s hit the secondary target, oil plants at Dulmen using Micro H; 21 hit a target of opportunity, the marshalling yard at Munster with H2X radar; 10 B-17s are damaged. Escorting are 55 of 60 P-51s without loss. 7. 33 of 35 P-51s fly a scouting mission; they claim 5-1-0 aircraft in the air without loss. 8 20 of 21 P-51 s escort photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 347 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s bomb communications centers at Viersen and Kempen, marshalling yards at Rheydt, Grevenbroich, and Viersen, and rail bridges at Neuwied-Irlich and Sinzig. Fighters fly armed reconnaissance over the E and W of the Rhine River, attack rail bridges, and support US XII Corps bridgeheads across the Our and Sauer Rivers. In France, HQ 323BG(M) and the 453d, 454th, 455th and 456BSs move from Athies Airfield, Laon to Prouvy Airfield, Denain and Valenciennes (454th) with B-26s; HQ 410BG(L) and the 644th, 645th, 646th and 647BS(L) move from Coulommiers to Juvincourt with A-20s; and the 669BS(L), 416BG(L) moves from Melun to Athies Airfield, Laon with A-26s. HQ 405FG and the 511FS move from St Dizier, France to Ophoven, Belgium with P-47s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): During the night of 8/9 Feb, 1 B-17 and 10 B-24s drop supplies in N Italy. During the day in Austria, 49 bombers hit the Moosbierbaum oil refinery; 5 others bomb marshalling yards at Graz and Bruck an der Mur. 11 B-24s drop supplies in C Yugoslavia, while P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance missions and reconnaissance and supply escort.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 8/9 Feb, A-20s and A-26s on intruder missions attack communications targets throughout the C and NE Po Valley; weather restricts daytime operations to weather reconnaissance and supply dropping missions.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 22 B-24s from Guam and Saipan Islands bomb airfields, defense and radar-radio installations and AA positions on Iwo Jima Island; during the night of 9/10 Feb, 11more B-24s from Saipan make separate strikes against airfields and AA defenses. HQ 21FG departs Hawaii for Iwo Jima. VI Air Service Area Command: The 311TCS arrives at Kahuku, Hawaii from the U.S. with C-47s (the squadron will perform aerial transportation in the C and W Pacific, Feb-2 Sep 45).

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 28: 29 XXI BC B-29s hit Moen Island for the second consecutive day, bombing airfield number 2.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s fly morning and afternoon raids against Corregidor Island gun positions; A-20s also hit the island fortress; Mariveles and the S part of Bataan Peninsula are pounded by B-24s and A-20s throughout the morning and afternoon; B-25s and P-51s hit shipping near Legaspi and in San Miguel Bay and destroy buildings at San Fernando on Negros Island. In support of ground forces, A-24s and P-40s over Balete Pass area attack bridges and roads. The 17(Photo)RS, Thirteenth AF, based on Morotai Island with B-25s and F-5s, sends a detachment to operate from Dulag, Leyte Island. The 421NFS, 86FW, based at San Marcelino, Luzon with P-38s and P-61s, sends a detachment to operate from Tacloban, Leyte.

SATURDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, HQ 308BG(H) moves from Kunming to Hsinching; the 35(Photo)Reconnaissance Squadron, 14AF, based at Chanyi with F-5s, sends a flight to operate from Chengkung (another flight is at Chihkiang).

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 5 B-25s destroy the Laihka Bridge; 4 others hit the Namsang Bridge, with poor results; 9 P-47s knock out approaches to the Pa-mao Bridge while 8 others destroy half of the bridge at Inailong; 15 P-47s support ground forces in the Mongmit area, concentrating on Japanese positions S of Myitson; 76 fighter-bombers attack troops and supply areas at Panglong, Namsangsok, Namtu, Kutkai, Mong Yaw, Mongmit, Ho-mong, Man Pwe, Namsam, and Loiya. Again transports fly 500+ sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 825: 9 of 164 B-17s carry out the first DISNEY mission (Royal Navy rocket-boosted concrete piercing bombs) against the U-boat pens at Ijmuiden, the Netherlands visually; 140 hit the secondary target, the oil storage depot at Dulmen, Germany using Micro H; and 1 hits Lingen, a target of opportunity; 5 B-17s fly a screening mission; 5 B-17s are damaged. Escorting are 102 of 106 P-51s without loss. 3 of 6 P-51s fly a scouting Mission and 20 of 21 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany. 102 of 104 P-51s fly a strafing mission in the Steinhuder Lake area but abort because of bad weather; 2 P-51s are lost.

Mission 826: 1 B-17 and 11 of 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night; 1airman is KIA.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 320+ bombers of the 9th Bombardment Division attack communications centers at Kempen, Horrem, and Euskirchen, vehicle center and depot at Munstereifeland at Berg-Gladbach, and several casual targets including rail bridge at Bullay; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, bomb bridges, attack railroad cars and other targets, and support the US VIII and XII Corps in the Prum area on the Prum River and in the bridgehead area E of the Sauer River NW of Echternach, Luxembourg. In France, HQ 416BG(L) and the 668th and 670BS(L) move from Melun to Athies Airfield, Laon with A-26s; the 39(Photo)RS, 9AF, based at St Amand with F-5s, sends a flight to operate from Jarny (another flight is at Le Culot, Belgium).

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather prevents bombing; 12 B-24s drop supplies in Yugoslavia while P-38s fly reconnaissance and escort missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 9/10 Feb, A-20s and A-26s hit railroads, lights, and movement in the Po Valley and Brenner area and bomb docks at La Spezia; weather cancels all but 2 medium bomber mission s; however, the B-25s cut bridges at Palazzuolo sull' Oglio and Romano di Lombardia; fighter-bombers concentrate on railroads in NE Italy, and destroy numerous vehicles in a truck park in the Mantua area.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 10 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb Okimura on Haha Jima Island; 6 P-38s escort a photo mission and fly fighter a sweep over Iwo Jima Island. 17 B-24s from Guam, with P-38 escort, pound Iwo Jima in the late afternoon, and 9 more make single bomber harassment strikes on the island during the night of 10/11Feb.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 29: 118 B-29s from the Mariana Islands are dispatched to hit the Nakajima aircraft plant at Ota, Japan; 84 hit the primary target and 14 hit other targets; they claim 21-15-26 Japanese aircraft; 12 B-29s are lost.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): Brigadier General Frederick H Smith Jr becomes Commanding General V Fighter Command. On Luzon, B-24s again blast Japanese gun positions while P-51s and P-38s, supporting ground forces hit communications targets in the Bayambang-Santa Fe area, while B-25s in the area blast villages where vehicles are hidden; B-24s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers completely saturate the S part of Bataan Peninsula with bombs during morning and afternoon attacks, thoroughly pummelling defenses and forces. P-47s on a fighter sweep over Formosa claim 10 aerial victories. HQ 312BG(L) and the 386th and 387BS(L) move from Tanauan, Leyte Island to Mangaldan, Luzon with A-20s.

SUNDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Of 7 B-24s off on an air cover

Mission for a naval task force, only 3 reach the target.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 17 B-25s hit railroad yards at Sinyang and Lohochai and a locomotive foundry at Hsuchang; 23 P-47s pound Hankow Airfield; 8 fighters hit Anyang Airfield and Pinghan railroad targets of opportunity; B-24s claim 2 cargo vessels sunk in the S China Sea.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 36: 56 of 59 B-29s bomb storage dumps around Rangoon, Burma; they claim 0-0-3 Japanese aircraft; no B-29s are lost; the mission is flown in conjunction with B-24s of the Eastern Air Command's Strategic AF which also hit the target.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 11 B-25s bomb troops and supplies at Loilem; 22 P-47s support ground forces in the Mongmit area, hitting buildings at Nabu and Japanese positions S of Myitson; 100+ fighterbombers pound troop concentrations, supplies, ammunition dumps, gun positions, and targets of opportunity at several locations including Pangsang, Taung-gaing, Panghsapye, Nampok, Byaungbyan, Manai, Kutkai, Mongmit, Namun, and Pangmakhe-leng. Transports complete 503 sorties to forward bases and over frontline areas (dropping supplies).

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 827: In Germany, 124 of 127 B-24s attack the Dulmen oil depot using Micro H; 1 B-24 hits the Lochern road junction using H2X; no losses. Escorting are 50 of 51 P-51 s without loss. Other fighter missions are: 1. 48 of 51 P-51 s hit the Celle/Uelzen railroad without loss. 2. 183 of 192 P-51s make a sweep over NW Germany; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 7 of 11 P-51 s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany without loss. 4. 8 P-51s fly a scouting Mission without loss.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 97 B-26s and A-20s bomb the Bingen and Modrath marshalling yards; fighters fly armed reconnaissance and patrols, attack special targets and targets of opportunity, and attack in cooperation with the US XII Corps across the Sauer River NW of Echternach, Luxembourg. The flight of the 112th Liaison Squadron, 9AF (attached to HQ Command, SHAFE), operating from Namur, Belgium with UC-78s and L-5s, returns to base at Buc, France.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather limits operations to B-24 supply

Mission to Yugoslavia during the night of 10/11Feb and to P-38 reconnaissance missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, A-20s on night intruder missions attack enemy movement and lights at various points in N Italy, hit bridges in the Po Valley, and attack frontline positions in the N Apennines; weather grounds the medium bombers but fighters and fighter-bombers blast railroad bridges and lines in the NE and C Po Valley and stores and supply dumps in the C and W Po River areas.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 21 B-24s from Saipan Island, operating in 2 separate forces, bomb airfields and defenses on Iwo Jima Island; 3 others, on armed reconnaissance, bomb Marcus Island. 25 B-24s based on Angaur Island bomb Corregidor Island in Manila Bay on Luzon Island. During the night of 11/12 Feb, 10 B-24s from Saipan fly individual harassment strikes against Iwo Jima.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 30: 9 B-29s from the Mariana Islands carry out a reconnaissance mission for the USN; 1returns early; the area covers 135-OOE to 148-OOE to 30-OON.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s attack Corregidor Island almost continuously throughout the day; fighter-bombers support ground forces blasting numerous targets from Cauringan to Taytay and at Wawa, Montalban, Antipolo, and Marikina. P-47s blast a train NE of Heito, Formosa. B-24s fly a light strike against Bago on Negros Island. The 388th and 389BS(L), 312BG(L), move from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Mangaldan, Luzon with A-20s.

MONDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): B-25s cancel a cover

Mission for a naval force because of weather.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 6 P-51s destroy 6 locomotives between Suchow and Pengpu and strafe the Nanking and Suchow airfields; other fighters claim at least 10 more locomotives destroyed in areas S of the Yellow River; P-40s bomb troops in the Hsiangcheng area and hit trains on the Pinghan railroad; HQ 81FG and the 92Fighter Squadron move from Kwanghan to Fungwansham with P-47s.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): 23 P-47s support ground forces hitting NE of Nabu and bombing mortar positions S of Myitson; 4 others support forces at Loiya; 3 P-47s severely damage a bridge at Pa-mao; 60+ P-47s and P-38s pound supply areas, troops, tanks, and trucks at various locations including Hu-kawt, Kongtap, Namtu, Namta-gun, Mongmit, Loingu, and Tonsing. 520 transport sorties are flown to forward areas throughout the day.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 434th Troop Carrier Group and the 71, 72d, 73and 74TCSs move from Aldermaston, England to Mourmelon-le-Grand, France with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 828: During the night, 6 of 7 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany without loss. In England, HQ 92CBW(H) moves from St Edmunds to Elveden Hall after all it's BGs are reassigned.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): All combat operations cancelled because of bad weather. In France, HQ 409BG(L) and the 640th, 641, 642 and 643BSs move from Bretigny to Couvron Airfield, Laon with A-26s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Continued bad weather restricts operations to reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort by P-38s and P-51s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, A-20s, during the night of 11/12 Feb, bomb communications targets in the Po Valley and NE Italy, including the Brenner Pass area; bad weather during the day restricts medium bomber operations to bombing the bridge at Ala and a a sugar refinery at Legnago; only 1 fighter gp, the 57th, can operate, hitting bridges, rail lines, and guns in the Po Valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 9 Guam Island-based B-24s pound Chichi Jima Island naval installations while 19 bomb airfields and defenses on Iwo Jima Island; during the night of 12/13 Feb, 8 B-24s from Guam fly single bomber harassment strikes against both Iwo and Chichi Jima.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 31: 21 B-29s from the Mariana Islands bomb heavy AA sites on Iwo Jima Island in preparation for the amphibious invasion of the island on 19 Feb; no losses.

Mission 32: 10 B-29s fly a reconnaissance mission for the USN covering from 135-OOE to 148-OOE and to 30-OON; 1 B-29 is lost.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s continue to pound Corregidor Island in Manila Bay; A-20s sweeping S Bataan Peninsula, sink about 30 barges loaded with troops, ammunition, and supplies; throughout the day B-25s and fighters directly support ground forces on the Bataan Peninsula and from Lingayen Gulf area to Nichols Field. The 67FS, 347FG, based on Middelburg Island, New Guinea with P-38s, begins operating from Morotai Island. The 498th, 499th, 500th and 501BS(M), 345BG(M), move from Tacloban, Leyte Island to San Marcelino, Luzon with B-25s.

TUESDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 1945 AMERICAN THEATER

ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 74BS(H), VI BC, moves from the Galapagos Islands to Aguadulce, Panama with B-24s.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, fighters sweep the railroad from Sinyang to Hsuchang, bomb the approach to a Hsuchang bridge, and strafe Sinyang and Ichang Airfields; B-25s bomb a foundry at Hsuchang

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, troop concentrations, supply areas, and targets of opportunity are pounded by 70 fighter-bombers at several locations including Kongpaw, Namtu, Kyao-hpak, Laihka, Kon-wet, Mong Pa, Hkom-nio, and Naung-lang; 19 fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Mongmit-Myitson area; 16 fighter-bombers knock out the approach to the main bridge and damage the bypass bridge at Hay-ti. 477 air supply sorties are flown by transports throughout the day. In India, the 1 and 2Fighter Squadrons (Commando) move from Kalaikunda to Cox's Bazar with P-51s.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 435th Troop Carrier Group moves from Welford Park, England to Bretigny, France.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 829: 9 B-24s drop leaflet in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 320+ B-26s, A-26s, and A-20s, attack rail bridges at Sinzig, Neuwied-Irlich, and Euskirchen, military transport depots at Schwelm and Iserlohn, defended points at Wittlich, and targets of opportunity; fighters escort the A-20s, A-26 and B-26s, bomb the Neuss and Zieverich bridges and other targets, fly armed reconnaissance, and support Third Army elements from Prum to Saarlautern along the Our and Sauer Rivers, and Saar River bridgehead areas. In France, HQ 97th Combat BW(L) moves from Voisenon to Marchais; the 39(Photo)RS, 9AF, based at Amand with F-5s, sends a flight to operate from Gosselies, Belgium (another flight is operating from Jarny); and the 405FS, 371FG, moves from Tantonville to Metz with P-47s. The 155th Photographic RS, 10PRG, moves from St Dizier, France to Le Culot, Belgium with A-20s and F-3s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In the Vienna area of Austria, 640+ B-17s and B-24s with fighter support hit the S ordnance depot, S and SE goods yards and depot, C repair shops, and Matzleinsdorf marshalling yard, and the marshalling yards at Graz, Austria; Sarvar, Hungary; and in Yugoslavia, 2 at Zagreb and 2 at Maribor, the Pula harbor, the Maribor locomotive depot and rolling stock repair shops, and several targets of opportunity. P-38s and P-51s carry out reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 12/13 Feb, A-20s attack enemy movement in the C and NC Po Valley; medium bombers hit bridges at Calcinato, Dogna, and Chiusaforte and the bridge approach at Lavis; fighter-bombers fly nearly 350 sorties against enemy communications in N Italy including marshalling yards at Verona, Parma, and Vicenza.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 25 B-24s from Saipan Island fly two strikes against Iwo Jima Island, while 10 others hit Haha Jima Island; during the night of 13/14 Feb, 5 B-24s, flying individual harassment strikes, bomb Iwo Jima at intervals over an 8-hour period.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s continue to pound Corregidor Island in Manila Bay as a large segment of B-24s attack the main coastal guns and score direct hits on several batteries; B-24s bomb Mariveles on Bataan Peninsula while A-20s and P-47s bomb and strafe targets of opportunity throughout the S part of Bataan Peninsula; B-25s and fighters attack small shipping during sweeps of E and N coasts. B-25s, with fighter support, hit Kagi Airfield on Formosa. HQ 345BG(M), moves from Tacloban, Leyte Island to San Marcelino, Luzon. The 339FS, 347FG, based on Middelburg Island, New Guinea with P-38s, begins operating from Morotai Island.

WEDNESDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-24s bomb and photograph Suribachi Airfield on Paramushiru Island, Kurile Islands (the secondary target).

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, P-47s bomb Kaifeng Airfield and P-51s hit Shihkiachwang Airfield, destroying several parked aircraft; the P-51s afterwards blast 7 locomotives between Puchou and Sinsiang; other fighters destroy 7 more locomotives between Sinyang and Hsuchang, bomb the railroad yards at Lohochai, and destroy a fuel dump at Hsiangcheng.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 B-25s attack vehicles along roads from Lashio to Takaw to Hopong; 7 P-47s strafe Laihka Airfield; bad weather cancels other scheduled offensive missions. Transports continue to operate despite the weather, completing 520 sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 830: 1,377 bombers and 962 fighters are dispatched to hit oil and rail targets in Germany; bombing of most targets is by H2X radar; they claim 11-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 bombers and 7 fighters are lost: 1. 461 B-17s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Dresden (311); targets of opportunity are Prague (62), Brux (25) and Pilsen (12) in Czechoslovakia and other (25); they claim 1-0-0 aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 54 damaged; 4 airmen are KIA, 15 WIA and 49 MIA. Escorting are 281 of 316 P-51s; 3 are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 2. 457 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Chemnitz (294); targets of opportunity are Eger Airfield (38), Bamberg (33), Sonneberg (23), Tachau (24), Hof marshalling yard (12) and other (17); 1 B-17 is lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 103 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 4 WIA and 14 MIA. The escort is 224 of 238 P-51s; 2 are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 3. 375 B-24s are sent to hit an oil refinery at Magdeburg but are unable to attack due to weather; 340 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Magdeburg; targets of opportunity are Emlicheim (1), Meppen (1), Bodenteich (1) and other (1); 1 B-24 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 16 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. 253 of 273 P-51s escort; they claim 10-0-3 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 84 B-17s are sent to hit the Wesel road bridge (37); 35 hit the secondary, the Dulmen oil depot and 1 hits Ahaus, a target of opportunity; 15 B-17s are damaged. 26 of 30 P-51s escort the bombers. 5. 44 of 49 P-47s fly a sweep of the Magdeburg area without loss. 6. 24 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany. 7. 29 of 32 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 831: 10 B-24s drop leaflet in the Netherlands and Germany during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 600+ A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s attack rail bridges, a marshalling yard, communications centers, an ammunition dump, a prime mover depot, and several targets of opportunity in morning and afternoon missions aimed primarily at obstructing enemy movement and supply; fighters fly armed reconnaissance over wide areas, escort the bombers bombers, attack river traffic, bridges, and other targets, and support US Third Army elements E of the Our and Sauer Rivers.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 500+ B-24s and B-17s bomb the Moosbierbaum, Vienna/Lobau, Vienna/Floridsdorf, and Schwechat oil refineries in the Vienna, Austria area; marshalling yards at Graz, Gleisdorf, Klagenfurt, and Villach, Austria; Celje, Maribor, and Zagreb, Yugoslavia; and several scattered targets of opportunity; P-38s also bomb the Moosbierbaum refinery and Maribor marshalling yard; other P-38s and P-51s escort the bombers, fly photo and weather reconnaissance, and escort reconnaissance missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 13/14 Feb, A-20s bomb the bridge approach at Castelnuovo di Garfagnana and hit targets of opportunity in the Po Valley; during the day medium bombers bomb bridges or bridge approaches at San Michele all'Adige, Tarvisio, Bressanone, and hit guns near Ponte Gardena; fighters and fighter-bombers, operating in poor weather, attack mainly communications targets in the Po Valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 17 Guam Island-based B-24s pound defenses and radar and radio installations on Iwo Jima Island at midday; during the night of 14/15 Feb, 5 more B-24s, flying individual snooper missions bomb Iwo Jima Airfield and AA positions while 4 in separate strikes hit Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 33: 6 B-29s from the Mariana Islands again carry out a reconnaissance mission for the USN, covering the area northward from the base line at 28-02N 145-55E to 28-44N 148-OOE.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s continue to bomb Corregidor Island in Manila Bay, concentrating on the dock area and gun positions; other B-24s bomb Mariveles on Bataan Peninsula and B-25s bomb the airfield at Tuguegarao; B-25s and fighters provide excellent support for ground forces, blasting guns and troops W of Clark Field, N of Marikina airfield, and N of Montalban; A-20s pound the general area of S Bataan. On Mindanao Island, B-25s bomb barges at Zamboanga and P-38s bomb Matina Airfield. Fighters on armed reconnaissance strafe airfields on Negros and Cebu Islands. A few B-25s bomb Kagi Airfield on Formosa and nearby targets of opportunity. HQ 54th Troop Carrier Wing moves from Biak Island, New Guinea to Leyte Island. The 550NPS, XIII Fighter Command (attached to XIII BC) moves from Hollandia, New Guinea to Morotai Island with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s (the detachment operating from Middelburg Island also moves to Morotai).

THURSDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 15 fighter-bombers attack railroad targets at Saiping, in the Hankow area, N of Sinantien, between Hsuchang and Loyang, and along the Yangtze River from Wuhu to Hankow; the 27TCS, 443TCG, moves from Yunnani to Chengkung with C-47s; the 528FS, 311FG, based at Shwangliu with P-51s, sends a detachment to operate from Hsian.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 B-25s hit buildings, troops, and other targets of opportunity during a sweep from Lashio to Loilem and along the road E and W from Loilem; 20 P-47s fly close support strikes in the Mongmit-Myitson area; a bridge at Hay-ti is knocked out by 6 P-47s; 56 P-47s attack troops, town areas, and supplies at Paukmyaing, Nam-hpuktok, Namtoi, and Namhu-tau and 8 P-47s hit the Li-lu ferry area. Large-scale transport operations continue; 511sorties are flown to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 832: 1,131bombers and 510 fighters are dispatched to hit oil targets in Germany; with some exceptions, all attacks are made using H2X radar; they claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 bombers and 1 P-51 are lost 1. 459 B-17s are sent to hit oil targets at Bohlen; 435 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Cottbus; targets of opportunity are Dresden (1), Quackenbruck (1) and other (2); 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 34 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 9 MIA. 153 of 173 P-51s escort; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft; 3 P-51s are damaged beyond repair. 2. 224 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil targets at Ruhland; 210 hit the secondary, Dresden; targets of opportunity are Lingen (1) and the Ems-Weser Canal (1); 4 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 8 damaged; 7 airmen are KIA and 8 WIA. Escorting are 141 of 158 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 353 of 372 B-24s hit the Magdeburg synthetic oil plant; 1 B-24 is lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 32 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA and 3 MIA. The escort is 110 of 120 P-51s. 4. 58 of 76 B-17s hit a target of last resort, the Rheine marshalling yard; 13 others hit Munster, a target of opportunity. Escorting are 27 P-47s. 5. 4 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany. 6. 25 of 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, around 90 B-26s bomb Sinzig and Mayen rail bridges and 4 targets of opportunity in the area; fighters patrol points along the battlefront, attack railroads and other special targets, fly armed reconnaissance and support the US VII, VIII, XII, and XX Corps along the Roer and Prum Rivers and in the Saar River bridgehead area. In France, HQ 371FG and the 404th and 406th Fighter Squadrons move from Tantonville to Metz with P-47s; and the 671BS(L), 416BG(L), moves from Melun to Athies Airfield, Laon with A-26s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Austria, 650+ B-24s and B-17s bomb 5 station freight yards, SE goods depot, Korneuburg oil refinery, and Vienna/Floridsdorf, Matzleinsdorf, and Penzing marshalling yards all in the Vienna area, plus marshalling yards at Klagenfurt, Wiener-Neustadt and Graz, the Graz ordnance depot, shipyards in Fiume, Italy and scattered targets of opportunity are also hit; fighters escort the bombers and fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers bomb the Spilimbergo ammunition dumps through an overcast, but are forced by the bad weather to cancel all other operations; fighter-bombers, limited by weather, concentrate on railway targets in NE and W Po Valley. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA) AAFPOAVI Air Service Area Command: The 311TCS, VI Air Service Area Command, moves from Kahuku to Bellows Field, Hawaii with C-47s. 7AF: 24 B-24s from Saipan Island, in two separate strikes, bomb Iwo Jima Island airfields and AA defenses; 12 others hit the airfield on Chichi Jima Island; 4 B-24s from Guam Island, escorting photo aircraft over Truk Atoll, bomb airfields on Param and Moen Islands; 5 B-24s fly night harassment raids against Iwo and Chichi Jima.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 34: 117 B-29s from the Mariana Islands are dispatched to hit the Mitsubishi aircraft engine works at Nagoya, Japan; 33 hit the primary; 68 hit targets of last resort and targets of opportunity, 54 of them bombing Hamamatsu; they claim 7-8-23 Japanese aircraft; 1 B-29 is lost.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-25s attack bridges in the S part of Formosa. B-24s again blast Corregidor Island in Manila Bay with A-20s and fighter-bombers bombing and strafing its few remaining gun positions; fighter-bombers hit Caballo Island and fighterbombers, B-25s, and A-20s hit Bataan Peninsula all day; also hit are troops and gun positions in the Ft William McKinley area and airfields at Tuguegarao and Echague. The 68TCS, 433TCG, moves from Biak Island, New Guinea to Tanauan, Leyte Island with C-46s.

FRIDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 33 fighter-bombers attack airfields in the Nanking area, railroad yards at Hsuchang and Tungpu, and hit rail and river traffic from Wuhu to Hankow, in the Sinsiang area, and in French Indochina, the Luang Prabang area, and from Muong Soui to the Mekong River.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 B-25s bomb troops, storage areas, and vehicles during offensive reconnaissance along roads S of Lashio and from Hsenwi to Loilem; 31 P-47s support ground forces in the Myitson area; about 160 fighter-bombers attack town areas, troop concentrations, artillery positions, transportation targets, and general targets of opportunity at Namtu, Wengkau, Hsipaw, Namhsawng-hawng, Hunhla, Mong Yai, Sinkin, Panghung, Hatka, Na-kyeh, and Panglong and similar targets at Kyawngsu, Kunsanlek, Namloi, Man-kyawng, Tonsing, Sam-Lau, and Mong Li. Transports fly 632 sorties delivering men and supplies to forward bases and dropping supplies to frontline troops.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): The 77th Troop Carrier Squadron, 435TCG, moves from Welford Park, England to Bretigny, France with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 833: 1,042 bombers and 197 fighters attack benzol plants, oil refineries and marshalling yards in C Germany; 8 bombers are lost: 1. 223 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Hamm (208); targets of opportunity are Osnabruck (1), Meppen (1) and Rheine (1); bombing is by H2X, Micro H and some visual; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 95 damaged; 7 airmen are WIA and 11 MIA. Escorting are 44 of 45 P-51s. 2. 375 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Harpenerweg oil refinery at Dortmund (78) and oil refineries at Nordstern (104) and Minsterstein (112); 30 hit the marshalling yard at Munster, a secondary target; targets of opportunity are Langendreer (23) and other (2); bombing is by Gee-H with some visual; 5 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 170 damaged; 8 airmen are WIA and 46 MIA. 38 of 39 P-51s escort. 3. 362 B-24s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Osnabruck (174) and Rheine (94) and the Salzbergen oil refinery (46); 31 hit Burgsteinfurt, a target of opportunity; H2X and Gee-H are used; 1 B-24 is lost and 26 damaged; 10 airmen are MIA. 50 P-51s escort the B-24s. 4. 63 of 76 B-17s hit the rail bridge at Wesel visually; 13 hit the marshalling yard at Rheine, a target of opportunity, with H2X. Escorting are 45 of 51 P-51 s. 5. 6 B-24s fly a screening Mission without loss. 6. 4 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 7. 4 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany. 8. 4 P-51s escort a B-17 on a "special sortie."

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 300+ B-26s and A-20s bomb the Mayen, rail bridge, Rees communications center, Solingen turbo-jet component works, Unna ordnance depot, and a target of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance, attack bridge, railroads, and other special targets; the XIX Tactical Air Command also supports the US VIII, XII, and XX Corps W of the Prum River, E of the Sauer River, and in the Saarlautern area. The 158LS, 9AF (attached to Twelfth Army Group), moves from Somme-Suippe, France to Celles, Belgium with L-1s, L-4s and L-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 630+ B-24s and B-17s bomb airfields at Regensburg, Landsberg, and Neubiberg, Germany; marshalling yards at Rosenheim, Germany, Hall, and Innsbruck, Austria, and Bolzano, and Vipiteno, Italy, plus scattered targets of opportunity in Austria and N Italy; P-38s and P-51s escort the bombers, fly reconnaissance missions, and escort reconnaissance and supply operations.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, bad weather grounds medium bombers; fighter-bombers cut rail lines at the S end of Garda Lake, and bomb an ammunition and fuel dump E of Nervesa della Battaglia and an ammunition dump E of Villafranca in Lunigiana. PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (Army AFs, Pacific Ocean Area): VI Air Service Area Command: The 316TCS, VI Air Service Area Command, moves from Kahuku to Bellows Field, Hawaii with C-47s. 7AF: 2 Guam Island-based B-24s on an armed reconnaissance flight bomb Marcus Island in the N Pacific. 42 sent against Iwo Jima Island are recalled due to total cloud cover over the target. During the night of 16/17 Feb, 4 Guam-based B-24s, striking separately, hit Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): Fighters attack vehicles and trains in the S part of Formosa. On Luzon Island, 120+ A-20s and B-24s pound Corregidor Island during the early daylight hours; amphibious and airborne landings follow and the paratroops soon link up with the beachhead; A-20s and fighter-bombers also bomb nearby Caballo Island; B-25s support ground forces in the Mariveles area, hit facilities at Baguio and Santa Fe, and bomb Camalaniugan Airfield. P-38s hit Likanan and Matina Airfields on Mindanao Island and B-24s pound Kendari Airfield on Celebes Island.

SATURDAY, 17 FEBRUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 4 B-25s provide air coverage for a naval task force en route to Paramushiru Island.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 30 B-25s bomb Linfen and Yuncheng; a single B-25 hits railroad targets of opportunity from Hengyang to Lingling; 27 P-40s and P-51s attack animal transport, barracks, railroad targets, and the town area at Puchi; 16 P-47s hit the Hankow-Wuchang area; 37 other fighter-bombers attack railroad yards and targets of opportunity and road and river traffic near Tsinan, Changsha, and Kweiyi, and at Sinyang, Linfen, and Lung Hai.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): 14 P-47s support ground forces in the Mongmit-Myitson area; 140+ fighter-bombers strike at troop concentrations, supply points, transport, animal concentrations, tanks, and arms and ammunition stores are pounded in N Burma including at Hko-lawng, Hai-pu, Na-kyeh, Man Sang, Samlan, Hkummanmao, Mong Lang, Na-leng, Honwo, and Loi-pyek; and 10 B-25s bomb troops and supplies at Hai-hseng. 603 transport sorties are flown. The detachment of the 24th Combat Mapping Squadron, 8(Photo)RG, operating from Chanyi, China with F-7s returns to base at Guskhara, India.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command):

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 834: 895 bombers and 183 fighters are dispatched to hit synthetic oil plants in Germany and the Frankfurt marshalling yard; deteriorating weather forces the recall of 261 B-17s and 288 B-24s; the weather was so bad that some aircraft controls froze and several had to jettison their bombs during assembly; 3 B-17s and 2 of the recalled B-24 force are lost in addition to 1 P-51 . 346 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Frankfurt (260); targets of opportunity are the Giessen marshalling yard (45), Aschaffenburg (12), Hanau (10) and other (4); 3 B-17s and 2 B-24s are lost, 1 B-17 and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair and 106 B-17s damaged; 17 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 38 MIA. The escort is 151 of 167 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 12 P-51s fly a scouting Mission and 4 escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany. The 862BS(H), 493BG(H) (attached to 3Air Division), moves from Debach to Wormingford, England and begins flying weather reconnaissance missions with B-17s and P-51s.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 31 B-26s strike the Mayen rail bridge and a target of opportunity at Reinfeld; fighters of the IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance; the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) cancels operations due to bad weather.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): About 500 B-17s and B-24s attack the marshalling yard, station, and benzol plant at Linz, steel works at Judenburg, tank works at Steyr and Sankt Valentin, marshalling yards at Graz, Wels, Bruck an der Mur, and Villach, Austria; plus shipyards and harbors at Fiume and Trieste, Italy, and Pula, Yugoslavia. P-38s and P-51s escort the bombers, fly reconnaissance missions, and supply drops, strafe rail lines in the Vienna-Linz, Austria area and aircraft at Ardning and Grafenstein Austria, and fly weather and photo reconnaissance.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers bomb bridges at Chiusaforte, Bressanone, Crema, and Dogna; fighters and fighterbombers hit communications targets in the Po Valley and damage bridges at Nervesa della Battaglia, Cittadella, Calliano, Ala, and Pordenone; also bombed are guns and dumps from the S of La Spezia E to the battle area below Bologna.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 42 B-24s from Saipan Island blast defense installations and a bivouac area on Iwo Jima Island; 3 others, on an armed reconnaissance flight, bomb Marcus Island; 3 B-24s from Guam Island, escorting a photo plane over Truk Atoll bomb Param, Uman, and Eten Islands in the atoll. 5 B-24s from Saipan fly individual snooper strikes during the night of 17/18 Feb, against Chichi Jima Island. The air echelon of the 548th NFS, VII Fighter Command, begins operating from Saipan with P-61s (ground echelon is enroute from Hawaii to Iwo Jima).

