The Official Chronology of the U.S. Army Airforce in World War II
USAAF Chronology 1941 - 1942
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, Yugoslavia, marshalling yards and locomotive depots at Brescia, Alessandria, and Turin, Italy, and the airfield at Udine, Italy; 96 P-38s dive-bomb the Radovljica, Yugoslavia railroad bridge, 27 P-51s with 13 flying top cover, strafe rail communications in the Munich, Regensburg, and Passau, Germany, and Linz, Austria areas; 20+ P-38s fly reconnaissance missions; around 300 fighter sorties are flown to escort transport, reconnaissance, and bomber mission s (including an RAF raid on the Monfalconei, Italy shipyards).
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): B-25s bomb 5 bridges in N Italy and Austria, at Steinach, Austria, and Matrei am Brenner, Modena, Salorno, and San Michele all'Adige, and blast gun positions at La Spezia, Italy; these attacks follow night raids by A-20s and A-26s on bridges at Lavis, Ala, San Michele all'Adige, San Ambrogio di Valpolicella, Piazzola sul Brenta, Cittadella, and Montebello, Italy and other targets; fighters and fighter bombers devote their largest effort to close support of ground forces, blasting occupied areas and gun positions in the Massa Lombarda area, and also attack communications and dumps in the Po Valley.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 18 B-24s from Guam Island hit targets on Eten and Dublon Islands in Truk Atoll, Caroline Islands. 22 B-24s from Angaur Island pound a bivouac area at Bunawan, Mindanao Island.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): HQ 315BW(VH),: arrives at Northwest Field, Guam Island from the US.
SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s bomb Kowloon Docks in Hong Kong and a nearby airfield, while other B-24s bomb Kiirun harbor in Formosa. 180+ sorties in support of ground forces are flown on Luzon Island. A-20s and patrolling P-61s support troops on Cebu and Negros Islands. P-38s hit Tarakan Island and Tawau, Borneo. HQ 58FG moves from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Mangaldan, Luzon.
FRIDAY, 6 APRIL 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 8 B-24s attack and photograph Kurabu on Paramushiru Island, especially the airfield, while 8 B-25s hit radar installations in an all-out attack on Hayakegawa, Kotani Island, and Minami Cape, dropping napalm-filled incendiaries for the first time; buildings and shipping in N part of Hayakegawa are hit especially hard; another B-25 flies weather reconnaissance.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 3 B-24s hit targets of opportunity in the Bakli Bay area on Hainan Island and 4 P-38s knock out a bridge in the Dien Bien Phu area of French Indochina. In China, 8 P-51s blast railroad targets of opportunity, troops, horses, and boat landings in the Chenghsien area and along the Lung Hai railroad and Yellow River.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): With improving weather conditions combat strikes in the C Burma battle area increase; 70+ fighter-bombers attack troop concentrations, artillery positions, tanks, trucks, fuel dumps, and general targets of opportunity along and immediately behind enemy lines; targets are located in several areas including Paklu, Nawnghkio, Loilem, Takaw, Mong Hko, Kongleng, Nawnghsan Pu, and Indaw; air supply sorties continue on a steady basis throughout the day.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 315th Troop Carrier Group and the 34th, 309th and 310TCSs move from Stanhoe, England to Amiens, France with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):
Mission 930: 659 bombers hit rail targets in the Leipzig, Germany area using H2X radar; 4 B-17s and 1 P-51 are lost: 1. 183 of 207 B-24s hit the marshalling yard at Halle; 22 others hit Eisleben, a target of opportunity; 3 B-24s are damaged. Escorting are 201 P-47s and P-51s. 2. 430 of 452 B-17s hit secondary targets, the main station and marshalling yard at Leipzig (321) and hit Gera (109); 11others hit the marshalling yard at Halle; 4 B-17s are lost and 2 damaged beyond repair; 17 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 33 MIA. The escort is 392 of 410 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 26 of 27 P-51s fly scouting missions. 4. 11 P-51 s escort 5 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions. During the night, 3 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): The 523FS, 27th FG, moves form Ochey Airfield, Toul, France to Biblis, Germany with P-47s. 9AF: In Germany, 99 B-26s, A-20s and A-26s hit marshalling yards at Gottingen and Northeim and the city area of Herzberg, and drop leaflets over 3 city areas; fighters fly escort, alerts, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance, and support the US VIII Corps in the Eisenach area, and the XX Corps E of the Werra River near Muhlhausen. Unit moves: 422Night Fighter Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command, from Florennes, Belgium to Strassfeld, Germany with P-61s; 451BS(M), 322BG(M), from Beauvais Airfield, Tille, France to Le Culot, Belgium with B-26s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Italy, 387 B-17s and B-24s, with fighter escort, bomb marshalling yard flak positions and an ordnance depot at Verona and a marshalling yard and small arms plant at Brescia; 179 other bombers sent against targets in N Italy are recalled; 81 P-38s dispatched to bomb a bridge in Austria abort due to weather; 14 manage to attack bridges near the Austro-Italian border; 6 P-51s (of 54 airborne): strafe railroad targets in the Straubing-Plattling, Germany area; others fly reconnaissance missions.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Brigadier General Thomas C Darcy takes command of the XXII Tactical Air Command. In Italy, A-20s and A-26s on night intruder missions during the night of 5/6 Apr, bomb several bridges in the Po River Valley, scoring good results on 8 of the targets, also hitting an assembly area along the Po River; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers hit lines of communications, mainly in the Po Valley, and support US Fifth Army forces attacking toward Massa Lombarda; B-25s cancel missions against targets on the Brenner line due to weather, but hit 6 bridges in the C Po Valley and gun positions at La Spezia. The 446th and 448BS(M), 321BG(M), move from Solenzara, Corsica to Falconara, Italy with B-25s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 11 B-24s from Guam Island pound positions and airfield on Marcus Island; 23 from Angaur Island bomb barracks and a wharf at Bunawan, Mindanao Island. 400 Kamikaze planes make an all-out effort against Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, shipping and beachheads; 2 destroyers, 2 ammunition ships, a mine sweeper and an LST are sunk; other vessels are damaged; nearly 300 Japanese planes are expended. The 163Liaison Squadron, AAFPOA (attached to Tenth Army) begins a movement from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii to Okinawa with L-5s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): HQ 468BG(VH),: arrives at West Field, Tinian Island from India.
SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-25s bomb the town of Hokko on Formosa. On Luzon Island, ground support sorties continue in areas around Balete Pass, W of Ft Stotsenburg, N, NE, and S of Laguna de Bay, and around Legaspi and fighters hit Carabao Island and Infanta. B-24s bomb a town N of Cebu City while fighters support ground units on Cebu Island. A-20s support ground forces on Negros Island. B-25s pound Bunawan on Mindanao Island. B-24s bomb Jolo Island, Philippine Island defenses and ammunition and supply dumps. At Manila US Army Forces, Pacific (AFPAC) is established under General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. The 310FS, 58th FG, moves from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Mangaldan, Luzon with P-47s.
SATURDAY, 7 APRIL 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-24 flies a radar-ferret mission along the coasts of Paramushiru and Harumukotan Islands in the Kurile Islands.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 14 B-25s hit town areas and targets of opportunity at Sichuan, Hsihhsiassuchi, Neihsiang, Shaoyang, and Nanchang and 24 P-51s attack river, road and rail traffic in the Yellow River area, S of Anyi, at Yuncheng, and at Tengfeng. 4 B-24s bomb harbors and dock areas at Bakli and Samah Bays on Hainan Island and at Haiphong, French Indochina; and 8 P-38s hit targets of opportunity around Dien Bien Phu and along the Nam Hon area in French Indochina.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): 95 fighter-bombers operating over and behind Japanese lines in C Burma pound troop concentrations, trucks, and supply areas, and sweep roads S of bomb line. The 3Combat Cargo Squadron, 1Combat Cargo Group, moves from Tulihal to Hathazari, India with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):
Mission 931: 1,314 bombers and 898 fighters are dispatched to hit airfields, oil and munitions depots and explosive plants in C and N Germany; all primary targets are bombed visually; they meet 100+ conventional fighters and 50+ jets; the German fighters attack fiercely and in the ensuing air battle down 15 heavy bombers; the AAF claims 104-13-32 aircraft including a few jets: 1. 529 B-17s are sent to hit airfields at Kaltenkirchen (143) and Parchim (134), an oil depot at Buchen (36) and a munitions depot at Gustrow (104); secondary targets hit are the marshalling yards at Neumunster (37) and Schwerin (48); 1other hit Salzwedel Airfield, a target of opportunity; they claim 26-10-10 aircraft; 14 B-17s are lost and 117 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 5 WIA and 117 MIA. Escorting are 317 of 338 P-51s; they claim 31-1-8 aircraft; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 2. 340 B-24s are dispatched to hit explosive plants at Krummel (128) and Duneburg (168); 26 others hit the marshalling yard at Neumunster; they claim 14-2-6 aircraft; 3 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 44 damaged; 6 airmen are KIA, 7 WIA and 25 MIA. The escort is 252 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 30-0-7 aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 3. 442 B-17s are sent to attack airfields at Wesendorf (107) and Kohlenbissen (93) and an oil depot at Hitzacker (115); 92 hit Lundeburg, the secondary; targets of opportunity are Fassberg Airfield (12) and the marshalling yard at Uelzen (13); they claim 0-0-1 aircraft; 27 B-17s are damaged; 1airman is KIA and 3 WIA. 209 of 222 P-51s escort without loss. 4. 3 of 4 B-17s and 29 P-51s fly scouting missions. 5. 23 of 25 P-51s escort 12 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. The 374th and 376FSs, 361FG, move from Chievres, Belgium to Little Walden, England with P-51s.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): Unit moves from France to Germany: HQ 63FW from Vittel to Heidelberg; HQ 371 fighter Group and 404FS from Metz to Eschborn Airfield, Frankfurt with P-47s; 365FS, 358FG from Toul to Sandhofen with P-47s. 9AF: In Germany, 268 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s strike marshalling yards at Northeim and Gottingen, plus 2 town areas; fighters fly escort, patrols, and armed reconnaissance, and support the US 7th Armored Division at Schmallenberg, the 3and 9th Armored Divisions along the Weser River E of Warburg, the VIII, XII, and XX Corps in the Muhlhausen, Eisenach, and Meiningen areas (including strong air support against a counterattack on the XII and XX Corps at Struth), the 2Armored Division along the Sarstedt- Hildesheim road, and the XVI Corps between the Lippe and Ruhr Rivers in the Essen area. The 353FS, 354FG, moves from Rosieres-en-Haye, France to Ober Olm, Germany with P-51s;
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 128 B-17s and B-24s attack the Mezzocorona railroad bridge and nearby road bridge, and the Verona-Parona di VaIpolicella railroad bridge in Italy, and marshalling yards at Innsbruck, Sankt Veit an der Glan, and Klagenfurt, Austria; 500+ bombers return to base without bombing because of multi-layer clouds; 82 P-38s bomb the Tainach- Stein railroad bridge in Austria; 74 others sent against a bridge in S Austria abort due to weather.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, during the night of 6/7 Apr, A-20s and A-26s bomb bridges at Lavis, Ala, Rovereto, and San Ambrogio di VaIpolicella, and several Po River crossings; during the day weather grounds the medium bombers; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter bombers, operating on a limited scale, hit the Montechino oilfield, ammunition dumps and communications targets N of the battle area, and gun positions in the Monte Belvedere-Strettoia area in which US Fifth Army forces push N. Units moving from Corsica to Italy: HQ 57BW and HQ 310BG(M) with the 380th, 381 and 428BSS(M) from Ghisonaccia to Fano with B-25s; the 486th, 487th and 488BS(M), 340BG(M), from Alesan to Rimini with B-25s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 24 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb the barracks area at Bunawan on Mindanao Island. VII Fighter Command:
Mission 1: 91 of 108 P-51s escort B-29s to Tokyo; they claim 21-5-7 Japanese aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 58: 101 of 107 B-29s bomb the Nakajima aircraft engine plant at Tokyo; 2 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim 80-23-50 Japanese aircraft; 3 B-29s are lost.