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 35: 8 of 9 B-29s from Saipan bomb the submarine pens on Dublon Island, Truk Atoll without loss.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s, with fighter support attack the airfield, railroad yard, and aluminum plant at Takao, Formosa. On Luzon Island, A-20s support ground forces in the Mariveles area and hit caves and dugouts in hills W of Ft Stotsenburg; A-20s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers attack Tuguegarao and the coastal town of San Fernando. B-24s pound Miri Airfield in Borneo. HQ 375TCG moves from Biak Island to San Jose, Mindoro Island.

SUNDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 7 B-24s fly cover sorties for a naval force during its approach to Kurabu Cape, Paramushiru Island.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 25 fighter-bombers attack the Sinyang railroad yards and airfield and targets of opportunity along the Pinghan railroad, at Chiuchiang, in the Nanking area, E of Lohochai, and SE of Hsuchang; 4 B-24s over the S China Sea claim damage on 2 vessels; the 374th, 375th and 425BS(H), 308BG(H), move from Chengkung and Kunming to Kwanghan with B-24s.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 B-25s demolish bridges at Namsang and Ke-hsi Mansam; 30+ fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Mongmit-Myitson-Nabu area; 100+ fighter-bombers pound troop concentrations, supplies, vehicles, and other targets immediately in advance of the southward moving battleline. Transports fly 602 sorties to the forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 60+ B-26s bomb the Dottesfeld rail bridge, a target of opportunity at Daun, and 5 other targets of opportunity as the 9th Bombardment Division starts a campaign to isolate the Ruhr; the XIX Tactical Air Command escorts the B-26s and flies weather reconnaissance and armed reconnaissance; the IX and XXIX Tactical Air Commands are grounded because of weather.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): During the night of 17/18 Feb, 24 B-24s drop supplies in N Italy; during the day 160 B-17s bomb a benzol plant, main marshalling yard and station at Linz, Austria; 20 P-38s provide escort; almost 290 B-24s, with fighter escorts, are recalled because of weather from missions dispatched against targets in Austria; weather also causes the recall of 52 P-51s on a strafing mission. A few P-38s complete reconnaissance missions but most are recalled as weather worsens. In Italy, the detachments of the 71 and 94FSs, 1FG, operating from Vincenzo Airfield with P-38s, return to base at Salsola Airfield.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 17/18 Feb, A-20s bomb targets in the Po Valley, including the towns of Nogara, Castelfranco Veneto, Modena, Cremona, Bovolone, and Isola della Scala, bridges at Cittadella and Villafranca in Lunigiana, and airfields at Ghedi and Villafranca in Lunigiana; all B-25 missions abort due to weather except an attack on the Ala rail bridge; fighters and fighter-bombers fly less than 100 sorties, hitting ammunition dumps and railroad bridges and lines, mainly in the Po Valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 36 Guam Island-based B-24s dispatched against Iwo Jima Island are recalled because of complete cloud cover over the target. 3 others on armed reconnaissance bomb Marcus Island. During the night of 18/19 Feb, 9 B-24s from Guam individually strike Chichi Jima Island.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 36: 36 Mariana Islands-based B-29s bomb 2 airfields on Moen Island in Truk Atoll without loss. HQ 39th and 330BGs(VH), and the 457th, 458th and 459BSs(VH), arrive at North Field, Guam Island from the US with B-29s (first Mission is 12 Apr).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Formosa, B-24s bomb Takao, Okayama, and Toshien Airfields and P-38s provide support while B-25s and fighters pound communications targets and targets of opportunity throughout Formosa. B-25s and fighters continue to fly numerous missions in support of the ground forces on Luzon Island. B-24s bomb Labuan Airfield in Borneo.

MONDAY, 19 FEBRUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 6 B-24s fly photo reconnaissance over Shimushu Island and bomb Kurabu Cape Airfield on Paramushiru Island; 6 Japanese fighters intercept; the B-24s claim 4 damaged. 4 B-25s weather-abort a mission to hit targets along the Hayakegawa River.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 14 P-51s and P-40s blast rail and river traffic at Chiuchiang, Hsuchang, Lung Hai, and Tsinpu.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 37: In the Mayalan States, 49 of 59 B-29s bomb the Central Railroad Repair Shops at Kuala Lumpur, some bombing from only 1,000 feet (305 m); 4 other B-29s hit alternate targets, the Alor Star Airfield, and the marshalling yard at Martaban, Burma; they claim 1-0-7 Japanese aircraft; no B-29s are lost.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 24 B-25s and 31 P-47s fly close support strikes in the Mongmit-Myitson area; 70+ fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations, supplies, and villages behind the battleline in C Burma. Heavy transport operations continue. The 165th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Shwebo, Burma to Asansol, India with UC-64s and L-5s.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): The 76th and 78th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 435TCG, move from Welford Park, England to Bretigny, France with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 835: 1,135 bombers and 560 fighters are dispatched to hit oil, industrial and rail targets in Germany; they claim 3-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-24 and 7 P-51s are lost: 1. 196 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Osnabruck (155); 24 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Munster; 10 hit Haselunne, a target of opportunity; Micro-H and H2X are used; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 21 damaged; 1airman is WIA. Escorting are 38 of 42 P-51s. 2. 291 B-24s are dispatched to hit military vehicle plants at Meschede (97): and Jungenthal (86) and the marshalling yard at Siegen (94) using Gee-H; 1 B-24 is lost and 8 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. 122 P-47s and P-51s escort. 3. 422 B-17s are sent to hit benzol plants at Bochum (99) and Gelsenkirchen (36), oil refineries at Dortmund (74) and Alm (37) using Micro H and H2X; 162 hit the secondary target, the Munster marshalling yard (162) visually; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 59 damaged; 1airman is KIA. 91 of 96 P-51s escort; 1 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 131 of 144 B-17s hit the marshalling yard at Rheine with Micro H without loss. 48 P-51s escort. 5. 68 of 82 B-17s hit the rail bridge at Wesel using Micro H; 25 B-17s are damaged. 32 of 37 P-51s escort. 6. 163 of 179 P-51s fly a fighter sweep against rail and road targets in the Hannover-Magdeburg-Brunswick area claiming 2-0-0 aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground; 5 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 7. 27 of 28 P-51s fly a scouting misson; 1 is lost (pilot MIA).

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, B-26s, A-26s, and A-20s, strike the Mechernich prime mover depot, rail bridges at Pracht, Niederscheld, and Neuwied-Irlich, the Wiesbaden ordnance depot, and 4 targets of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, attack railroads and bridges, fly armed reconnaissance and alerts, and cooperate with the VIII, XII, and XX Corps E of the Our River, between the Westwall and the Prum River, and in the Saar-Mosel triangle. The 167th Liaison Squadron, 9AF (attached to the Sixth Army Group), is activated at Vittel, France with L-4s and L-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): During the night of 18/19 Feb, 11 B-24s drop supplies in N Italy. In Austria during the day almost 500 B-24s and B-17s, escorted by about 220 P-51s and P-38s, bomb 2 marshalling yards and the S station area in Vienna, marshalling yards at Klagenfurt, Graz, and Bruck an der Mur; marshalling yards at Maribor, Yugoslavia; shipyards in Fiume, Italy; and the Pula, Yugoslavia harbor and military installations. In Austria, 51 P-51 s strafe rail and river traffic and airfields between Linz and Vienna and in the Graz area; other P-51s and P-38s fly escort and reconnaissance missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Brigadier General Edward M Morris takes command of the XII AF Services Command (until 1Jan 44 designated the III Air Service Area Command). In Italy, bad weather grounds the medium bombers; fighter-bombers, some bombing by radar-control because of heavy clouds, attack-communications and dumps in the W Po Valley and NE Italy, and claim several rail line cuts in the Brenner area.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 44 B-24s from Saipan Island are sent against Iwo Jima Island; 14 pound defense positions and bivouac and storage areas little more than an hour before elements of the US 4th and 5th Marine Divisions make an amphibious landing on the SE coast at 0900 hours; the other 30 B-24s abort because of cloud cover, mechanical trouble, or arrival over target too late to make a bomb run. 26 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb Likanan Airfield on Mindanao Island. During the night of 19/20 Feb, 8 Saipan-based B-24s fly individual heckler strikes over Chichi Jima Island.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 37: 150 B-29s are dispatched to hit the Musashino aircraft plant in Tokyo hoping to draw air reinforcements away from the Iwo Jima invasion; thick clouds completely cover the primary target so 119 bomb the port and urban area of Tokyo; 12 others hit targets of last resort and targets of opportunity; they claim 39-16-37 Japanese aircraft; 6 B-29s are lost.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): Major General Paul B Wurtsmith becomes Commanding General Thirteenth AF. In Formosa, B-24s bomb Koshun, Heito, and Takao Airfields and B-25s and fighters on sweeps attack a large number of targets of opportunity including trains, parked aircraft, buildings, and coastal vessels. In the C Philippine Islands, USMC (USMC) F4Us under the tactical command of the Thirteenth AF fly napalm strikes against airfields and other targets. On Luzon Island, fighters, B-25s, and A-20s continue to support ground forces at San Augustin, Carranglen, Balete Pass, and Bataan Peninsula and bomb Japanese-held sectors on Corregidor Island. B-24s bomb Miri Airfield on Borneo.

TUESDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 34 P-51s pound locomotives, railroad cars, and other targets of opportunity at Tsingtao and Puchi; about 30 other fighter-bombers on armed reconnaissance hit targets of opportunity (mainly rail and river traffic) at scattered locations including Changsha, Lohochai, Tsingtao, Chukiatsi, N of Lingling, and between Siangsiang and Siangtan.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 44 P-47s fly close support strikes in the Mongmit battle sector; 8 support ground forces in the Namhsan area; 13 P-38s severely damage a bridge at Mong Long; nearly 100 P-47s and P-38s pound troop concentrations, supply and ammunition dumps, and general targets of opportunity behind enemy lines. Large-scale transport operations continue. The 164th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Assansol, India to Shwebo with UC-64s and L-5s.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 53Troop Carrier Wing moves from Greenham Common, England to Voisenon, France.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.

Mission 836: 1,264 bombers and 726 fighters are dispatched to hit the main station and marshalling yard at Nurnberg, Germany; the target is bombed visually and using H2X radar; they claim 49-1-21 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-17s and 7 fighters are lost: 1. 360 B-24s dispatched abandon the mission over Belgium due to weather conditions; one B-24 hits Steig, a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair; 3 airmen are KIA and 2 WIA. Escorting are 123 of 141 P-51 s; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 2. 831 of 904 B-17s hit the primary target; targets of opportunity are Schiltach (16) and other (12); 5 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 241 damaged; 9 airmen are KIA, 10 WIA and 47 MIA. The escort is 315 of 337 P-51s; they claim 8-0-2 aircraft on the ground; 5 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 3. 194 P-47s and P-51s strafe rail and road targets in the Nurnberg and Straubing areas; they claim 12-0-1 aircraft in the air and 35-1-20 on the ground; 7 fighters are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 28 of 29 P-51s fly a scouting Mission without loss. 5. 10 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany.

Mission 837: 10 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss.

Mission 838: During the night of 20/21Feb, 30 B-24s attack the Neustadt marshalling yard without loss and 6 of 7 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The IX Engineer Command is relieved of its assignment to the 9AF and assigned to US Strategic AFs in Europe (USSTAF). (After V-E the command will revert to control of the Ninth.): Weather grounds the 9th Bombardment Division; in Germany, fighters fly armed reconnaissance E and W of the Rhine River, attack a bridge and defended area, and support the US VIII, XII, and XX Corps in the Lichtenborn area, W of the Prum River, and in the Saar-Mosel triangle.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 520+ B-17s, with fighter escort, and B-24s bomb the Lobau, Vienna and Schwechat, Austria oil refineries and Floridsdorf marshalling yard at Vienna, steel works at Kapfenberg, Austria, harbor at Pula, Yugoslavia, and shipyards at Trieste and Fiume, Italy.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The 27th and 86FGs and an air service group are transferred from the Twelfth AF to the First Tactical AF (Provisional) in France; HQ 86FG moves from Pisa, Italy to Tantonville, France. In Italy, A-20s on night intruder missions during the night of 19/20 Feb, bomb targets of opportunity at over 30 points in the C Po Valley, several rail diversions, and marshalling yards at Villafranca in Lunigiana, Roncanova, Bovolone, Cerea, Legnago, Cittadella, Casa di David, Isola della Scala, Castelfranco Veneto, and Nogara; fighterbombers devote their main effort to support the US Fifth Army offensive in the Monte Torraccia area; medium bombers bomb bridges at Montebello, Chiusaforte, Salzano, and Calcinato; the detachment of the 416th Night FS, 62FW, operating from Etain, France with Mosquitos, returns to base at Pisa.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 2 Guam Island-based B-24s on an armed reconnaissance flight bomb Marcus Island in the N Pacific. During the night of 20/21Feb, 7 B-24s flying individual raids, bomb the town of Okimura and airfield on Haha Jima Island. The air echelon of the 549th Night Fighter Squadron begins operating from Saipan Island with P-61s (ground echelon is enroute from Hawaii to Iwo Jima).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s bomb runways and warehouse at Jesselton Airfield in Borneo. Buildings at Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island and underground installation on Corregidor Island in Manila Bay are pounded. B-25s and fighters over Formosa thoroughly blast the town of Choshu, and also hit railroad yards, vehicles, railway rolling stock, and buildings. HQ 380BG(H) moves from Darwin, Australia to San Jose, Mindoro Island. The 23BS(H), 5BG(H), moves from Morotai Island to Samar Island, Philippine Islands.

WEDNESDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 21 B-25s, supported by 12 P-51s, pound Taiyuan; 2 B-25s and 12 P-40s hit Yoyang; about 100 fighterbombers on armed reconnaissance attack troops, trucks, horses, railroad targets, river shipping, and other targets of opportunity at many locations throughout S and E China; the detachment of the 530FS, 311th FG, operating from Hsian with P-51s, returns to base at Kwanghan.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 16 P-47s provide close support for ground forces in the Namhsan area; 15 support ground forces in the Mongmit sector; 100+ fighter-bombers strike supply and troop concentrations and make offensive sweeps of roads along the battleline areas. Transports continue to land men and supplies at forward bases and drop supplies to frontline troops. The 127th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda, India, sends a detachment to operate from Akyab, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): Units moving from England to France with C-47s: 75TCS, 435TCG, from Welford Park to Bretigny and 79TCS, 436th Troop Carrier Group, from Membury to Melun.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 839: 1,262 bombers and 792 fighters are dispatched to again attack the tank plant, main railroad station, marshalling yards and locomotive shops at Nurnberg, Germany using H2X radar; they claim 4-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 7 fighters are lost: 1. 830 of 867 B-17s hit the marshalling yard; 11others hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 298 damaged; 1airman is KIA and 6 WIA. Escorting are 373 of 391 P-51 s; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 375 of 395 B-24s hit the station and marshalling yard; targets of opportunity are Speyer (1) and other (2); 63 B-24s are damaged; 1airman is KIA and 3 WIA. The escort is 175 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 3. 45 of 46 P-51s make a sweep of the Meiningen-Coburg-Nurnberg area; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 98 of 101 P-51 s escort 9AF B-26s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft. 5. 23 of 31 P-51 s fly a scouting mission; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 6. 29 of 30 P-51s escort 10 F-5s and 7 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.

Mission 840: During the night of 21/22 Feb, 25 of 29 B-24s attack the Duisburg power and gas stations using PFF; 2 B-24s are lost.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): Units moving from Italy to France with P-47s: 522d, 523and 524FSs, 27FG, from Pontedera to St Dizier; 526FS, 86FG, from Pisa to Tantonville. 9AF: In Germany, the 9th Bombardment Division hits rail a overpass and bridges, an oil storage depot, marshalling yards, communications centers, and 13 targets of opportunity; 1,100+ fighter sorties are completed as the IX, XIX, and XXIX Tactical Air Commands escort the bomber, attack railroads, airfield, and other selected targets, fly armed reconnaissance over wide areas including the US First Army area between Duren and Losheim, and support the VIII, XII, and XX Corps along the Prum River, the West wall, and in the Saar-Mosel triangle.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): During the night of 20/21Feb, 1 B-17 and 13 B-24s drop supplies in N Italy. During the day 500+ B-17s and B-24s with fighter escorts bomb Vienna, Austria railroad targets (C yards, S station, and Matzleinsdorf marshalling yard), marshalling yards at Bruck an der Mur, Wiener-Neustadt, and Zeltweg, Austria, and Sopron, Hungary, and shipyards at Trieste and Fiume, Italy. HQ 1FG moves from Vincenzo Airfield to Salsola Airfield, Italy and the detachment of the 27FS ceases operating from Vincenzo and returns to base at Salsola with P-38s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, night fighters and A-20s on intruder missions during the night of 20/21Feb, continue to attack communications and supplies in the Po Valley; medium bombers, during the day, bomb bridges at Dogna, Crema, and Romano di Lombardia; fighter-bombers devote their main effort to close support of ground forces along the W and C US Fifth Army front, and also hit communications to the N of the battleline and in the Po Valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 24 P-47s from Saipan Island hit Pagan Island with napalm. P-38s from Guam Island escort photo aircraft over Truk Atoll and strafe aircraft on Moen Island and a wharf on Falas Island. 3 Guam Islandbased B-24s on an armed reconnaissance flight bomb the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. During the night of 21/22 Feb, 6 B-24s fly individual snooper raids from Guam against Chichi Jima Island.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s bomb Japanese positions in the hills W of Ft Stotsenburg, P-47s pound Corregidor Island and strafe the Bagae-Pilar road and P-40s support ground forces at Marikina, San Mateo, and on Corregidor Island; and Basco is hit by B-25s, A-20s, and P-38s. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Kudat and Sandakan Airfields while A-20s attack Jesselton Airfield and town. The 528BS(H), 380BG(H), moves from Darwin, Australia to San Jose, Mindoro Island with B-24s.

THURSDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 19 fighter-bombers hit villages, tanks, and trucks from Hsiangcheng to Hsuchang, attack railroad traffic around Sinsiang and Linfen, hit river craft, trucks, and troops in the Chiuchiang area, and claim 1freighter sunk on the Yangtze River between Hankow and Nanking; a single B-25 attacks convoys in the Siang-Chiang Valley near Hengyang.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 29 P-47s support ground forces in the Namhsan area; 11closely support forces in the Mongmit sector; about 100 fighter-bombers attack troop concentrations, gun positions, supply points, trucks, and animal transport in the battle areas and behind enemy lines. Transports complete 600+ sorties to forward areas throughout the day.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 841: 1,428 bombers and 862 fighters commence Operation CLARION, a joint RAF, Eighth, Ninth and 15AF operation with the objective of paralyzing the already decimated German rail and road system; most attacks were made visually; bombing was conducted from an optimum 10,000 feet (3,048 m) to achieve accuracy at target without flak defenses; they claim 28-2-43 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 bombers and 13 fighters are lost: 1. 522 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Bamberg (64), Zwickau (2): and Kitzingen (1); targets of opportunity are Ansbach (143), Donaueschingen (24), Reutlingen (25), Ulm (77), Freiburg (21), Hafingen (10), the marshalling yards at Aalen (24), Neustadt (26), Singen (8), Schwenningen (22), and Villgen (11) and other (42); some attacks are made with H2X radar; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft; 2 B-17s are lost and 29 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA and 19 MIA. Escorting are 163 of 168 P-51s; 3 are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 452 B-24s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Halberstadt (51), Sangerhausen (11), Nordhausen (30), Vienenburg (23), Peine (52), Hildesheim (55), Kreiensen (48), and Northeim (48); targets of opportunity are Nordhausen (11), Ottbergen (10), the rail and highway bridge at Lindern (1): and marshalling yards at Wallhausen (19), Oker (8), Eschwege (30), Gottingen (29) and Celle (8) and other (1); 4 B-24s are lost and 68 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA and 38 MIA. 246 P-47s and P-51s escort; they claim 19-0-16 aircraft on the ground; 4 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 3. 454 B-17s are sent to hit Wittenburg (72), Stendal (73), Salzwedel (59), Uelzen (73), Wittstock (11), Luneburg (39), and Ludwigslust (48); targets of opportunity are Grabow (13), Kobbelitz (24), Dannenberg (12) and Klotze (13). The escort is 268 of 280 P-51s; they claim 4-2-18 aircraft in the air and 3-0-5 on the ground; 5 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 99 of 103 P-51s fly a freelance Mission in support of the bombers; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft in the air; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 5. 28 of 32 P-51s fly a scouting mission; they claim 2-0-3 aircraft on the ground. 6. 13 P-51s escort 10 F-5s and 5 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): HQ 27FG moves from Tarquinia, Italy to St Dizier, France. 9AF: In Operation CLARION, 450+ A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s of the 9th Bombardment Division bomb SW German targets including 46 rail bridges, 12 marshalling yards, 11stations, plus junctions, roundhouses, a viaduct, a crossing, a workshop; this marks the first low-level operations by B-26s since May 43; 1,000+ fighters of the IX, XIX, and XXIX Tactical Air Commands escort the bombers, attack several assigned ground targets, fly armed reconnaissance, and cooperate with the US VIII, XII, and XX Corps along the Prum River and in the Saar-Mosel Triangle.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): The Fifteenth's participation in Operation CLARION includes 350+ B-17s and B-24s bombing 50+ separate communications targets in Germany, Austria, and Italy, including some 25 marshalling yards and numerous railroad lines and bridges; fighters fly 300+ escort and strafing sorties.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 21/22 Feb, A-20s attack an ammunition dump, railroad bridges and lines, and road lights in the Po Valley; B-25s bomb railroad bridges and marshalling yards at Lavis, Bressanone, and Ala, cutting the bridge at Lavis and the through tracks at the Ala marshalling yard; fighters and fighter-bombers continue to support US Fifth Army forces S and SW of Bologna and hit communications targets, dumps, vehicles, and guns in and N of the battle area in the Apennines Mountains and in the Po Valley, and bomb airfields at Ghedi and Bergamo.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 3 B-24s on armed reconnaissance from Guam Island bomb the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. During the night of 22/23 Feb, 6 B-24s fly individual harassment strikes against Susaki Airfield and the town of Okimura on Haha Jima Island.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, 100 B-24s hit troop concentrations NW of Ft Stotsenburg, P-47s pound Corregidor Island, A-20s hit concentrations at Pugo, SW of Baguio, B-24s bomb supply areas N and W of Baguio while P-51s hit Angin and Marikina. B-24s bomb Tarakan and Labuan Airfields in Borneo. Units moving from New Guinea: HQ 42d BG(M) Sansapor to Morotai Island [the group's 75th and 100BS(M) remain at Sansapor but begins operating from Morotai with B-25s]; HQ 347FG and the 67th and 339FSs from Middelburg Island to San Jose, Mindoro Island with P-38s (the 67th and 339th are operating from Morotai).

FRIDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 1945 ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): In California, a P-38 from Santa Rosa AAFld shoots down a Japanese balloon over Calistoga.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 29 B-24s and 22 fighters scheduled to attack Shihkiachwang abort because of bad weather; 8 P-51s hit railroad targets of opportunity near Siaokan and attack river traffic from Nanking to Hankow; 5 B-24s sweep Gulf of Tonkin and S China Sea, damaging 1 vessel; 4 P-40s attack targets of opportunity in the Kaifeng area.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 20+ P-47s support ground forces in the Mongmit sector and near Lashio, hitting a Japanese concentration; 12 B-25s and 120+ fighter-bombers continue pounding troop concentrations, supply areas, road traffic, and ammunition dumps in the frontline areas and behind enemy lines. A large transport effort completes 655 sorties.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 843: As a follow-up to the yesterday's attacks on transportation facilities as part of Operation CLARION, 1,274 bombers and 705 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards in Germany; they claim 15-0-16 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-24 and 6 P-51s are lost: 1. 446 B-17s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Treuchtlingen (61), Crailsheim (52), Neumarkt (74), Ansbach (109) and Kitzingen (95); targets of opportunity are Nordlingen (2), Schwabisch Hall (24), Winterhausen (7) and other (2); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 34 damaged; 1airman is WIA. Escorting are 194 of 203 P-51s; they claim 5-0-2 aircraft on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 460 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Plauen (110); targets of opportunity are Meiningen (49), Adelsberg (12), Hildburghausen (12), Kitzingen (88), Lichtenfels (13), Schweinfurt (12), Ellingen (25), Ottingen (48), Wurzburg (37), Crailsheim (38), and Zwolle (1); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 16 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. 193 of 208 P-51s escort and claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air; 3 P-51s are lost; 1 pilot is KIA and 3 MIA. 3. 368 B-24s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Weimar (57), Fulda (10) and Gera (46); targets of opportunity are Paderborn (104), Osnabruck (50), Jena (25), Schluchtern (20), Fritzlar (9), Reichenbach (9), Steinau (9), and other (1); 1 B-24 is lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 6 damaged; 21 airmen are KIA and 4 WIA. The escort is 105 of 110 P-51s. 4. 141 P-47s and P-51s make a sweep of Neuburg, Landsberg and Leipheim Airfields claiming 9-0-14 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 5. 4 P-51s escort 10 F-5s on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany. 6. 30 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 844: 24 of 27 B-24s make a PFF attack on the Neuss marshalling yard during the night without loss.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): The 527FS, 86th FG moves from Pisa, Italy to Tantonville, France with P-47s. 9AF: The 9th Bombardment Division hits communications centers E of the Roer River as the US Ninth Army crosses the river and begins an assault (Operation GRENADE) toward the Rhine River; fighters fly armed reconnaissance, patrols, and alerts and support the US 104th and 8th Infantry Divisions near Duren, Germany, the XIII and XIX Corps' attack across the Roer at Linnich and Rurdorf, Germany, and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps at the Prum River, E of the Our River, and E of the Saar River.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): About 380 B-17s and B-24s hit the marshalling yards at Villach, Worgl, Knittelfeld, and Klagenfurt, Austria and Udine, Italy, plus Kitzbuhel, Austria railroad junction; 140+ P-38s and P-51s provide escort; some of the fighters strafe areas NW of Linz, Austria and N of Munich, Germany; 35 other P-38s dive-bomb the Worgl marshalling yard and afterwards 30 of them strafe the rail line from Rosenheim, Germany- Innsbruck, Austria-Landeck, Austria; other P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and escort missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, A-20s on intruder missions during the night of 22/23 Feb, hit marshalling yards and airfields throughout N Italy; medium bombers concentrate on the N end of the Brenner Pass, damaging bridges at Campo San Pietro and a railroad fill at San Felice del Benaco and hitting bridges at Dogna; fighter-bombers pound airfields, and enemy movement in the C and N Po Valley, and damage 5 bridges and cut rail lines at numerous points.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 26 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb San Roque Airfield on Mindanao Island. 2 P-47s fromm Saipan Island on armed reconnaissance strafe Pagan Island. On the night of 23/24 Feb, 7 B-24s from Guam Island fly snooper raids against the airfield on Cbichi Jima and the town of Okimura on Haha Jima. US Marines raise the US flag on the summit of Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima Island.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): Strikes supporting ground forces continue throughout the battle zones on Luzon Island. In Borneo, P-47s hit Jesselton Airfield while B-24s bomb Sandakan, Lahat Datu, and Miri Airfields. In French Indochina, B-25s on shipping sweeps bomb vessels in Phan Rang harbor and hit a small convoy SW of Camranh Bay. The 20th Combat Mapping Squadron, 6(Photo)RG, based at Dulag, Leyte Island, ceases operating from Tacloban, Leyte with F-7s. The 68FS, 347FG, moves from Middelburg Island to San Jose Mindoro Island with P-38s. The 69BS(M), 42BG(M), based at Sansapor, New Guinea, begins operating from Morotai Island with B-25s.

SATURDAY, 24 FEBRUARY 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 4 B-25s on a shipping sweep attack the Hayakegawa River in the Kurile Islands; returning, the B-25s sight and photograph a Japanese bomb-carrying balloon.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 5 B-24s on individual sweeps over the S China Sea and Gulf of Tonkin claim 4 vessels sunk.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 38: In an all-incendiary attack, 105 of 116 B-29s hit the Empire Dock area at Singapore, Malayan States, burning out about 40 per cent of the warehouse area; 1 B-29 is lost; this is the last 100-aircraft strike by the XX BC. HQ 58BW (Very Heavy) and HQ 468BG(VH), begin a movement from the Hijli Base Area and Kharagpur, India respectively to the Mariana Islands.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 8 P-47s in close support of the ground forces near Lashio pound vehicle and a troop concentration; 12 B-25s and about 125 fighter-bombers strike against targets immediately behind the lines, hitting troops, supply areas, occupied towns and villages, vehicles, and general targets of opportunity. Transports complete 600 sorties carrying men and supplies to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 845: 1,114 bombers and 592 fighters are dispatched to hit oil refineries and rail targets using H2X radar; they claim 1-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 2 bombers and 11 fighters are lost: 1. 362 B-17s are sent to hit the Albrecht (278) and Harburg (70) oil refineries at Hamburg; 6 others hit a target of opportunity; 26 B-17s are damaged; 2 airmen are WIA. 181 of 195 P-51s escort; 4 are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 280 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Misburg oil refinery (104) and the marshalling yard at Lehrte (61); 76 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Bielefeld; targets of opportunity are Hannover (11), Lingen (2) and other (5); 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 16 damaged; 4 airmen are KIA, 3 WIA and 12 MIA. Escorting are 166 of 179 P-51s; 5 are lost (pilots MIA). 3. 383 B-17s are sent to hit the Deschimag U-boat yards at Bremen (200) and the Bremen W rail bridge (134); targets of opportunity are Minden (12), Osnabruck (8), Quackenbruck (5) and Brinkum (1); 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 162 damaged; 7 airmen are WIA and 9 MIA. The escort is 93 of 98 P-51s; they claim 1-0-3 aircraft on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 70 of 76 B-17s hit the Wesel rail bridge using Micro H; 22 B-17s are damaged. 29 P-51s escort without loss. 5. 12 of 13 B-17s fly a screening mission. 6. 43 of 46 P-51s fly a freelance Mission for the bombers without loss. 7. 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 8. 17 P-51s escort 19 F-5s and 4 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

Mission 846: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, nearly 500 B-26s, A-20s and A-26s hit 5 communications centers, 2 marshalling yards, 3 rail bridges, 6 town areas, and a target of opportunity as part of interdiction operations against troops during the Rhineland campaign; fighters support the 8th and 104th Infantry Divisions in the Duren area, the XIII and XIX Corps at the Roer River bridgehead area, and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps E of and along the Prum River and in the Saarlautern area.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 500+ B-17s and B-24s (with fighter escorts) attack the Udine, Padua, Verona, and Ferrara marshalling yards and Ferrara railroad bridge in Italy; marshalling yards at Graz and Klagenfurt, Austria; and several targets of opportunity. During the previous night 20 B-24s continue supply drops in N Italy.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 23/24 Feb, A-20s bomb marshalling yards, including those at Castelfranco Veneto, Rovereto, Villafranca di Verona, and Legnago, and airfields at Villafranca di Verona, Ghedi, and Bergamo; medium bombers bomb rail lines, bridges, bridge approaches, and fills at Bozzolo, Santa Margherita d'Adige, San Michele all'Adige, Pizzighetone, and Lavis, and severely damage the Sesto Calende industrial complex; fighter-bombers hit communications, mainly airfields, railroad bridges, lines, and marshalling yards at several points including Villafranca, Calliano, N of Nervesa della Battaglia, N of Santa Margherita d'Adige, Bergamo, Pavullo nel Frigano, Isola della Scala, and Motta di Livenza; fighters and fighter-bombers support US Fifth Army forces, hitting gun positions in advance of the battlefront, at Montese and E of Modena, and blast targets in the battle area as the 10th Mountain Division reaches the summit of Monte Torraccia.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 28 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb Ising on Mindanao Island. 3 B-24s on armed reconnaissance from Guam Island bomb the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. During the night of 24/25 Feb, 5 B-24s out of Guam fly individual snooper strikes against the airfield on Chichi Jima Island and the town of Okimura on Haha Jima Island.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, strikes in support of ground forces continue, especially W of Ft Stotsenburg; fighter-bombers attack forces holding out on Corregidor Island in Manila Bay; B-24s bomb Sepinggaiig and Manggar Airfields in Borneo. B-25s sweep off the China coast, bombing the naval base at Ryukyu-Sho, Formosa. The 20th Combat Mapping Squadron, 6(Photo)RG, based at Dulag, Leyte Island begins operating from San Jose, Mindoro Island with F-7s. The 390BS(M), 42BG(M), based at Sansapor, New Guinea, begins operating from Morotai Island with B-25s.