Mission 59: 153 of 194 B-29s hit the Mitsubishi aircraft plant at Nagoya; 29 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim 21-11-22 Japanese aircraft; 2 B-29s are lost. HQ 444BG(VH), arrives at West Field, Tinian Island from India.
SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): Bad weather hampers strikes N of the Philippines. B-24s and P-38s over Formosa hit various targets of opportunity. On Luzon Island, fighters fly 130+ sorties in support of ground forces at Solvec Cove, Villa Verde Trail, the Ipo and Marikina Rivers, and NE Laguna de Bay. B-24s again bomb Bunawan on Mindanao Island. Other B-24s and P-38s hit Jolo Island and B-24s bomb Bima Airfield on Sumbawa Island in the Lesser Sunda Islands. Unit moves: 311FS, 58th FG, from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Mangaldan, Luzon with P-47s; 550NPS, XIII Fighter Command (attached to 85th Fighter Wing), from Morotai Island, Moluccas Islands to Tacloban, Leyte Island, Philippine Islands with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s.
SUNDAY, 8 APRIL 1945
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 31 P-51 s knock out a bridge S of Shaoyang, destroy a section of track at Sincheng, and hit numerous road and rail targets of opportunity in the Yellow River areas and points to the S, from Shanhsien to Loning, at Hungtung, and S of Hei-Shih Kuan; 4 B-24s attack shipping targets of opportunity in the S China Sea and in Bakli Bay on Hainan Island and Yulin Bay, China and bomb Kowloon Docks in Hong Kong.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): 50+ P-38s and P-47s operating in C Burma battle areas attack troops, supplies, gun positions, and trucks at several points along and behind enemy lines, and sweep roads S of bomb line; transports maintain operations throughout the day. The 156th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda, India with UC-64s and L-5s, sends a detachment to operate from Myitche, Burma.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.
Mission 932: 1,173 bombers and 794 fighters attack various targets in Germany; 9 bombers and 1 fighter are lost: 1. 339 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Derben oil depot (31) and Schafstadt Airfield (73); secondary targets hit are the Stendal marshalling yard workshops (73) and the marshalling yard at Halberstadt (218); Derben is hit visually and the others targets visually and with H2X radar; 4 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 55 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 5 WIA and 35 MIA. Escorting are 239 of 252 P-51s. 2. 522 B-17s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yards at Plauen (86), Hof (101) and Eger (111) and an ordnance depot at Grafenwohr (203); the attacks are made visually and with H2X radar; 5 B-17s are lost and 58 damaged; 1airman is KIA, 1 WIA and 43 MIA. 235 of 246 P-51s escort. 3. 302 B-24s are sent to hit the munitions depot at Bayreuth (51), the Blumenthal jet aircraft factory at Furth (89) and the Unterschlauersbach (57): and Roth (91) Airfields visually; 39 B-24s are damaged. The escort is 245 P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 10 B-17s fly a screening mission. 5. 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair. 6. 16 P-51s escort 19 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
Mission 933: 11 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night.
Mission 934: 12 B-24s bomb the Travemunde port area using PFF methods during the night. The 13(Photo)RS, 7(Photo)G (R), moves from Mount Farm to Chalgrove, England with F-5s.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): The 367FS, 358FG, moves form Toul, France to Sandhofen, Germany with P-47s. 9AF: In Germany, around 620 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s bomb the Munchenbernsdorf oil storage depot, the Sonderhausen communications center, Nienhagen oil refinery, Celle marshalling yard, and 8 city areas; fighters escort the bombers, attack an airfield, fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, and operate in conjunction with the US VIII, XII, and XX Corps in the Thuringer Forest and Erfurt areas. Unit moves in Germany: HQ IX Tactical Air Command from Bruhl to Lahn Airfield, Marburg; HQ 36FG and the 22 and 23FSs from Aachen to Niedermennig with P-47s; HQ 354FG and 356FS from Rosieres-en-Haye, France to Ober Olm with P-51s; HQ 362FG and 379FS from Rouvres, France to Frankfurt with P-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 500+ B-24s and B-17s, with fighter escorts, attack communications in N Italy, concentrating on the transportation system feeding into the Brenner Pass; bridges, viaducts, and marshalling yards are hit at or near Bressanone, Campodazzo, Vipiteno, Fortezza, Campo di Trens, Mezzocorona, Avisio, Brescia, Gorizia, Pordenone, and Ponte Gardena; a power dam at Ponte Gardena is also hit; 168 P-38s bomb the Rattenberg, Austria and Garmisch, Germany railroad bridges and strafe rail traffic in the Munich, Germany and Salzburg and Linz, Austria areas.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 7/8 Apr, A-20s and A-26s hit command posts and dumps; medium bombers, despite bad weather bomb railroad bridges at Salorno, San Michele all' Adige, Vo Sinistro, and Bondeno, a railroad fill and canal at Salorno, and gun positions at La Spezia; XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers concentrate their efforts on the Brenner area communications (cutting lines in 31places and damaging 4 bridges), oil fields in the C Po Valley, and points further N; the 445BS(M), 321BG(M), moves from Solenzara, Corsica to Falconara with B-25s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 25 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb the Bunawan area on Mindanao Island. VII Fighter Command: During the night of 8/9 Apr, 6 P-61s from Iwo Jima Island, operating singly at 2-hour intervals, bomb Chichi Jima, Haha Jima, Ani Jima, and Ototo Jima Islands.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 2 missions are flown against airfields on Kyushu Island, Japan from which Kamikaze attacks are originating.
Mission 60: 29 of 32 B-29s strike 2 airfields at Kanoya.
Mission 61: 48 B-29s attack the airfield at Kokubu; 1 B-29 is lost.
SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): For the second consecutive day bad weather prevents attacks on the primary targets N of the Philippine Islands. B-24s and B-25s hit secondary targets including Chomosui Airfield in the Pescadores Islands, and on Formosa, Tainan town and railroad yards, the towns of Takao, Toko, and Kaiko, and other scattered objectives. A-20s and fighter-bombers over Luzon Island support ground forces particularly in the areas E of Manila. B-24s join A-20s and fighter-bombers in support of ground forces on Cebu and Negros Islands. Other B-24s bomb the N Davao Bay area on Mindanao Island and Jolo Island. Unit moves to Luzon: 33d TCS, 374TCG, from Hollandia, New Guinea to Nielson Field with C-47s; 69FS, 58FG from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Mangaldan with P-47s.
MONDAY, 9 APRIL 1945
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 9 B-24s bomb the docks at Canton and Kowloon in Hong Kong and attack targets of opportunity at Bakli Bay on Hainan Island; 8 B-25s bomb Sinyang railroad yards and nearby targets of opportunity; 13 other B-25s knock out a bridge N of Hsuchang and hit various targets around Laohokow, Sichuan, Sinyang, Likuanchiao, Lichen, and along the Han River; and 19 P-51s hit targets of opportunity in or near Neihsiang, Laohokow, and Sichuan. 2 P-38s blast trucks in the Dien Bien Phu area of French Indochina; the 91FS, 81FG, based at Fungwanshan with P-47s, begins operating from Hsian.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): 70+ P-38s and P-47s attack troops, supplies, gun positions, and general targets of opportunity along and behind the C Burma battleline around Mong Pawn, Wan Htum, Pang po, Kyawkku, Mong Hko, Hanhwe-Mu, Laihka, and other points; transports complete 415 sorties to forward areas.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.
Mission 935: 1,252 bombers and 846 fighters are dispatched to visually attack underground oil storage, an ammunition plant and 10 jet airfields; they claim 85-1-60 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 bombers and 5 fighters are lost: 1. 333 B-17s are sent to hit a munitons plant at Wolfratshausen (76) and Oberpfaffenhofen (107) and Furstenfeldbruck (139) Airfields; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 12 damaged; 1airman is WIA. Escorting are 137 of 146 P-51s; they claim 4-0-10 aircraft on the ground. 2. 289 B-17s are sent to attack an oil depot (89) and airfield (66) at Neuburg and Schleissheim Airfield (128); 3 B-17s are lost and 42 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 56 MIA. The escort is 193 of 203 P-51s; they claim 1-0-3 aircraft in the air and 70-0-37 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 3. 228 B-17s are dispatched to hit Riem Airfield at Munich (212); 10 others hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Ingolstadt; 3 B-17sa re lost. 149 of 151 P-51 s escort; they claim 6-0-4 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 402 B-24s are sent to hit airfields at Lechfeld (109), Memmingen (96), Leipheim (88) and Landsberg (62) and Landsberg E landing ground (33); 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 7 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 9 MIA. 193 of 205 P-51s escort claiming 4-0-5 aircraft on the ground. 5. 58 P-47s fly a freelance Mission in support of the bombers. 6. 58 P-51s escort 32 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 7. 24 of 25 P-51s fly scouting missions; 1 is lost (pilot MIA).
Mission 936: 10 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and France during the night.