SUNDAY, 25 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 6 B-25s, supported by 5 P-40s, hit sampans and buildings in the Puchi area; 3 B-25s and 19 P-40s pound the Isuho ferry and attack river and road traffic from Siangtan to Hengyang; a single B-25 bombs truck convoys S of Hengyang; 4 B-24s over the Gulf of Tonkin and S China Sea claim damaging hits on 2 vessels; 44 P-51s and P-40s hit bridges, river shipping, troop areas, and motor transport at Kweiyi, Paoching, and Siangtan, from Lingling to Hengyang and Leiyang, from Anjen to Chaling, N of Liuchow, and W of Ishan.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): HQ 40BG(VH), begins a movement from Chakulia India to the Mariana Islands.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, in joint operations with the British and Chinese army forces, 16 P-47s support the British 36 Division in the Mongmit sector while 31 P-47s support the Chinese 38th and 50th Divisions near Lashio and Namtu, respectively; a low B-25 strike knocks out a suspension bridge at Namsang; 9 B-25s and 85 fighter-bombers blast troop concentrations, supply areas, road traffic, and general targets of opportunity behind enemy lines. 600+ transport sorties are completed to forward areas.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 437th Troop Carrier Group and the 83d, 84th, 85th and 86TCSs move from Ramsbury, England to Voisins Airfield, Coulommiers, France with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 847: 1,197 bombers and 755 fighters are dispatched to hit tank factories, airfields associated with jet aircraft, oil depots and rail targets visually; they claim 34-0-21 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 bombers and 8 fighters are lost: 1. 377 B-17s are sent to hit the Maybach tank factory at Friedrichshaffen (63) using Gee-H, and the station and marshalling yard (73) and oil storage tanks and marshalling yard (174) at Munich; 51 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Ulm; 1other hit Kenzingen, a target of opportunity; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 135 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 2 WIA and 18 MIA. Escorting are 136 of 149 P-51s; they claim 1-0-2 aircraft on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 452 B-17s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Munich (315) and Neuburg (88); targets of opportunity are Kaufbeuren (13), Ludwigsfeldt marshalling yard (12), Kempten (1), Durladingen (2), Rortwell (1) and other (5); 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 197 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 3 WIA and 27 MIA. 140 of 145 P-51s escort and claim 2-0-3 aircraft on the ground. 3. 368 B-24s are sent to hit the marshalling yard (115) and tank factory (54) at Aschaffenburg and the airfields at Giebelstadt (96) and Schwabishch Hall (93); 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 31 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA and 6 WIA. The escort is 126 of 135 P-51s. 4. 262 P-47s and P-51s fly close escort and area patrols claiming 21-0-4 aircraft in the air and 10-0-12 on the ground; 6 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA): and 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair. 5. 8 P-51s escort 4 F-5s on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany. 6. 32 of 34 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 848: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, the 9th BombardmentDivision strikes 4 rail bridges, 4 communications centers, a marshalling yard and 9 targets of opportunity as part of the interdiction campaign against Germany; fighters escort the bombers, attack assigned ground targets, fly armed reconnaissance, and support the 8th and 104th Infantry Divisions in the Duren area, the XIII and XlX Corps E of the Roer River, and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps along the Prum and Saar Rivers.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Austria, 600+ B-17s and B-24s bomb marshalling yards in Amstetten, 2 in Linz, 2 in Villach, and Salzburg, plus the Linz benzol plant and ordnance depot and several targets of opportunity. Fighters escort and some afterwards strafe targets of opportunity in Austria, SE Germany, and W Czechoslovakia. In Germany, 37 P-51s strafe railroad targets in the Rosenheim-Muhldorf-Landshut-Augsburg areas. Routine reconnaissance and supply missions continue.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 24/25 Feb, A-20s attack marshalling yards at Villafranca di Verona, Cittadella, Castelfranco Veneto, Trento, and Turin, and airfields at Villafranca di Verona and Bergamo; medium bombers cut or damage bridges at Vipiteno, Dogna, Ala, and Campo San Pietro, and a railroad fill at San Felice del Benaco; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers are restricted by ground haze in the Po Valley but attack rail lines, marshalling yards, rolling stock, motor transport, and dumps.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): Lieutenant General Millard F Harmon, Commanding General AAFPOA and Deputy Commander of the 20AF, is lost near Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands when his aircraft disappears enroute to Washington DC. (On 2 Mar Major General Willis H Hale, AAFPOA deputy commander for operations, assumes Harmon's positions). 9 Guam Island-based B-24s hit blockhouses, and mortar and rocket-launching positions on the NW part of Iwo Jima Island; 8 B-24s, flying separate harassment strikes, pound airfields on Chichi Jima during the night of 25/26 Feb. In Hawaii, HQ 508FG and the 466FS move from Kahuku to Mokuleia with P-47s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 38: 172 of 229 B-29s bomb the urban area of Tokyo; 29 others hit alternates and targets of opportunity; this is the XXI BC's largest

Mission to date and its first 3-wing strike against Japan as the the 73and 313BWs(VH), are joined by the 314th; 3 B-29s are lost.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In Formosa, B-24s bomb Takao and P-51s hit targets of opportunity along the E coast. On Luzon Island, B-24s attack troop concentrations on the E side of the Ipo River and pound Japanese positions between Ipo and Osboy. B-24s bomb Tawau and Labuan Airfields in Borneo. HQ 49FG and the 7FS move from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Lingayen, Luzon with P-38s.

MONDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 20 B-25s, some with fighter escort, bomb Ishan, Luchai, Siangtan, and hit bridges at Chuchou and Loshan. In French Indochina, 9 B-25s attack bridges, railroad tracks, and heavy port equipment at Ha Trung, along the Chu R, and at Hongay and Haiphong. 70+ fighter-bombers on armed reconnaissance over S and E China and N French Indochina attack numerous targets of opportunity including airfields, town areas, and river, rail, and road traffic.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): HQ 462BG(VH), begins a movement from Piardoba, India to the Mariana Islands.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 P-47s support troops of the British 36 Division in the Mongmit area; 8 support the MARS Task Force, a composite Chinese-American force, in the Lashio sector while 16 others fly close support for Chinese 50th Division troops near Namhsam; 8 B-25s on lowlevel strikes knock out bypass bridges at Mong Pawn and Loi-leng; 80+ fighter-bombers and 4 B-25s continue to attack troops, supplies, road traffic, and other targets immediately behind lines. Again 600+ transport sorties are flown.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 436th Troop Carrier Group and the 80th, 81 and 82TCSs move from Membury, England to Melun, France with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 849: 1,207 bombers and 726 fighters are dispatched to make H2X radar attacks on three Berlin rail stations; they claim 6-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-17s and 3 P-51s are lost: 1. 377 B-17s are sent to hit the Schlesischer rail station (363); 1 hits Osnabruck, a target of opportunity; 2 B-17s are lost and 21 damaged; 1airman is WIA and 18 MIA. 214 of 244 P-51s escort claiming 4-0-0 aircraft in the air. 2. 446 B-17s set out to hit the Alexanderplatz rail station (418); 4 others hit a target of opportunity; 1 B-17s is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 43 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 9 MIA. Escorting are 232 of 240 P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (2 pilots MIA). 3. 361 B-24s are dispatched to hit the North rail station (285); 37 hit Eberswalde, the secondary target; 4 hit a target of opportunity; 2 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 26 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 3 MIA. The escort is 20 P-47s and 190 P-51s. 4. 17 B-17s and 6 B-24s fly screening missions. 5. 31 of 32 P-51fly a scouting mission.

Mission 850: During the night, 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany; and 5 B-24s fly a CARPETBAGGER mission.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 235 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s attack the communications center at Wickrath, rail and road junctions at Zieverich and Gladbach, a supply and ammunition depot (casual target), the towns of Kapellen, Viersen, and Munstereifel, and targets of opportunity; weather limits fighter operations to armed reconnaissance flights in the Aschaffenburg-Wurzburg area by the XIX Tactical Air Command.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): During the night of 25/26 Feb, supply drops to N Italy continue. In Austria during the day 32 P-38s divebomb and strafe the Graz-Bruck an der Mur-Wiener Neustadt rail lines and 12 others fly top cover. Other P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and escort missions. 102 B-24s, with fighter escort, dispatched against tactical targets in Yugoslavia, are recalled when clouds completely cover the objectives.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 25/26 Feb, A-20s considerably damage marshalling yards at Castelfranco Veneto and Bazzano; medium bombers bomb railroad bridges at Legnago, Ala, Pontetidone, and San Michele all'Adige; fighters and fighter-bombers hit bridges, marshalling yards, rail lines, and transport targets at numerous points including Nervesa della Battaglia, Ora, Bologna, Trento, Vicenza, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, and Avisio, and bomb airfields at Ghedi and Bergamo; XXII Tactical Air Command aircraft also support US Fifth Army forces in the battle area S of Bologna.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 9 B-24s sent from Guam Island against positions on Iwo Jima Island are recalled due to cloud cover; 8 B-24s hit Chichi Jima Island during the night of 26/27 Feb, flying individual harassment strikes.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s over Formosa hit Takao Airfield while fighters on a sweep strafe railroad targets. On Luzon Island, B-24s bomb troop concentrations in the Ipo Dam area and support ground forces NE of Manila; A-20s and fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Echague Airfield area, at Ternate, Trinidad, and Antipolo, and hit troops W of Ft Stotsenburg. A-20s, P-38s, and P-47s hit Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island and B-25s bomb Zettle Airfield on Jolo Island. In Borneo, B-24s hit Manggar and Sepinggang Airfields. The 9FS, 49th FG, moves from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Lingayen, Luzon with P-38s and the 70FS, 18FG, moves from Lingayen, Luzon to San Jose, Mindoro with P-38s.

TUESDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 12 B-25s knock out 4 bridges and damage 2 others in N French Indochina. In China, 12 others bomb Ishan and Hwaiyuanchen; 4 B-24s over the Gulf of Tonkin and S China Sea attack shipping, claiming 2 vessels sunk; 19 fighter-bombers hit barracks SW of Ishan, 15 attack Kiungshan Airfield, 12 hit targets of opportunity in the Yoyang area, 23 hit targets of opportunity around Kiyang, and 30 others hit scattered targets of opportunity at other points in S and E China; the 22d BS(M), 341BG(M), based at Yangkai with B-25s, sends a detachment to operate from Peishiyi; the 35(Photo)RS, 14AF, based at Chanyi with F-5s, sends a detachment to operate from Laohwangping (another detachment is operating from Chengkung).

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 40: In the Malayan States during the night of 27/28 Feb, 10 of 12 B-29s mine Johore Strait on the E of Singapore and 1mines Penang harbor. Personnel of the 58BW(VH), begin shipping out of Calcutta, India for Tinian and Guam Islands, implementing the redeployment orders of the 6 Feb War Department directive; the final shipment arrives in the the Mariana Islands on 6 Jun, completing the transfer of the wing from India without loss of a single life or aircraft.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 18 P-47s closely support ground forces in the Mongmit area; 4 others knock out a small bypass bridge at Hay-ti; about 100 fighter-bombers attack troop concentrations, supplies, gun positions, elephant transport, and road traffic along the battlefronts and behind enemy lines. Transport operations continue on a large-scale as 589 sorties are completed.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 851: 1,107 bombers and 745 fighters are dispatched to hit road and rail communications at Halle and Leipzig using H2X radar; they claim 83-0-19 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-24s and 2 P-51s are lost: 1. 314 of 351 B-24s hit the marshalling yard at Halle; targets of opportunity are Bitterfeld (21) and other (3); 2 B-24s are lost and 4 damaged; 1airman is KIA and 18 MIA. Escorting are 196 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 45-0-3 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 717 of 756 B-17s hit the rail center at Leipzig; 7 others hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA. The escort is 453 of 489 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 36-0-16 on the ground without loss. 3. 28 P-51s fly a scouting Mission without loss. 4. 13 P-51s escort 2 F-5s and 2 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over C and E Germany.

Mission 852: During the night of 27/28 Feb, 23 of 26 B-24s bomb Wilhelmshafen oil storage by PFF without loss and 1 B-17 and 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 118 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s attack the Ahrweiler rail bridge, communications centers at Glessen, Munstereifel, and Monheim, and a target of opportunity; fighters fly leaflet missions, attack Frankfurt/Main oil storage tanks, fly alerts, and strafe from W of Duisburg to Worringen; the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional): also flies support for the XIII and XIX Corps SW and S of Monchen-Gladbach.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 540+ B-24s and B-17s, with fighter escort, bomb marshalling yards at Augsburg, Germany and Salzburg, Lienz, and Jenbach, Austria plus several targets of opportunity; escorting fighters strafe targets of opportunity during the return flight. Routine reconnaissance and supply missions continue.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 26/27 Feb, A-20s bomb enemy movement at 14 different places in the Po Valley, marshalling yards at Villafranca di Verona and Isola della Scala, the town of Bazzano, and airfields at Villafranca di Verona and Ghedi; XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers concentrate on railroad cutting in the Brenner area and NE Italy, claiming 36 cuts, and attack rolling stock in the Villach, Austria area; medium bombers destroy a railroad diversion bridge at San Michele all'Adige and cut approaches on the Ala and Lavis bridges and effectively blast the Spilimbergo and Pagnocco dumps.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 9 Guam Island-based B-24s blast pillboxes, artillery emplacements, blockhouse, and mortar positions on the N part of Iwo Jima Island. On Mindanao Island, 22 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb Daliao and Libby Airfields. During the night of 27/28 Feb, 9 B-24s, flying snooper strikes out of Guam, bomb airfields, radio stations, and the town of Okimura on Haha Jima Island.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s, A-20s, and P-38s strike Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island in preparation for the following morning's allied amphibious landings. On Luzon Island, ground support continues on a largescale including a strike on Baguio by P-51s. On Mindanao P-38s and USMC aircraft hit airfields. B-24s bomb Tarakan and Jesselton Airfields in Borneo. On Formosa, Takao is hit by B-24s while fighters sweep the W coast. Sweeping the China coast, B-25s hit a fleet of junks and sampans near Hong Kong destroying and damaging 25+. The 8th Fighter Squadron, 49FG, moves from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Lingayen, Luzon with P-38s and the 12FS, 18FG, moves from Lingayen to San Jose with P-38s. The 65th and 66th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 403TCG, moves from Biak Island to Morotai Island with C-46s and C-47s (the squadrons cease operating from Hill Field, Mindoro); and the 432FS, 475FG, moves from Dulag, Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon with P-38s (a detachment is operating from San Jose, Mindoro).

WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 2 B-25s attack targets of opportunity in the Hsiang River Valley while 2 P-51s hit targets of opportunity NE of Hengyang; a single B-24 damages a cargo vessel in the S China Sea; the 11BS(M), 341BG(M), based at Yangkai with B-25s, sends a detachment to operate from Laowhangpin.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 28 P-47s support forces of the British 36 Division in the Mongmit area; 75 fighter-bombers continueu pounding troop concentrations, supply dumps, and road traffic behind enemy lines. 552 transport sorties are flown, landing men and supplies at forward bases and dropping supplies to frontline troops.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): Units moving from England to France: HQ 313TCG from Folkingham to Achiet; HQ 314th TCG and the 32 and 61TCSs from Saltby to Poix with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.

Mission 854: 1,104 bombers and 737 fighters are dispatched to make PFF attacks on rail targets in Germany; they calim 18-0-11 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 and 5 P-51s are lost: 1. 378 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Soest (143), Hagen (151): and Schwerte (74) using Gee-H; 1other hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-17s is lost; 3 airmen are MIA. 106 of 112 P-51s escort without loss. 2. 346 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Arnsberg (95) and Bielefeld (81): viaducts, the Siegen marshalling yard (77) and the Henschel tank plant at Meschede (79); 1other hits the Neustadt road junction, a target of opportunity; all attacks are made using Gee-H; no casualties. Escorting are 117 of 123 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 364 of 380 B-17s hit the marshalling yard at Kassel, the secondary target; 6 others hit 6 targets of opportunity; the attacks are made using H2X radar; no casualties. The escort is 113 of 118 P-51s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft in the air and 10-0-4 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 308 of 318 P-51s fly a strafing run in the Wurzburg-Munich area; they calim 8-0-6 aircraft on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 5. 18 of 20 P-47s fly a figher-bomber mission against Ablar, Offenbach and Werdorf marshalling yards and factory buildings without loss. 6. 16 P-51s escort 4 F-5s and 1Spitfire on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.

Mission 855: 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss. 1Mosquito flies a SKYWAVE

Mission over Germany. (SKYWAVE is a special navigational

Mission to calibrate LORAN equipment.):

Mission 856: 22 of 24 B-24s bomb the Freiburg rail depot during the night using PFF methods; no losses. The 36BS(H), 1Air Division [attached to 482d BG(H)], moves from Cheddington to Alconbury, England with B-24s (the 36th is engaged in radio countermeasures operations).

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 340+ A-20s, B-26s and A-26s bomb rail bridges at Mayen, Niederscheld, and Colbe, the Unna ordnance depot, Kamp road junction, Siegen and Sankt Wendel marshalling yards, the town of Rheinburg, and targets of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, fly sweeps, patrols and armed reconnaissance, attack special targets, and support the US 3Armored Division at the Paffendorf bridgehead, US Ninth Army elements near Monchen-Gladbach and Neuss [the 2Armored Division reaches a point within 6 miles (9.7 km) of the Rhine River], and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps between the Prum and Kyll Rivers and near Trier.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): About 680 B-17s and B-24s bomb marshalling yards at Lienz, Austria; Ora, Bolzano, Vipiteno, Vicenza, Fortezza, Bressanone, Brunico, Brescia, and Conegliano, Italy, and bridges at Albes and Verona-Parona di Valpolicella, Italy; 109 P-51s provide escort; 75 P-38s divebomb the Sankt Veit an der Glan marshalling yard in Austria and strafe rail lines in the Sankt Veit, Austria-Klagenfurt, Austria-Villach, Austria-Ljubljana, Yugoslavia areas; other P-38s and P-51s (about 25) strafe rail traffic around Bruck an der Mur, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, and Worgl, Austria and Passau, Germany, and attack Bjelovar Airfield in Yugoslavia, destroying an enemy-held B-24 and P-38; reconnaissance and supply flights are maintained.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 27/28 Feb, A-20s attack a few marshalling yards, bridges, rail lines, and general movement but because of bad weather are recalled by midnight; XII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers continue to pound communications and other targets, including Ghedi and Vicenza Airfields, ammunition dumps near Codroipo and W of Villafranca di Verona, and shell loading plant SW of Piacenza; medium bombers bomb bridges at Ala, Santa Margherita d'Adige, San Michele all'Adige, Ponte di Piave, and Pordenone, and a railway embankment at Salorno.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 8 Guam Island-based B-24s pound Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island. 23 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb Sasa Airfield on Mindanao Island. During the night of 28 Feb/1Mar, 6 B-24s from Guam, flying separate harassment strikes, bomb Susaki Airfield again. The ground echelon of the 548NPS, VII Fighter Command arrives on Iwo Jima Island from Hawaii (air echelon is operating from Saipan Island with P-61s).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In Borneo, B-24s strike Sandakan and Labuan Airfields and B-25s fly a napalm raid against Sanga Sanga Airfield. B-24s bomb Caldera Point and B-25s hit San Roque Airfield on Mindanao. The 70TCS, 433Troop Carrier Group, moves from Hollandia, New Guinea to Dulag, Leyte Island with C-46s and C-47s. The 431 and 433FSs, 475FG, move from Dulag, Leyte to Clark Field, Luzon Island with P-38s (they are operating from San Jose, Mindoro Island). The 530BS(H), 380BG(H), moves from Darwin, Australia to San Jose, Mindoro

WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 2 B-25s attack targets of opportunity in the Hsiang River Valley while 2 P-51s hit targets of opportunity NE of Hengyang; a single B-24 damages a cargo vessel in the S China Sea; the 11BS(M), 341BG(M), based at Yangkai with B-25s, sends a detachment to operate from Laowhangpin.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 28 P-47s support forces of the British 36 Division in the Mongmit area; 75 fighter-bombers continue pounding troop concentrations, supply dumps, and road traffic behind enemy lines. 552 transport sorties are flown, landing men and supplies at forward bases and dropping supplies to frontline troops.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): Units moving from England to France: HQ 313TCG from Folkingham to Achiet; HQ 314th TCG and the 32 and 61TCSs from Saltby to Poix with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.

Mission 854: 1,104 bombers and 737 fighters are dispatched to make PFF attacks on rail targets in Germany; they claim 18-0-11 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 and 5 P-51s are lost: 1. 378 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Soest (143), Hagen (151): and Schwerte (74) using Gee-H; 1other hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost; 3 airmen are MIA. 106 of 112 P-51s escort without loss. 2. 346 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Arnsberg (95) and Bielefeld (81): viaducts, the Siegen marshalling yard (77) and the Henschel tank plant at Meschede (79); 1other hits the Neustadt road junction, a target of opportunity; all attacks are made using Gee-H; no casualties. Escorting are 117 of 123 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 364 of 380 B-17s hit the marshalling yard at Kassel, the secondary target; 6 others hit 6 targets of opportunity; the attacks are made using H2X radar; no casualties. The escort is 113 of 118 P-51s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft in the air and 10-0-4 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 308 of 318 P-51s fly a strafing run in the Wurzburg-Munich area; they claim 8-0-6 aircraft on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 5. 18 of 20 P-47s fly a fighter-bomber mission against Ablar, Offenbach and Werdorf marshalling yards and factory buildings without loss. 6. 16 P-51s escort 4 F-5s and 1Spitfire on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

Mission 855: 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss. 1Mosquito flies a SKYWAVE

Mission over Germany. (SKYWAVE is a special navigational

Mission to calibrate LORAN equipment.):

Mission 856: 22 of 24 B-24s bomb the Freiburg rail depot during the night using PFF methods; no losses. The 36BS(H), 1Air Division [attached to 482d BG(H)], moves from Cheddington to Alconbury, England with B-24s (the 36th is engaged in radio countermeasures operations).

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 340+ A-20s, B-26s and A-26s bomb rail bridges at Mayen, Niederscheld, and Colbe, the Unna ordnance depot, Kamp road junction, Siegen and Sankt Wendel marshalling yards, the town of Rheinburg, and targets of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, fly sweeps, patrols and armed reconnaissance, attack special targets, and support the US 3Armored Division at the Paffendorf bridgehead, US Ninth Army elements near Monchen-Gladbach and Neuss [the 2Armored Division reaches a point within 6 miles (9.7 km) of the Rhine River], and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps between the Prum and Kyll Rivers and near Trier.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): About 680 B-17s and B-24s bomb marshalling yards at Lienz, Austria; Ora, Bolzano, Vipiteno, Vicenza, Fortezza, Bressanone, Brunico, Brescia, and Conegliano, Italy, and bridges at Albes and Verona-Parona di Valpolicella, Italy; 109 P-51s provide escort; 75 P-38s divebomb the Sankt Veit an der Glan marshalling yard in Austria and strafe rail lines in the Sankt Veit, Austria-Klagenfurt, Austria-Villach, Austria-Ljubljana, Yugoslavia areas; other P-38s and P-51s (about 25) strafe rail traffic around Bruck an der Mur, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, and Worgl, Austria and Passau, Germany, and attack Bjelovar Airfield in Yugoslavia, destroying an enemy-held B-24 and P-38; reconnaissance and supply flights are maintained.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 27/28 Feb, A-20s attack a few marshalling yards, bridges, rail lines, and general movement but because of bad weather are recalled by midnight; XII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers continue to pound communications and other targets, including Ghedi and Vicenza Airfields, ammunition dumps near Codroipo and W of Villafranca di Verona, and a shell loading plant SW of Piacenza; medium bombers bomb bridges at Ala, Santa Margherita d'Adige, San Michele all'Adige, Ponte di Piave, and Pordenone, and a railway embankment at Salorno.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 8 Guam Island-based B-24s pound Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island. 23 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb Sasa Airfield on Mindanao Island. During the night of 28 Feb/1Mar, 6 B-24s from Guam, flying separate harassment strikes, bomb Susaki Airfield again. The ground echelon of the 548NPS, VII Fighter Command arrives on Iwo Jima Island from Hawaii (air echelon is operating from Saipan Island with P-61s).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In Borneo, B-24s strike Sandakan and Labuan Airfields and B-25s fly a napalm raid against Sanga Sanga Airfield. B-24s bomb Caldera Point and B-25s hit San Roque Airfield on Mindanao. The 70TCS, 433Troop Carrier Group, moves from Hollandia, New Guinea to Dulag, Leyte Island with C-46s and C-47s. The 431 and 433FSs, 475FG, move from Dulag, Leyte to Clark Field, Luzon Island with P-38s (they are operating from San Jose, Mindoro Island). The 530BS(H), 380BG(H), moves from Darwin, Australia to San Jose, Mindoro with B-24s. MARCH 1945

THURSDAY, 1 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 6 B-25s and 5 P-51s pound the S side of Ishan while 17 other P-51s hit the E and W sections of the city; 9 P-51s attack targets of opportunity of Chinchengchiang while 4 others hit troops and road traffic between Chinchengchiang and Hwaiyang. During Mar 45, the detachment of the 11BS(M), 341 BG(M), operating from Laowhangpin with B-25s returns to base at Yangkai; the 26FS, 51FG, based at Kunming with P-51s sends a detachment to operate from Liangshan during the month; the 74FS, 23FG, based at Luliang with P-51s sends a detachment to operate from Tushan until Aug 45; the 426th Night FS, 14AF (attached to 312FW), moves from Chengtu to Shwantliu with P-61s (a detachment is operating from Hsian); and the 449FS, 51FG, based at Chengkung with P-38s, sends a detachment to operate from Mentsz while the detachment at Yunnani returns to base.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): HQ 444BG(VH),: begins a movement from Dudhkundi, India to the Mariana Islands.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 27 P-47s support ground forces in the Mogok area; 16 fly close support strikes near Lashio; 14 P-47s damage the approaches of the bypass bridge at Na-lang, but leave the bridge serviceable; about 100 fighter-bombers attack troops, supply areas, communications targets, a ferry landing, and general targets of opportunity along the battlefronts and immediately behind Japanese lines. Large-scale transport operations continue.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): During Mar 45, the 62d TCS, 314TCG, moves from Saltby, England to Poix, France.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 857: 1,228 bombers and 488 fighters are dispatched to attack marshalling yards in C and S Germany; 3 plants suspected of manufacturing Me 262 jet engine parts could not be attack due to clouds; most attacks are made using H2X radar; the fighters claim 12-0-8 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 P-51s are lost: 1. 452 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Bruchsal (115), Reutlingen (69), Neckarsulm (85), Heilbronn (107) and Gottingen (36); 25 hit Heidelberg, the secondary target; some visual attacks are made; 27 B-17s are damaged. Escorting are 92 of 100 P-51s; 2 are lost (pilots MIA) and 2 damaged beyond repair. 2. 253 of 321 B-24s bomb the Ingolstadt marshalling yard; 62 others hit the secondary target, Augsburg; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair. 181 of 194 P-51s escort claiming 1-0-0 aircraft in the air; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 420 of 449 B-17s hit the marshalling yard at Ulm; 2 others hit a target of opportunity; some attacks are visual; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged; 16 airmen are KIA and 2 WIA. The escort is 147 of 152 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 9-0-7 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 6 B-24s fly a screening Mission without loss. 5. 31 of 32 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 6. 9 of 10 P-51s escort 8 F-5s on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.

Mission 858: 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 340+ B-26s, A-20s and A-26s attack the ordnance depot at Giessen, communications centers at Pulheim, Rheinbach, Rommergkirchen, and Stommeln, the rail bridge at Pracht, a road bridge, and 8 targets of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, fly alerts, scheduled patrols, and armed reconnaissance, hit assigned ground targets and support the US 3Armored Division at the Erft River bridgehead near Paffendorf, the 9th Armored Division between Neffelbach and Rotbach Creeks, the XIX Corps in the Monchen-Gladbach area, the VIII Corps astride the Prum River, the XII Corps between the Prum and Nims Rivers and along the Kyll River, and the XX Corps in the Trier area; and in the Netherlands, the XVI and XIII Corps in the Venlo area and along the Niers River. During Mar 45, HQ IX Fighter Command moves from Verviers, Belgium to Bruhl, Germany.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS: US Army Forces in the Middle East (USAFIME) takes over NW Africa from

MTO - US Army and is redesignated the Africa-Middle East Theater (AMET). AAF, MTO: "A" and "D" Flights of the 121Liaison Squadron, AAF, MTO, operating from Vittel, France with L-4s and L-5s, return to base at Florence, Italy.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Austria, 630+ B-24s and B-17s bomb the Moosbierbaum oil refinery and alternate targets and targets of opportunity including marshalling yards at Sankt Polten, Amstetten, Villach, Klagenfurt, Knittelfeld, Feldbach, and the marshalling yards at Jesenice and Maribor, Yugoslavia, plus several scattered targets of opportunity; 220+ fighters provide escort; 22 P-38s bomb the Moosbierbaum refinery and Tulln marshalling yard (afterward 12 of them strafe the Wiener-Neustadt-Gloggnitz): rail lines); 47 other P-38s strafe rail traffic around Graz and W of Vienna.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 28 Feb/1Mar, A-20s fly intruder missions against targets at Lecco and in the Parma area, starting large fires and causing several explosions during a strike on the Casarsa delta Delizia temporary railroad bridge, and hit bridges at Nervesa delta Battaglia and Sacile; weather cancels all daytime operations except for reconnaissance and supply runs.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): HQ VII Fighter Command is removed from control of 7AF and transferred to AAFPOA and moves from Ft Kamehameha, Oahu, Hawaii to Iwo Jima Island, Volcano Islands during Mar 45. In the Bonin Islands, 7 B-24s from Guam Island, Mariana Islands, bomb Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island; 1other hits Haha Jima Island; during the night of 1/2 Mar, 5 B-24s make separate harassment strikes on Susaki Airfield and the town of Okimura on Haha Jima.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In Formosa, B-24s bomb the Takao aluminum plant, Tainan Airfield and nearby satellite field and fighters hit buildings at Keishu and storage tanks, railroad yards, and targets of opportunity. On Luzon Island, Philippine Islands, troops on Corregidor Island and W of Ft Stotsenburg are hit with napalm. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Tarakan Island, Labuan Island, and Manggar Airfields. B-25s hit Zettle Field on Jolo Island, Philippine Islands. HQ Thirteenth AF moves from Morotai Island, Moluccas Islands to Leyte Island, Philippine Islands and HQ XIII Fighter Command moves from Leyte to Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island, Philippine Islands. HQ 18FG moves from Lingayen, Luzon to San Jose, Mindoro Island, Philippine Islands; the 531BS(H), 380BG(H), moves from Darwin, Australia to San Jose, Mindoro with B-24s. During Mar 45, HQ V BC and HQ V Fighter Command moves from Mindoro to Clark Field, Luzon.