Mission 937: 14 B-24s bomb Stade Airfield during the night using PFF methods; 5 Mosquito's escort the bombers. HQ 361FG moves from Chievres, Belgium to Little Walden, England.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS 1TAF (Provisional): The 366FS, 358th FG, moves from Toul, France to Sandhofen, Germany with P-47s. 9AF: In Germany, 700+ A-20s, A-26s and B-26s strike marshalling yards at Jena and Saalfeld, oil targets at Bad Berka and Dedenhausen, ordnance depots at Naumburg and Amberg-Kummersbruck, and several targets of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, attack several airfields and a fuel storage facility, fly area patrols and armed reconnaissance, and support the III Corps along the Lenne River, the 3Armored Division E of the Weser River toward Nordhausen, the VIII Corps in the Arnstadt area and the XII and XX Corps in the Thuringer Forest and around Erfurt. Unit moves: HQ 386BG(M) and 553and 555BSs (M) from Beaumont-sur-Oise, France to St Trond, Belgium iwht B-26s; 107TRS, 67TRG, from Limburg to Eschwege, Germany with F-6s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Italy, 825 B-24s and B-17s in close coordination with the British Eighth Army, pound gun positions and other forward military targets SE of Bologna, in the area immediately W and SW of Lugo; 88 P-51s provide target cover. 150+ P-38s bomb and strafe railroad bridges at Rattenberg, Seefeld, and Telfs, Austria and Rosenheim, Germany, and to the S near the Austro-German border, and also hit rail lines in the Munich-Rosenheim, Germany area. 90+ P-51s escort supply (to N Italy): and transport missions and support MATAF aircraft attacking positions in the Imola, Italy area; other airplanes continue reconnaissance operations.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, A-20s and A-26s on intruder missions during the night of 8/9 Apr, bomb bridges, vehicles, and targets of opportunity in the Po River Valley and NE Italy; during the day B-25s and XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers [in conjunction with RAF Desert AF (DAF) fighter-bombers and Mediterranean Allied Strategic Air Force (MASAF) heavy bombers] blast gun positions, troop concentrations, enemy HQ, and strongroupoints in the Lugo-Imola area in support of a British Eighth Army offensive; other XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers bit communications in N Italy (including the Brenner line) and methane plant and ammunition and fuel dumps in the W C Po Valley.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 17 Guam Island-based B-24s pound Marcus Island airfield and defensive installations in the N Pacific. 22 B-24s from Angaur Island hit a troop concentration at Kabacan, Mindanao Island. VII Fighter Command: 16 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island bomb and strafe military installations at Chichi Jima Island during the early morning.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):
Mission 62: During the night of 9/10 Apr, 16 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait between Kyushu and Honshu Islands, Japan without loss.
SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): A-20s and fighter bombers support ground forces on Luzon Island in the Balete Pass, Baguio, and Solvec Cove areas and at several points in SW Luzon Island, and attack Japanese forces in the Legaspi area. B-24s and fighter-bombers support ground forces in C Cebu Island and on Negros Island. Several B-24s on armed reconnaissance missions hit China and Indochina coastal targets.
TUESDAY, 10 APRIL 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In coordinated operations with USN (USN): aircraft, 7 B-24s napalm-bomb Kataoka naval base on Shimushu Island, Kurile Islands; 4 B-25s attempt to hit radar installations on Minami Cape on Paramushiru Island, the primary air warning station in the Kurils, but fail to release bombs due to an approach error; 3 other B-25s decklevel bomb a Masugawa River cannery; and a B-24 investigates ice floes along the Kurile Islands.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 23 B-24s pound Yungcheng, China storage areas; 50+ B-25s and 180+ fighter-bombers (operating in small flights) attack numerous targets throughout S and E China; targets hit are mainly troops, horses, town areas, storage areas, and river, road, and rail traffic.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): About 30 fighter-bombers attack troop concentrations at Tonglau, at points along the Zawgyi River, and at other locations in the C Burma battle area; 455 transport sorties are flown to forward areas. The 82BS(H), 12BG(M), based at Fenny, India with B-25s, begins operating from Meiktila, Burma.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.
Mission 938: 1,315 bombers and 905 fighters are dispatched to attack airfields known or suspected to be used by jet aircraft; about 60 jets and a few conventional fighters attack the formations; 19 bombers and 8 fighters are lost; the AAF claims 328-4-249 Luftwaffe aircraft: 1. 442 B-17s are sent to hit the Army HQ munitions depot (278) and airfield (139) at Oranienburg; 11 hit Rechlin Airfield, the secondary; they claim 7-1-8 aircraft; 9 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 50 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 84 MIA. Escorting are 273 of 289 P-51s; they claim 11.5-0-8 aircraft in the air and 56-0-32 on the ground; 4 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 132 of 144 B-17s hit Neuruppin Airfield; 9 others hit the marshalling yard at Stendal, the secondary; 1 B-17 is lost and 44 damaged. The escort is 112 of 117 P-51s claiming 128-0-94 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 372 B-17s are sent to hit the Briest Airfield at Brandenburg (138), and Zerbst (75) and Burg-Bei-Magdeburg (147) Airfields; they claim 10-3-4 aircraft; 8 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 160 damaged; total losses for forces 2. and 3. are 1 KIA, 7 WIA and 80 MIA. 172 of 175 P-51s escort; they claim 6-0-2 aircraft in the air and 84-0-43 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 357 B-24s hit Rechlin Airfield (159), Larz Airfield at Rechlin (103) and Parchim Airfield (32); 9 others hit the marshalling yard at Wittenberge, a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost; 4 airmen are WIA and 11 MIA. The escort is 207 of 220 P-51s; they claim 1-0-1 aircraft in the air and 20-0-21 on the ground. 5. 59 of 62 P-47s fly a freelance Mission for the bombers; they claim 2-0-2 aircraft in the air and 41-0-66 on the ground. 6. 15 P-51s escort 20 of 21F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 7. 30 P-51s fly a scouting mission; 1 is lost (pilot MIA).
Mission 939: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during the night.
Mission 940: 13 of 14 B-24s bomb the Dessau rail depot by PFF methods during the night.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 423 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s strike oil storage and ordnance depots, rail bridge and viaduct (all primary targets) and several other targets including a marshalling yard and an industrial area; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols, rail cutting operations, and armed reconnaissance, and support the US 13th Armored Division crossing the Sieg River near Siegburg, the 3Armored Division approaching Nordhausen, the 9th Armored Division in the Hain area, the XII Corps near Coburg, the XX Corps W of Weimar and the Saale River, the 2 and 5th Armored Divisions crossing the Oker River in the Ahnsen and Schladen areas, and the XVI Corps along the Ruhr River in the Essen area. Unit moves: HQ 67TRG and 30(Photo)Reconnaissance Squadron from Limburg an der Lahn to Eschwege, Germany with F-5s; HQ 367th FG and 393FS from Conflans, France to Eschborn Airfield, Frankfurt, Germany with P-47s; 388FS, 365th FG, from Aachen to Fritzlar, Germany with P-47s; and 552 and 554BS(M), 386BG(M), from Beaumont-sur-Oise, France to St Trond, Belgium with B-26s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 648 B-24s and B-17s, in support of British Eighth Army forces, blast artillery positions, machinegun nests, and infantry defenses along the Santerno River in Italy; this effort represents the largest number of 15AF heavy bombers attacking targets in a single day as of this date; 88 P-51s fly target cover. 152 P-38s divebomb bridges, a tunnel and marshalling yards at Seefeld and Worgl, Austria.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 9/10 Apr, A-20s and A-26s hit guns and other close support targets along the British Eighth Army front (which stretches from W of Imola to Comacchio Lagoon and the coast) and also hit several Po River crossings and attack the Brenner line bridges at Lavis, Rovereto, and San Michele all'Adige; during the day B-25s and XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers continue pounding support targets along the battlefront; fighter-bombers also attack bridges on the Brenner line and communications and other targets in the Po Valley.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (VII Fighter Command): During the night of 10/11Apr, 6 Iwo Jima Island-based P-61s, flying individual strikes bomb and strafe Chichi, Muko, Ani, and Haha Jima Islands.
SWPA - FEAF THEATER OF OPERATIONS (5AF+13AF): B-24s bomb the town of Koshun, Formosa. A-20s and fighter-bombers again support ground forces in SW Luzon Island and in the Balete Pass, Baguio, and Solvec Cove areas, and pound the Legaspi area. B-24s and fighter-bombers support ground forces on C Cebu Island. B-24s bomb Liang Airfield on Ambon island, Moluccas Islands and Bingkalapa Airfield on Celebes Island. HQ 35FG and the 39FS move from Mangaldan to Lingayen, Luzon with P-51s.
WEDNESDAY, 11 APRIL 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): P-38s together with USN aircraft pick up bombfilled paper balloons over Attu and E of Adak Islands in the Aleutian Islands; one balloon over Attu is shot down and portions of the gondola are recovered in Massacre Bay.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 7 B-25s bomb Hsihhsiassuchi, 5 pound the Pinglo barracks and storage area, and a few others hit the Yanglowtung railroad yards and targets of opportunity E of Paoching; 150+ fighter-bombers attack troops, river, road and rail traffic, and a variety of targets of opportunity scattered throughout S and E China and N French Indochina.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 54 fighter-bombers hit troop and supply concentrations near Mong Kung and Mong Nim, attack trucks and targets of opportunity in other areas behind the battleline, and sweep several roads S of bomb line; transports fly 424 sorties carrying men and supplies to forward areas.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 941: 1,303 bombers and 913 fighters are dispatched to hit a variety of targets in Germany; 1 B-17 is lost: 1. 445 B-17s are sent to hit the Freiham oil depot (300) and Kraiburg munitions plant (133); secondary targets hit are the munitions depot at Landshut (1) and the marshalling yard at Treuchtlingen (1); 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 15 damaged; 1airman is WIA and 10 MIA. Escorting are 273 of 294 P-51s. 2. 509 B-17s are sent to hit the munitions depot (28) and marshalling yard (82) at Landshut; the airfield (131) and marshalling yard (79) at Ingolstadt; and the marshalling yards at Treuchtlingen (70) and Donauworth (108); no losses or casualties. The escort is 281 of 294 P-51s. 3. 346 B-24s are dispatched to hit Obertraubling Airfield (79), a munitions depot (31) and an oil depot (80) at Regensburg, and the marshalling yards at Neumarkt (71) and Amberg (73); 2 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged; 22 airmen are KIA. 211 P-47s and P-51s escort. 4. 3 B-17s and 28 of 29 P-51s fly scouting missions. 5. 52 P-51s fly a freelance sweep over Regensburg. 6. 28 P-51s escort 10 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
Mission 942: 9 B-24s drop leaflets in Germany during the night and 11 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions in Denmark.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 689 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s strike marshalling yards at Bernburg, Oschersleben, Zwickau, and Kothen, the Naumburg ordnance depot, Bamberg motor transport plant, and several other targets; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols, sweeps, a leaflet mission, and armed reconnaissance (claiming 43 aircraft shot down), and support the US 3and 9th Armored Divisions in the Nordhausen and Ringleben-Sachsenburg-Rothenberga areas, the 2Armored Division as it reaches the Elbe River S of Magdeburg in a record drive of 57 miles (92 km), the XVI Corps along the Ruhr River at Witten, the XX Corps as it crosses the Saale River at Weimar and overruns the Buchenwald concentration camp and Allied prisoner camp nearby, the XII Corps in the Coburg-Rottenbach area, and the VIII Corps as it approaches the Saale River S of Weimar. Unit moves in Germany: HQ 366FG from Assche, Belgium to Handorf Airfield, Munster; the 14th Liaison Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), from Berkersheim to Hersfeld with L-5s; and the 392 and 394FSs, 367FG, from Conflans, France to Eschborn Airfield, Frankfurt with P-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 544 B-24s and B-17s hit communications in N Italy, concentrating on the transportation system feeding into the Brenner area, in an effort to hamper the enemy's supply and escape routes; the bombers bomb bridges at Padua, Vipiteno, Campodazzo, Ponte Gardena, and Campo di Trens, marshalling yards at Bronzolo and Ora, a vehicle repair shop at Osoppo, and a fuel depot at Goito. 40 P-38s dive-bomb the Rosenheim, Germany railroad bridge. 40 other P-38s and 29 P-51s strafe rail traffic in the Munich and Regensburg, Germany; Plzen, Czechoslovakia; and Linz and Salzburg, Austria areas. 250+ fighters escort the bomber mission s, reconnaissance and supply missions, and operations against N Italian targets by MATAF aircraft.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 10/11 Apr, A-20s and A-26s bomb bridges at Lavis, Ala, Rovereto, San Michele all'Adige, and San Ambrogio di Valpolicella, and hit vehicles, Po River crossings and targets of opportunity in the Po Valley; medium bombers continue to support British Eighth Army forces between Imola and Comacchio Lagoon, bomb guns SE of La Spezia in front of the US Fifth Army advance, and bomb 4 bridges on the Brenner line; XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers also fly support on the Eighth Army front, and hit communications (including the Brenner line) and fuel and ammunition dumps in the North.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 24 B-24s from Angaur Island hit Cotabato supply and personnel areas on Mindanao Island. 18 Guam Island-based B-24s pound positions on Eten Island.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Cotabato on Mindanao. On Negros Island, B-24s hit Japanese defenses NW of Guadalupe and A-20s hit a bivouac E of Negritos. On Luzon Island B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers bomb numerous targets including Fuga Island, the Cagayan Valley areas, Santa Fe, bridges and other communications in Iligan, Naguilian, Manga, and Tuguegarao, and troops and supply concentration N of Imugan; troop support strikes are flown in the Solvec Cove area and E of Manila; Baguio and a troop concentration in the Batangas area and on the Bicol peninsula are bombed; at Iriga, defenses are hit with napalm. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Okayama while B-25s hit several targets including the Ts'eng Wen sugar refinery, Seiko, Sunbon-sha, and Shasekiryo. P-38s attack gun positions at Tarakan, Borneo.
THURSDAY, 12 APRIL 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): P-38s shoot down paper bomb-balloons over Attu Island.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The Commander-In-Chief, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, dies in Warm Springs, Georgia and Harry S Truman is sworn in as the new President.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 12 B-24s supported by 14 P-51s, bomb the Wuchang railroad yards and airfield; 7 B-25s bomb the Hsuchang railroad yards, 3 hit Loning, 2 attack Likuanchiao, 2 bomb Tenghsien, and a single B-25 attack storage areas at Pingyao and Huaiching; 100+ fighter-bombers attack troops, horses, bridges, river shipping, trucks, and railroad targets at several locations in French Indochina and at points scattered over S and E China; the 449FS, 51FG, based at Chengkung with P-38s, sends a detachment to operate from Posek.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): 75 fighter-bombers continue to pound targets in the C Burma battle area; troop concentrations, gun positions, supplies, vehicles, and general targets of opportunity are attacked along the battlefront, behind enemy lines, and along roads S of the bomb line; 369 air supply sorties are flown throughout the day. The 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 8(Photo)RG, based at Myitkyina, Burma with F-6s and P-40s, sends a flight to operate from Akyab, Burma.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 95 of 99 P-51s escort 9AF B-26s in an attack on an ordnance depot.
Mission 944: During the night of 12/13 Apr, 9 of 10 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany and 6 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions in Denmark.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 167 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s attack the Hof rail bridge, Kempten ordnance depot, and Goppingen marshalling yard, plus a town area and a casual target of opportunity; 275+ planes abort because of weather; fighters escort the bombers, attack the town of Kothen, fly armed reconnaissance and sweeps over wide areas and support ground forces; fighters also support the US III, XVI, and XVIII Corps as they continue to reduce the Ruhr pocket, the 9th Armored Division on the Saale River near Werben and Bad Lauchstadt, the XX Corps from the Saale River N and S of Jena E across the Weisse Elster River, the VIII Corps along the Saale further S of Jena, the XII Corp SE of Coburg on the Hasslach River, the 2d Armored Division across the Elbe River near Randau S of Magdeburg, the 5th Armored Division on the W bank of the Elbe at Wittenberge, and the XVI Corps as it continues fighting in the Duisburg and Dortmund areas. Unit moves in Germany: HQ 404FG and 506FS from Keltz to Fritzlar with P-47s; the 109TRS, 67TRG, from Limburg to Eschwege with F-6s; the 125LS, IX Fighter Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), from Haltern to Gutersloh with L-5s; the 386FS, 365FG, from Aachen to Fritzlar with P-47s; the 425NPS, XIX Tactical Air Command, from Etain, France to Frankfurt with P-61s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 400+ B-17s and B-24s hit communications in N Italy and S Austria, attacking railroad bridges at Padua, Ponte di Piave and Nervesa della Bataglia, Italy, and Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria, an ammunition dump at Malcontenta, and supply dump at Peschiera del Garda, Italy; 124 P-51s provide escort. 123 P-38s bomb railroad bridges at Unzmarkt and Arnoldstein, Austria; 128 B-24s, with P-51escort, sent against N Italian communications abort due to bad weather. 38 P-51s escort MATAF B-25s on raids in N Yugoslavia.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 11/12 Apr, A-20s and A-26s hit Po River crossings; medium bombers, restricted by low clouds, bomb approaches to the Maribor, Yugoslavia bridge, hit targets along the Brenner rail line, and support the British Eighth Army in the Argenta area; fighter-bombers attack NE Italian railroad lines, including fuel dumps and communications targets in the Po Valley.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 24 B-24s, based on Angaur Island hit a personnel area at Kabacan on Mindanao Island.
VII Fighter Command: 90 P-51s are dispatched to escort B-29s on a raid against Tokyo; they claim 15-6-3 Japanese aircraft; 4 P-51s are lost. During the night of 12/13 Apr, 6 Iwo Jima-based fighters, operating singly at intervals, bomb and strafe targets on Kita, Chichi, Haha, and Ani Jima Islands.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 4 missions are flown.
Mission 63: 94 B-29s, escorted by 90 P-51s, strike the Nakajima aircraft factory at Tokyo while 11 hit the secondary target, the Shizuoka engine plant; B-29s gunners claim 16 fighters downed.
Mission 64: 66 B-29s hit a chemical plant at Koriyama and 9 hit targets of opportunity.
Mission 65: 70 B-29s hit a second chemical plant at Koriyama and 6 hit targets of opportunity; 2 B-29s are lost.
Mission 66: During the night of 12/13 Apr, 5 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: P-38s and A-20s support ground troops on Cebu and Negros Islands. On Mindanao Island, B-24s bomb Sapakan, Kabacan and the Davao Bay areas and P-38s hit Cotabato and also Kabacan. On Luzon Island, B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers pound targets throughout the Cagayan Valley, blast defenses at Balete Pass and in the Baguio area, and hit troops, communications targets, and defenses at numerous points in SW and SE Luzon Island. On Formosa, B-24s attack Tainan and bomb Okayama Airfield. The 70TCS, 433TCG, moves from Dulag to Tanauan, Leyte Island with C-46s and C-47s.
FRIDAY, 13 APRIL 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): At Attu Island, 27 P-38s and P-40s scramble following radar reports of unidentified plots; later, they shoot down 9 of 11 Japanese paper bomb-balloons sighted over the W Aleutians.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 6 B-25s hit a fort at Bac Ninh, French Indochina. In China, 11 B-25s bomb the railroad yards and warehouse area at Kaifeng and 6 knock out a bridge at Ningming; 7 B-25s hit shipping in the S China Sea and Bakli Bay on Hainan Island and the town areas of Tenghsien and Liuchow; 4 others, along with 5 P-51s, knock out a bridge and hit the town area and shipping at Puchi; 24 P-38s and P-51s knock out 3 bridges, damage another, and hit several targets of opportunity in N French Indochina; about 140 fighter-bombers fly armed reconnaissance and strikes throughout S and E China, hitting rail, road, and river traffic, town areas, troops, and general targets of opportunity. Unit moves in China: the detachment of the 16FS, 51FG, operating from Poseh with P-51s returns to base at Chengkung; the 490BS(M), 341BG(M), from Warazup, Burma to Hanchung
with B-25s.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 30+ P-47s and P-38s attack troops and supplies in the Hamn gai, Loi-hseng, and Wan Yin areas and sweep roads S of the bomb line in C Burma; air transport operations to the front areas total 450 sorties. The 317TCS (Commando), 2 Air Commando Group, moves from Palel to Kalaikunda, India with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.
Mission 945: The AAF claims 284-0-220 Luftwaffe aircraft.
1. 212 B-17s, escorted by 256 of 278 P-51s, attack the marshalling yard at Neumunster visually; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA, 3 WIA and 17 MIA. The escort claims 137-0-83 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air; 6 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
2. 97 P-47s and P-51s fly a freelance Mission in support of the bombers; they claim 147-0-137 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost; both pilots are MIA.
3. 8 P-51s fly a scouting mission.
4. 11 of 13 P-51s escort 10 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
Mission 946: 10 of 12 B-24s bomb the Beizenburg rail junction during the night without loss.