FRIDAY, 2 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 3 B-24s on sweeps over the Gulf of Tonkin and the S China Sea claim 2 vessels sunk and 3 damaged.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 41: In the Malayan States, 50 of 64 B-29s dispatched bomb the shop and warehouse area at the naval base in Singapore; 5 others hit alternates on Bukum Island and at Arang Hill, and at Khao Huakhang, Thailand; they claim 0-1-4 Japanese aircraft; 2 B-29s are lost.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 20+ P-47s fly close support strikes in the Mogok area; 2 B-25s damage ferry slips at Li-lu while 10 others hit bridges at Tonglau, Na-lang, Mong Pawn, and Namsang; 90+ fighter-bombers attack gun positions, troops, supply areas, and highway targets of opportunity in the general battle areas and behind enemy lines. Transports complete 564 sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 859: 1,232 bombers and 774 fighters are dispatched to hit synthetic oil plants and a tank factory in Germany; most attacks are made using H2X radar; they claim 110.5-9-60 Luftwaffe aircraft; 14 bombers and 13 P-51s are lost: 1. 450 B-17s are sent to hit an oil plant at Bohlen (60), oil refinery at Rositz (36) and gun batteries at Bohlen (36); 255 hit the secondary target, Chemnitz; targets of opportunity are Penig (12), Saalfeld (13), Jocketa (12), Cologne (1) and other (12); some attacks are made visually; they claim 2-0-1 aircraft; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 52 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 4 WIA and 29 MIA. Escorting are 254 of 272 P-51s; they claim 7.5-1-4 aircraft in the air and 0-0-6 on the ground without loss. 2. 321 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Rothensee oil plant (38) and Buckau tank factory (257) at Magdeburg; 4 others hit a target of opportunity; some attacks are made visually; 3 B-24s are lost and 61 damaged; 1airman is KIA and 28 MIA. The escort is 187 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 5-2-0 aircraft in the air; 2 P-51s are damaged beyond repair. 3. 455 B-17s are sent to hit the oil plant at Ruhland (24); 406 hit the secondary, Dresden; 1other hits a target of opportunity; they claim 6-3-10 aircraft; 8 B-17s are lost and 53 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 2 WIA and 72 MIA. 225 of 249 P-51s escort; they claim 54-3-16 aircraft in the air and 36-0-23 on the ground; 13 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 6 B-24s fly a screening mission. 5. 25 of 28 P-51s fly a scouting Mission without loss. 6. 22 of 23 P-51s escort 14 F-5s and 4 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany without loss.

Mission 860: 11 of 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany without loss and 4 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, the 9th BombardmentDivision hits 5 bridges, 2 communications centers, 3 ordnance and motor transport depots, several city areas, and 6 targets of opportunity; the objectives are to hinder movement of enemy troops trying to help the German army caught in front of the US Third Army, to obstruct movement in general, and to damage enemy repair and refitting capabilities; 1,700+ fighters escort the bombers, hit special targets, fly armed reconnaissance and patrols, and support the US 3Armored Division at expanding the bridgehead on the Erft River, the XVI and XIX Corps in the Sevelen, Monchen-Gladbach, and the Neuss area, and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps E of the Prum River, astride the Kyll River, and in the Trier-Saarburg area.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Austria, 470 B-24s and B-17s, with fighters flying escort, bomb marshalling yards at Linz, Sankt Polten, Amstetten, Graz, and Knittelfeld, and Brescia, Italy; 31 P-51 s on a strafing mission attack rail and river communications from Linz to Regensburg, Germany, while 18 others fly top cover; F-5s fly reconnaissance missions. During the night of 1/2 Mar, B-24s drop supplies in N Italy and C Yugoslavia.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, weather again grounds the medium bombers; fighter-bombers and fighters hit communications, ammunition and stores dumps, 2 sugar refineries, guns, vehicles, and buildings S of Bologna and in the Po Valley, and the airfield at Aviano and Lonate Pozzolo.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 7 Guam Island-based B-24s make a daylight raid on the airfield on Chichi Jima Island and 5 more bomb the same airfield and the town of Okimura on Haha Jima Island during the night of 2/3 Mar. VII Fighter Command: The 78FS, 15FG, arrives on Iwo Jima Island from Hawaii with P-51s (first Mission is 10 Mar).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Formosa, B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit Matsuyama, Toyohara, Kagi, and Kato Airfields. In Borneo, other B-24s pound Sepinggang and Manggar Airfields and the waterfront area of Sandakan. The 394BS(H), 5BG(H), moves from Morotai Island to Samar Island, Philippine Islands with B-24s. The detachment of the 432FS, 475FG, operating from San Jose, Mindoro Island with P-38s, returns to base at Clark Field, Luzon Island.

SATURDAY, 3 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 4 B-24s over the Gulf of Tonkin and the S China Sea attack shipping targets of opportunity, claiming 1vessel sunk and 3 damaged. In French Indochina, 3 B-25s hit Kep, damaging several locomotives and boxcars and hit a bridge and 12 P-51s hit targets of opportunity between Vinh and Nam Dinh (2 direct hits are scored on the bridge at Minh Koi) while 2 others blast a HQ building in Hanoi.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 24 P-38s and P-47s support forces of the Chinese 50th Division near Mansam; 16 support the British 36 Division in the Mogok area; 10 P-47s knock out the Na-lang bridge while 2 B-25s drop delay-action bombs in good pattern around the Loi-leng bridge; 10 B-25s join 80+ fighter-bombers in an attack on troops, supplies, tanks, trucks, gun positions, and transport elephants behind enemy lines, 29 of the fighter-bombers concentrate on the Kankang area. 643 air supply sorties are completed.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 861: 1,102 bombers and 743 fighters are dispatched to bomb oil refineries, oil plant equipment works, motor transport factory, tank plant, and rail bridge in NC and E Germany; they claim 25-2-37 Luftwaffe aircraft; 9 bombers and 8 P-51s are lost: 1. 114 B-17s are sent to hit the oil refinery at Misburg (23); 82 hit the secondary target, the Hanomag tank factory at Hannover; and 2 hit Lemford, a target of opportunity; bombing is by H2X radar; 11 B-17s are damaged; 9 airmen are KIA and 5 WIA. Escorting are 44 of 46 P-51s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft in the air; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 2. 222 B-17s are sent to bomb the oil plant at Ruhland (24) and bomb visually; 166 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Chemnitz using H2X; targets of opportunity are Plauen (11) and other (16); 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 63 damaged. 193 of 214 P-51s escort claiming 3-0-0 aircraft in the air and 10-0-23 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 3. 94 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Nienburg Bridge (41); 48 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Bielefeld and 1 hits a target of opportunity; attacks are visual; 3 B-24s are damaged. The escort is 19 of 21 P-51s without loss. 4. All 219 B-24s dispatched hit the Rothensee oil refinery at Magdeburg visually; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft; 4 B-24s are lost and 77 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 39 MIA. The escort is 129 of 144 P-51s; they claim 0-0-2 aircraft in the air; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 5. The primary targets for 453 B-17s are the Wilke (53) and Brussing (77): oil plants and the MIAG munitions plant (61) at Brunswick and oil refineries at Dollbergen (37), Dedenhausen (53) and Nienhagen (56); 38 hit the secondary, Hildesheim (38); targets of opportunity are the marshalling yard at Bielefeld (36), Herford (23) and other (2); most attacks are visual; they claim 1-2-4 aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost and 53 damaged; 1airman is WIA and 41 MIA. Escorting are 169 of 180 P-51s; they claim 0-0-4 aircraft in the air and 9-0-2 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 6. 100 of 107 P-51s fly a fighter sweep in the Leipzig-Magdeburg area; they claim 1-0-3 aircraft in the air; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 7. 30 of 31 P-51 s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 862: 18 of 24 B-24s bomb the marshalling yard at Emden using PFF.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, the 9th BombardmentDivision hits Wiesbaden, Giessen, Bergisch Born, and Nahbollenbach ordnance and storage depots, rail bridges at Remagen and Simmern, a communications center at Heimersheim, motor transport concentration at Schwelm, the Rheinbach ammunition dump, Kirn marshalling yard and town, and several targets of opportunity; fighters fly bomber escort, hit special targets, fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, and support the US 9th Infantry Division, 3Armored Division, and VII Corps astride the Erft River W of Euskirchen and the area near Roggendorf W of the Rhine River, the XIII, XVI, and XIX Corps E of Sevelen, NE of Krefeld, and W of the Rhine in the Dusseldorf area, and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps in the area between the Prum and Kyll Rivers and along the Mosel River in the Trier area.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Rapidly deteriorating weather cancels bombing operations. In Austria, P-51s strafe rail traffic between Leibnitz and SW of Spittal an der Drau and attack the airfield S of Graz; P-38s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort. 1 B-24, of 6 dispatched, drops supplies in N Yugoslavia. HQ 31FG and the 307th and 308FSs move from San Severo to Mondolfo, Italy with P-51s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, overcast skies and turbulent winds hamper medium bomber mission s against communications in the Brenner area, allowing only limited success against targets; the Crema and Fidenza Bridges in the Po Valley are damaged; XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers, destroy a sugar refinery at Verona and achieve good results against communications and dumps in the C Po Valley and Brenner area; other fighters and fighter-bombers support the US Fifth Army S of Bologna; A-20s during the night of 2/3 Mar, hit roads, ammunition supplies, and vehicles at several points in the Po Valley, particularly in the Bologna-Modena regions, and bomb the Legnano marshalling yard.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 10 B-24s from Guam Island pound Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island in an afternoon strike, and 4 more, flying individual strikes, hit the same target during the night of 3/4 Mar. The 467th and 468FSs, 508FG, move from Kahuku to Mokuleai, Hawaii with P-47s.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In Formosa, B-24s pound the Tainan area and Kiirun while fighters hit numerous targets of opportunity and fighter-bombers bomb Koshun Airfield. B-25s bomb San Roque Airfield on Mindanao Island, Philippine Islands. B-24s and B-25s attack Zettle Field on Jolo Island. Ternate on Samar Island and Echague on Luzon Island and Caballo Island in Manila Bay are bombed by A-20s. B-25s, aborting a strike against Formosa, bomb the airstrip at Basco on Batan Island, Philippine Islands.

SUNDAY, 4 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 4 B-24s on a sea sweep damage a destroyer escort in the S China Sea.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 42: In China during the night of 4/5 Mar, 11 of 12 B-29s, staging from Luliang, mine the confluence of the Hwangpoo and Yangtze Rivers and the Tai-hsing Narrows at Shanghai and 1 B-29s drops mines at Tungting Lake without loss.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 100 fighter-bombers attack troop concentrations, villages, roads, tanks, trucks, animal transport, and supplies along and immediately behind the battlelines running from the SW to NE across C Burma; Meiktila is largely occupied by forces of the Indian 17th Division.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 863: 1,028 bombers and 522 fighters are dispatched to bomb targets in SW Germany; bad weather causes 300+ aborts; 1 B-24 and 1 P-51 are lost: 1. 373 B-17s are sent to hit the jet aircraft plant at Schwabmunchen (69): and military vehicle plant and ordnance depot at Ulm (223); 59 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Ulm; targets of opportunity are Reutlingen (12) and other (1); bombing is by Gee-H; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 9 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. Escorting are 150 of 156 P-51s; 1 is damaged beyond repair. 2. 274 B-24s are dispatched but weather prevents them hitting the primaries; targets of opportunity are Aschaffenburg (18), Tuttlingen (11), Astadtaach (10), Pforzheim (8), the marshalling yard at Stuttgart (11), the railroad at Sonaueschingen (10), Stuttgart (50) and other (36); bombing is by H2X radar with some visual bombing; 1 B-24 is lost and 19 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA. 139 P-47s and P-51s escort without loss. 3. 376 B-17s are dispatched but weather prevents them attacking the primaries; secondary targets hit are the marshalling yards at Ingolstadt (69): and Ulm (75); targets of opportunity are Ausbuch (1) and other (3); H2X radar is used for bombing; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 7 damaged; 17 airmen are KIA. The escort is 172 of 186 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 4. 5 B-17s fly a scouting mission. 5. 21 of 22 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 864: 1 B-17 and 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, about 180 B-26s, A-20s, and A-26s strike marshalling yards and a rail junction at Recklinghausen, Lenkerbeck, and Herne, communications centers at Bruhl, Sechtem, and Rheinbach, and several other targets including a rail bridge and towns; weather limits fighter operations; a few fighters fly armed reconnaissance E of the Rhine River and others fly cover for the XX Corps.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 630+ B-24s and B-17s, with fighter escort, bomb marshalling yards at Sopron (2 yards) and Szombathely, Hungary; Knittelfeld, Zeltweg, Graz, Sankt Veit an der Glan and Wiener- Neustadt, Austria; Zagreb (2 yards) and Lbubljana, Yugoslavia; and several scattered targets of opportunity; other B-24s, with P-51escort, drop supplies in Yugoslavia; F-5s, P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort operations. The 309FS, 31 fighter Group, moves from San Severo to Mondolfo, Italy with P-51s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, good flying weather permits a full-scale effort; medium bombers hit 7 railroad bridges on the Brenner line and in NE Italy; the Salorno railroad fill receives a particularly good concentration of bombs; XXII Tactical Air Command P-47s concentrate on communications targets in the Po Valley, knocking out a span of the Cittadella railway bridge; Brazilian P-47s blast an ammunition dump at Villafranca di Verona; during the night of 3/4 Mar, A-20s bomb the bridge and bridge approaches at Casarsa della Delizia, Ostiglia, and Nervesa della Battaglia, the radar station at Vignola, and lights, motor transport, roads, and other targets of opportunity at over 30 places in the C Po Valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 10 B-24s from Guam Island bomb Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island; during the night of 4/5 Mar, 3 B-24s make separate harassment raids on the airfield. Lieutenant General Barney Mc Giles becomes Commanding General of AAFPOA and Deputy Commander of the 20AF.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 39: A B-29 makes an emergency landing on Iwo Jima Island; this begins a series of over 2,400 such emergency landings on the island during World War II. 192 Mariana Islands-based B-29s are airborne against Musashino (Musashi), Japan but heavy clouds prevent bombing the primary; 159 B-29s bomb the secondary target, the urban areas of Tokyo, and 18 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost. This aborted try at Musashino marks the end of XXI BC's effort to knock out the Japanese aircraft industry by high-altitude, daylight precision bombing. (The indirect effect of causing Japanese industrialists to lose confidence in their supposed immunity from air attacks exceeds the effect of actual bomb damage to the aircraft industry).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Mindanao Island, B-24s bomb Sasa and Likanan Airfields and the town of Zamboanga. On Luzon Island, B-24s bomb targets of opportunity in the Cagayan Valley, gun positions, ammunition storage, and targets of opportunity at Antipolo and Wawa, supply dumps and the town area at Bamban, fortifications on Caballo Island in Manila Bay, and airfields at Aparri and Tuguegarao. The detachments of the 431 and 433FSs, 475FG, operating from San Jose, Mindoro Island with P-38s, return to base at Clark Field, Luzon.

MONDAY, 5 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In French Indochina, 30 B-25s knock out bridges at Phu Xuyen, Thinh Duc, Phu Ly, Ninh Binh, and Phu Lang Thuong and damage a bridge at Kep. In China, 2 B-25s, escorted by 8 P-47s, knock out a bridge at Changtuikuan while 4 bomb Chikhom. 40+ P-51s and P-40s on armed reconnaissance hit road, rail, and river traffic, town areas, and other targets of opportunity in French Indochina, the C Yangtze River area, and elsewhere in S and E China.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 50+ P-47s support forces of the British 36 Division in the Mogok sector and forces of the Chinese 50th Division in the Mansam area; 46 P-47s and 12 B-25s hit troop concentrations in the battle areas and attack supply areas, road traffic, and general targets of opportunity behind enemy lines. 664 air supply sorties are flown to forward areas.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 52Troop Carrier Wing moves from Cottesmore, England to Amiens, France.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.

Mission 865: 429 bombers and 689 fighters are dispatched to hit oil targets in Germany; the primary target for the B-17s is the synthetic oil plant at Ruhland but weather forces them to hit the secondary target; all bombing is with H2X radar; 1 B-17 is lost: 1. 233 of 303 B-17s hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Chemnitz; targets of opportunity are Plauen (34) and Fulda (9); 1 B-17 is lost and 15 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. Escorting are 369 of 420 P-51s; 3 P-51s are damaged beyond repair and 1 pilot is KIA. 2. 120 of 126 B-24s hit the Harburg oil refinery at Hamburg without loss. The escort is 186 P-47s and P-51s without loss. 3. 27 P-51s attack the marshalling yard at Kreuztal; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair. 4. 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 5. 14 P-51s escort 4 F-5s on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.

Mission 866: 21 of 24 B-24s bomb the Wiesbaden rail station by PFF markers during the night.

Mission 867: 9 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 565 B-26s, A-20s and A-26s attack 6 marshalling yards, a communications center, an ordnance depot, a city area and targets of opportunity with the aim of obstructing reinforcements and supplies to German forces being pushed back across the Rhine River; fighters escort the bombers, drop leaflets in the Cologne-Bonn area, and fly armed reconnaissance over the Ruhr and Hamm-Duisburg area.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather limits operations to supply, escort, and reconnaissance missions. HQ 306FW moves from Lesina to Fano, Italy; HQ 325FG and the 317th and 319FSs move from Lesina to Rimini, Italy with P-51s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, A-20s hit lines of communications in the N Po Valley during the night of 4/5 Mar; results are generally good; bad daytime weather grounds the medium bombers; XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers and fighters operate on a greatly reduced scale, mostly in the C Po Valley, hitting bridges at Casarsa della Delizia, Nervesa della Battaglia, Ostiglia, and Ostellato, and attacking the town of Vignola.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island is pounded by 11 B-24s from Guam Island; during the night of 5/6 Mar, 5 more hit the airfield in individual snooper strikes. 22 B-24s from Angaur Island, Palau Islands, bomb Matina Airfield on Mindanao Island.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-25s hit San Roque Airfield on Mindanao Island. On Luzon Island, B-24s with fighter support hit troops in the Antipolo area while fighter-bombers dive-bomb San Pablo, hit Fort Drum in Manila Bay, attack troops W of Ft Stotsenburg, and support guerrilla forces NE of Lingayen Gulf. Targets on Formosa are hit by fighters on sweeps and B-24s on armed reconnaissance; the fighter sweeps are especially effective against railroad targets. B-25s hit Zettle Field on Jolo Island. HQ 5BG(H) moves from Morotai Island to Samar Island; the 25LS, FEAF (attached to Thirteenth AF), moves from Biak Island, New Guinea to Dulag, Leyte Island with UC-78s and L-5s.

TUESDAY, 6 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A

Mission to the Kurile Islands is cancelled due to inclement weather.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 4 B-25s bomb Chikhom; about 50 fighter-bombers hit storage, troops, railroad targets, and river and road traffic around Hankow, along the Pinghan railroad, Kaifeng, Suchow, Hsuchang, Changsha, Yoyang, Liuyang, and Hengyang, and on railroads from Liuliho to Chengtung and from Tungpu to Tatung.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 31 P-47s support British 36 Division forces in the Mogok area; 12 B-25s join 60+ fighter-bombers in striking troop concentrations, road traffic, supply and fuel dumps, and other targets in the vicinity of the battlefront and in areas close behind enemy lines. Transport operations continue on a large scale with 663 sorties completed to forward areas throughout the day.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 868: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night. 5 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 260+ A-26s, and B-26s hit Recklinghausen, Siegburg, and Opladen marshalling yards, Siegburg storage depot, and the town of Bochum as a target of opportunity; weather grounds the IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands; the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) flies alerts and covers the US XVI Corps as it completes a drive to the Rhine River in the Rheinburg area.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather restricts all operations except reconnaissance and a supply mission, with escort, to Yugoslavia. The 302FS, 332FG, is inactivated at Ramitelli Airfield, Italy.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers pound communications in the Brenner Pass and hit bridges at Pordenone, Ossenigo, Enego, Ora, Pizzighetone, and San Ambrogio di Valpolicella; fighters and fighter-bombers concentrate on close support of the US Fifth Army S and SW of Bologna; during the night of 5/6 Mar, a few A-20s bomb targets of opportunity in the Po Valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 11Guam Island-based B-24s again pound Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island; 5 more hit the airfield during the night of 6/7 Mar in separate strikes. HQ 15FG arrives on Iwo Jima Island from Hawaii and the air echelon of the 548NPS moves from Saipan Island, Mariana Islands to Iwo Jima with P-61s (there are now 28 P-51s and 12 P-61s on the Iwo Jima).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Mindanao Island, B-24s pound the San Roque and Zamboanga areas. On Luzon Island, other B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers hit the Antipolo area, bomb Balete Pass and Ft Drum and Caballo Island in Manila Bay and support guerrillas near San Fernando. B-25s and P-38s attack Hainan Island and considerably damage Samah Airfield on the island. Fighters sweeping over Formosa hit the Koshun area. HQ 347FG and the 67th, 68th and 339FSs move from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island with P-38s (the 67th and 339th are operating from Morotai Island); the 419th Night FS, XIII Fighter Command, moves from Middelburg Island, New Guinea to Puerto Princesa, Palawan (the squadron is operating from Morotai Island with P-38s and P-61s).

WEDNESDAY, 7 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands; 8 B-25s, dispatched to strike a reported convoy, abort due to weather; so do 8 B-24s after departing on a shipping sweep and a strike on Kataoka, Shimushu Island.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 4 B-25s and 9 P-40s blast railroad targets N of Kiaotow; single B-25s hit truck convoys in the Hsiang River Valley, the waterfront at Changsha, and a bridge and other targets of opportunity on the Pinghan railroad; 130+ fighter-bombers attack numerous targets throughout S and E China, concentrating on railroad, road, and river targets in the areas around Nanking, Yoyang, Sintsiang, and Changsha.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 30 P-47s support troops of the British 36 Division in the Mogok area; 18 others support elements of the Chinese 50th Division near Mansam; elements of the Chinese 38th Division occupy Lashio; 12 B-25s and 35 fighter-bombers attack road targets, troops, vehicles, and a variety of targets of opportunity immediately behind enemy lines. Transports fly 630 sorties supplying forward areas with men and equipment.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.

Mission 869: 946 bombers and 322 fighters are dispatched to hit oil and communication targets using PFF; 1 P-51 is lost: 1. 246 B-24s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Soest (144) and the Schildesche water viaduct at Bielefeld (80); Gee-H and H2X radar are used for bombing; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA. Escorting are 77 P-47s and P-51s. 2. 344 B-17s are dispatched to bomb the Horderverein (24) and Harpenerweg (62) oil refineries at Dortmund; secondary targets hit are the marshalling yards at Paderborn (11), Siegen (113) and Giessen (87); Gee-H and H2X radar are used; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 20 damaged; 1airman is KIA. The escort is 74 of 85 P-51s. 3. 340 B-17s are sent to hit the Emscherlippe benzol plant at Datteln (173) and the Rauxel benzol plant at Castrop (77); secondary targets hit are the marshalling yards at Siegen (43) and Giessen (28); 1other hits a target of opportunity; Micro H and H2X radar are used; 56 B-17s are damaged. 75 of 76 P-51s escort the bombers. 4. 6 B-17s and 6 B-24s fly a screening mission. 5. 4 B-17s fly a scouting mission. 6. 37 of 38 P-51s fly a sweep of the Dummer Lake-Kassel-Koblenz area. 7. 23 P-51s escort 5 F-5s and a Spitfire on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 8. 24 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 870: 11 of 12 B-24s drop leaflets in Germany and the Netherlands.

Mission 871: 19 of 20 B-24s bomb Dortmund during the night using PFF; 1 B-24 is lost.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Weather cancels combat operations except for the XXIX Tactical Air Commands support of the US XVI Corps along the Rhine River in the Wesel area. The 39(Photo)Reconnaissance Squadron, 10PRG, moves from St Amand to Jarny, France with F-5s (flights are operating from Gosselies and Le Culot, Belgium).

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Continued bad weather limits operations to a supply drop in Yugoslavia and routine reconnaissance and escort missions; all bombing operations are cancelled and 42 P-51s sent on a strafing mission against railroad communications in Austria are recalled. The 318FS, 325FG, moves from Lesina to Rimini, Italy with P-51s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, B-25s continue interdiction of enemy communications, damaging a railroad bridge at Longarone and railroad fills at Peri and Ossenigo; the XXII Tactical Air Command concentrates on communications in the NE, Po Valley and fuel and ammunition dumps in the C part of the Valley with generally good results; during the night of 6/7 Mar, A-20s hit the Ostiglia crossing and bridges at Nervesa della Battaglia and Casarsa della Delizia, and bomb targets of opportunity in the Brenner area.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 11Guam Island-based B-24s hit Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island and the town of Okimura on Haha Jima Island; 5 more hit Susaki Airfield during the night of 7/8 Mar in individual harassment strikes.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s hit the Balete Pass area while A-20s and fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations and gun positions near Antipolo and near San Fernando, NW of Ft Stotsenburg, and in the Bayombong-Solano area and targets of opportunity in the Lake Taal area, the towns of Santa Fe, Lallo and Vigan, and on Caballo Island in Manila Bay; numerous ground support missions are flown throughout Luzon.

THURSDAY, 8 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 34 B-24s, supported by 21 P-51s, pound Shihkiachwang; 3 B-24s claim a transport sunk in the S China Sea; 16 B-25s and 6 P-40s attack railroad tracks, boxcars, gun positions, sampans, and locomotives, knock out 2 bridges and damage another, and destroy and damage several locomotives at or near Hengshan, Yehhsien, Lohochai, and Chungmow; 140+ fighter-bombers fly armed reconnaissance over wide areas of S and E China, attacking numerous targets of opportunity, mainly river, road, and railroad targets, storage areas, gun positions, and troops, concentrating around Changsha, Changanyi, and a bridge at Puchi.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 20 P-47s support the British 36 Division; 40 fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations and supply areas along the battlefront and behind the enemy lines; 39 others sweep roads S of the bomb line, attacking gun positions and other targets of opportunity. Transports fly 554 sorties to advanced bases and over frontline areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.

Mission 872: 1,353 bombers and 326 fighters are dispatched to hit benzol plants, an oil plant and rail targets in Germany using PFF; NO AIRCRAFT ARE LOST AND THERE ARE NO CASUALTIES! 1. 360 B-24s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Betzdorf (70), Siegen (114) and Dillenburg (73); targets of opportunity are Limburg (10) and Frankfurt (10); bombing is by H2X radar; 3 B-24s are damaged. Escorting are 99 of 102 P-51s. 2. 526 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Robert Muser (99) and Bruchstrasse (63) benzol plants at Langendreer, the Gneisenau benzol plant at Dortmund (110) and Heddernheim chemical factory at Frankfurt (122); secondary targets are the marshalling yards at Giessen (69) and Frankfurt (18); 13 others hit Wetzlar, a target of opportunity; bombing is with H2X radar; 26 B-17s are damaged. The escort is 95 of 99 P-51s. 3. 458 B-17s are sent to hit the Emil benzol plant at Essen (114), the Mathies Stinnes benzol plant at Bottrop (37), the August Viktoria benzol plant at Huls (111) and the synthetic oil plant at Buer Scholren (75); 109 hit the marshalling yard at Essen, a target of opportunity; bombing is by Micro-H; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair. 93 of 98 P-51s escort. 4. 9 B-17s fly a screening mission. 5. 27 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 873: 11 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss.

Mission 874: 15 B-24s attack the marshalling yard at Dortmund during the night without loss and 4 of 7 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 328 B-26s, A-20s and A-26s hit 7 communications centers, 2 marshalling yards, a road overpass, and a military transport depot in the furtherance of the interdiction program; weather prevents fighter operations except for a small alert

Mission by the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional). Operational HQ of the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional), HQ 84FW and HQ 303FW move from Maastricht, the Netherlands to Monchen-Gladbach, Germany; the detachments of the 39(Photo)RS, 10PRG operating from Gosselies and Le Culot, Belgium with F-5s, return to base at Jarny, France.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 550+ B-17s and B-24s hit marshalling yards at Hegyeshalom and Komarom, Hungary, and Verona, Italy, the locomotive depot at Maribor, Yugoslavia, and the steel works at Kapfenberg, Austria; P-51s and P-38s fly escort and reconnaissance missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers are hampered by heavy clouds but hit the Novara marshalling yard, Longarone and Mori rail fills, and Rovereto bridge; fighters and fighter-bombers pound communications and supplies, destroy a road bridge SW of Bologna, severely damage an ammunition plant and surrounding complex NW of Milan, and hit several other targets, including a bridge near Montebello which Brazilian P-47s operating with the XXII Tactical Air Command cut in half; A-20s, operating during the night of 7/8 Mar, attack river crossings at Borgoforte, Cremona, Ostiglia, San Benetto Po, Viadana, and Ora, and numerous vehicles, lights, and general movement in the C Po Valley and along the Brenner line.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 14 B-24s from Guam Island bomb Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island through heavy cloud layers; 5 more B-24s hit the airfield again in 5 individual harassment strikes during the night of 8/9 Mar.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s pound the Zamboanga area on Mindanao Island. On Luzon Island, B-24s hit road targets at Balete Pass while A-20s support guerrilla forces in the San Fernando area; fighter-bombers hit fuel dumps, gun positions, and other targets near Angat and Ipo dam and numerous targets of opportunity in the Antipolo area, personnel and storage areas near Baguio, and several targets in the Cagayan Valley (including the town of Caggay, the Dummun River area, and barges at Naguilian). The 6th Combat Cargo Squadron, 2Combat Cargo Group, based on Biak Island with C-46s, begins operating from Samar Island; and the 550th NFS, XIII Fighter Command, based on Morotai Island with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s, sends a detachment to operate from Tacloban, Leyte Island.

FRIDAY, 9 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 3 B-24s fly a negative shipping search.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 32 B-24s, escorted by 5 P-51s, bomb railroad yards at Sinsiang; 15 B-25s and 2 P-40s knock out 2 bridges at Hwaiyuanchen and E of Jungtse, and hit railroad targets and other targets of opportunity at Yehhsien, Chowkiakow, Hsuchang, and E of Junan; 50+ fighter-bombers on armed reconnaissance attack railroad targets, river and road traffic, bridges, gun positions, and troops at several locations, particularly around Kweiyi, Hengyang, Nanking, and Sinyang.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 16 P-47s support elements of the Chinese 50th Division near Mansam; 80+ fighter-bombers operating over and behind enemy lines attack trucks, horses and carts, troops, and artillery pieces. 568 air supply sorties are flown to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 875: 1,045 bombers and 443 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards and industrial plants in Germany; they claim 0-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 bombers are lost: 1. 423 B-17s are sent to hit the Ost (150) and Main (222) marshalling yards and a casting plant (38) at Frankfurt visually and using Micro H, H2X radar and smoke markers; 6 B-17s also fly a screening mission; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 182 damaged; 7 airmen are WIA and 28 MIA. Escorting are 94 of 101 P-51 s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft in the air. 2. 318 of 336 B-17s attack the marshalling yard and a large tank factory at Kassel visually; 6 other B-17s fly a screening mission; 3 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 188 damaged; 4 airmen are WIA and 28 MIA. The escort is 97 of 99 P-51s; 1 is damaged beyond repair. 3. 282 B-24s are sent to bomb marshalling yards at Munster (97), Rheine (93) and Osnabruck (87) using Gee-H and H2X; 1 B-24 is lost and 52 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 12 MIA. 47 of 51 P-51 s escort. 4. 4 B-17s fly a scouting mission. 5. 141 P-47s and P-51s fly a freelance sweep in support of the bombers; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair. 6. 27 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 7. 15 P-51s escort 12 F-5s and 3 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft in the air.