Mission 947: During the night, 10 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in France and Germany and 1 of 4 B-24s completes a CARPETBAGGER Mission to Denmark. The 328FS, 352FG, moves from Chievres, Belgium to Bodney, England with P-51s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, a special Mission is flown by IX Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers against the HQ of Field Marshall Walter Model's Army Group B at Haus Waldesruh in the Ruhr pocket; the air attack is followed by an artillery barrage; as a result the HQ is moved to Haan; IX Tactical Air Command pilots sight Soviet fighters in the air for the first time; weather grounds the 9th Bombardment Division; fighters fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, and support the US XVIII Corps in the Huckeswagen and Hagen areas, the III Corps between the Ruhr and Honne Rivers, the 3Armored Division on the Saale River in the Alsleben, Nelben and Friedeburg area, the XX Corps astride and between the Weisse Eister and Zwickauer Mulde Rivers N of Gera, the XVI Corps NW of Hagen, the 2 Armored Division in the Elbenau-Grunwalde area, and the 5th Armored Division along the Elbe River in the Tangermunde area. P-47 units moving to Fritzlar Germany: HQ 365FG and 387FS from Aachen; the 507FS, 404FG, from Keltz.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather limits operations to reconnaissance and escort missions.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, B-25s are restricted by weather to 1mission, an attack on a road bridge at Mollinella; fighter bombers continue to hit communications and dumps in the Po Valley and guns in the La Spezia area; during the night of 12/13 Apr, A-20s and A-26s attack Po River crossings at San Benedetto Po, Ostiglia, Piacenza, and Casalmaggiore, bridges at San Ambrogio di Valpolicella, and motor transport and targets of opportunity in the Milan area.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 18 Guam Island-based B-24s pound enemy positions on Marcus Island in the N Pacific; 23 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb personnel and storage areas at Kabacan on Mindanao Island. 2 Saipan-based P-61 night fighters bomb and strafe Pagan Island in the Mariana Islands.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 67: During the night of 13/14 Apr, 327 B-29s bomb the Tokyo arsenal area; 3 others hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-29s are lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-24s hit the Hong Kong waterfront (Taikoo Docks) and storage areas in Canton, China. On Formosa, other B-24s hit airfields at Tainan and Okayama while B-25s attack
railroads. On Luzon Island, numerous sweeps are flown over the Cagayan Valley and ground support missions are continued on Luzon, Cebu, and Negros Islands. On Mindanao Island, B-24s bomb the Davao area and B-25s hit various targets on Mindanao and in the Sulu Archipelago.
SATURDAY, 14 APRIL 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 24 B-24s, supported by 12 P-51s, bomb Loyang and knock out a bridge over the Yellow River; 30+ B-25s and 130+ fighter-bombers attack bridges (knocking out at least 6), river, road, and rail traffic, troops, storage areas, town areas, and general targets of opportunity over the vast expanse of S and E China; the 118TRS, 14AF (attached to 23FG, based at Chengkung, begins operating from Laohwangping with P-40s and P-51s.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 41 P-47s and P-38s attack troops, supplies, and fuel dumps at Tawnghkam Nawng-hkam, Mong Kung, Loimakhkawn, and Nawngkaw; 8 P-38s damage bridges at Kong pau and Kyawngteng; 446 transport flights are flown to forward areas.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.
Mission 948: 1,167 bombers are dispatched without escort to visually attack enemy pockets on the French Gironde estuary; 2 B-24s are lost; other Allied AFs and French naval units attack similar targets; the air attacks precede a ground assault by a French detachment of the Sixth Army Group on the defense pockets which deny the Allies use of port facilities in the Bordeaux area:
1. 480 of 490 B-17s hit 15 strongpoints and flak batteries in the Bordeaux/Royan, Pointe Coubre and Pointe Grave areas; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 1airman is WIA.
2. 315 of 336 B-24s hit 12 strongpoints and flak batteries in the same area as Force 1; 2 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 18 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 12 MIA.
3. 338 of 341 B-17s attack 4 strongpoints and flak batteries in the Bordeaux/Royan area without loss.
4. 31 P-47s and P-51s fly scouting missions.
5. 9 of 11 P-51 s escort 8 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Royan and Germany.
Mission 949: 10 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in Germany, the Netherlands and France during the night.
Mission 950: An experimental bombing operation is flown by a Mosquito and B-24s against Neuruppin Airfield, Germany; the mission is unsuccessful. 1 of 4 B-24s completes a CARPETBAGGER Mission to Denmark during the night.
HQ 352FG and the 486th and 487FSs move from Chievres, Belgium to Bodney, England with P-51s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 18 B-26s fly a leaflet Mission in the Ruhr area; fighters fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance, and support the US 3Armored Division SW of the Elbe/Mulde River junction near Dessau, the 9th Armored Division in the Borna and Lobstadt area, XX Corps elements which continue to arrive at the Zwickauer Mulde River, the VIII Corps along the Weisse Elster River S of Gera, XII Corps elements in the Bayreuth area, the 2 and 5th Armored Divisions along the Elbe River in the Barby-Magdeburg and Tangermunde areas. Units moving in Germany: HQ XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) to Gutersloh; HQ 84th and HQ 303FWs from Haltern to Gutersloh; HQ 100FW from Metz, France to Konigstein; 167th Liaison Squadron, 9AF (attached to Sixth Army Group) from Kaiserslautern to Pfaffengrund with L-5s; the 377th and 378FSs, 362FG from Rouvres, France to Frankfurt with P-47s; the 389th and 390FSs, 366th Fighter Group, from Asch, Belgium to Handorf Airfield, Munster with P-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 318 B-17s and B-24s hit ammunition factories at Avigliana, Spilimbergo, Malcontenta, and Palmanova, and a motor transport depot at Osoppo, Italy and the Klagenfurt, Austria marshalling yard as a target of opportunity; 158 fighters provide escort; 29 P-38s bomb and strafe railroad targets in the Munich and Regensburg, Germany-Linz, Austria areas; 54 P-51s fly escort for MATAF B-25s bombing targets in N Italy.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 13/14 Apr, A-20s and A-26s continue to hit communications in the Po Valley; bad weather over the N part of the Brenner line prevents medium bomber attacks but the B-25s hit alternates on the S part of line at Salorno, San Ambrogio di Valpolicella, and Chiusaforte, bomb guns SE of La Spezia in support of the US Fifth Army, and hit 5 defensive positions along the British Eighth Army front in the Argenta area; fighter-bombers concentrate on supporting Fifth Army forces SW of Bologna.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 24 Angaur Island-based B-24s pound supply and personnel areas at Tigatto in the Philippine Islands.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): B-29 units arriving at Northwest Field, Guam Island from the US: HQ 16BG(VH), and the 16th and 17BSs(VH),; HQ 501BG (Very Heavy) and the 21 and 485BSs(VH),.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-25s sweep the Canton-Hong Kong, China waterways, hitting shipping and other targets and B-24s bomb four airfields on Formosa. In the Philippine Islands, B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers fly numerous strikes in support of ground forces and against airfields, gun positions, defenses, and troop concentrations throughout Luzon, Cebu, Negros, and Mindanao Islands.
SUNDAY, 15 APRIL 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A B-24 flies a weather reconnaissance mission.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 3 B-25s knock out the Pa-Ching pontoon bridge, 7 pound a storage depot at Fang-cheng, 4 bomb Tunganhsien, and 3 hit Paoching; 1 B-24 bombs the Canton docks; almost 200 fighter-bombers ranging over all of S China and up into the N China plain hit numerous targets including bridges, river shipping, town areas, trucks, railroad traffic, gun positions, storage areas, and general targets of opportunity; the Paoching, Hengyang, Yungfengshih, and Hsihhsiassuchi areas are especially hard hit.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 62 P-38s and P-47s attack troop concentrations and supply areas at Loi-Mwe, Lawksawk, Thongdan, and near Laihka; 312 transport sorties are flown to forward areas.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.
Mission 951: 1,348 unescorted bombers are dispatched to visually attack strongpoints on the French Atlantic coast; the first two forces below make the sole operational employment of napalm bomb by the 8AF against German ground installations (pillboxes, gunpits, tank trenches, and heavy gun emplacements); the results are negligible and HQ recommends its discontinuance against this type of target:
1. 492 of 529 B-17s hit four strongpoints and flak batteries in the Royan area; 5 B-17s are damaged.
2. 341 of 359 B-24s hit six strongpoints and flak batteries in the Royan area; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA.
3. 442 of 457 B-17s hit 9 strongpoints and flak batteries in the Bordeaux/Royan, Pointe Grave and Pointe Courbre area without loss.
4. 3 B-17s and 20 P-51s fly scouting missions.
5. 107 of 109 P-51s support 9AF B-26s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA).
6. 6 of 7 P-51s escort 6 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Royan and Germany.
Mission 952: 1Mosquito and 9 B-24s abort a mission to Lechfeld Airfield during the night.
Mission 953: 10 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 258 B-26s and A-26s bomb marshalling yards at Gunzburg and Ulm (primary targets) and several other targets including 3 marshalling yards; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, and support the US 3Armored Division near Dessau and across the Mulde River near Torten, the 9th Armored Division along the Mulde NW of Borna, the VIII Corps along Weisse Elster River between Gera and Plauen, the XX Corps astride the Mulde NE of Chemnitz (where the 6th Armored Division awaits Red Army forces), and the 2Armored Division on the Elbe River near Magdeburg. Unit moves in Germany: HQ 363TRG from Venlo, the Netherlands to Gutersloh; HQ 368FG and 395FS and 396FSs from Metz, France to Frankfurt-am-Main with P-47s; HQ 406FG and 512FS, 513FS and 514FSs from Assche, Belgium to Handorf with P-47s; 72LS, 9AF (attached to Sixth Army Group) from Darmstadt to Kitzingen with L-5s; 153Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group) from Marburg to Bad Wildungen with L-5s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Italy, 830 B-17s and B-24s, in support of the US Fifth Army, blast gun positions, supply dumps, troop concentrations, maintenance installations, and German HQ along highways leading from Bologna; 145 P-38s furnish escort; another force of 312 B-17s and B-24s bomb rail diversion bridges at Nervesa della Battaglia, Ponte di Piave, and Casarsa della Delizia, and an ammunition factory and stores at Ghedi; 191 P-51 s provide escort. 36 P-38s and 36 P-51s strafe rail communications in the area bounded by Munich, Germany, Salzburg and Linz, Austria, Plzen, Czechoslovakia, and Regensburg, Germany; 12 of the P-38s
skipbomb rail targets in the Salzburg-Linz, Austria area, including the Vocklabruck marshalling yard; 8 P-38s furnish top cover for the strafing missions. 128 P-51s provide uneventful escort for MATAF bombers on 3 missions to N Italy. Other P-38s and P-51s carry out reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort operations. Today's effort is the largest of World War II by the 15AF (most fighters and bombers dispatched and attacking, and the largest bomb tonnage dropped) during a 24-hour period; 1,142 heavy bombers bomb targets.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 14/15 Apr, A-20s and A-26s concentrate on communications targets in the Po Valley, particularly the Po River crossings; during the day medium bombers and fighter-bombers concentrate on direct support of the US Fifth and British Eighth Army drives, hitting troop concentrations, guns, strongpoints, and a variety of targets in areas S of Bologna, around Medicina and Sasso Marconi and at other points in battle areas.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 2 missions are flown during the night of 15/16 Apr.
Mission 68: 194 B-29s bomb the Kawasaki urban area; 8 others hit targets of opportunity; 12 B-29s are lost.
Mission 69: 109 B-29s hit the urban area of Tokyo; 1 B-29 is lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa B-24s bomb Toyohara, Shinchiku, and Shinshoshi Airfields and B-25s hit the Shoka rail yards. On Luzon Island, B-24s and fighter-bombers bomb island fortifications in Manila Bay, fighter-bombers hit bivouacs and other targets in N Luzon and support ground forces E of Manila and on Carabao Island. Fighter bombers and B-24s fly support missions for ground forces on Negros and Cebu Islands. On Mindanao Island, B-24s bomb the Davao area and B-25s join USMC (USMC) aircraft in hitting highways and vehicles. The 4FS (Commando), 3Air Commando Group, moves from Mangaldan to Laoag, Luzon with P-51s.
MONDAY, 16 APRIL 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, B-25s abort a mission to bomb Hayakegawa because of weather front; 6 B-24s radarbomb the Kataoka naval base on Shimushu Island; another B-24 flies a radar-ferret sortie.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 18 B-24s pound a storage area at Linfen; 3 bomb targets of opportunity in the Bakli Bay, Hainan Island and Canton areas; 10 B-25s bomb Yungfengshih, Kweilin, and Shanhsien, knocking out 1bridge and hitting buildings, river shipping, and rail traffic. About 120 fighter-bombers over S and E China hit river, road, and rail traffic, town areas, troops, and general targets of opportunity at many scattered locations; the 490BS(M), 341 BG(M), based at Hanchung sends a detachment to operate from Hsian with B-25s.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 22 fighter-bombers pound troop concentrations in the Ke-hsi Mansam vicinity; 19 others attack road bridges behind enemy lines, claiming 1bridge destroyed; air transport
operations to forward areas continue on steady basis.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.
Mission 954: In the afternoon, 1,252 bombers and 913 fighters are dispatched to attack rail targets in Germany; they claim 727-0-373 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-24 and 31 fighters are lost.
1. 273 of 306 B-24s bomb the marshalling yard at Landshut; 1 B-24 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 8 damaged; 7 airmen are MIA. Escorting are 299 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 228-0-109 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-47 and 16 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
2. 454 B-17s are sent to hit the marshallling yard (148), East rail bridge (72) and West rail bridge (74) at Regensburg, the Platting marshalling yard (77) and rail bridge at Straubing (76); 2 B-17s are damaged. The escort is 240 of 262 P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft in the air and 86-0-66 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
3. 286 of 298 P-51s fly a freelance Mission in support of the bombers attacking 40+ landing grounds in Germany and Czechoslovakia; they claim 1-0-1 aircraft in the air and 410-0-198 on the ground; 9 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
4. 19 of 22 P-51s fly a scouting mission.
5. 16 P-51s escort 10 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
Mission 955: During the morning, 485 of 489 B-17s bomb the tank ditch defense line at Pointe de Grave on the S side of the Gironde estuary in the Bordeaux area in support of the ground assault in that area; 14 B-17s are damaged.
Mission 956: During the night, 11 of 12 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS First Tactical AF (Provisional): The 526FS, 86th FG, moves from Tantonville, France to Braunschardt, Germany with P-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, about 450 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s bomb the Zerbst communications center, Gunzenhausen marshalling yard, Kempten ordnance depot, and Wittenberg marshalling yard and gun positions; the IX Tactical Air Command's fighters claim 25 air victories during the day as they escort the bombers, fly patrols, area cover, and armed reconnaissance, attack airfields and other targets, and support the US 3rd Armored Division SW of Dessau, the 9th Armored Division in the Bennewitz-Colditz area along the Mulde River, the XX Corps which remains at the Zwickauer Mulde River bridgehead NE of Chemnitz, the VIII Corps crossing the Weisse Elster River between Gera and Plauen, the 2Armored Division on the Elbe River near Magdeburg, the XIX Corps E of Barby, and the V Corps near Leipzig; the 354FG (the pioneer P-51group of the 9AF) claims its 900th air victory. Unit moves: HQ 391BG(M) and 572BS(H) from Amy Airfield, Roye, France to Assche, Belgium with B-26s; 33(Photo)RS, 363Tactical RG, from Venlo, the Netherlands to Gutersloh, Germany with F-5s; the 160th and 161TRSs, 363Tactical RG, from Venlo, the Netherlands to Gutersloh, Germany with F-6s; the 397FS, 368FG, form Metz, France to Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany with P-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 98 B-24s, escorted by 102 P-51s, bomb positions SW of Bologna, Italy; almost 700 B-24s and B-17s abort due to bad weather. 36 P-51s sweep areas S of Munich, Germany, Plzen, Czechoslovakia, and Linz, Austria and 4 strafe an airfield E of Munich, Germany. Other P-51s and P-38s fly escort and reconnaissance missions.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 15/16 Apr, A-20s and A-26s hit Po River crossings, the towns of Vignola, Zoeca, and Sassuolo, and several targets of opportunity in the Po Valley; during the day medium bombers bomb bridges on the Reno River near Bologna, blast troop reserve areas SE of Portomaggiore on the British Eighth Army front, and attack troop concentrations S of Portomaggiore; fighters and fighter-bombers concentrate most of their effort on close support targets in the US Fifth Army battle area S and SW of Bologna.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 18 Guam Island-based B-24s pound Marcus Island in the N Pacific. 2 P-61s from Saipan Island bomb and strafe Pagan Island.
VII Fighter Command: Mission 3: In the first very long range fighter operation from Iwo Jima Island, P-51s with 20AF B-29 navigational escort, strafe and bomb targets at Kanoya Airfield on Kyushu Island, Japan; 4 P-51s are lost; B-25s continue to furnish navigational escort in all subsequent VII Fighter Command strikes (through 14 Aug) on Japan from Iwo Jima.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-25s hit Taien Airfield, while B-24s and P-51s bomb Giran and Matsuyama Airfields and nearby areas. Fighter bombers hit N Luzon Island bivouacs and other targets and support strikes and sweeps are flown over Cebu, Negros, and Mindanao Islands with B-25s hitting highways on Mindanao Island and B-24s hit defenses on Carabao Island. P-38s pound Lingkas Tank Farm and other targets at Tarakan, Borneo. During the night of 15/16 Apr B-24s bomb Taihoku, Formosa. The 387BS(L), 312BG(L) moves from Mangaldan to Floridablanca, Luzon with A-20s.
TUESDAY, 17 APRIL 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 4 B-25s and 4 P-51s blast river shipping S of Yiyang; 6 B-25s bomb the area around Kwangsi University at Liang-feng; 2 B-24s bomb the Bakli Bay dock area on Hainan Island; 70+ P-51s and P-40s hit troops, town areas, road traffic, river shipping, and general targets of opportunity at several locations in S and E China including Changsha, Sinning, Sinhwa, Yiyang, Tungting Lake, Paoching, Yungfengshih, Shanhsien, Lingling, Pingsiang, Tsinkong, and Hochih.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 18 fighter-bombers hit troops and supplies near Mong Kung and Wan Hpun; 12 others attack vehicles and other targets of opportunity along roads S of the bomb line; 489 transport sorties are completed to forward areas throughout the day.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 957: 1,054 bombers and 816 fighters are dispatched to hit rail targets in E Germany and W Czechoslovakia; 50 Luftwaffe fighters are encountered, mostly jets and the AAF claims a total of 300-0-119 aircraft destroyed on the ground and in the air (including 4 jets); 8 bombers and 17 fighters are lost.
1. 450 B-17s are dispatched to hit the rail center (152) and marshalling yard (276) at Dresden; they claim 1-0-1 aircraft; 6 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 130 damaged; 6 airmen are WIA and 50 MIA. Escorting are 230 of 257 P-51s; they claim 2-0-3 aircraft in the air and 91-0-37 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
2. 410 B-17s are sent to the Dresden area (76), rail junction and station at Aussig (86), and oil depot and marshalling yard at Roundnice (115); 86 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Dresden; 2 B-17s are lost and 47 damaged; 1airman is WIA and 18 MIA. 265 of 276 P-51s escort claiming 11-0-2 aircraft in the air and 142-0-47 on the ground; 14 P-51s are lost; 2 pilots are WIA and 14 MIA.
3. 194 B-24s are sent to hit the rail center and junction at Fischern (55), the rail junction and industry at Kladno (36), rail junction and bridge at Falkenau (37) and railroad, rail industry and marshalling yard at Beroun (61) without loss. The escort is 228 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 53-0-29 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
4. 24 of 25 P-51s fly scouting missions.
5. 9 P-51s escort 10 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
Mission 958: During the night of 17/18 Apr, 10 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany and 19 of 20 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS First Tactical AF (Provisional): Unit moves in Germany: the 415th NFS, 64FW, from St Dizier, France to Braunstadt with Beaufighters; the 527FS, 86FG, from Tantonville, France to Braunschardt with P-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, the 9th Bombardment Division attacks the defended city of Magdeburg (including numerous gun positions in the area), marshalling yard and ordnance depot at Aalen, marshalling yard and ordnance depot at Tubingen, and ordnance depot at Ravensburg; fighters fly escort to the bombers, fly patrols, area cover, and armed reconnaissance, hit airfields at Marianske Lazne and Michalovy Hory, and support the US 3Armored Division mopping up S of the Elbe River and W of the Mulde River near Dessau, the 9th Armored Division along the Mulde E of Leipzig, the VIII Corps in the Greiz-Zwickau area, the XX Corps SW of Chemnitz, the 5th Armored Division at the Knesebeck Forest, S of Wittingen, and the 2Armored Division opening an assault on Magdeburg. Unit moves in Germany: HQ 48FG and 493FS and 494FSs from Kelz to Kassel with P-47s; the 15TRS, 10TRG, from Ober Olm to Erfurt with F-6s; the 158LS, 9AF (attached to Twelfth Army Group), from Celles, Belgium to Ahrweiler with L-5s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Italy, 751 B-24s and B-17s, in support of the US Fifth Army, hit troop concentrations, supply dumps, gun positions, and HQ immediately S and SW of Bologna; 143 P-51s provide escort. 147 P-38s divebomb railroad bridges at Seefeld and Mariahof, Austria. 14 P-51s, with 10 flying top cover, strafe targets of opportunity in the Munich, Germany, Plzen, Czechoslovakia, and Linz, Austria areas. 61 P-51 s escort MATAF supply missions to N Italy and bombing raids on bridges in W Austria. Other P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 16/17 Apr, A-20s and A-26s hit Po River crossings and several towns W and SW of Bologna; during the day B-25s of the 57BW successfully attack 4 Reno River bridges near Bologna and close support targets on the British Eighth Army front to the SW, and extensively damage 4 bridges in N Italy and Austria on the Brenner rail line; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers concentrate on close support of the US Fifth Army S and W of Bologna.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (VII Fighter Command): 18 P-51s flying two strikes from Iwo Jima Island, attack vessels in Futamiko in the Bonin Islands.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Missions 70 to 75: 118 B-29s bomb airfields at Tachiarai, Kokubu, Izumi, Nittagahara, and 2 at Kanoya, Japan; 5 others attack targets of opportunity; beginning on this date and continuing through 11 May, XXI BC devotes about 75 per cent of its combat effort to support of the Okinawa campaign; during this period the B-29s fly more than 2,100 sorties against 17 airfields on Kyushu and Shikoku Islands which are dispatching air attacks (including Kamikaze raids) against USN and USMC forces.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s bomb Taichu, Shinshoshi, Toyohara, and Okayama Airfields and B-25s hit the airfield at Taito. Numerous sweeps and sorties are flown in support of ground forces over Luzon, Cebu, Negros, and Mindanao Islands and the Sulu Archipelago. B-24s over Mindanao bomb Cotabato and Kabacan. The 69th and 311FSs, 58FG, move from Mangaldan to Porac, Luzon with P-47s.