Mission 876: 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during the night; and 2 of 9 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 600+ A-20s, A-26s and B-26s hit 6 marshalling yards, storage and vehicle depots, ammunition-filling plants, and 12 targets of opportunity as part of the interdiction campaign; fighters fly armed reconnaissance, hit special targets, cover the Remagen bridgehead and support the US 9th Infantry and 9th Armored Divisions committed there, support the 4th Armored Division at the Mosel River bridge at Treis, the XX Corps along the Mosel and Saar Rivers, and the XVI Corps along the Rhine River near Wesel. The 125LS, IX Fighter Command [attached to the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional)], moves from Maastricht, the Netherlands to Monchen-Gladbach, Germany with L-5s; and the 153Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), moves from Spa, Belgium to Duren, Germany with L-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 372 B-17s and B-24s, with fighter escorts, bomb marshalling yards at Graz (2 yards), Klagenfurt, Sankt Stefan, and Sankt Paul, Austria, and Ljubljana, Yugoslavia; river bridges at Sankt Paul are also bombed; 27 P-38s bomb the Knittelfeld, Austria marshalling yard and 13 others strafe the Graz, Austria-Maribor, Yugoslavia railroad lines. Routine supply, reconnaissance, and escort missions continue.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, B-25s hit bridges at San Ambrogio di Valpolicella, San Michele all'Adige, Bozzolo, Santa Margherita d'Adige, Ora, and Montebello, the marshalling yard at Ora, and the bridge approach at Ala; fighters and fighter-bombers attack bridges, railroads, vehicles, trains, supply dumps, parked airplanes, buildings, and other targets over wide areas, including Milan, Cittadella, Ala, Santa Margherita d'Adige, La Spezia, Ghedi, Lecco, and the battle area in the N Apennines. A-20s, on intruder missions during the night of 8/9 Mar, bomb river crossings in the Po Valley at several locations, among them Ostiglia, San Benedetto Po, and Borgoforte.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 13 Guam Island-based B-24s fly a daylight strike on Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island while 5 more, on singlebomber raids, hit the airfield during the night of 9/10 Mar. 24 Angaur Island-based B-24s pound the town of Zamboanga on Mindanao Island.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s bomb Zamboanga on Mindanao Island. B-25s, in cooperation with PT boats, attack targets on Basilan Island, Philippine Islands. On Luzon Island, B-24s hit the Ipo area, B-25s and fighter-bombers support ground forces E of Manila Bay, hit Japanese-occupied areas at Mabiga, Lipa Bay, and Ternate, and bomb and strafe targets of opportunity on Caballo Island in Manila Bay; B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit bridges at Bayombong, the town of Makati, Cabugao, and Cauayan, San Fernando and the Solvec Cove areas on the NW coast, the town of Cauayan, and Aparri Airfield. B-24s pound the dock area at Takao, Formosa.

SATURDAY, 10 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 5 B-24s radar-bomb targets at Kataoka on Shimushu Island, and Suribachi and Kakumabetsu on Paramushiru Island with unobserved results; 1 fighter is sighted but no attack is made; 2 other B-24s on this

Mission abort due to weather and mechanical trouble. B-25 missions to the Hayakegawa River and Paramushiru are also cancelled due to weather.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 32 B-24s blast the railroad yards at Tsanghsien and Tehsien; 10 B-24s and 4 P-40s attack Siangtan and nearby targets of opportunity; 60+ fighter-bombers hit river, road, and railroad targets, gun positions, warehouses, airstrips, and troops around Sinyang, Yiyang, Changsha, Kiyang, Yoyang, Hengyang, Hankow, and Wuchang.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 43: In the Malayan States, 24 of 29 B-29s bomb the marshalling yard at Kuala Lumpur; 1 of the B-29s drops over half of its bombs at Alor Star Airfield and another attacks a freighter in the channel leading to Port Swettenham. 3 others attack Khao Huakhang, Thailand.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): 13 P-47s support forces of the British 36 Division in the Mogok area; 46 P-47s and P-38s sweep the roads S of the bomb line; 49 others hit supply areas behind the enemy lines, attack a bivouac near Nam-yang, and bomb a truck park N of Mong Yai. 537 air supply sorties are flown to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.

Mission 877: 1,374 bombers and 670 fighters attack rail targets in Germany by PFF methods; they claim 2-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost: 1. 376 B-24s are dispatched to hit the rail viaducts at Arnsberg (115): and Bielefeld (114) and the marshalling yard at Paderborn; 10 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Bielefeld; 1 B-24 is damaged. The escort is 146 of 155 P-51s. 2. 526 B-17s are sent to hit the Sud (109), Erfeld (111) and Eving (153): marshalling yards at Dortmund and the Soest marshalling yard (138); 3 other B-17s fly a scouting mission; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 44 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA. Escorting are 152 of 158 P-51s; 1 is damaged beyond repair. 3. 457 B-17s are sent to hit the Sinsen (89) and Coesfeld (38) rail crossings and the marshalling yards at Schwerte (116) and Hagen (41); 136 hit the secondary, a marshalling yard at Dortmund; 33 others hit Hamm, a target of opportunity; 26 B-17s are damaged; 1airman is WIA. 98 of 100 P-51s escort; 2 P-51s are lost. 4. 12 B-17s fly a screening mission. 5. 144 P-47s and P-51s fly a freelance support

Mission for the bombers; they claim 2-0-1 aircraft in the air. 6. 72 of 74 P-51s escort 9AF bombers on their strikes. 7. 27 of 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 8. 5 P-51s escort 7 F-5s and 4 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over the Ruhr.

Mission 879: 13 B-24s attack the marshalling yard at Munster during the night without loss.

Mission 880: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss. The 857BS(H), 492BG(H) (attached to 1Air Division) moves from Harrington to Bassingbourne, England with B-24s (the 857th begins flying weather reconnaissance missions today).

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 383 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s strike 5 marshalling yards, a communications center, 2 city areas, miscellaneous targets in the Koblenz-Braubach area, and a target of opportunity; 8AF and 9AF fighters escort the bombers, attack ground targets, fly patrols, armed reconnaissance, and provide cover and ground support over the Remagen bridge area where the US 9th Infantry Division expands it's bridgehead against fierce opposition, support the 4th Armored Division in the Koblenz area and the XX Corps in the Saarburg area, and cooperate with the XVI Corps near Wesel. The 33Photographic RS, 363Tactical RG, moves from Le Culot, Belgium to Venlo, the Netherlands with F-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Italy, 191heavy bombers hit the Verona-Parona di Valpolicella railroad bridge; 1other bombs the Voghera marshalling yard. Supply missions to Yugoslavia and reconnaissance operations continue.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, A-20s bomb bridges and other communications targets in the E Po Valley during the night of 9/10 Mar; B-25s bomb bridges at Ora, Bozzolo, and San Michele all'Adige, and a railroad fill at the Ceraino railroad station; fighters and fighter-bombers hit communications and targets of opportunity at various locations in the E Po Valley, including several bridges, and numerous ammunition dumps and vehicles.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 10 B-24s from Guam Island hit Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island which 9 B-24s again hit during the night of 10/11Mar on separate snooper strikes. 23 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb Calarian Airfield on Mindanao Island.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 40: During the predawn hours, 279 B-29s, of 325 airborne, blast the Tokyo urban area with incendiaries, destroying 267,171buildings, about one-fourth in the city, killing 83,793 and wounding 40,918 people and destroying 15.8 square miles (40.9 square km); this death total is the highest of any single day's action during the war, exceeding the deaths caused by the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima; 20 other B-29s bomb alternates and targets of opportunity; 14 B-29s are lost; the participating B-29s are from the XXI BC's 73d, 313th, and 314BWs(VH), based on Guam Island, Tinian Island, and Saipan Island in the Mariana Islands; the raids are flown at levels ranging from 4,900 to 9,200 feet (1,494 to 2,804 m).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Mindanao Island, B-24s and B-25s over the Zamboanga Peninsula area bomb the town of Zamboanga, Calarian Airfield, Pangasahan, Port Holland, Kulibato Point, and Sibago Island. On Luzon Island, B-24s bomb the Ipo area and Aparri Airfield; B-25s and A-20s support guerrillas near San Fernando and bomb Cabugao; fighter-bombers hit Caballo Island in Manila Bay, bomb the town of Minanga, hit enemy concentrations at Burgos, near Ft Stotsenburg, in Batangag Province, and at other locations, and attack Teresa. B-24s bomb Kudat and Jesselton Airfields in Borneo.

SUNDAY, 11 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In French Indochina, 4 B-25s knock out 1bridge and hit numerous boxcars at Kep and near Don Met. In China, 5 B-24s over the S China Sea and Gulf of Tonkin claim 1freighter sunk and another damaged; 10 P-40s and P-51s blast locomotives on the Tsinpu railroad and demolish 3 villages E of Lohochai; the 1Combat Cargo Group, 1Combat Cargo Group, based at Hsinching with C-47s, sends a detachment to operate from Liangshan.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 14 B-25s pound stores, troops, vehicles, and ammunition dumps at Konghsa, Kwai-Kong, Man Kat, and Mong Yai; 4 P-38s knock out a bridge at Mong Tong; 8 P-47s hit troop concentration at Kyaukme; 30+ P-47s hit targets of opportunity during a road sweeps behind enemy lines. Transports fly 547 sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 881: 1,256 bombers and 814 fighters are dispatched to make H2X radar attacks on U-boat yards at Kiel and Bremen and the shipyard and refinery area at Hamburg, Germany; 1 B-17 and 4 P-51s are lost: 1. 344 of 352 B-24s attack the Krupp Germania U-boat yard at Kiel; 2 B-24s are damaged. 232 P-47s and P-51s escort; 1 P-51 is lost. 2. 469 of 485 B-17s hit the Wilhelmsburg oil refinery at Hamburg; 1other hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 41 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 10 MIA. Escorting are 252 of 265 P-51s; 2 are lost. 3. 406 of 413 B-17s hit the Deschimag U-boat yard at Bremen; 9 B-17s are damaged. 237 of 255 P-51s escort; 1 is lost. 4. 6 B-17s fly a screening mission. 5. 18 P-51s escort 6 F-5s and a Spitfire on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 6. 27 of 29 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 882: 11 of 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 696 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s, hit 4 airfields, 3 communications centers, 2 ammunition filling plants, and several city areas and other casual targets; these attacks are to obstruct air operations and supply and troop movements in general; fighters fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, escort the bombers, support the US 9th Infantry Division push at the Remagen bridgehead and fly cover over the area, and support the XX Corps E of Trier and Saarburg. HQ 363Tactical RG and the 160th and 161Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons (with F-6s) and HQ 373FG move from Le Culot, Belgium to Venlo, the Netherlands; the 72Liaison Squadron, 9AF (attached to Sixth Army Group), moves from Epinal to Buhl, France with L-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather limits operations to reconnaissance and supply missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, B-25s of the 57BW score damaging hits on a bridge and fills at San Michele all'Adige, Volargne, and Ossenigo, and, attacking a target in Austria for first time, bomb a bridge at Drauburg; fighters and fighter-bombers of the XXII Tactical Air Command hit rail lines and dumps in the C Po Valley and in the Brenner area; during the night of 10/11Mar A-20s hit several Po River crossings, Ghedi and Pavia Airfields, road junctions, and other targets in the Po Valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 11 B-24s from Guam Island again hit Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island, while 8 more during the night of 11/12 Mar, pound the airfield individually. VII Fighter Command: Iwo Jima-based P-51s also bomb Susaki Airfield and strafe Okimura and Kitamura on Haha Jima Island.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 41: Attacking at altitudes ranging from 5,100 to 8,500 feet (1,554 to 2,591m), 285 of 310 B-29s bomb the Nagoya, Japan urban area with incendiaries during the night of 11/12 Mar destroying 2.05 square miles (5.31square km); 6 others hit a secondary target; 1 B-29 is lost.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Mindanao Island, B-24s bomb the Zamboanga area, Mercedes village, and San Roque Airfield and B-25s hit Mercedes, support ground forces near Zamboanga, and in conjunction with PT boats, hit Isabela, Barlak, Taluksangay, and a HQ N of Zamboanga. On Luzon Island, B-24s hit the Aparri area and support ground forces at Wawa; A-20s and fighter-bombers fly ground support missions and attack supply dumps and numerous targets of opportunity throughout Luzon. On Formosa, fighter-bombers hit Takao and B-24s bomb Mako.

MONDAY, 12 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 4 B-25s knock out the Song Rang bridge in French Indochina; 6 P-51s hit road communications at Hwayuan, China and bomb a building at Ha Coi, French Indochina.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 42: 44 of 49 B-29s hit oil storage facilities on Bukum Island, Malayan States, and Samboe and Sebarok Islands, Sumatra; 1other B-29 bombs Arang Hill, Malayan States; they claim 0-0-1 Japanese aircraft; results are poor.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 13 B-25s and 35 P-47s hit troop concentrations, supplies, vehicles, and AA guns along the battlefront and behind enemy lines; 66 P-47s hit transportation targets and a bridge during several road sweeps in C Burma; 12 others damage a bypass bridge at Hay-ti. Transports complete 677 sorties delivering men and supplies to advanced bases and dropping supplies to frontline forces. The 164th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Shwebo to Ondaw, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 883: 1,355 bombers and 797 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards in Germany by PFF; they claim 4-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 and 4 fighters are lost: 1. 220 of 227 B-24s and 441 of 450 B-17s attack the marshalling yard at Swinemunde; 1other hit the marshalling yard at Husum, a target of opportunity; all attacks are made with H2X radar; 1 B-17 is lost, 6 B-17s are damaged; 1airman is KIA and 10 MIA. Escorting are 412 of 452 P-51s; they claim 4-0-1 aircraft in the air; 4 P-51s are lost (3 pilots MIA). 2. 154 B-24s are sent to hit the marshalling yards at Friedberg (75) and Wetzlar (74) using Gee-H; 2 airmen are WIA. 3. 298 B-17s are dispatched to attack the marshalling yards at Siegen (141): and Marburg (113); 24 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Frankfurt using Micro H; 4 B-17s are damaged. 4. 226 B-17s are sent to bomb the marshalling yards at Betzdorf (116) and Dillenburg (110) using Gee-H without loss. 5. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th forces above are escorted by 192 P-47s and P-51s without loss. 6. 97 of 108 P-51s fly a sweep to support the bombers without loss. 7. 10 P-51s escort 5 F-5s and 2 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 8. 23 of 24 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 884: 11 of 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night and 4 of 10 B-24s fly a CARPETBAGGER mission.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 9th Bombardment Division A-20s, A-26s and B-26s attack 8 marshalling yards, an ammunition-filling plant, city areas and targets of opportunity; the attacks on the marshalling yards are aimed at blocking troop movements by rail into the Ruhr and Remagen areas; fighters escort the bombers, bomb special targets, fly armed reconnaissance, cover the Remagen area, and support the US 9th Infantry Division in the Kalenborn and Hargarten areas and the XX Corps in the Saarburg bridgehead area. The 387th and 388FSs, 365FG, move from Juzaine Airfield, Florennes, Belgium to Aachen, Germany with P-47s; and the 412FS, 373FG, moves from Le Culot, Belgium to Venlo, the Netherlands with P-47s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Austria, 790 B-24s and B-17s bomb the Floridsdorf oil refinery at Vienna and alternate targets, the marshalling yards at Graz, Zeltweg, and Wiener-Neustadt; 98 P-38s bomb the Knittelfeld railroad bridge (2 others hit nearby targets of opportunity) and strafe communications in the Wiener-Neustadt-Graz-Klagenfurt areas. 12 P-38s sweep the Zagreb, Yugoslavia area. Bad weather forces 60 P-51s sent against Austrian communications to abort; a supply

Mission to Yugoslavia and reconnaissance operations are successful.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, B-25s hit 7 railroad bridges, cutting two, and fills--severely damaging one and a train--in the Brenner area and in NE Italy as far E as the Yugoslav border area; fighterbombers blast communications in N Italy, making 36 rail cuts, 19 of them on the Brenner line; P-47s also bomb and severely damage a munitions factory NW of Zagreb, Yugoslavia; during the night of 11/12 Mar, A-20s on intruder missions hit Po River crossings, a sugar refinery, vehicles, and trains.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 16 P-51s bomb and strafe Okimura on Haha Jima Island. 13 B-24s fly daylight strike against Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island; during the night of 12/13 Mar, 8 B-24s hit Susaki Airfield and Okimura. 24 B-24s from Angaur Island hit a Saragani Bay storage area on Mindanao Island.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s hit Mercedes and Malabang on Mindanao Island. On Luzon Island, other B-24s bomb Japanese troops near Ipo, B-25s hit supply area at Bangued and troops at Pattao, A-20s and fighter-bombers fly ground forces support missions. fighter-bombers also bomb Calallo Island. On Formosa B-24s, with P-38 support bomb Takao and Tainan and P-51s also hit Tainan and bomb Jitsugetsu power plants. The 6th TCS, 374TCG, moves from Biak Island to Tacloban, Leyte Island with C-47s; the 33BS(H), 22d BG(H), moves from Samar Island to Clark Field, Luzon with B-24s; the 69BS(M), 42BG(M), moves from Sansapor, New Guinea to Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island with B-25s (the 69th is operating from Morotai Island).

TUESDAY, 13 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 7 B-24s over the Gulf of Tonkin and the S China Sea claim a cargo vessel and a large junk destroyed. 13 P-40s, P-38s, and P-51s destroy a storehouse and damage a compound at Chinchengchiang, China and knock out a bridge and hit machinegun positions and other targets of opportunity at Lang Son, French Indochina.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 16 P-47s support forces of the Chinese 50th Division, hitting Japanese positions along the Namtu River in the Namhsan area; 26 P-38s hit road targets S of the bomb line in C Burma; 12 B-25s attack troop concentrations, supplies, and gun positions behind enemy lines; 4 P-47s hit a wooded area in the British 36 Division battle sector; other fighter-bombers make ineffective bridge strikes. Transports complete 500+ sorties to forward areas.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 61TCG and the 14th and 15TCSs move from Barkston, England to Abbeville, France with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 16 P-51s based at Chievres, Belgium fly an uneventful aircraft sweep in the Remagen-Koblenz, Germany area; 17 F-5s fly photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 450+ A-26s, A-20s, and B-26s, bomb 3 marshalling yards, 2 airfields, rail sidings, and several targets of opportunity in the continuing interdiction campaign; fighters fly escort, patrols, and armed reconnaissance, attack assigned targets, cover the US First Army area in general along the Rhine River from Dusseldorf to Linz/Rhine, support the US 9th Infantry Division around Hargarten, cover the Remagen bridgehead, and support the XX Corps as it opens an offensive SE from the Saarburg bridgehead.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Germany, 569 B-24s and B-17s bomb the marshalling yard at Regensburg; 3 other bombers bomb the Landshut marshalling yard and targets of opportunity; 280+ P-38s and P-51s provide escort and several strafe rail traffic in Germany and Austria during the return flight; 41 P-51 s on a strafing mission attack rail traffic in the Munich-Landshut-Regensburg and Ingolstadt, Germany areas and between Vienna and Wiener-Neustadt, Austria. Photo reconnaissance is particularly extensive, with 18 F-5s covering areas of Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and N Italy; 41 fighters escort the photo missions.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, B-25s bomb railroad bridges and fills at Perca, Vo Sinistro, Pizzighetone, Salorno, and Sacile; fighters and fighter-bombers attack bridges, flak positions, ammunition and a supply dump, rail lines, various other targets, and fly close support to the US Fifth Army force as the XXII Tactical Air Command operates over wide areas of N Italy from the N Apennines through the Po Valley, and into NE Italy; on the night of 12/13 Mar, A-20s hit railroads, Po River crossings, dumps, and movement, mainly in the Po Valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 6 B-24s from Guam Island hit Woleai Atoll in the Caroline Islands while 10 others bomb Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island; during the night of 13/14 Mar, 8 B-24s, flying individual strikes pound Susaki Airfield. 24 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb a storage area at Saragani Bay, Mindanao Island.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 42: In the third of the Twentieth AF's great fire raids, 274 of 301 B-29s begin bombing Osaka, Japan shortly after 2400 hours local on the night of 13/14 Mar; because of 8/10 cloud cover, bombing is by radar; the heart of the city, an area of 8.1square miles (21.0 square km), is wiped out during 3 hours of bombing from altitudes of 5,000 to 9,600 ft (1,524 to 2,926 m); 134,744 houses are destroyed, 1,363 houses damaged and Japanese casualties are 3,988 dead, 678 missing and 8,463 dead; 5 other B-29s bomb other targets; the B-29s claim 1-0-0 Japanese aircraft; 2 B-29s are lost.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Mindanao Island, B-24s hit targets in the Saragani Bay area and effectively hit the town of Lagao and B-25s support ground operations in the Zamboanga area. B-25s, A-20s, and fighters support ground forces hitting forces and positions in the Cagayan Valley on Luzon Island. B-25s hit sampans off Hainan Island, China while P-51s sweep Samah Airfield on the island. B-24s hit installations in WC Formosa and at Mako. The 408BS(H), 22BG(H), moves from Samar Island to Clark Field, Luzon with B-24s.

WEDNESDAY, 14 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Of 12 B-25s taking off to cover a naval task force on its way to Matsuwa Island in the Kurile Islands, 6 abort due to weather and failure to locate the task force; the others fly coverage sorties throughout the day. CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 3 B-24s claim 1cargo vessel sunk in the S China Sea; 1 B-25 and 4 fighter-bombers damage 12 track sections near Tungyangchen; and 4 P-51s hit railroad targets of opportunity near Chihsien. 19 P-51s and P-38s blast the barracks area at Vinh Yen, French Indochina.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 20 P-47s fly close support for elements of the Chinese 50th Division in the Mansam area; 3 B-25s knock out a bridge at Laihka while 11others bomb troop and a vehicle concentration nearby; 39 P-47s hit troop concentrations, supplies and vehicles at Laihka and Namlan while 29 others sweep roads S of the bomb line. 614 air supply sorties are flown to forward areas. The 165th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Asansol, India to Sinthe, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s and the 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando) moves from Sinthe to Asansol with the same aircraft.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.

Mission 886: 1,262 bombers and 804 fighters are dispatched to hit oil, rail and industrial targets in Germany; they claim 17-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air; 3 B-17s and 2 fighters are lost: 1. 526 B-17s are sent to hit oil refineries at Nienhagen (58) and Misburg (56), the Gebruder munitions plant (75) and Maschnbau (61) and Eisenwerke (74) factories at Hannover and the Seelze marshalling yard (80); secondary targets hit are Osnabruck (29) and the marshalling yard at Hannover; attacks were made visually and with H2X radar; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 188 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 6 WIA and 19 MIA. 192 of 204 P-51s escort; 2 are damaged. 2. 449 B-17s are dispatched to hit the bridges at Vlotho (72) and Bad Ostenhausen (114), the marshalling yard and road junction at Lohne (144) and industrial plants at Hildesheim (60); 39 hit Osnabruck, a secondary target; targets of opportunity are the marshalling yards at Hameln (12) and Wetzlar (1) and Diemonde (1); all but one target is bombed visually; 1 B-17 is lost and 56 damaged; 1airman is WIA and 9 MIA. Escorting are 182 of 194 P-51s; they claim 1-0-1 aircraft. 3. 272 B-24s are sent to hit the marshalling yards at Holzwickede (31) and Gutersloh (126); 110 others hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Giessen; attacks are made visually and with H2X radar; 4 B-24s are damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 5 WIA. The escort is 185 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 3-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 6 B-17s fly a screening Mission without loss. 5. 29 of 33 P-41s escort 9AF bombers. 6. 50 P-51s fly a sweep of the Stein-Huder-Kassel area claiming 11-0-0 aircraft without loss. 7. 82 P-51s fly a sweep over the Remagen bridgehead; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 8. 20 P-51s escort 33 F-5s and 3 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany and Czechoslovakia. 9. 26 of 27 P-51s fly a scouting Mission claiming 1-0-0 aircraft.

Mission 887: 9 B-17s use DISNEY rockets weapons on the Ijmuiden submarine pens without loss.

Mission 888: 7 B-24s bomb the marshalling yard at Wiesbaden by PFF during the night without loss.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 350+ A-20s, A-26s and B-26s hit 3 airfields, 4 rail bridges, a junction, 5 towns, and 3 targets of opportunity as the interdiction operations continue; fighters escort the bombers, attack railroads and other special targets, fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance, cover the Remagen area, and support the US XII Corps as it begins a drive from the Mosel River to the Rhine River, and the XX Corps operations W of Trier and Saarburg. HQ 367FG moves from St Dizier to Conflans, France. The 410FS, 373FG, moves from Le Culot, Belgium to Venlo, the Netherlands with P-47s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 634 B-17s and B-24s, with fighter escorts, hit the Szony and Almasfuzito oil refineries and marshalling yards at Komarom, Hungary; Nove Zamky, Czechoslovakia; Zagreb, Yugoslavia; and Wiener-Neustadt, Graz, and Knittelfeld, Austria. 90 P-38s dive-bomb bridges at Ptuj, Yugoslavia, 42 of them afterwards strafing rail traffic in Yugoslavia and Austria. 21 P-51 s also strafe rail traffic in Austria. B-17s and B-24s drop supplies in N Italy and in Yugoslavia. F-5s continue reconnaissance missions, including a larger than usual number of photo reconnaissance flights (most of them heavily escorted) over Italy, Germany, Austria, and Yugoslavia. The 71FS, 1FG, moves from Sallsola Airfield to Lesina, Italy with P-38s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, B-25s damage bridges at Casarsa della Delizia, Cittadella, Vipiteno, and Campo; fighters and fighterbombers attack communications, ammunition and supply dumps, motor transport, trains, buildings, and other targets, escort medium bombers, and support ground forces, operating over much of N Italy from the Apennine battle area N and NE. A-20s hit river crossings and targets of opportunity in the Po Valley during the night of 13/14 Mar.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 11 B-24s from Guam Island bomb Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island while 23 from Angaur Island hit a Saragani Bay supply area on Mindanao Island. During the night of 14/15 Mar, 5 more B-24s flying individually hit Susaki Airfield. VII Fighter Command: 16 Iwo Jima-based P-51s strafe and dive-bomb Susaki Airfield, the town of Okimura on Haha Jima Island, and several gun positions on Chichi Jima. The ground echelon of the 549NPS, VII Fighter Command, arrives on Iwo Jima Island from Hawaii (air echelon is operating from Saipan Island with P-61s).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Mindanao Island, B-24s bomb the Konel area while B-25s and B-24s hit the village and AA positions near Zamboanga and dock area at Isabela. A-20s and numerous fighter-bombers (including some US Marine aircraft) hit installations and defensive positions throughout Luzon Island. A-20s over Palawan Island hit Pandanan Island. B-24s bomb the Mako, Formosa naval base. B-25s on an armed reconnaissance and shipping sweep along the China coast bomb the secondary targets when no ships are sighted. The 2BS(H), 22d BG(H), moves from Samar Island to Clark Field, Luzon with B-24s.

THURSDAY, 15 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-24 flies air coverage for a naval task force; 7 others weather-abort.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 4 B-24s claim 1vessel sunk in the S China Sea. In China, 4 B-25s hit the area E of Pingsiang; 4 P-51s hit locomotives between Sinsiang and Shihkiachwang and 4 attack motor transport in the Paotou area.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 30 P-47s support elements of the Chinese 50th Division in the Namhsan area; 32 P-38s sweep roads S of the bomb line. Transports fly 625 sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 889: 1,353 bombers and 833 fighters are dispatched to hit German Army HQ and a marshalling yard at Oranienburg; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 9 bombers and 4 fighters are lost: 1. 308 of 372 B-24s and 276 of 300 B-17s hit the Germany Army HQ at Zossen, near Berlin visually; targets of opportunity for the B-24s are the Gardlingen rail center (31), the rail bridge at Parey (11) and other (3) and for B-17s, the marshalling yard at Stendal (13) and other (3); 1 B-24 is lost, 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 32 B-24s and 20 B-17s are damaged; 4 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 21 MIA. Escorting are 397 P-51s and P-47s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 612 of 675 B-17s attack the marshalling yard at Oranienburg visually; targets of opportunity are Wittenberg (31), Havelberg (12), the marshalling yards at Durstadt (1) and Mellendorf (1), Schmarsau (1) and Dedelstorf Airfield (1) some of which are hit with H2X radar; 8 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 288 damaged; 8 airmen are WIA and 66 MIA. 320 of 352 P-51s escort; 1 is lost. 3. 6 B-17s fly a screening Mission without loss. 4. 29 of 30 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 5. 9 P-51s fly a sweep of the Bonn-Koblenz area. 6. 9 of 12 P-51s escort 24 F-5s and 4 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

Mission 890: 14 of 16 B-24s bomb the rail station at Munster during the night using PFF methods.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 9th Bombardment Division A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s attack communications centers at Neunkirchen and Pirmasens, marshalling yards at Turkismuhle and Erbach, 3 flak positions, and several other targets, as well as dropping leaflets on Koblenz; fighters hit the Overberge marshalling yard and other targets, escort the bombers, fly sweeps and armed reconnaissance, and support the US XII Corps crossing the Mosel River in an offensive toward the Rhine River, and the XX Corps E of Trier and Saarbrucken. HQ 10PRG and the 15TRS move from Doncourt Airfield, Conflans and Giraumont, France respectively to Evren Airfield, Trier, Germany with F-6s; the 393and 394FSs, 367FG, move from St Dizier to Conflans, France with P-47s; and the 411FS, 373d FG, moves from Le Culot, Belgium to Venlo, the Netherlands with P-47s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Germany, 109 B-17s bomb the oil refinery at Ruhland (marking the Fifteenth's deepest penetration into Germany). 103 others bomb the alternate target, the refinery at Kolin, Czechoslovakia. 470+ other bombers attack targets in Austria, including Moosbierbaum, Schwechat, and Vienna/Floridsdorf oil refineries, marshalling yards at Wiener-Neustadt, Sankt Polten, Graz, Bruck an der Mur, Klagenfurt, and Murzzuschlag, and a bridge at Klagenfurt. Supply missions to N Italy and Yugoslavia continue, along with extensive photo and weather reconnaissance. Fighters fly 300+ sorties in escort of the bombers and supply and reconnaissance flights.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, B-25s attack railroad bridges and fills at Salzano, Canale d'Isonzo, Rovereto, Palazzolo sull'Oglio, Romano di Lombardia, and Mori; fighters and fighter-bombers of the XXII Tactical Air Command concentrate on communications lines in NE Italy, particularly the Brenner rail line, and also blast several supply and ammunition dumps; A-20s continue intruder missions during the night of 14/15 Mar, hitting Po River crossings and fills in the San Ambrogio di Valpolicella area.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 8 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island; 3 more, on snooper strikes, hit the airfield during the night of 15/16 Mar.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): In support of US ground forces on Luzon Island, B-24s, A-20s, and P-38s hit a HQ area at Baguio; P-47s hit Minuli bridge and enemy concentrations in the Balete Pass and W of Ft Stotsenburg; and A-20s and P-47s hit gun positions and occupied areas around Batangas. On Mindanao Island, B-24s and B-25s hit personnel N of Saragani Bay and troops and gun positions in the Zamboanga area. B-24s bomb Lahug on Cebu Island. P-47s dive-bomb Takao power installations on Formosa. HQ 22BG(H) and the 19BS(H) move from Samar Island to Clark Field, Luzon with B-24s; the 100BS(M), 42BG(M), moves from Sansapor, New Guinea to Palawan Island with B-25s; the 403BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Tacloban, Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon with B-24s.

FRIDAY, 16 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Because of a navigational error, 2 B-24s on a photo mission to Matsuwa Island reach 130 miles (209 km) S of the island, the deepest penetration of the Japanese Home Islands to date; the B-24s turn N, photograph Matsuwa Island and bomb Shimushiru Island with unobserved results.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 32 B-24s, escorted by 10 P-51s, pound the N railroad yards at Shihkiachwang; 1 B-25 and 2 P-51s attack the railroad between Sinsiang and Shihkiachwang; the detachment of the 16FS, 51FG, operating from Laohokow with P-51s, returns to base at Chengkung (another detachment is operating from Poseh).