WEDNESDAY, 18 APRIL 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 3 B-25s hit trucks and other targets of opportunity E of Siangtan; 52 P-51s and P-40s attack river shipping, town areas, rail and road traffic, tanks, and bridges at several S and E China locations including Sinhwa, Hengyang, Changsha, Luchai, Paoching, Kweiyang, Yenkou, Sinning, and Siangtan.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 21 P-38s attack troop concentration, tanks, artillery positions, and a bivouac area near Man Li and Kongsam; 5 P-61s hit a supply area W of Laihka; transports land or drop 806 tons of supplies at forward bases and frontline areas.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 349th Troop Carrier Group and the 23d, 312th, 313th and 314TCSs move from Barkston, England to Amy Airfield, Roye, France with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 959: 767 bombers and 705 fighters are dispatched to hit rail targets in Czechoslovakia and SE Bavaria; they claim 16-0-14 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17s and 2 P-51s are lost:
1. 174 B-17s hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Straubing without loss. 99 P-51s escort.
2. 121 B-17s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Kollin (97); 21 others hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Pilsen; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 17 damaged; 10 airmen are MIA. The escort is 157 of 160 P-51s; they claim 3-0-4 aircraft in the air; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
3. 196 B-24s are sent to hit the marshalling yard (166) and rail bridge and rail industry (28) at Passau without loss. Escorting are 240 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 12-0-8 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
4. 276 B-17s are sent to hit electrical transformers (9) and marshalling yard (56) at Traunstein and marshalling yard and electrical transformers at Rosenheim (148); 61 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Freising; no losses or casualties. 139 of 150 P-51s escort.
5. 101 of 103 P-51s escort 9AF B-26s claiming 1-0-2 aircraft in the air.
6. 27 P-51s fly scouting missions.
7. 15 of 17 P-51s escort 11 of 13 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
Mission 960: During the night of 18/19 Apr, 11 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany and 17 of 18 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions to Denmark and Norway.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS First Tactical AF (Provisional): HQ 86FG and 525FS move from Tantonville, France to Braunschardt, Germany with P-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, about 590 B-26s, A-26s, and A-20s attack oil storage at Neuburg an der Donau, marshalling yards at Juterbog and Nordlingen, and rail junctions at Falkenburg and Juterbog; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance, attack assigned targets, and support ground forces including the US V Corps assaulting Leipzig, the VII Corps in the Dessau-Halle areas, the 5th Armored Division near Steimke, and the 2Armored Division at Magdeburg and other XIX Corps elements astride the Elbe River S of Barby; organized German resistance in the Ruhr pocket ceases. The 492FS, 48FG, moves from Kelz to Kassel, Germany with P-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Italy, 473 B-24s and B-17s, with an escort of 89 P-51s, support the US Fifth Army offensive in the Bologna area, blasting defensive positions and communications in areas around the city; 78 P-38s dive-bomb railroad a bridge at Malborghetta Valbruna, while 87 others dive-bomb 2 railroad bridges at and SE of Kolbnitz, Austria. P-51s sweep the Augsburg, Germany, Plzen, Czechoslovakia, and Linz, Austria areas, escort reconnaissance missions flown by P-38s, and escort MATAF B-25s and C-47s on bombing and supply operations.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 17/18 Apr, A-20s and A-26s pound communications in the S Po Valley and towns of Vignola, Bazzano, and Sassuolo in the US Fifth Army battle area; medium bombers hit 2 railroad fills and a bridge on the S Brenner line and troop concentrations on the US Fifth and British Eighth Army fronts, SW of Bologna and in the Dugnano Paderno area; fighter-bombers of the XXII Tactical Air Command also concentrate on support targets in the Fifth Army battle area.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (VII Fighter Command): During the night of 18/19 Apr, 3 Iwo Jima Island-based P-61s flying individual strikes, bomb and strafe Futamiko and the radio station on Chichi Jima Island.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Missions 76 to 81: 112 B-29s hit Japanese airfields at Tachiarai, Izumi, Kokubu, Nittagahara, and 2 at Kanoya, the same targets attacked yesterday; 13 other B-29s hit targets of opportunity; 2 B-29s are lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa B-25s bomb Karenko Airfield, B-24s bit Tainan, Giran, Toyohara, Hobi, and Soton Airfields, and P-38s on sweeps hit rail and road transportation. Fighter bombers and A-20s hit the Balete Pass area and support ground forces on Luzon, Negros, and Cebu Islands. B-24s bomb Piso Point on Mindanao Island. On Borneo, B-25s and P-38s hit Tarakan and Sandakan. HQ 58FG and 310FS move from Mangaldan to Porac, Luzon with P-47s.
THURSDAY, 19 APRIL 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 8 B-25s off to bomb Kurile Island targets abort due to weather.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 12 B-24s bomb railway repair shops at Taiyuan; 3 others attack targets of opportunity in Bakli Bay on Hainan Island, 8 B-25s attack bridges and rail and road traffic N and NE of Anyang and NE of Taiku, damaging or destroying several locomotives and numerous boxcars; 100+ P-40s, P-51s, and P-47s attack town areas, troops, river, road, and rail traffic, and general targets of opportunity all over S and E China and hit a few targets of opportunity in N French Indochina.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 14 P-38s hit supplies near Paklu, a fuel dump at Hainang, and bridges near Kunna; 1bridge is knocked out; 6 other P-38s attack targets of opportunity along roads behind enemy lines; air supply operations continue as 800 tons of supplies are landed or dropped in forward areas.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 961: 605 B-17s and 584 P-51s are dispatched to make visual attacks on rail targets in SE Germany and NW Czechoslovakia; they claim 18-1-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-17s and 2 P-51s are lost:
1. 284 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yards at Elsterwerda (135) and Falkenberg (143); 27 are damaged. Escorting are 191 of 204 P-51s; they claim 5-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
2. 321 B-17s are dispatched to hit the railroad industry and rail bridge at Pirna (115) and Karlsbad (87) and the marshalling yard at Aussig (109); they claim 6-1-2 aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost and 13 damaged; 46 airmen are MIA. The escort is 197 of 206 P-51s; they claim 7-0-3 aircraft.
3. 138 of 154 P-51s fly a freelance Mission in support of the B-17s.
4. 14 P-51s fly weather reconnaissance missions.
5. 6 P-51s escort 7 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
During the night of 19/20 Apr, 11 of 16 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions to Norway; 2 B-24s are lost.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, the 9th BombardmentDivision hits marshalling yards at Ulm, Neu Ulm, and Gunzburg (primary targets), the city of Donauworth and a target of opportunity at Schelklingen; weather prevents 70+ of the 450+ dispatched aircraft from bombing targets; fighters fly escort to the bombers, carry out patrols and armed reconnaissance, bomb a radio station, and cooperate with the US VII Corps in the Halle-Dessau area, the XII Corps attacking SE from S of Bayreuth, the XX Corps in the Bamberg-Nurnberg area, preparing to drive toward Austria, and the XIX Corps along the Elbe River in the Magdeburg area. The 31TRS, 9AF [attached to 9th Tactical Reconnaissance Group (Provisional)], moves from Maastricht, the Netherlands to Wiesbaden, Germany with F-6s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 619 B-17s and B-24s attack rail communications in S Germany, Austria, and N Italy, bombing the Rattenberg, Austria railroad bridge and marshalling yards at Lienz, Klagenfurt and Linz, Austria; Bischofshofen and Rosenheim, Germany; and in Italy, the Avisio viaduct, Vipiteno railroad bridge, AA batteries near Grisolera and Santo Stino di Livenza, and several minor targets of opportunity. 78 P-38s divebomb the marshalling yard at Weilheim, Germany. Other P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort, and escort MATAF B-25s and C-47s. B-24 units moving from Italy to the US: HQ 98th and 343d, 344th, 345th and 415BSs from Lecce; HQ 376BG(H) and 512th, 513th, 514th and 515BS(M) from San Pancrazio.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 18/19 Apr, A-20s and A-26s bomb roads, vehicles, and lights in the Bologna, Turin, Milan, and Mantua areas, and continuing to pound Po River crossings, hit 8 bridges; medium bombers bomb bridges in the Brenner Pass and support ground forces at several points including Budrio, Vignola, and San Martino in the Soverzano areas; fighter-bombers hit dumps, communications, and close support targets in the US Fifth Army battle areas S and W of Bologna.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 17 B-24s from Guam Island hit Dublon, Fefan and Eten Islands in Truk Atoll. 25 B-24s, based in the Palau islands, bomb nearby Arakabesan and Koror Islands.
VII Fighter Command: 8 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island bomb and strafe Futamiko in the Bonin Islands. During the night of 19/20 Apr, 6 P-61s from Iwo Jima, operating singly and at intervals, bomb and strafe Chichi, Haha, and Muko Jima Islands.
Very Long Range Mission 4: 104 P-51s fly a fighter sweep to Atsugi and Yokusuka Airfields in Japan; they claim 23-0-7 aircraft in the air and 14-0-23 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-24s over Formosa bomb Tainan Airfield and Shinchiku town. Numerous missions are flown in support of ground forces on Luzon, Cebu, and Negros Islands. On Mindanao Island, other B-24s bomb personnel areas at Kabacan, Cagayan, and along the Davao River. Tarakan, Borneo is hit by a light B-25 strike while B-24s returning from a French Indochina coastal sweep bomb Sandakan. B-25s, with P-51cover, hit Haimi. Unit moves on Luzon: HQ 3Air Commando Group and the 3FS (Commando) from Mangaldan to Laoag with P-51s; HQ 35th FG from Lingayen to Clark Field; HQ 312BG(L) from Mangaldan to Floridablanca; the 431, 432 and 433FS, 475FG, from Clark Field to Lingayen with P-38s. The 25LS, Thirteenth AF, moves from Dulag, Leyte to Malabang, Mindanao with UC-78s and L-5s.