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 23 P-47s support forces of the Chinese 50th Division in the Hsipaw area; 4 P-38s, supporting the British 36 Division, bomb artillery positions NE of Mogok; 12 B-25s blast a fuel dump and troop concentration at Panghai; and 40 P-38s sweep roads S of the bomb line. Transport operations continue on a steady basis.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): During the night of 16/17 Mar, 12 B-24s drop leaflets in Germany and the Netherlands and 20 of 22 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 280+ A-20s, A-26s and B-26s hit the Landau barracks area and communications center, the Niederscheld town area and rail bridge, 6 other town areas, a marshalling yard, rail junction, crossroads, and also drop leaflets; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols, sweeps, armed reconnaissance, and cover the VIII, XII, and XX Corps in an assault across the Mosel River from W of Koblenz and N of Boppard, at one point, as far E as Bad Kreuznach, and as far S as Merzig; HQ 365FG moves from Juzaine Airfield, Florennes, Belgium to Aachen; the 153Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), moves from Duren to Euskirchen with L-5s; and the 392FS, 367FG, moves from St Dizier to Conflans, France with P-47s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 720+ B-24s and B-17s bomb the Korneuburg, Vienna/Floridsdorf, Schwechat, and Moosbierbaum, Austria oil refineries and marshalling yards at Sankt Veit an der Glan, Amstetten, and Graz, Austria and Varazdin and Pragersko, Yugoslavia; 52 P-51s strafe rail lines in the Vienna and Linz, Austria and Passau and Regensburg, Germany areas and the airfield at Mettenheim, Germany. B-17s and B-24s continue supply drops to N Italy and Yugoslavia while F-5s and P-38s fly extensive weather and photo reconnaissance missions; fighters fly 300+ sorties in escort of the bombers, supply runs, and reconnaissance operations. HQ 1 FG and the 27th and 94FSs move from Salsola Airfield to Lesina, Italy with P-38s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): B-25s of the 57th BombardmentWing, flying their farthest N penetration to date, bomb the Brixlegg, Austria railroad bridge. In Italy, B-25s also hit the Spilimbergo power plant, with excellent results, and lightly damage 3 bridges on the Brenner line, 1in the C Po Valley, and 1in NE Italy; XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers continue to attack communications in the Po Valley and NE Italy, while A-20s bomb bridges and targets of opportunity on night intruder missions along the Po R and in the N Po Valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): On Chichi Jima Island, 13 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb Susaki Airfield; during the night of 16/17 Mar, Susaki Airfield is hit again, by 5 B-24s flying individual harassment strikes. Iwo Jima Island in the Volcano Islands is declared secure although fierce resistance continues on some parts of the island. VII Fighter Command: 16 Iwo-based P-51s dive-bomb and strafe radio and radar installations, gun positions, and a storage area on Chichi Jima.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 43: 307 XXI BC B-29s, of 331airborne, fire-raid Kobe, Japan in the heaviest attack to date, bombing from 5,000 to 9,500 feet (1,524 to 2,896 m) during the predawn hours of 16/17 Mar; the attack lasts for 2 hours and 8 minutes; about 2.9 square miles (7.5 square km), i.e., 20%, of the city's area is burned destroying about 500 industrial buildings and damaging 162; 65,951homes are lost leaving 242,468 people homeless. Casualties are 2,669 dead or missing and 11,289 injured. The B-29 crews see 314 enemy aircraft which make a total of 93 individual attacks; the AAF claims 1-0-? Japanese aircraft; 3 B-29s are lost, none to the fighters.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, A-20s and B-24s continue pounding Japanese installations at Baguio; P-51s strike Patapat, hitting vehicles and supplies; fighters on patrol hit Caballo Island in Manila Bay; the Batangas area is again pounded by fighter-bombers and A-20s. B-24s hit Talisay and Carolina Airfields on Negros Island and bomb targets pinpointed by guerrillas on Cebu Island. B-25s bomb San Roque Airfield on Mindanao Island and attack Tarakan Island and Jesselton Airfields in Borneo. On Formosa, B-24s also hit the town of Taihoku, airfields at Heito, and the Okayama naval airbase. HQ 43BG(H) and the 65BS(H) move from Tacloban, Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon with B-24s; the 419NPS, XIII Fighter Command, moves from Middelburg Island to Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island with P-61s.

SATURDAY, 17 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 2 B-24s fly bombing and photo missions over Matsuwa Island, concentrating on the airfield, and on returning photograph Shasukotan, Harumukotan, and Onnekotan Islands.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 1 B-25 and 12 P-51s damage 21locomotives and a river launch in the Peking area, around Tsinan, and between Taiyuan and Tatung.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 44: In Burma, 70 of 77 B-29s hit a storage dump at Rangoon; 2 others bomb targets of opportunity, the Sagyi Airfield and warehouses at Bassein without loss.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 16 P-47s support the British 36 Division around Mogok; 12 B-25s bomb troops and supplies near Namlan; 33 P-47s hit road targets behind enemy lines, concentrating on the Hay-ti and Mong Yai sectors; 40+ other fighter-bombers attack troops, supplies, tanks, and trucks behind the battleline including the Ta-mun, Namsaw, Pansupe, Tal-ti, and Kankang areas. Transports continue to fly troops and supplies to frontline areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 892: 1,328 bombers and 820 P-51s are dispatched to hit oil, industrial and rail targets in Germany; clouds extend from 1,000 to 15,000 feet (305 to 4,572 m) and over the targets there is 9/10 to 10/10 cloud cover necessitating PFF methods for bombing; 5 B-17s and 2 P-51s are lost: 1. 527 B-17s are sent to hit the oil refinery at Ruhland (214); 138 hit the secondary target, the Bittefeld oil refinery; targets of opportunity are the Vomag munitions factory at Plauen (125), Fulda (19), Cottbus (11) and other (3); H2X radar is used; 4 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 46 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 1 WIA and 35 MIA. Escorting are 252 of 280 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA). 2. 449 B-17s are dispatched to hit the oil refinery at Bohlen (152) and the oil refinery and power station at Molbis (127); secondary targets are the Zeiss works at Jena (71) and the marshalling yard at Erfurt (51); targets of opportunity are Altenburg (36) and other (3); bombing is by H2X radar; 1 B-17 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 15 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. 266 of 283 P-51s escort; 1 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 346 B-24s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Munster (170): and the Hanomag tank factory at Hannover (146); 9 other hit Herford, a target of opportunity; Gee-H and H2X are used to bomb; 3 B-24s are damaged. The escort is 122 of 128 P-51s. 4. 6 B-24s fly a screening mission. 5. 79 of 86 P-51s fly a freelance sweep without loss. 6. 28 of 32 P-51s fly a scouting Mission without loss. 7. 9 of 11 P-51 s escort 2 F-5s and 1Spitfire on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.

Mission 893: 9 B-24s drop leaflets in Germany, the Netherlands and France during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 650+ A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s bomb 5 marshalling yards, 2 communications centers, an ordnance depot, 3 city areas, and several targets of opportunity; the attacks are to impede the enemy movement of troops, equipment, and supplies in the face of the advancing Allied forces; fighters fly escort, patrols, and armed reconnaissance, cover the Remagen bridgehead, support the US III Corps NE of Remagen, cooperate with the XII Corps which has penetrated several miles E of Bad Kreuznach at one point, and operate with the XX Corps which at one point reaches as far E as Birkenfeld. The 386FS, 365th Fighter Group, moves from Juzaine Airfield, Florennes, Belgium to Aachen, Germany with P-47s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather grounds the bombers. In Yugoslavia, 98 P-38s dive-bomb the Ptuj and Zagreb railroad bridges, the Klinca Sela marshalling yard, and the Sisak marshalling yard and bridge; B-24s, with fighter escort, drop supplies and F-5s, P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort. During the night of 17/18 Mar, B-24s drop supplies in N Italy.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, A-20s and B-26s during the night of 16/17 Mar, bomb Po River crossings, other bridges, lights, and movements in the Po Valley; B-25s bomb railroad bridges and fills at Cittadella, San Michele all' Adige, Aldeno, Bozzolo, Canneto sull' Oglio, Pontetidone, Pizzighettone, and Pontevico; fighters and fighter-bombers are greatly restricted by bad weather but score effectively against dumps, bridges, railroads, marshalling yards, trains, and buildings mainly in the Po Valley.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): On Chichi Jima Island, 11Guam Island-based B-24s hit Susaki Airfield; during the night of 17/18 Mar, 5 B-24s again hit the airfield. HQ 30BG(H) and the 27th, 30th and 819BS(H) move from Saipan Island to Wheeler Field, Hawaii with B-24s (the group will train and fly patrol missions until VJ-Day).

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): Formosa airfields are pounded by B-24s operating in force. On Luzon Island, nearly 500 sorties are flown in support of ground forces by B-25s, A-20s, and fighters. B-24s hit Panay Island, Philippine Islands beaches preparatory to allied landings on 18 Mar and bomb troops in the combat areas on Mindanao Island. Bacolod Airfield on Negros Island is also bombed. HQ 317TCG moves from Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon; the 31BS(H), 7BG(H), moves from Morotai Island to Samar Island with B-24s.

SUNDAY, 18 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A weather sortie is flown.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 6 B-24s sweep the Gulf of Tonkin and S China Sea, claiming 1freighter damaged. 2 P-51s over N French Indochina strafe trucks, troops, and horsecarts.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 12 P-47s support the Chinese ground forces near Hsipaw; 8 others support British 36 Division troops by dropping napalm NE of Mogok; 11 B-25s and 20 fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations and supplies immediately behind the battlefront and roads S of the bomb line are swept by 16 P-38s. Transports continue steady operations.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 894: 1,329 bombers and 733 fighters are dispatched to hit railway stations and tanks plants in the Berlin area; the attacks are made both visually and with H2X radar; the Luftwaffe makes it's most concentrated and successful attacks with Me 262s to date; the AAF claims 21-1-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; 13 bombers (8 to flak) and 6 fighters are lost: 1. 421 of 450 B-17s hit the Schlesischer rail station in Berlin; 13 hit the secondary target, Zehdnuk; and 1 hits Vechta, a target of opportunity; they claim 6-0-0 aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost, 8 damaged beyond repair and 268 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 18 WIA and 49 MIA. 179 of 199 P-51s escort; they claim 4-0-2 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost. 2. 495 of 530 B-17s hit the Nord rail station in Berlin; targets of opportunity are Ludwigslust (3) and other (3); they claim 1-1-1 aircraft; 7 B-17s are lost, 6 damaged beyond repair and 319 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 12 WIA and 79 MIA. Escorting are 219 of 238 P-51s; they claim 7-0-1 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost. 3. 347 B-24s are sent to hit the Tegel (225) and Henningsdorf (80) tank factories in Berlin; targets of opportunity are Oranienburg (9), Uelzen (9): and other (3); 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 127 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 1 WIA and 11 MIA. The escort is 254 P-51s; they claim 3-0-1 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost. 4. 2 B-17s fly a scouting mission. 5. 27 of 30 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 6. 1 of 12 P-51s escort 5 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

Mission 895: 10 of 12 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): The 415NPS, 64FW, moves from Ochey to St Dizier, France with Beaufighters. 9AF: In Germany, 660+ A-20s, A-26s and B-26s hit the marshalling yards at Wetzlar, Worms, Kreuztal, and Bad Durkheim, a communications center at Bad Durkheim, and 4 town areas with the aim of hampering enemy movement; fighters escort the bombers, attack assigned targets, fly patrols, and armed reconnaissance, and cooperate with the US III Corps at Remagen, with the XII Corps as it begins an assault towards the Mainz-Worms sector of the Rhine River, and with the XX Corps as it moves rapidly eastward through the Sankt Wendel area toward Kaiserslautern. HQ 70FW moves from Verviers, Belgium to Bruhl, Germany.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather limits operations to reconnaissance and supply missions, a fighter-bomber attack by P-38s on the Varazdin, Yugoslavia railroad bridge, after which many of the P-38s strafe railroad communications in the Zagreb, Varazdin and Maribor, Yugoslavia, and Villach, Austria areas, and a strafing mission against rail communications and airfields in the Graz and Wiener-Neustadt, Austria, Maribor, Yugoslavia, and Szombathely, Hungary areas.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 17/18 Mar, A-20s and A-26s continue intruder missions in the Po Valley, concentrating on Po River crossings; B-25s bomb the railroad bridges at Bozzolo, and Palazzuolo sull' Oglio, the railroad fill at Salorno, and the causeway at Mantua; fighters and fighter-bombers hit dumps and support ground forces S of Bologna, and attack communications targets over wide areas of the Po Valley; the most devastating raid of the day is flown against the Novara marshalling yard where 14 locomotives are destroyed.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 14 B-24s from Guam Island pound Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island and 1other hits Haha Jima Island; during the night of 18/19 Mar, 5 more B-24s individually strike Susaki Airfield. The 392d BS(H), 30BG(H), moves from Saipan Island to Kipapa, Hawaii with B-24s. VII Fighter Command: On Chichi Jima Island, 16 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island dive-bomb radar and radio installations and barges.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 44: During the night of 18/19 Mar, 290 of 313 XXI BC B-29s continue the fire raids on Japanese cities, bombing Nagoya from 4,500 to 9,000 feet (1,372 to 2,743 m) with incendiaries for the second time this month; an additional 3 square miles (7.8 square km) are destroyed; the Nagoya arsenal, Aichi engine plant and freight yards are damaged but the Mitsubishi plants escape with minor damage; this

Mission ends the March fire raids.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On S Luzon Island, B-24s, A-20s, and fighters support ground forces by hitting the Ipo area and various targets in Batangas Province. B-24s again bomb Bacolod on Negros Island, hit several targets on Cebu Island, and bomb Sepinggang and Jesselton Airfields on Borneo. On Formosa, the airfield at Tainan, seaplane base at Takao, and emergency field at Koshun are also hit. The 419th Night FS, XIII Fighter Command, based at Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island with P-61s, sends a detachment to operate from Zamboanga, Mindanao Island.

MONDAY, 19 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 5 B-24s bomb and photograph the Kashiwabara naval base on Paramushiru Island. 8 B-25s bomb canneries along the Masugawa and Asahigawa Rivers.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 5 B-24s on a sweep over the S China Sea and Gulf of Tonkin claim a large freighter sunk. 4 P-38s strafe trucks from Son La to Hoa Binh, French Indochina.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 24 P-38s support the forces of the Chinese 50th Division near Hsipaw; 12 P-38s sweep roads S of the bomb line while 27 P-47s operating over and behind enemy lines hit troop concentrations and supplies at Namlan, Namio, and Nam-maw-long and a Japanese-held monastery at Nammaw-long. Transports fly 502 sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 896: 1,273 bombers and 675 fighters are dispatched to hit airfields and industrial targets in Germany visually and with H2X radar; clouds force 2 of the 3 forces to hit secondaries; 100+ Luftwaffe fighters including 36 Me 262s in formation (largest number of jets seen as a unit) are encountered; the AAF claims 41-3-19 Luftwaffe aircraft (including 3 Me 262s); 6 bombers and 10 fighters are lost: 1. Cloud cover prevents 496 B-17s from hitting the primary targets; secondaries hit are the optical works at Jena (197) and the motor vehicle plant at Zwickau (177); targets of opportunity are Plauen (32), the marshalling yards at Fulda (44) and Saalfeld (10) and other (4); bombing is by H2X radar with some visual attacks; they claim 1-1-2 aircraft; 4 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 121 damaged; 9 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 49 MIA. Escorting are 183 of 198 P-51s; they claim 2-0-3 aircraft; 4 P-51s are lost. 2. Cloud cover forces 404 of 436 B-17s to hit the industrial area at Plauen, the secondary target using H2X radar; targets of opportunity, bombed visually, are the Fulda marshalling yard (20) and Prissig (1); 1 B-17 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 4 damaged; 9 airmen are KIA, 3 WIA and 9 MIA. The escort is 141 of 153 P-51s. 3. 341 B-24s are dispatched to hit airfields at Neuburg (125) and Leipheim (84) and jet aircraft plant at Baumenheim (126) visually; 1 B-24 is lost; 11 airmen are MIA. 175 of 194 P-51s escort; they claim 5-0-0 aircraft without loss. 4. 95 of 98 P-51s fly a freelance sweep for the bombers; they claim 33-2-14 aircraft; 6 P-51s are lost. 5. 2 of 4 P-51s escort 15 F-5s and 2 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.

Mission 897: 11 of 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): HQ 27FG and the 522d, 523and 524FSs move from St Dizier to Ochey Airfield, Toul, France with P-47s. 9AF: In Germany, the 9th Bombardment Division strikes 2 marshalling yards, 5 rail bridges, a communications center and several casual targets as part of the interdiction program to impede enemy movement; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, support the US III Corps W of Remagen, cooperates with the XII Corps' 4th Armored Division E of Kaiserslautern as it drives toward the Rhine River; fighterbombers of the XIX Tactical Air Command, on a special mission, bomb the HQ of Commander-in-Chief West (Field Marshall Gerd von Rundstedt) at Ziegenberg.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 800+ B-17s and B-24s, with fighter escorts, hit marshalling yards at Landshut, Passau, Muhldorf, Plattling, Garching an der Alz and Altenmarkt an der Alz, Germany, and Sankt Veit an der Glan, Lambach, Klagenfurt, Austria and 54 P-51s strafe railroads in the target areas; 36 P-38s bomb the marshalling yard at Varazdin, Yugoslavia; B-24s drop supplies in Yugoslavia while P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and escort.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, XXII Tactical Air Command A-20s strike heavily against general movement in the Po Valley during the night of 18/19 Mar, and are followed during the day by fighter and fighter-bomber attacks on communications in the C Po Valley and NE Italy where numerous rail cuts are made, 3 bridges damaged, and several supply dumps hit; medium bombers damage a bridge at Muhldorf, Germany, bridges and fills at Perca, and at 7 other locations on the N Italian approaches to the Brenner Pass.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): On Chichi Jima Island, 12 Guam Island-based B-24s attack the Susaki Airfield and radio installations in the afternoon. During the night of 19/20 Mar, Susaki Airfield is hit again by 5 B-24s flying separate snooper strikes. VII Fighter Command: On Chichi Jima Island, 16 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island bomb and strafe Susaki Airfield, a radio installation, and storage area.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s and fighterbombers again hit installations on N Luzon Island. B-24s hit a variety of targets on Cebu Island including the town of Minglanilla. The 8th Combat Cargo Squadron, 2Combat Cargo Group, moves from Biak Island to Dulag, Leyte Island with C-46s; the 63BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Tacloban, Leyte to Clark Field, Luzon with B-24s.

TUESDAY, 20 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In French Indochina, 4 P-38s claim 11 trucks destroyed and 9 damaged between Son La and Hoa Binh.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): 20 P-47s sweep roads S of the bomb line in C Burma; 16 others hit supply dumps behind Japanese lines. Transports continue to supply forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.

Mission 898: 451bombers and 355 fighters are dispatched to hit the shipyard and dock area at Hamburg and an oil refinery; they claim 14-3-17 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 bombers and 2 P-51s are lost: 1. 13 of 152 B-17s hit the Blohm & Voss U-boat yard at Hamburg; 133 others hit the secondary, the port area at Hamburg; bombing is visual; they claim 1-0-3 aircraft; 1airman is KIA and 2 WIA. Escorting are 70 of 79 P-51s; they claim 0-0-2 aircraft. 2. 149 of 162 B-17s hit the secondary target, the Hamburg port area, using H2X radar; 1other hits the Nordholz Airfield, a target of opportunity; they claim 5-3-2 aircraft; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 54 damaged; 27 airmen are MIA. The escort is 72 of 75 P-51s; they claim 0-0-2 aircraft. 3. 114 of 129 B-24s attack the oil refinery at Hemmingstedt; 1 B-24 is lost and 9 damaged; 12 airmen are MIA. 75 P-51s escort; they claim 2-0-1 aircraft in the air and 1-0-2 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 6 B-17s fly a screening Mission without loss. 5. 2 B-17s and 26 of 27 P-51s fly scouting missions. 6. 78 of 82 P-51s fly a strafing mission in the Bremen-Hannover area; they claim 2-0-3 aircraft in the air and 3-0-2 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 7. 17 P-51s escort 11F-5s and 2 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

Mission 899: 1 B-17, escorted by 4 P-51s, bombs Oberursel at 1650 hours from 25,000 feet (7,620 m); this is the first operational test of Micro-H Mk II radar.

Mission 900: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany and 2 A-26s fly CARPETBAGGER missions (1A-26 is lost).

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 360+ A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s bomb the Geisecke marshalling yard, Sythen ammunition-filling plant, the town of Gronau (including a rail bridge), and several casual targets in or near 9 other towns; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, support the US III and VII Corps just E of the Rhine River between Bad Honningen and the Sieg River, and the XII and XX Corps as they push to the Rhine River at Worms and at a point N of Mannheim.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Austria, 760+ B-17s and B-24s, with fighter escort, hit the Korneuburg and Kagran oil refineries, the marshalling yards at Wels, Sankt Polten, Amstetten, Wiener-Neustadt, and Klagenfurt, and the tank works at Steyr. Routine supply, reconnaissance, and escort missions continue. The 885BS(H), 2641 Special Group, moves from Brindisi to Rosignano, Italy with B-17s and B-24s (the squadron transports supplies to partisans and drops leaflets).

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, XXII Tactical Air Command A-20s during the night of 19/20 Mar continue intruder missions into the Po Valley while fighters and fighter-bombers pound communications targets in the Valley during the day and severely damage fuel dumps near Mantua; medium bombers hit 4 bridges on the Brenner line and 2 others in NE Italy and hit other bridge approaches nearby. HQ 79FG moves from Fano to Cesenatico, Italy.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island; during the night of 20/21Mar, 4 other B-24s fly single strikes against the airfield. VII Fighter Command: The air echelon of the 549NPS, ceases operating from Saipan Island and moves to Iwo Jima with P-61s.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers fly numerous ground support missions and hit targets at Balete Pass, Bayombong, Tuguegarao, Antamok, San Fernando, Bontoc and along roads. B-24s pound the supply and personnel area E of Cebu City and N of Mambaling on Cebu Island, defensive positions NW of Talisay and AA guns to the N, and also bomb Talisay on Negros Island. Other B-24s bomb the town of Tainan, Formosa. B-25s on a shipping sweep sink 3 small vessels near Qui Nhon, French Indochina. The 72BS(H), 5BG(H), moves from Morotai Island to Samar Island with B-24s; the detachments of the 75th and 390BS(M), 42BG(M), operating from Morotai Island, return to base at Sansapor, New Guinea with B-25s.

WEDNESDAY, 21 MARCH 1945 AMERICAN THEATER ZI - AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (4AF): A P-63 from Walla Walla AAFld, Washington, intercepts a Japanese balloon near Redmond, Washington, and, after a chase that includes 2 refueling stops, shoots it down near Reno, Nevada.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 4 P-51s damage several locomotives and boxcars at Vinh Airfield, French Indochina and along the railroad to the N. 6 B-24s claim 1vessel damaged in S China Sea.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 30 P-47s support Chinese ground forces in the Hsipaw area; 34 P-38s sweep roads S of the bomb line; 13 B-25s and 18 P-47s attack troop concentrations and vehicles at several points behind the Japanese lines; 526 air supply sorties are flown to the forward areas; in ground action in the area of the British Fourteenth Army's 33 Corps, organized resistance ceases in Mandalay and Allied forces completely take over that city.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 5 missions are flown.

Mission 901: Preparatory air operations for the forthcoming (23 Mar): crossing of the lower Rhine River by Allied ground forces begin. 1,408 bombers and 806 fighters, in conjunction with 9AF and RAF aircraft, attack jet fighter bases; with one exception, all attacks are visual; they claim 58-3-49 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 B-17s and 9 P-51s are lost: 1. 107 of 152 B-17s hit the secondary target, the tank factory at Plauen; targets of opportunity are Reichenbach (34) and other (1); they claim 3-3-3 aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost and 48 damaged. The escort is 273 of 314 P-51s; they claim 9-0-0 aircraft in the air and 3-0-0 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 2. 129 of 151 B-17s attack Hardorf Airfield; 14 others hit Vorden Airfield, a target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 71 damaged. Escorting are 94 of 98 P-51s; they claim 0-0-2 aircraft in the air. 3. 214 B-17s are sent to attack the airfields at Zwischenahn (57), Marx (77) and Wittmundhafen (74); casualties for 1., 2. and 3. above are 7 WIA and 56 MIA. 108 of 109 P-51s escort and claim 2-0-8 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 518 B-24s are dispatched to hit airfields at Ahlhorn (61), Hesepe (165), Achmer (180) and Mulheim Airfield at Essen (90); 21 B-24s are damaged. Escorting are 95 of 99 P-51s; they claim 35-0-30 aircraft on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 5. 373 B-17s are sent to hit airfields at Hopsten (159 using Gee-H) and Rheine (180); targets of opportunity are the airfields at Hesepe (13) and Achmer (12); 1 B-17 is lost and 49 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 3 WIA and 9 MIA. 97 of 102 P-51s escort; they claim 6-0-0 aircraft on the ground. 6. 36 P-51s fly a sweep over Giebelstadt Airfield and claim 0-0-6 aircraft on the ground. 7. 13 P-51s escort 9 F-5s, 1 P-38 and 1Spitfire on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 8. 35 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 902: In a DISNEY operation, 3 B-17s attack the E-boat pens at Ijmuiden, the Netherlands with rocket bombs; 6 P-51s escort.

Mission 903: 1 B-17 bombs Oberursel in a Micro-H Mk II radar test; 4 P-51s escort.

Mission 904: During the afternoon, 90 of 92 B-24s attack Mulheim Airfield at Essen; 60 are damaged and 1airman is WIA.

Mission 905: 8 of 9 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 580+ A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s strike 6 communications centers and a marshalling yard E of the Rhine River, along with several casual targets, in the interdiction campaign to obstruct enemy movement; fighters fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, attack railroads and bridges, support the US VII Corps as its units reach the Sieg River near Siegburg, cooperate with the XII Corps as more of its elements reach the Rhine River at various points between Boppard and Worms, and support the XX Corps as additional units reach the Rhine between Worms and Mannheim.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 660+ B-24s and B-17s, with fighter escorts, bomb the Neuburg an der Donau Airfield, Germany, marshalling yards at Villach (2 yards), Klagenfurt, Graz and Bruck and der Mur, Austria, and Pragersko, Yugoslavia, 3 oil refineries and a goods depot at Vienna, Austria, and 4 scattered targets of opportunity; supply and reconnaissance missions with escort are flown.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): A-20s continue to attack communications in the Po Valley especially the Po River crossings during the night of 20/21Mar; during the day fighter-bombers concentrate on railroad targets (lines, trains, bridges, and viaducts) and dumps in the Po Valley and areas N of the battleline in the N Apennines; medium bombers bomb a railroad fill at Salorno, bridges at Casarsa della Delizia and Pizzighettone, marshalling yards at Vipiteno and Brennero, and bridge approaches at Campo. The 86th and 87FSs, 79FG, move from Fano to Cesenatico, Italy with P-47s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): On Chichi Jima Island, 13 B-24s, based on Guam Island, hit Susaki Airfield, which is hit again during the night of 21/22 Mar by 5 more, flying separate strikes. VII Fighter Command: 16 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island strafe and bomb barracks and radio and radar installations on Chichi Jima.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighters continue large-scale support missions, hitting a variety of targets including Japanese defenses at Lipa and Tarlac and the town of Naga and Camiling. In the C Philippine Islands B-24s hit targets near Cebu City while A-20s pound other towns on Cebu Island. B-24s bomb Samah Airfield on Hainan Island. B-25s on a shipping sweep attack and set afire a freighter SE of Nanao Island, China. HQ 42BG(M) and the 390BS(M) move from Morotai Island to Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island with B-25s; the 67FS, 347th Fighter Group, ceases operating from Morotai with P-38s and returns to base at Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

THURSDAY, 22 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 24 fighter-bombers and a single B-25 attack railroad traffic and railroad yards in and around Shihkiachwang, at Chukiatsi, and from Sinsiang to Chenghsien.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 45: 76 of 78 B-29s, operating in 2 waves, blast storage dumps at Rangoon, Burma without loss.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 16 fighter-bombers support Chinese ground forces near Hsipaw; 12 B-25s and 41 fighter-bombers hit numerous targets along and immediately behind the enemy lines; troops, supplies, and communications are attacked and 2 bridges are knocked out; 547 air supply sorties are flown to forward areas; the 71Liaison Squadron, 10AF [attached to 1Liaison Group (Provisional)], moves from Katha to Myitkyina with L-1s, L-4s, L-5s and UC-64s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 906: Air attacks in preparation for the lower Rhine River crossing by Allied ground forces continue; 1,331bombers and 662 fighters attack barracks and military encampments in the Ruhr and airfields in Germany visually; they claim 27-1-12 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 and 3 P-51s are lost: 1. 99 of 114 B-17s hit Ahlhorn Airfield; 13 others hit the marshalling yard at Oldenburg, a target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost; 9 airmen are MIA. Escorting are 95 of 99 P-51s. 2. 457 B-17s are sent to hit military camps at Bottrop (36), Dorsten (74), Barningholten (111), Westerholt (116), Feldhausen N (74) and S (39); 3 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 111 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA and 8 WIA. The escort is 95 of 99 P-51s. 3. 297 B-17s are sent to hit military camps at Hinsbeck (67), Geresheim (73), Ratingen (75) and Mulheim (74); 114 B-17s are damaged and 3 airmen are WIA. 48 P-51s escort; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft on the ground. 4. 342 B-24s are dispatched to hit airfields at Kitzingen (168), Giebelstadt (75) and Schwab Hall (82); 8 others hit Wurzburg, the secondary target; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA. The escort is 138 of 153 P-51s; they claim 3-0-1 aircraft in the air and 13-0-7 on the ground. 5. 109 of 113 B-17s hit the Rhein Main Airfield at Frankfurt; 31 B-17s are damaged. Escorting are 56 P-51s. 6. 6 B-17s fly a screening mission. 7. 19 of 22 P-51s escort 19 of 22 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany; they claim 11-1-3 aircraft in the air. 8. 2 B-17s and 31 of 32 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 9. 150 of 153 P-51s escort 15AF bombers from Italy.

Mission 907: 9 of 10 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, nearly 800 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s bomb 9 communications centers and a marshalling yard E of the Rhine River (plus 7 towns, flak positions, and a target of opportunity) as part of the interdiction program to impede the movement of supplies and troops; fighters escort the bombers, attack railroads and other assigned targets, fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, support the US 1 and 9th Infantry Divisions SE of Honnef and along the Wied River, cooperate with the XII Corps as it begins crossing the Rhine River in the Mainz-Oppenheim areas and with the XX Corps which begins an attack on Ludwigshafen. HQ 69th Tactical RG and the 10TRS arrive at Nancy, France from the US with F-6s; HQ 474FG moves from Florennes, Belgium to Strassfeld, Germany; the 31Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 9AF [attached to 9TRG (Provisional)], arrives at Maastricht, the Netherlands from the US with F-6s; the 72Liaison Squadron, 9AF (attached to Sixth Army Group), moves from Buhl to Sarreguemines, France with L-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 680+ B-17s and B-24s (with Eighth and 15AF fighter escort) hit the Ruhland, Germany and Kralupy and Vltava, Czechoslovakia oil refineries (some bombers on the Ruhland raid bomb the Lauta aluminum works to the N), a railroad communications and ordnance depot, a marshalling yard, and 2 oil refineries at Vienna, Austria, marshalling yards at Graz, Wels, Zeltweg and Klagenfurt, Austria, and Neratovice, Czechoslovakia, and scattered targets of opportunity; reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort missions are also flown.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 21/22 Mar, A-20s and A-26s continue intruder raids concentrating on Po River crossings in the E Po Valley; during the day P-47s blast rail lines, trains and other communications targets, especially in the E Po Valley and areas to the N. In Austria, B-25s destroy a bridge at Brixlegg, severely damage the Steinach bridge, and hit bridge approaches at Muhlberg and the town of Matrei am Brenner. Weather prevents successful attacks on 2 targets in N Italy.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): On Chichi Jima Island, 13 B-24s from Guam Island bomb Susaki Airfield. 20 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb Cebu Island. During the night of 22/23 Mar, 4 B-24s from Guam Island make individual raids on Susaki Airfield. VII Fighter Command: 16 Iwo-based P-51s bomb and strafe a weather station fuel storage, and radar installations on Chichi Jima.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Cebu Island, B-24s and A-20s (along with USMC aircraft) hit Cebu City, defenses at several locations on Cebu, and targets on Inampulugan Island nearby. On Luzon Island, B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighters continue to hit numerous objectives, chiefly Balete Pass, Tangadon, San Fernando, and the Batangas areas. On Formosa, other B-24s hit Tainan and Okayama Airfields, destroying several hangars, planes, and gun positions. The 64BS(H), 43BG(H), moves from Tacloban, Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon with B-24s; the 69th and 100BSs (M), 42BG(M), cease operating from Morotai Island with B-25s and move to base at Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island; the 75BS(M), 42BG(M), moves from Sansapor, New Guinea to Puerto Princesa, Palawan with B-25s; and the 868BS(H), Thirteenth AF, moves from Noemfoor Island, New Guinea to Morotai Island with B-24s (the squadron uses airborne radar for low-level attacks at night and for pathfinder operations).

FRIDAY, 23 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): An 8-bomber strike is called off due to weather.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 28 B-24s bomb the Tsinan railroad shops and Yellow River bridge; 5 B-25s bomb town areas, storage facilities, and targets of opportunity at Sinsiang and Wu-yang and chiefly in the Hsiangcheng area; 50+ fighter-bombers attack troops, horses, and river, road, and railroad targets in N French Indochina and S and E China.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 15 P-47s support Chinese ground forces, bomb troops, and positions at Nampongpang and Nakang; 16 P-47s hit targets of opportunity along roads from Mong Nawng to Wan Sing and to Kunlong, China; 11 P-47s hit quarters at Monglawng while 3 others attack supply dumps at Laihka; 9 B-25s bomb communications routes, creating 2 road blocks behind enemy lines. In large-scale air supply operations, 536 sorties are flown.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.

Mission 908: The Allied ground assault across the lower Rhine River begins; 1,276 bombers and 499 fighters visually attack rail targets in W and C Germany; they claim 1-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 bombers are lost: 1. 319 B-24s are sent to hit the Rheine Bridge (79) and the Osnabruck (80): and Munster (142) marshalling yards; 2 others hit Hoya Airfield, a target of opportunity; 3 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 95 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 3 WIA and 35 MIA. Escorting are 79 of 80 P-51s. 2. 519 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards Hengstey (113), Giesecke (91), Holzwickede (184) and the Unna yard at Dormund (38); secondary targets hit are Meschede (19) and marshalling yards at Siegen (93) and Marburg (10); targets of opportunity are Herdecke (10), Haliger (1) and Schwerte (10); 3 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 178 damaged; 6 airmen are KIA, 4 WIA and 27 MIA. 82 P-51s escort. 3. 438 B-17s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Coesfeld (145), Recklinghausen (120) and Gladbeck (141); targets of opportunity are Hechfeldt (12) and the marshalling yard at Westerholt (13); 1 B-17 is lost; 3 airmen are WIA and 10 MIA. The escort is 71 of 79 P-51s. 4. 125 of 131 P-51 s fly a fighter sweep of the Bremen-Kassel area; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 0-0-1on the ground. 5. 71 of 84 P-51s fly a sweep for the 9AF. 6. 16 P-51s escort 15 F-5s and 4 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 7. 25 of 27 P-51s fly weather reconnaissance missions.

Mission 909: 1 B-17, escorted by 4 P-51s, bombs Ettinghausen Airfield in a Micro-H Mk II radar test.

Mission 910: During the night, 9 of 10 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany; and 19 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions to Denmark.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, around 800 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s strike 7 communications centers, a factory, and targets of opportunity (including several flak positions); attacks on communications centers are aimed at obstructing the movement of reinforcements to the front; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, attack assigned ground targets, support the US III and VII Corps SE of Honnef and E of the Wied River and the XII and XX Corps astride and on the W bank of the Rhine River between Mainz and Worms. The 107th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 67TRG, moves from Gosselies, Belgium to Vogelsang, Germany with F-6s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 658 B-17s and B-24s, (with fighter escort) hit oil refineries at Ruhland, Germany, and at Vienna, Austria, marshalling yards at Budejovice, Czechoslovakia and Gmund, Sankt Polten and Sankt Valentin, Austria, and a tank works at Sankt Valentin, plus scattered targets of opportunity. 40+ F-5s, P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, A-20s attack loading points and crossings along the Po River during the night of 22/23 Mar; P-47s concentrate on communications and general movement in the lower Brenner area during the day; the fighter-bombers also blast several dumps in the C Po Valley; B-25s hit bridges, railroad fills, and bridge approaches in the Brenner area at Matrei am Brenner, Austria and Pordenone, Salorno, San Michele all' Adige, Vo Sinistro, Longarone, and Perca, Italy.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): During the night of 23/24 Mar, 5 Guam Island-based B-24s, flying single-bomber strikes, pound Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island. VII Fighter Command: 15 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island bomb and strafe various targets on Chichi Jima, Haha Jima, and Ani Jima Islands in the Bonin Islands.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighters hit Visayan Island, Philippine Islands, bombing Cebu City, hitting defenses on Cebu Island and other islands, and on Luzon Island, bomb the Antamok mines, Balete Pass, and the Tangadon areas, along with several other targets. B-24s also hit targets on Mindanao Island and fighter-bombers attack Takao, Formosa. The detachment of the 421Night FS, 86FW, operating from Tacloban, Leyte Island with P-61s, returns to base at San Marcelino, Luzon.

SATURDAY, 24 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 34 B-24s, with an escort of 9 fighters, pound the Chenghsien locomotive park and Yellow River bridge; 30+ B-25s and 100+ fighter-bombers, operating in forces of 1to 8 aircraft, attack tanks, trucks, locomotives, troop concentrations, storage areas, airstrips, bridges, gun positions, and general targets of opportunity throughout S and E China.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): 31 fighter-bombers and 9 B-25s operating over the battlefront and behind enemy lines in C Burma pound troop concentrations, supply areas, a truck park, and general targets of opportunity; 9 other fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity along roads S of the bomb line; 504 air supply sorties are flown, landing men and supplies at advanced bases and dropping supplies to frontline forces.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): 2,000+ transports and gliders drop and land the British 6 Airborne and US 17th Airborne Divisions (plus artillery, vehicles, ammunition, and other supplies) E of the Rhine River N and NW of Wesel as the British Second and US Ninth Armies cross the river to the NW and SE.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 911: In conjunction with the allied ground forces assault across the lower Rhine River (Operation VARSITY) the Eighth flies bombing, supply, and armed reconnaissance missions; during the day, 1,749 bomber sorties and 1,375 fighter sorties are flown to attack airfields visually in W and NW Germany in the morning and afternoon and drop supplies to US and British troops at midday; they claim 54-0-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 19 bombers and 9 fighters are lost; 1. 175 of 179 B-17s bomb Vechta Airfield in the morning; 1 hits Rheine Airfield, a target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost; 1airman is WIA and 9 MIA. 2. 527 B-17s are sent to hit Steenwijk (114), Zwischenahn (74), Varel (88), Varrelbusch (113) and Plantlunne (13) Airfields in the morning; targets of opportunity are Wittmundhafen Airfield (13) and other (2); 1 B-17 is lost and 2 damaged; 1airman is KIA and 9 MIA. 3. 294 B-17s are dispatched to hit Rheine (36), Hopsten (62), Vechtel at Furstenau (72), Achmer (73) and Hesepe (36) Airfields in the morning; 1other hits a target of opportunity; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 100 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 28 MIA. 4. All 58 B-24s hit Nordhorn Airfield without loss. 5. The 4 forces above have 1,158 P-47s and P-51s flying area support; they claim 53-0-2 aircraft in the air and 0-0-4 on the ground; 9 P-51s are lost (8 pilots MIA). 6. At midday, 240 B-24s are sent to drop supplies in the US (122) and British (118) assault areas flying at 300 to 400-feet (91to 122 m); 14 B-24s are lost (mostly to small arms fire), 4 damaged beyond repair and 103 damaged; 5 airmen are KIA, 30 WIA and 116 MIA. 7. 182 B-24s are sent to hit Stormede (96) and Kirtorf (65) Airfields in the afternoon; 9 hit Ziegenhain Airfield, the secondary, and 11 hit the Treysa marshalling yard, a target of opportunity; 16 B-24s are damaged. 8. 114 B-17s are sent to hit Ziegenhain Airfield (104) in the afternoon; 6 others hit Siegen marshalling yard, the secondary; 2 B-17s are damaged. 9. 152 of 153 B-17s hit Enschede Airfield at Twente; 20 B-17s are damaged. 10. The 3 forces above are escorted by 95 P-47s and P-51s without loss. 11. 2 B-17s and 19 of 20 P-51s fly scouting missions; 1 P-51 is lost 12. 8 P-51s escort 4 Mosquitos that monitor operations for the bombers. 13. 17 P-51s escort 19 aircraft on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

Mission 912: 10 of 12 B-24s drop leaflets in Germany and the Netherlands during the night and 24 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions over Scandinavia. The 859BS(H), 492BG(H) [attached to the 2641Special Group (Provisional)] moves from Brindisi to Rosignano, Italy with B-24s and C-47s (the squadron is flying CARPETBAGGER missions in the MTO).

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, almost 700 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s blast communications centers, rail bridges, flak positions, and numerous other targets in cooperation with the combined land-airborne assault across the Rhine River (Operation PLUNDER-VARSITY) by the British Second and US Ninth Armies and the US XVIII Corps of the First Allied Airborne Army; fighters attack with the bombers before the drop and carpet the landing zones with fragmentation bombs, immobilizing numerous flak batteries; fighters escort bombers and transports, cover the assaulting 30th and 79th Infantry Divisions, attack troop concentrations, flak positions, supply and ammunition dumps, airfields, defended villages, and road and rail traffic, and patrol the perimeter of the battle sector; fighters also support US First Army elements across the Rhine E of Remagen between Koblenz and the Sieg River as they prepare for the breakout assault, and the US Third Army's XII Corps as it strengthens its Rhine bridgehead E of Oppenheim and commits its armor to push through toward the Main River. HQ 67TRG and the 30(Photo)RS and 109th Tactical RS move from Gosselies, Belgium to Vogelsang, Germany with F-5s and F-6s.

MTO - AAFMTO: Lieutenant General John K Cannon takes command of AAFMTO, and shortly afterwards also takes over the Mediterranean Allied AF (MAAF).

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 660 B-24s and B-17s bomb a tank factory at Berlin and airfields at Munich and Neuburg an der Donau, Germany, plus the Budejovice, Czechoslovakia marshalling yard, and alternate targets and targets of opportunity including airfields at Plattling and Erding, Germany and Udine, Italy; P-38s and P-51s escort the mission s against German targets and fly reconnaissance.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 23/24 Mar, A-20s and A-26s pound marshalling yards, river crossings and other bridges, and a variety of other targets in the Po Valley and NE Italy where fighters and fighter-bombers during the day destroy or damage numerous rail lines and train cars; B-25s bomb bridges or bridge approaches at Piacenza, Chiari, Perea, Casarsa della Delizia and Palazzolo sull'Oglio, Italy and Muhlberg and Steinach, Austria. The 85FS, 79th Fighter Group, moves from Fanto to Cesenatico, Italy with P-47s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 9 B-24s from Guam Island bomb the torpedo storage area on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. 24 Angaur Island-based B-24s bomb defensive positions and the town of Naga on Luzon Island. During the night of 24/25 Mar, 5 Guam Island-based B-24s hit the airfield and town of Okimura on Haha Jima Island. VII Fighter Command: 16 Iwo-based P-51s hit air, naval, and radar installations and targets of opportunity on Chichi Jima Island.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 45: 223 of 248 B-29s, from the Mariana Islands, attack the Mitsubishi aircraft engine plant at Nagoya, Japan during the night of 24/25 Mar; 3 other B-29s hit alternate targets; 5 B-29s are lost.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s and A-20s pound Cebu City and defenses and installations on Cebu Island. On Luzon Island, B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and P-38s attack Balete Pass, Legaspi, the Batangas area, and scattered targets throughout Luzon. On Formosa, B-24s hit the harbor at Takao and power plant and alcohol factory E of Okayama. HQ 91 Photographic Wing(R) moves from Mindoro Island to Clark Field, Luzon.

SUNDAY, 25 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 20+ B-25s and 150+ fighters, operating individually and in flights of up to 8 aircraft, continue attacks on numerous targets including river, road, and rail traffic, airfields, troop concentrations, storage areas, horses, and gun positions throughout S and E China; the detachment of the 22BS(M), 341BG(M), operating from Peishiyi with B-25s, returns to base at Yangkai.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 26 P-47s support forces of the Chinese 50th Division in the Hsipaw area; 44 fighter-bombers and 14 B-25s attack troops and supplies and hit targets of opportunity along roads behind the battleline in C Burma; 557 transport sorties are flown to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 913: 1,009 bombers and 341 fighters are dispatched to hit seven oil plants and a tank factory in Germany; they claim 6-4-13 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-24s and 1 P-51 are lost: 1. 272 B-24s are sent to hti the Ehmen (59), Hitzacker (127) and Bucken (57) oil depots; they claim 2-4-9 aircraft; 4 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 19 damaged; 16 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 39 MIA. Escorting are 223 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 4-0-3 aircraft in the air. 2. 737 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil plants but bad weather during the assembly and the increasing possibility of adverse conditions causes the mission to be cancelled; 3 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 9 airmen are KIA. 3. 47 of 48 P-51s escort 9AF B-26s. 4. 24 P-51s fly a fighter-bomber mission against the Schmalge ammunition dump; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 5. 11 P-51 s fly a scouting Mission claiming 0-0-1 aircraft in the air. 6. 16 P-15s escort 8 F-5s and 3 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

Mission 914: 10 B-24s drop leaflets in Germany and the Netherlands during the night.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, the 9th BombardmentDivision hits 4 communications centers, 3 marshalling yards, and targets of opportunity, including flak positions; fighters fly escort, armed reconnaissance, and missions against several ground targets; fighters support the US 79th Infantry Division as it pushes 2 miles (3.2 km) to the E of the Rhine River (SE of Wesel), the III and VII Corps as they begin their breakout assault toward Altenkirchen and in the Epgert and Willroth areas, and the XII Corps as it establishes bridgeheads on the Main River in the Hanau and Aschaffenburg areas.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Czechoslovakia, 650+ B-17s and B-24s strike 2 airfields and a tank works at Prague (the patterns of the bombs also hit 2 other nearby airfields) and an airfield at Cheb. Alternate targets that are bombed include Wels, Austria and Udine Airfield, Italy. P-38s and P-47s escort the bombers, and sweep and strafe the Nurnberg- Eibelstadt-Wurzburg-Regensburg, Germany areas, and fly reconnaissance operations.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 24/25 Mar, A-20s and A-26s continue intruder missions, attacking Po River crossings and railroad and motor transport targets; P-47s, during the day, raid railroad bridges and lines, hitting targets at Lavis, Casarsa della Delizia, San Michele all'Adige, Pavia, Santa Margherita d'Adige, and other points in the Po Valley and NE Italy, and bomb fuel dumps N of the battle area; 6 medium bomber mission s against bridges and fills in Italy and Austria are ineffective because of bad weather.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): During the night of 25/26 Mar, 5 B-24s from Guam Island hit Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island. 23 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb defenses on Cebu Island. The US Marines complete the reduction of the final resistance pocket on Iwo Jima Island. VII Fighter Command: On Chichi Jima Island, 16 Iwo-based P-51s bomb and strafe Susaki Airfield, and naval and radar installations; 16 more follow with attacks on a radar station and personnel concentration on the island;

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): Cebu City on Cebu Island is thoroughly pounded by nearly 70 B-24s. On Luzon Island, other B-24s hit Legaspi, and B-25s and fighter-bombers fly numerous ground support missions, especially between Montalban and Laguna de Bay. B-25s attack Pandanan Island, Philippine Islands. The 6th Combat Cargo Squadron, 2Combat Cargo Group, moves from Biak, New Guinea to Dulag, Leyte Island with C-46s; and the 339FS, 347FG, ceases operating from Morotai Island with P-38s and returns to base at Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island.

MONDAY, 26 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 2 missions, each by 4 B-25s, attempt to bomb canneries on the Masugawa and the Hayakegawa Rivers; fighters drive off the Masugawa mission and the other mision cannot find the target due to weather. 4 B-24s bomb the Kataoka naval base on Shimushu Island.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 15 B-25s and 80+ fighterbombers, operating individually or in small flights, continue to disrupt mobility and supply lines throughout S and E China, hitting numerous targets of opportunity chiefly trucks, tanks, supply areas, horses, troops, artillery pieces; several of the fighter-bombers also considerably damage Puchou Airfield.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 28 P-47s and 10 B-25s operating over and behind the C Burma battlelines attack artillery positions, troop concentrations, road communications, and supply areas; 522 air supply sorties are being completed throughout the. day.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 915: 337 B-17s and 527 P-51s are dispatched to attack oil and tank plants in Germany; targets are bombed visually despite poor weather; no aircraft are lost: 1. 185 B-17s are sent to hit the synthetic oil plant at Zeitz (12); 130 others hit the Vomag tank factory at Plauen (130), the secondary; targets of opportunity are Meiningen (25) and Wurzburg (11); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 25 damaged; 1airman is KIA and 5 WIA. Escorting are 194 of 238 P-51s. 2. 152 B-17s are sent to hit the Vomag tank factory at Plauen (139); targets of opportunity are Oelsnitz (12) and Markt Erlbach (1); 3 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 18 airmen are KIA. 98 of 121 P-51 s escort. 3. 110 of 118 P-51s fly a freelance fighter mission for the bombers. 4. 26 of 27 P-51s escort 12 F-5s and 1Spitfire on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 5. 22 of 23 P-51s fly a scouting mission. HQ 7PRG and the 22Photographic RS move from Mount Farm to Chalgrove, England with F-5s.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, around 300 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s hit marshalling yards at Wurzburg, Gemunden, and Flieden, the town of Ruckers, and 2 targets of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, fly armed reconnaissance, hit special targets and support various ground forces along the front; fighter support is accorded the US 2d, 3d, 7th, and 9th Armored Divisions in the Hachenburg, Montabaur, and Limburg areas, the XII Corps along the Main River from Frankfurt/Main to Aschaffenburg, and Ninth Army elements in the bridgehead area around Gahlen. Units moving from Belgium to Germany: HQ IX Tactical Air Command from Verviers to Bruhl; HQ 48th FG and the 492d, 493and 494FSs from St Trond to Kelz with P-47s. The 72Liaison Squadron, 9AF (attached to Sixth Army Group), moves from Sarreguemines, France to Kaiserlautern, Germany with L-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 500+ B-17s and B-24s, escorted by P-51s and P-38s attack marshalling yards at Wiener-Neustadt, Strasshof, Bruck an der Leitha, and Neunkirchen, Austria, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia and Szombathely, Hungary; 46 P-38s dive-bomb the bridge at Ybbs, Austria while 26 P-51s, covered by 13 others, strafe rail traffic in the Wiener-Neustadt, Austria-Vienna-Budejovice, Czechoslovakia areas; other P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance operations.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, weather grounds the medium bombers and hampers operations in general; during the night of 26/27 Mar, 3 A-20s hit bridges at Cittadella and Verona; fighter-bombers, operating on a reduced scale, hit communications targets in the W Po Valley, cutting a road bridge and several railroads, and attacking several targets of opportunity.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): During the night of 26/27 Mar, 3 B-24s from Guam Island on individual snooper strikes hit Chichi Jima Island. 9 Guam Islandbased B-24s pound Marcus Island in the N Pacific. The enemy makes a final attack on Iwo Jima in an early morning attempt to infiltrate a bivouac area. The capture and occupation phase of Iwo ends at 0800 hours when Major General James E Chaney becomes Island Commander. VII Fighter Command: On Chichi Jima Island, 21 P-51 s from Iwo Jima Island bomb and strafe Susaki Airfield while 16 bomb and strafe weather and radar stations and the town of Kitamura. HQ 21FG arrives at Central Field, Iwo Jima from Hawaii; the 72 and 531FSs, 21 FG, move from Mokuleia Field, Hawaii to Iwo Jima with P-51s.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers bomb Legaspi and targets in the area including a fuel dump at Camalig; fighter-bombers hit numerous targets in the N at Solvec Cove, Baguio, Mankayan, Sante Fe, and other areas; in the SW, A-20s and fighter-bombers support US ground forces, hitting Ternate, and towns in Tayabas and Batangas Provinces. B-24s and A-20s in the C Philippine Islands hit Cebu City and E coast targets on Cebu Island. B-24s hit Takao, Formosa. The 6th Combat Cargo Squadron, 2Combat Cargo Group, moves from Biak Island to Dulag, Leyte Island with C-46s.

TUESDAY, 27 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 25 B-25s hit towns, rail, road, and river traffic, and targets of opportunity around Kweilin, Liuchow, Hengyang, Hochih, Kaifeng, Anlu, Ishan, Kiyang, and the Siang Chiang Valley, China and Nanyang, Burma. 44 fighter-bombers hit trucks, trains, sampans, power facilities, and other targets around Nanyo, China and Hongay, Son Tay, Na Cham, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Moc Chau, Muong Hang, and Bac Quang, French Indochina. In China, 28 fighter-bombers knock out a bridge NE of Liuchow, hit the town of Szeenhsien, and attack ammunition dumps and road and river traffic around Hochih, Ishan, Liuchow, Pingnam, Liangfeng, and Kweilin.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 80+ fighter-bombers over the battle areas and behind enemy lines in C Burma pound troops and supplies at several locations including the Mong Kung, Man Namkat, Nam-yang, Tonglau, Ho-na, Hkai-wun, Longwai, Monglawng, Laihka, and Namlan areas. Transports are exceptionally active, flying 635 sorties to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Operations during the day include: 1. 110 of 115 P-47s and P-51s escort 262 RAF Lancasters attacking Paderborn, Germany. 2. 2 F-5s, escorted by 4 P-51s, fly a photo reconnaissance mission over Brunswick and Paderborn.

Mission 916: 9 of 10 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): HQ XII Tactical Air Command moves from France to Germany. 9AF: Weather cancels 9th Bombardment Division operations. In Germany, IX Tactical Air Command fighters patrol the US First Army front; the XIX Tactical Air Command hits marshalling yards, patrols the Third Army front, flies area cover from Koblenz to Aschaffenburg to Worms, and supports the VIII and XII Corps along the Rhine River in the Wiesbaden area and the Main River in the Frankfurt/Main-Aschaffenburg area. The 14th Liaison Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), moves from Luxembourg City, Luxembourg to Oberstein, Germany with L-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather limits operations to 3 P-38 reconnaissance flights.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Weather cancels all combat operations. The 416NPS, 62FW, moves from Pisa to Pontedera, Italy with Mosquitos.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): During the night of 27/28 Mar 5 B-24s, flying individual strikes from Guam Island, hit Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island. VII Fighter Command: On Chichi Jima, 16 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island bomb ammunition stores and the town of Kitamura.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 2 missions are flown:

Mission 46: 151 of 165 Mariana Islands-based B-29s flying the first of many raids in support of the impending Okinawa Island invasion, hit Tachiarai Army Airfield and Oita Naval Airfield and the Omura aircraft factory on Kyushu Island, Japan; 3 others hit alternate targets; they claim 1-2-4 Japanese aircraft.

Mission 47: 92 of 102 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait between Honshu and Kyushu Islands during the night of 27/28 Mar; 2 others hit alternate targets; they claim 1-0-0 Japanese aircraft; 3 B-29s are lost; this is first of many mining operations by B-29s in Japanese waters.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers bomb Legaspi, the Balete area, the Ipo-Siniloan sector, the Batangas area, and several other locations throughout Luzon; fighters support the US amphibious landings on Caballo Island in Manila Bay. In the C Philippine area B-24s bomb Negros Island airfields while B-25s and P-38s hit the Cebu City area on Cebu Island. Other B-25s bomb Kinsui, Formosa, and B-24s lightly attack Sandakan, Borneo.

WEDNESDAY, 28 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 6 B-24s bomb Haiphong and Hanoi docks in French Indochina and the Bakli Bay barracks on Hainan Island. In China, 9 B-25s and 8 P-40s hit rivercraft and other targets from Yanglowtung to Sienning; 9 other B-25s hit junks, storage, and targets of opportunity in the Lushan area and 7 bomb Chingmen; 14 B-25s, operating in groups of 1to 4 aircraft, hit rivercraft and scattered targets of opportunity at several other points in S and E China; 120+ fighter-bombers over French Indochina and S and E China continue to pound numerous targets of opportunity, mainly river, road, and rail traffic and troop concentrations; rivercraft and airfields in areas around Kai Tek Airfield in Hong Kong and Canton, Hankow, and Wuchang, China are severely hit. In China, the 11BS(M), 341BG(M), based at Yangkai sends a detachment to operate from Chihkiang with B-25s; the 19th Liaison Squadron, 69th Composite Wing, moves from Kunming to Chengkung with L-1s and L-5s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 3 mining missions are flown during the night of 28/29 Mar without loss:

Mission 46: 10 of 10 B-29s mine the mouth of the Hwangpoo River and the S channel of the Yangtze River at Shanghai, China.

Mission 47: 17 of 18 B-29s mine the waters at Saigon and Camranh Bay, French Indochina.

Mission 48: 32 of 33 B-29s mine the Singapore, Malayan States area.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): 30+ fighter-bombers operating over and behind the battlelines in C Burma attack troop concentrations, supply areas, elephant transport, and general targets of opportunity at or near Wan Hong, Ho-na, Kyu-sawk, Nawnghkio, and Na-ti; 642 air supply sorties are flown to advanced bases and over the frontlines, where supplies are dropped, throughout the day.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): The 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, 313TCG, moves from Folkingham, England to Achiet, France with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 917: 965 B-17s and 390 P-51s are dispatched to hit industrial targets in Berlin and Hannover; 10/10 cloud cover forces the B-17s to bomb using H2X radar; 2 B-17s are lost: 1. 446 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Spandau tank factory (318) and Falkensee armament plant (65) in Berlin; 6 hit Stendal, the secondary; targets of opportunity are Hannover (1) and other (21); 2 B-17s are lost, 5 damaged beyond repair and 133 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 8 WIA and 19 MIA. Escorting are 245 of 272 P-51s. 2. 519 B-17s are sent to hit the Hanomag tank factory at Hannover (34); 431 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Hannover; targets of opportunity are Minden (10) and other (5); 66 B-17s are damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. 86 of 99 P-51s escort. 3. 8 of 9 P-51s escort 3 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 4. 6 of 10 P-51s fly scouting missions.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 215 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s hit the Neuenheerse and Erbach oil storage depots and 11targets of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, fly armed reconnaissance and area cover over wide expanses of German territory, and support the US XII Corps in breakout attacks across the Main River in the Dornigheim area and the 2 and 8th Armored Divisions in the Dorsten area. HQ 36FG and the 22d and 23FSs move from Le Culot, Belgium to Aachen, Germany with P-47s; and the 31(Photo)RS, 10th Photographic Group(R), moves from Jarny, France to Euren, Germany with F-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Unfavorable weather restricts operations to reconnaissance flights by 5 F-5s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, bad weather grounds the medium and light bombers; fighters and fighter-bombers are limited to weather reconnaissance and some armed reconnaissance in the Milan area where they harass communications.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 10 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb Truk Atoll in the Caroline Islands and, flying separate snooper strikes, 5 hit Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima during the night of 28/29 Mar. VII Fighter Command: On Chichi Jima Island, 15 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island hit airfields and defenses.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s and fighter-bombers hit Balete Pass tracts and ridges, installations at Santa Fe, and ground support targets N of Laguna de Bay and in Cavite and Batangas Provinces and B-25s and A-20s attack troop concentrations at Baguio and Ilagan. Bombers hit the Cebu City area on Cebu Island and pound airfields on Negros Island. B-24s bomb Likanan Airfield on Mindanao Island. Other B-24s hit Takao and Tainan, Formosa while B-25s hit shore targets along the French Indochina coast. The 39TCS, 317TCG, moves from Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon with C-47s.

THURSDAY, 29 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 6 B-24s bomb Kataoka naval base on Shimushu Island; 8 B-25s weatherabort a mission to Tomari Cape and 1 B-24 flies a radar-ferret

Mission along the Paramushiru Island coast.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 11 B-24s attack shipping in the S China Sea, at Bakli and Samah Bays on Hainan Island, and at Haiphong, French Indochina, heavily damaging a destroyer and a merchant vessel. In China, 18 B-25s, escorted by 12 P-40s, bomb railroad yards at Yoyang; 4 B-25s claim 6 small steamers sunk and several vessels damaged in the Liuchow area while 2 others hit the town area and railroad targets in the Dong Giao area of French Indochina; single B-25s hit targets of opportunity at or near Loyang, Loning, Neihsiang, Yiyang, and Hsuchang; 90+ fighter-bombers over S and E China and French Indochina attack troops, supplies, transport, and communications targets at several places, concentrating strikes around Hengyang, Chuchou, Isuho, Nanking, and Namyung, and among many targets hit airfields at Amoy and Kai Tek in Hong Kong; the 22BS(H), 341 BG(M), based at Yangkai with B-25s, sends a detachment to operate from Chihkiang.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 49: 24 of 29 B-29s fly the last mission under the XX BC, attacking oil storage facilities on Bukum Island in the Malayan States during the night of 29/30 Mar; 2 other B-29s bomb individual targets on the Malay Peninsula.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Bad weather curtails operations in C Burma; 6 B-25s hit troop concentrations and 8 others attack unsuccessfully 2 bridges immediately behind the enemy lines. Transports complete 560 sorties to forward areas. The 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Asansol, India to Ondaw, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): All combat operations cancelled because of weather except for 2 fighters of the IX Tactical Air Command which patrol the US Third Army front.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Continued bad weather limits operations to reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort missions by 23 P-38s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, clear weather during the night of 28/29 Mar, permits A-20s to hit rail loading points, trains, vehicles, roads, and bridges at many places in the Po Valley as well as river crossings at Borgoforte, Lodi, San Benedetto Po, Ostiglia, and Casalmaggiore, a factory at Brescia, and motor transport movement in the Milan-Piacenza area; bad morning weather cancels medium bomber operations except for a pamphlet mission over Bologna; when the weather clears about 1200 hours, XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers hit dumps at La Spezia and other points near the battle area, the Lavis viaduct, railroad bridges or approaches at Ora, Santa Margherita d' Adige, Nervesa della Battaglia, Rovereto, Ala, and other locations, and many vehicles and train cars and other targets of opportunity throughout the Po Valley and NE Italy; the 16th Troop Carrier Squadron, 64TCG, based at Rosignano Airfield begins operating from Brindisi with C-47s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 9 B-24s from Guam Island bomb Dublon Island in Truk Atoll. VII Fighter Command: 31Iwo-based P-51s bomb and strafe Haha Jima Island.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): HQ 58BW(VH), arrives at West Field, Tinian Island from India.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s and B-25s attack Toshien, Byoritsu, and Eiko, Formosa. On Luzon Island, B-24s bomb Camalaniugan, B-24s and P-51s hit Legaspi and the surrounding area, and A-20s and numerous fighters hit various targets in SW Luzon. Cebu Island is bombed by B-25s in support of ground forces while A-20s support troops landing on Negros Island. B-24s bomb Oelin Airfield in Borneo.

FRIDAY, 30 MARCH 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 8 B-25s cancel a shipping strike because of weather.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 5 B-24s bomb the Samah Bay area of Hainan Island. In China, 4 B-25s, supported by 24 P-40s, knock out a bridge at Chungmow; 10 B-25s bomb Hsuchang, 9 bomb Changanyi, and 9 pound the Yanglowtung railroad yards; 15 P-40s fly escort; 2 B-25s bomb Hankow Airfield, 2 bomb Neihsiang, and single B-25s attack targets around Fangcheng, Nanyang, and Anlu; 100+ fighter-bombers over S and E China hit troops, railroad targets, trucks, tanks, supplies, and rivercraft especially around Hankow, Wuchang, Kanchou, and Hangchow; the airfield area at Kanchou and airfield and railroad yards at Hangchow are hit particularly hard; the 529FS, 311FG, based at Pungchacheng with P-51s, sends a detachment to operate from Hsian.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In the C Burma battle area 41 P-38s and P-47s hit enemy troops and supplies at Loiwing, Pawngleng, and Nawnghkio; 7 B-25s hit personnel, a supply area, and trucks behind the enemy lines in and near Laihka and at Kongleng; 7 other B-25s attack road bridges, knocking out a bridge at Loi Putau; transports complete 612 sorties to forward areas.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 349th Troop Carrier Group and the 312TCS arrive at Barkston, England from the US with C-46s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 918: 1,402 bombers and 899 fighters are dispatched to attack targets connected with U-boat construction or operation; they claim 8-1-12 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 bombers and 4 fighters are lost: 1. 530 B-17s are sent to hit 2 U-boat yards (64) and an oil depot (169) at Hamburg; 263 bomb the port area at Hamburg, the secondary target; 1 hits Bremen, a target of opportunity; bombing is both visual and using H2X radar; they claim 0-1-3 aircraft; 3 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 252 damaged; 14 airmen are KIA, 10 WIA and 28 MIA. Escorting are 289 of 304 P-51s; they claim 4-0-7 aircraft in the air and 1-0-1on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost. 2. 448 B-17s are sent to hit the U-boat yard (318) and rail bridge (109) at Bremen visually and with H2X; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 225 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 6 WIA and 11 MIA. The escort is 268 of 287 P-51s; they claim 2-0-1 aircraft. 3. 382 B-24s are dispatched to hit the U-boat yard (273) and Bauhaben port area (85) at Wilhelmshafen both visually and with H2X; 1 B-24 is lost and 56 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA and 1 WIA. 105 P-47s and P-51s escort. 4. 32 of 36 B-17s fly a DISNEY mission to the U-boat yard at Farge; 14 B-17s are damaged. 5. 6 B-17s fly screening missions. 6. 153 of 159 P-51s fly a freelance Mission for the bombers; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft. 7. 11 P-51 s escort 5 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 8. 26 of 31 P-51 s fly scouting missions.

Mission 919: During the night, 13 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany; 19 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions to Norway; 1 B-24 is lost and 1crashes in the Orkney Islands.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 337 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s attack the Bad Oeynhausen tank factory, the Munden ordnance depot, the Ebenhausen oil depot, 2 town areas and 6 targets of opportunity, and drop leaflets; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, and support ground forces; fighter support is provided for the US 3and 7th Armored Divisions near Paderborn and at the Edersee dam on the Eder River, the XII Corps N of Frankfurt/Main, the XX Corps in the Hersfeld and Hanau areas, and the XVI Corps in the Marl-Polsum area. Units moving: HQ 322d BG(M) and the 449th and 452BSs (M) from Tille Airfield, Beauvais, France to Le Culot, Belgium with B-26s; HQ 404FG and the 506FS from St Trond, Belgium to Keltz, Germany with P-47s; the 153Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), from Euskirchen to Bad Godesberg, Germany; the 428th, 429th and 430FSs, 474FG, from Florennes, Belgium to Strassfeld, Germany with P-38s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Austria, 60+ B-17s and B-24s bomb the Vienna N stations and goods depot, the Graz and Klagenfurt marshalling yards, the Kapfenberg tank works, and several minor targets of opportunity; 28 P-38s and P-51s sweep the Zagreb, Yugoslavia-Graz, Austria area and others fly reconnaissance.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 29/30 Mar, A-20s and A-26s continue to pound Po River crossings, loading points, and other communications in the Po Valley; during the day XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers fly some 400 sorties against fuel and ammunition dumps, stores, bridges, rail lines, marshalling yards, buildings, motor vehicles, trains, and a variety of targets over wide areas of N Italy; weather forces the medium bombers to attack mainly alternate targets; the B-25s bomb railroad bridges (or bridge approaches) at San Ambrogio di Valpolicella, Rovereto, Chiari, Palazzolo sull'Oglio, Legnago, Ora, and Romano di Lombardia.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 10 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific; during the night 5 others individually strike Chichi Jima Island airfield.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 2 missions are flown during the night of 30/31Mar.

Mission 48: 12 of 14 B-29s attack the Mitsubishi aircraft engine plant at Nagoya, Japan shortly past 0000 hours without loss.

Mission 49: 85 of 94 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait between Honshu and Kyushuu Islands; 2 others drop their mines in other areas; 1 B-29 is lost.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Luzon Island, B-24s bomb the Balete Pass and Solvec Cove areas; P-38s hit artillery positions in the Santa Fe area; B-24s and A-20s hit Legaspi Port and nearby Little Batsan; A-20s and fighter-bombers continue ground support missions in the Laguna de Bay area and W of Ft Stotsenburg. B-24s and A-20s support ground forces on Cebu Island. B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s hit Bongao Island, Philippine Islands, and the Sanga Sanga, and Kuching, Borneo area.

SATURDAY, 31 MARCH 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 30 B-24s, with an escort of 9 P-51s, blast railroad yards at Shihkiachwang; 12 B-25s bomb railroad yards at Sinyang while 4 hit the Yanglowtung yards; 6 B-25s damage a bridge and hit gun position at Sienning while 6 more knock out a bridge near Ninh Binh, French Indochina and hit storage area at Samah on Hainan Island Bay; 26 P-51s attack Ningpo Airfield, destroying or damaging several airplanes; 6 of the P-51s are lost; about 125 other fighter-bombers and several B-25s (operating individually) attack numerous targets in French Indochina and S and E China including bridges, troops, supplies, and rail, road, and river traffic.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): 12 B-25s hit troop dispersal areas behind enemy lines in C Burma and hit 1road bridge and 8 P-38s attack supply dump at Namsang Airfield. The 164th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Ondaw, Burma to Asansol, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 920: 1,348 bombers and 889 fighters are dispatched to hit synthetic oil plants, a refinery, munitions plant and tank factory; they claim 9-3-9 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 bombers and 4 fighters are lost: 1. 229 B-17s are sent to hit the synthetic oil refinery at Zeitz using H2X radar; secondary targets hit are the oil plant at Bad Berka (29) and Gotha (20) visually; targets of opportunity are Erfurt (25) and other (8), hit visually; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 108 damaged; 1airman is KIA; 2 WIA and 30 MIA. Escorting are 117 of 120 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA). 2. 294 B-17s are sent to hit Brandenburg (265); targets of opportunity are Stendal (9) and Salzwedel (9); they claim 0-1-0 aircraft; 1 B-17 is damaged. 207 of 221 P-51 s escort claiming 5-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 371 of 385 B-24s hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Brunswick; they claim 3-2-1 aircraft; 2 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 29 MIA. The escort is 253 of 266 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 0-0-7 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 369 of 432 B-17s attack the secondary, the marshalling yard at Halle; targets of opportunity are Leipzig (8), Weimar (36), Aschersleben (7) and other (1); 37 B-17s are damaged. Escorting are 225 of 233 P-51s. 5. 8 B-17s fly a screening mission. 6. 26 of 30 P-51s fly scouting missions; they claim 1-0-1 aircraft. 7. 19 P-51s escort 8 of 10 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions.

ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 550+ A-20s, A-26s and B-26s hit storage depots at Ebrach, Wurzburg, and Marienburg, the marshalling yard at Wurzburg, the town area of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, and a target of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, hit special targets, fly armed reconnaissance, and support the US 3and 9th Armored Divisions near Paderborn, the XII Corps as it charges toward Eisenach, the XX Corps along the Fulda and Eder Rivers, and the XVI and XIX Corps S of Haltern and NW of Lippstadt. The 162TRS, 363Tactical RG [attached to RG (Provisional), XII Tactical Air Command], moves from Azelot to Haguenau, France with F-6s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 540 B-24s and B-17s bomb the Linz main railroad station and sidings, and the marshalling yards at Villach, Austria and Treviso, Italy and 3 minor targets of opportunity; P-51s and P-38s provide escort; 37 other fighters on sweeps and strafings attack railroad targets in the Munich, Germany-Linz, Austria-Regensburg, Germany area and 43 hit similar targets in the Prague, Czechoslovakia area; still other F-5s, P-38s and P-51s fly extensively reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, medium bombers bomb several targets (mostly alternates) in the Po Valley and Brenner area despite bad weather; B-25s hit bridges or bridge approaches at San Michele all'Adige, Crema, Canneto sull'Oglio, Legnago, and Manerbio and Steinach, Austria, and a rail embankment at Salorno; XXII Tactical Air Command A-20s and other aircraft hit Po River crossings during the night of 30/31Mar at Casalmaggiore, Ostiglia, Borgoforte, and San Benedetto Po, rail facilities at Piacenza and Cittadella, plus nearby ammunition dumps and other targets; fighter-bombers continue to pound communications and dumps at Lavis, Casarsa della Delizia, San Ambrogio di Valpolicella, Legnago, and several other points in the Po Valley and NE Italy; the 97BS(L), 47BG(L), moves from Grossetto to Pisa with A-20s and A-26s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): During the night of 31Mar/1Apr, 5 B-24s from Guam Island, flying individual harassment strikes, hit Susaki Airfield on Chichi Jima Island. VII Fighter Command: 15 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island bomb and strafe vessels, air installations, and targets of opportunity on Chichi Jima; 16 more follow with attacks on vessels and harbor area.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):

Mission 50: 137 of 152 B-29s strike the Tachiarai machine works, which is completely destroyed, and Omura Airfield on Kyushu Island, Japan; this is a diversionary strike preceding the invasion of Okinawa Island which begins at 0830 hours local on 1Apr; the AAF claims 11-5-3 Japanese aircraft; 1 B-29s is lost and 15 damaged.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Formosa, A-20s attack an army camp at Saiatan, P-51s sweep from Babuyan Channel to the SW of the island and B-24s bomb harbors and shipping at Kiirun and Yulin, China. On Luzon Island, fighters attack targets in the Cagayan Valley and N of Laguna de Bay, blasting bridges and gun positions over wide stretches. B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit Cebu Island targets, several of the strikes being flown in support of ground forces. B-24s again bomb Bongao Island and hit Oelin, Borneo and fighters harass N Borneo airfields. APRIL 1945

SUNDAY, 1 APRIL 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 4 B-25s attack railroad targets at Ninh Binh and Minh Koi, French Indochina. In China, 7 B-24s bomb the Ft Bayard storage area; 6 B-25s and 6 P-51s attack river shipping and warehouses in the Sienning-Puchi area; 5 B-25s hit warehouses and other buildings at Hsuchang while 3 damage a bridge at Changtuikuan; single B-25s bomb targets of opportunity around Sanshihlitun, Sichuan, Loning, and Suicheng; 23 P-51s pound airfields in the Shanghai area; 70+ other fighter-bombers attack river, road, and rail traffic, storage areas, troops, and general targets of opportunity throughout wide areas of occupied S and E China; the detachments of the 11th and 22BS(M), 341BG(M), operating from Chihkiang with B-25s, return to base at Yangkai; during Apr 45, the 426NPS, 14AF (attached to 312FW), based at Shwangliu with P-61s, sends detachments to operate from Liangshan and Ankang.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 10 B-25s attack roads and bridges behind enemy lines in C Burma; 478 transport flights are made throughout the day; British 36 Division forces begin to push down the railroad from Mandalay to Rangoon. Unit moves In India: 12th Combat Cargo Squadron, 3Combat Cargo Group, from Moran to Tulihal with C-47s; detachments of the 24th Combat Mapping Squadron, 8th Photographic RG, operating from Tulihal and Cox's Bazar with F-7s, return to base at Guskhara.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):

Mission 921: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): Unit moves: HQ 64FW from Nancy, France to Edenkoben, Germany; HQ 320BG(M), from Longvic Airfield, Dijon to Tavaux Airfield, Dole, France. 9AF: No bomber operations due to weather. In Germany, fighters fly patrols, armed reconnaissance, and support the US 3and 9th Armored Divisions in the Paderborn-Lippstadt and Warburg areas, the XX Corps astride and E of the Fulda River, and the XII Corps which reaches the Werra River W of Meiningen. The 72Liaison Squadron, 9AF (attached to Sixth Army Group), moves from Kaiserlautern to Darmstadt, Germany with L-5s. During Apr 45, the following units move: HQ IX Fighter Command from Bruhl to Weimar, Germany; HQ 9th Bombardment Division(M) from Reims, France to Namur, Belgium; and HQ 99th Combat BW(M) from Beaumont, France to Tirlemont, Belgium.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Almost 400 B-24s and B-17s bomb the Maribor, Yugoslavia railroad bridge, marshalling yards at Sankt Polten, Selzthal, Zeltweg, Graz, and Villach, Austria, the railroad bridge at Krieglach, Austria, and gun positions on the Adriatic coast near Venice, Italy; 82 P-38s bomb the Ybbs, Austria railroad bridge while 52 P-51s strafe rail traffic in the Prague-Plzen, Czechoslovakia area; other P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 31 Mar/1Apr, A-20s and A-26s on intruder missions over the Po Valley continue to attack road and railroad bridges, motor transport, loading points, and other targets; principal strikes are made at Po River bridges; fighters and fighter-bombers during the day strike rail bridges, dumps, rail lines, marshalling yards, trains, vehicles, gun positions, several buildings (including an ammunition plant and truck factory), and a variety of targets of opportunity in the Po Valley and NE Italy; medium bombers hit railroad bridges at Calcinato, Crema, Mantua, Monselice, Colle Isarco, San Ambrogio di Valpolicella, and Perea; HQ 87FW is disbanded at Florence; HQ 321BG(M) moves from Solenzara, Corsica to Falconara.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The detachment of the 28th Photographic RS, VI Air Service Area Command (attached to VII Fighter Command), operating from Peleliu Island, Palau Islands with F-5s, joins the detachment operating from Saipan Island, Mariana Islands.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): During Apr 45, the 25BS(VH), 40BG(VH), the 676th, 677th and 678BSs(VH), 444BG(VH), and the 768th, 769th and 770BSs(VH), 462d BG(H) move from Chakulia, Dudhkundi and Piardoba, India respectively to West Field, Tinian Island, Mariana Islands with B-29s.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s attack Giran Airfield on Formosa while B-25s and P-47s sweep wide areas. On Luzon Island, Philippine Islands, B-24s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit the Legaspi area (where a US amphibious landing is taking place), targets N of Balete Pass, the Batangas area, and support troops over parts of S and NW Luzon. In the C Philippine Islands, B-25s and A-20s support ground forces near Cebu City on Cebu Island and on Negros Island. B-24s hit Oelin Airfield in Borneo. The 159th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 3Air Commando Group, based at Mangaldan, Luzon with UC-64s and L-5s, sends detachments to operate from Negros and Cebu Islands. Unit moves during Apr 45: HQ 5AF from Mindoro Island, Philippine Islands to Clark Field, Luzon; 4(Photo)Charting Squadron, 311(Photo)Wing (Mapping and Charting) [attached to 4th Photographic Group(R)], based at Hollandia, New Guinea with F-7s, sends a detachment to operate from Zamboanga, Mindanao Island, Philippine Islands, to map areas of the SW and W Pacific (another detachment is operating in Australia).

MONDAY, 2 APRIL 1945

ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-24 on weather reconnaissance returns early due to mechanical trouble; another B-24 investigates radar jamming on Kresta Point in the Aleutian Islands.

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In French Indochina, 28 B-25s knock out a bridge SE of That Khe, bomb the town area of Vinh, damage the bridge approaches at Kep, hit shipping and other targets of opportunity along the coast of the Gulf of Tonkin, and blast the town area of Luc Nam. In China, 25 B-25s attack trucks, tanks, rivercraft, and targets of opportunity at Sichuan, Neihsiang, Sinyang, Mingkiang, Siangtan, Kweiping, Nanning, and Hengshan; 4 B-24s bomb the Kowloon Docks in Hong Kong and hit shipping at Bakli and Samah Bays on Hainan Island; 32 P-51s pound airfields in the Shanghai area; 140+ other fighter-bombers attack numerous targets scattered throughout S and E China, including troops, trucks, horses, river shipping, bridges, gun positions, airfields, rail traffic, and town areas.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, bad weather cancels all offensive missions; air supply missions continue with 469 sorties being flown to forward areas.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 922: 1. 447 B-17s, 261 B-24s and 572 P-47s and P-51s are dispatched against 6 airfields in Denmark but are recalled because of bad weather in the target area; 1 B-17 and 1 P-47 (pilot MIA) are lost and 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair. 2. 26 of 27 P-51s fly a scouting Mission without loss. 3. 15 P-51s escort 7 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

Mission 923: During the night of 2/3 Apr, 9 of 10 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany without loss and 10 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions to Denmark without loss.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): Unit moves: HQ 358th Fighter Group from Toul, France to Sandhofen, Germany; HQ 69th Tactical RG and 22 and 111TRSs from Nancy and Azelot, France respectively to Haguenau, France with F-6s; 441, 442d, 443and 444BS(M), 320BG(M), from Longvic Airfield, Dijon to Tavaux Airfield, Dole, France with B-26s. 9AF: Weather prevents operations by the 9th BombardmentDivision and XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional). In Germany, the IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands fly patrols and armed reconnaissance over wide expanses of Germany claiming 17 airplanes downed and the IX Tactical Air Command supports the US 9th Armored Division at the Diemel River bridgehead near Warburg. Unit moves: 12TRS, 10PRG (attached to 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group) from Euren to Ober Olm, Germany with F-6s; 30th Photographic Reconnaissance and 109TRSs, 67th Tactical RG, from Vogelsang to Limburg, Germany with F-5s and F-6s respectively; 39(Photo)RS, 9AF [attached to 9TRG (Provisional)] from Jarny, France to Maastricht, the Netherlands with F-5s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Almost 600 B-24s and B-17s, with fighter escorts, bomb communications targets in Austria including the marshalling yards at Graz, Sankt Polten, and Krems, and a railroad bridge on the Sulm River; 38 P-38s dive-bomb a railroad bridge at Wildon; 71 P-38s and 55 P-51s strafe Vienna-Munich, Germany and Wiener-Neustadt-Maribor, Yugoslavia rail traffic; others carry out photo and weather reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort flights.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Major General Benjamin W Chidlaw takes command of the Twelfth AF and will shortly take over command of the Mediterranean Allied Tactical AF (MATAF) also. In Italy, A-20s and A-26s continue intruder missions during the night of 1/2 Apr concentrating on Po River crossings and other Po Valley communications targets; B-25s bomb railroad bridges at Fornovo di Taro, Drauburg, San Michele all' Adige, Matrei am Brenner, Steinach, and Colle Isarco, and a railroad fill at Vo Sinistro; fighters and fighter-bombers again hit communications in the Po Valley but divert sizeable effort to attacks on methane plants in the C Po area; the P-47s are attacked by about 40 fighters during the day, 13 are claimed destroyed; HQ 340BG(M) moves from Alesan, Corsica to Rimini.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 Guam Island, Mariana Islands-based B-24s bomb Marcus Island in the N Pacific.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 3 missions are flown.

Mission 51: 115 of 121 B-29s bomb the Nakajima aircraft factory at Tokyo; they claim 1-1-0 Japanese aircraft; 6 B-29s are lost.

Mission 52: During the night of 1/2 Apr, 6 B-29s mine the harbor at Kure, Honshu Island, Japan between 0000 and 0400 hours local without loss.

Mission 53: During the night of 2/3 Apr, 9 of 10 B-29s mine the harbor at Hiroshima, Japan without loss.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s bomb the harbor at Hong Kong. On Luzon Island, B-25s and fighter-bombers attack the Bamban bridges, the Balete Pass-Baguio area and Penablanca. Troops at Cebu City on Cebu Island and on Negros Island are bombed by B-25s and fighter bombers. B-24s bomb the Sarangani Bay area on Mindanao Island. Other B-24s hit the Sandakan shipyards and Tawau Airfield, Borneo. Bongao Island, Philippine Islands, is hit by B-24s.

TUESDAY, 3 APRIL 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 17 B-25s bomb Pinglo, China railroad yards and in French Indochina, the Ninh Binh railroad yards, knock out a bridge at Thinh Duc, and damage bridges at Gian Khau and Mon Cay. In China, 60+ fighter-bombers knock out bridges at Hsitu and between Chuting and Hengyang, destroy pontoon bridges in the Kanchou area, hit Yangtong airfield, pound the Hai Duong, French Indochina railroad yards, and hit river traffic and other targets of opportunity at several locations including Hongay, and Cao Bang, French Indochina, and Tayu, Hankow, Kanchou, Yoyang, and the Ishan- Hwaiyuanchen, areas of China.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, bad weather again causes cancellation of most scheduled strikes; a few fighter-bombers hit a Japaneseheld wooded area near Kenglong; transports complete 383 sorties to forward areas.

ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): The 23d, 313th and 314th TCSs, 349TCG, arrive at Barkston, England from the US with C-47s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 924: 752 B-17s and 569 P-51s are dispatched to hit U-boat yards at Kiel; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 bombers and 4 fighters are lost: 1. 693 of 752 B-17s hit the Deutsche U-boat yard and 24 hit the Howardts U-boat yard; 2 B-17s hit Flensburg Airfield a target of opportunity; 2 B-17s are lost and 121 damaged; 1airman is WIA and 20 MIA. Escorting are 517 of 569 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost and 2 damaged beyond repair. 2. 98 of 100 P-51s fly a sweep of the Kiel area; 1 is damaged beyond repair. 3. 4 P-51s escort 1F-5 on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany. 4. 17 of 18 P-51s fly a scouting mission; 2 P-51s are lost.

Mission 925: 1 B-17 and 10 B-24s are dispatched to drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during the night; 1returns to base.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): Unit moves in France: 10TRS, 69TRG, from Nancy to Haguenau with F-6s (first Mission is 17 Apr); 34th Photographic RG, XII Tactical Air Command (attached to Provisional RG), form Azelot to Haguenau with F-5s. 9AF: In Germany, about 230 B-26s, A-20s and A-26s attack Holzminden and Hameln marshalling yards, the town of Gottingen, 2 targets of opportunity, and fly a leaflet mission; fighters fly escort, fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, support the US 9th Armored Division in the Warburg area, the XX Corps E of the Werra River toward Muhlhausen and in the Kassel area, the XII Corps in the Gotha and Suhl areas, and the 2 and 8th Armored Divisions in the Teutoburger Forest and Neuhaus; unit moves: HQ XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) to Haltern; HQ 84th and 303FWs from Munchen-Gladbach to Haltern; 14th Liaison Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), from Oberstein to Berkersheim with L-5s; 15TRS, 10(Photo)G (R), from Trier to Ober Olm with F-6s; 507th and 508th Fighter Squadrons, 404FG, from St Trond, Belgium to Keltz with P-47s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 95 P-38s divebomb the Tainach- Stein railroad bridge in Austria; other P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and escort missions; bad weather prevents bomber operations. HQ 325th Fighter Group and the 317th, 318th and 319FSs move from Rimini to Mondolfo, Italy with P-51s.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 2/3 Apr A-20s bomb the marshalling yard at Mantua, several Po River crossings and other communications targets in the Po Valley; weather hampers operations during the day; medium bombers cancel most missions, but manage to bomb the Po Valley bridges at Camposanto, Usigliano, and Modena; the XXII Tactical Air Command [including Brazilian and South African AF (SAAF) units] blast communications, fuel dumps, methane plants, trains, motor transport at numerous points in N Italy (mainly in the Po Valley), including Parma, Modena, Fidenza, Lodi, Bergamo, Reggio Emilia, and Piacenza. The detachment of the 414NPS, XXII Tactical Air Command, operating from Florennes, Belgium with Beaufighters, moves to Strossfeld, Germany.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 4 missions are flown during the night and early morning hours of 3/4 Apr.

Mission 54: 9 B-29s mine the waters off Hiroshima, Japan without loss.

Mission 55: In the early morning, 48 of 49 B-29s hit the aircraft plant at Shizuoka, Japan without loss.

Mission 56: 43 of 78 B-29s attack the Koizumi aircraft factory and 18 hit the urban areas in Tokyo as a target of opportunity; they claim 1-0-0 Japanese aircraft.

Mission 57: 61 of 115 B-29s strike the aircraft plant at Tachikawa and 49 hit the urban area of Kawasaki as a target of opportunity; 1 B-29 is lost.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): The Hong Kong docks are again bombed by B-24s. Other B-24s and B-25s hit the airfield, butanol plant, and railroad yards at Kagi, Formosa while A-20s sweep other rail targets. On Luzon Island fighter-bombers and A-20s hit the Balete Pass- Baguio-Naguilian area N of the Cagayan Valley supply targets, the Laguna de Bay area, and Infanta, also, Miri Airfield in Borneo, troops in the Cebu City area on Cebu Island, and targets on Tarakan Island, Borneo are bombed. B-25s attack N Hainan Island.

WEDNESDAY, 4 APRIL 1945

ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) designates General of the Army Douglas MacArthur Commander-in-Chief, US Army Forces, Pacific (CINCUSAFPAC) and Fleet Admiral Chester W Nimitz Commander-in-Chief, Pacific (CINCPOA).

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In French Indochina, 2 B-25s sink a junk in the Gulf of Tonkin and 6 P-38s strafe trucks around Dien Bien Phu, Moc Chau, and Son La.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Combat operations are restricted to attacks on a troop concentration and rice and fuel supplies behind enemy lines in C Burma; transports operate on steady basis throughout the day.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 926: 1,431bombers and 866 fighters are dispatched to hit airfields, a shipyard and a U-boat shipyard in Germany; they claim 30-4-30 Luftwaffe aircraft; 10 bombers and 4 fighters are lost. 1. 438 B-24s are sent to hit Parchim (33) and Perleberg (29) Airfields; 97 hit Wesendorf Airfield, the secondary; attacks are visual; they claim 6-4-6 aircraft; 6 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 76 damaged; 1airman is KIA and 59 MIA. Escorting are 324 P-47s and P-51s; the P-47s claim 14-0-20 aircraft and the P-51s claim 9-0-3 aircraft; 1 P-47 and 3 P-51s are lost. 2. 443 B-17s are sent to hit Fassberg Airfield (149); secondary targets hit are Hoya (37) and Dedelsdorf (13) Airfields; targets of opportunity are Unterluss (39) and other (24); bombing is visual; 1 B-17 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 58 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 6 WIA and 4 MIA. The escort is 220 of 232 P-51s; 1 is lost. 3. 505 of 526 B-17s hit the Deutsche shipyard at Kiel using H2X radar; 2 others hit Eggebeck Airfield, a target of opportunity; 3 B-17s are lost and 50 damaged; 27 airmen are MIA. 208 of 223 P-51s without loss. 4. 22 of 24 B-17s fly a DISNEY mission attacking the Finkenwarder U-boat yard at Hamburg without loss. 5. 19 P-51s fly a scouting Mission and claim 0-0-1 aircraft. 6. 25 P-51s escort 8 F-5s and 2 P-38s on photo and radar reconnaissance missions over Germany, claiming 1-0-0 aircraft. 7. 16 P-51s escort 1OA-10 and 2 B-17s on air-sea-rescue patrols.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): The 405FS, 371 FG, moves from Metz, France to Eschborn Airfield, Frankfurt, Germany with P-47s. 9AF: HQ XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) returns to the operational control of HQ 9AF (from the RAF Second Tactical AF) as the US Ninth Army reverts to control of the Twelfth Army Group (from the Twenty First Army Group); the British ground and air HQ have operationally controlled the XXIX Tactical Air Command and Ninth Army since shortly after the Ardennes breakthrough and the Battle of the Bulge. In Germany, 330+ B-26s, A-20s and A-26s hit the Ebrach oil depot, Crailsheim marshalling yard and barracks area, Grossaspach supply depot, the town of Ellswangen, Backnang rail and road junction, and 2 targets of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance, attack special targets, and support the US 104th Infantry Division at Scherfede and Hardehausen, the 9th Armored Division in the Warburg area, the XX Corps in the Muhlhausen-Kassel areas, the 2 and 5th Armored Divisions in the Hameln and Minden areas on the Weser River, and the 8th Armored Division as it assaults the Ruhr pocket in the Lippstadt area. Units moving: the 107TRS, 67th Tactical RG, from Vogelsang to Limburg, Germany with F-6s; the 125LS, IX Fighter Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), from Munchen-Gladen to Haltern, Germany with L-5s; the 155th Photographic RS, 67TRG, from Le Culot, Belgium to Maastricht, the Netherlands with F-3s; the 355FS, 354FG, from Rosieres-en-Haye, France to Ober Olm, Germany with P-51s; and the 494th, 495th and 496BS(M), 344BG(M), from Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France to Juzaine Airfield, Florennes, Belgium with B-26s.

MTO - AAFMTO: HQ 90(Photo)Wing(R) begins a movement from San Severo, Italy to the US.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Again bad weather prevents bomber operations and limits efforts to reconnaissance and escort missions and to strafing attacks by 94 P-51s on rail traffic in the Munich and Regensburg, Germany; Plzen, Czechoslovakia; and Linz, and Gmunden, Austria areas.

MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, B-25s continue to blast communications along the Brenner rail line, ranging from the railroad bridge at Drauburg to the Camposanto railroad bridge; the B-25s also inflict considerable damage on the Merano methanol plant; P-47s concentrate on enemy movement, rail lines, and ammunition and fuel dumps throughout the Po Valley. The 489BS(M), 340BG(M), moves from Alesan, Corsica to Rimini, Italy with B-25s.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 24 B-24s from Angaur Island, Palau Islands, hit a building at Bunawan, Mindanao Island.

POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): HQ 40th and 462BGs (Very Heavy) arrive at West Field, Tinian Island from India.

SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): On Formosa, B-24s bomb Toyohara Airfield, Mako harbor, and Tokichito Island and A-20s hit Shinchiku factories and rail yards. B-24s bomb the harbor at Hong Kong. P-38s and P-51s pound various targets in C Luzon Island while A-20s and P-38s hit the Calauag area. A-20s pound NW Negros Island and B-24s bomb targets on C Mindanao Island. The 17RS (Bombardment), 71 Tactical RG, moves from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Lingayen, Luzon with B-25s.

THURSDAY, 5 APRIL 1945

CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 27 fighter-bombers on armed reconnaissance attack troops, horses, and river, road, and rail traffic at Son La, French Indochina and Shanhsien and Shihkiachwang, and in the Tehsien and Loyang-Pinglo area of China.

CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, bad weather cancels scheduled strikes; transports continue large-scale operations to forward areas. The 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Ondaw to Meiktila, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s.

ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.

Mission 928: 1,358 bombers and 662 fighters attack marshalling yards, ordnance depots, armament works and airfields in Germany; they claim 8-0-6 aircraft; 10 bombers and 1 P-51 are lost: 1. 436 B-17s are dispatched to hit munitions dumps at Ingolstadt (211): and Grafenwohr (94), and the marshalling yard at Bayreuth (73); targets of opportunity are Weiden (30) and Nurnberg (1); the attacks are made visually; 1 B-17 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged; 11airmen are KIA and 2 WIA. Escorting are 182 of 201 P-51 s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft in the air and 7-0-3 on the ground. 2. 397 B-24s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Plauen (151) and the munitions dump at Bayreuth (39); targets of opportunity are the munitions dump at Grafenwohr (1) and munitions plant at Ingolstadt (1); bombing is with H2X radar; 5 B-24s are lost and 5 damaged; 1airman is WIA and 44 MIA. 280 P-47s and P-51s escort; they claim 1-0-2 aircraft in the air; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 521 B-17s are sent to hit the Unterschlauersbach Airfield (59), an aircraft parts factory (13) and munitions depot (54) at Furth, and the Nurnberg S marshalling yard (37); 271bombers hit the Nurnberg Station marshalling yard, the secondary; bombing is visual; 4 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 112 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA, 7 WIA and 39 MIA. The escort is 91 of 104 P-51s. 4. 4 B-17s fly scouting missions. 5. 18 P-51s escort 5 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 6. 35 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

Mission 929: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): Unit moves: HQ 27FG and 522 and 524FSs from Ochey, France to Biblis, Germany with P-47s; 406FS, 371FG from Metz, France to Eschborn Airfield, Frankfurt, Germany with P-47s; 417th Night Fighter Squadron, 64FW [attached to First Tactical AF (Provisional)] from La Vallon to St Dizier, France with Beaufighters. 9AF: Weather prevents operations by the 9th BombardmentDivision. In Germany, fighters fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance, and support the US 7th Armored Division's attack on the Ruhr pocket SW of Brilon, the XX Corps' drive E in the Muhlhausen area, the XII Corps' advance in the Meiningen area, the 2Armored Division bridgehead astride the Weser River S of Hameln, the 8th Armored Division (preparing for an assault on Soest), and the 5th Armored Division near Minden. Units moving: HQ 10PRG and the 31Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron from Evren Airfield, Trier to Ober Olm, Germany with F-5s; HQ 344BG(M) and the 497BS(M) from Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France to Juzaine Airfield, Florennes, Belgium with B-26s; the 153Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group) from Bad Godesberg to Marburg, Germany with L-5s; the 167th Liaison Squadron, 9AF (attached to Sixth Army Group) from Vittel, France to Kaiserslautern, Germany with L-5s; the 450BS(M), 322BG(M), from Tille Airfield, Beauvais, France to Le Culot, Belgium with B-26s.

MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 457 B-24s and B-17s attack a railroad bridge at Dravograd