FRIDAY, 20 APRIL 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 7 B-25s hit the town of Neihsiang and attack railroad targets of opportunity from Saiping to Lohochai and from Linying, Burma to Hsuchang; 9 B-25s bomb Loyang and Luchou; 100+ P-51s, P-40s, and P-47s concentrate attacks against town areas throughout S and E China, also hitting troops, gun positions, river traffic, and other targets of opportunity.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): 32 P-38s knock out 3 bridges and damage 5 others in C Burma behind the enemy lines; 12 P-47s hit a troop concentration and ration dump at Tonglau, 18 attack a troop concentration around a monastery at Kengkawmanhaung, and 12 attack troops along a stream near Wan Nahpeit; 497 transport sorties land or drop 784 tons of supplies in forward areas. Unit moves: 1TCS, 443TCG, from Sookerating, India to Warazup, Burma with C-47s; 20TRS, 8(Photo)RG, from Myitkyina, Burma to Nagaghuli, India with F-6s and P-40s (a flight is operating from Akyab, Burma); 164th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1 Air Commando Group, from Asansol, India to Sinthe, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):
Mission 962: 837 bombers and 890 fighters are dispatched to hit rail targets NNW to SSW of Berlin, Bavaria and Czechoslovakia; they claim 7-0-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is lost: 1. 319 B-17s are sent to hit the rail industry at Nauen (82) and marshalling yards at Wustermark (77), Neuruppin (57) and Oranienburg (82); 1 hits Neuruppin Airfield, a target of opportunity; 15 B-17s are damaged and 1 airman WIA. Escorting are 258 of 271 P-51 s; 1 is lost.
2. 289 B-17s are dispatched to attack marshalling yards at Brandenburg (137), Seddin (66) and Treuenbrietzen (82); 1 B-17 is lost and 10 damaged; 10 airmen are MIA. The escort is 227 of 241 P-51s.
3. 223 B-24s are sent to hit a rail bridge and junction at Zwiesel (56); marshalling yard and rail junction at Muhldorf (53) and the railroad and rail junction at Irrenlohe (55) and Klatovy (54); 1 hits the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Straubing; no losses, damage or casualties. 228 P-47s and P-51s escort.
4. 100 of 108 P-51s fly a freelance fighter sweep for Forces 2 and 3 above; they claim 7-0-4 aircraft in the air.
5. 6 B-17s fly a screening mission.
6. 22 of 25 P-51s fly a scouting mission.
7. 11 P-51 s escort 11F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
During the night of 20/21Apr, 12 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions to Norway; 2 B-24s are lost.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS First Tactical AF (Provisional): HQ 50FG and the 10th, 81 and 313FSs move from Ochey Airfield, Toul, France to Giebelstadt, Germany with P-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 564 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s strike oil storage at Deggendorf and Annaburg, marshalling yards at Memmingen and Wittenberg, ordnance depots at Nordlingen and Straubing, and other targets including flak positions; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance, attack special targets, and cooperate with US ground forces including the VII Corps W of Dessau, the VIII Corps between Plauen and Chemnitz, the XII Corps in the Grafenwohr area, the XX Corps attacking toward the Danube River and Regensburg, and the XIX Corps in the Magdeburg-Barby area. Unit moves in Germany: HQ 370FG and 401FS from Zwartberg, Belgium to Gutershoh with P-51s; HQ 373FG and 410FS from Venlo, the Netherlands to Lippstadt with P-47s; 39(Photo)RS, 9AF [attached to 9TRG (Provisional)], from Maastricht, the Netherlands to Wiesbaden, Germany with F-5s; 573and 575BS(M), 391BG(M), from Amy Airfield, Roye, France to Assche, Belgium with B-26s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bombers again pound railway systems and road bridges in an effort to hinder the supply or withdrawal of enemy forces in N Italy; 700+ B-24s and B-17s hit railroad bridges at Campodazzo, Ponte Gardena, and Campo di Trens, a viaduct at Avisio, marshalling yards at Vipiteno, Fortezza, and Brennero, and road bridges at Lusia, la Carrare, and Boara Pisani, and in Austria, the Mariahof viaduct and Innsbruck marshalling yard. 115 P-38s divebomb the Innsbruck, Austria-Rattenberg, Austria-Rosenheim, Germany railroad line, hitting marshalling yards at Hall, Schwaz, Jenbach, Kundl, and Worgl, Austria and Kiefersfelden, Germany, 4 rail bridges, and several box cars, and cut rail lines at 42 places between Innsbruck and Rosenheim. Other P-38s and P-51s escort heavy bombers, MATAF supply runs to N Italy, Hungary, and Yugoslavia, and MATAF B-25 raids in N Italy, and fly reconnaissance.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 19/20 Apr, A-20s and A-26s on night intruder missions continue to pound Po River crossings and vehicle movement throughout the Valley; medium bombers considerably damage 4 of 6 railroad bridges and fills attached on the Brenner line, and also hit HQ in the battle area and 2 Reno River bridges N of Bologna; fighter-bombers again support US Fifth Army elements S and W of Bologna as they begin to emerge from the Apennines onto the Po plain.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (VII Fighter Command): 11 P-51 s from Iwo Jima Island bomb Haha Jima Island.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s bomb Tainan Airfield while P-51s attack Koshun Airfield. Large-scale FEAF support of ground forces on Luzon, Cebu, and Negros Islands continues. On Borneo, B-24s bomb Sepinggang and Labuan Island Airfields and P-38s and B-25s hit Tarakan Island. Unit moves on Luzon: HQ 475FG from Clark Field to Lingayen; 386th, 388th and 389BS(L), 312BG(L) from Mangaldan to Floridablanca with A-20s.
SATURDAY, 21 APRIL 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 5 B-25s bomb Loyang; a single B-24 hits targets of opportunity in Bakli Bay on Hainan Island; 30 P-51s and P-47s attack railroad and road targets, barracks area, buildings, and bridges at or near Paoching, Chihsien, Taiku, Hsihhsiassuchi, Shaho, Linfen, Luan, Yutze, and Shanhsien.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Bad weather over Burma causes canceling or aborting of all combat mission s however, transports complete 464 sorties, landing or dropping 682 tons of supplies to forward areas. The 81BS(M), 12BG(M), based at Fenny, India with B-25s, sends a detachment to operate from Meiktila, Burma.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 963: 532 bombers and 444 fighters attack jet fighter airfields and rail targets in SE Germany; 2 bombers and 2 fighters are lost:
1. 111 of 113 B-17s hit the marshalling yard at Munich, a target of last resort, with H2X radar; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged. Escorting are 90 P-51s; 1 is damaged beyond repair.
2. 186 B-24s are sent to hit the Salzburg marshalling yard and rail bridge but abort the mission due to 10/10 cloud cover; 1 B-24 is lost and 4 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 12 MIA. The escort is 99 of 109 P-51s.
3. 6 of 232 B-17s hit the secondary target, the Amlech Airfield at Landsberg; 212 hit a target of last resort, the town of Ingolstadt; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA and 7 MIA. 144 of 160 P-51s escort; 2 are lost (pilots MIA).
4. 1 B-17 and 23 P-51s fly scouting missions.
5. 48 of 57 P-47s fly a fighter sweep in the Salzburg area.
6. 4 of 5 P-51s escort 3 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
Mission 964: During the night of 21/22 Apr, 10 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Brigadier General Ralph F Stearley takes over as Commanding General, IX Fighter Command, and also takes command of the IX Tactical Air Command. In Germany, 121bombers hit the Attnang-Puchheim marshalling yard; fighters fly escort, patrols, armed reconnaissance and cooperate with the US VIII Corps as elements of the 6th Cavalry Group cross the Czechoslovakian border to reach Hranice and Trojmezi, the XII Corps in the Grafenwohr-Weiden area, and the XX Corps E of Nurnberg. Unit moves in Germany: HQ 36FG and 22 and 23FSs from Niedermennig to Rothwesen Airfield, Kassel with P-47s; 162TRS, XIX Tactical Air Command [attached to 9RG (Provisional)] from Haguenau, France to Wiesbaden with F-6s; 391FS, 366FG, from Asch, Belgium to Handorf Airfield, Munster with P-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 240 B-17s and B-24s, with P-51 escort, bomb marshalling yards at Rosenheim, Germany and Attnang-Puchheim, Spittal an der Drau, and Vocklabruck, Austria; 400+ B-24s and their fighter escorts, sent to attack communications in N Italy, abort due to bad weather; 138 P-38s bomb railroad lines and facilities in the Munich and Rosenheim, Germany-Rattenberg, Austria areas; other P-38s fly reconnaissance while P-51s escort reconnaissance flights, MATAF medium bomber operations to Austria, and US and RAF supply and transport missions to Yugoslavia. HQ 52FG moves from Madna Airfield to Piagiolino Airfield, Italy.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 20/21 Apr, A-20s and A-26s bomb Po River crossings with good results; weather curtails daytime operations but medium bombers score hits on the Matrei am Brenner bridge on the Brenner rail line in Austria and in the late afternoon hit Po River crossings; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter bombers, grounded most of the day, fly close support to the US Fifth Army which drives into Bologna (a longstanding objective) and begins to push rapidly across the plain toward the Po River.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 18 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb Marcus Island in the N Pacific.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Missions 82 to 90: The XXI BC continues to hit airfields in Japan; 217 B-29s blast airfields at Oita, 2 at Kanoya, Usa, Kokubu, Kushira, Tachiarai, Izumi, and Nittagahara; 21 other B-29s hit targets of opportunity including the city of Kagoshima.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: FEAF continues largescale support of ground forces on Luzon, Cebu, Negros, and Jolo Islands. On Borneo, B-24s bomb Miri, Kudat, Manggar, and Sepinggang Airfields and P-38s hit Tarakan Island and Sandakan, Miri Airfield, oil storage near Lutong, and, with B-24s, attack targets of opportunity along the SW Celebes coast. The 39FS, 35FG, moves from Lingayen to Clark Field, Luzon with P-47s.
SUNDAY, 22 APRIL 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 2 B-24s bomb targets of opportunity at Canton and in Bakli Bay on Hainan Island; 5 B-25s bomb Hsuchang and hit the area to the NW; 19 P-51s and P-47s attack trains, trucks, troops, horses, and town areas at or near Linfen, Luan, Sincheng, Fentingtukou, Taiku, Chenghsien, Sinsiang, and Kaifeng.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, bad weather again cancels scheduled air strikes; 464 transport sorties fly 664 tons of supplies to forward areas.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 965: During the night of 22/23 Apr, 10 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany. 4 of 12 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions to Norway. The 27th Photographic RS, 7PRG, moves from Prouvy Airfield, Denain, France to Chalgrove, England with F-5s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Weather prevents combat operations by the 9th Bombardment Division and IX Tactical Air Command. The XIX Tactical Air Command flies armed reconnaissance over E Germany and W Czechoslovakia, flies area cover over the Wurzburg-Bayreuth areas, patrols the Third Army front (the Bayreuth-Nurnberg areas), and the XII Corps in the German-Czech border area near Weiden. Unit moves in Germany: HQ XIX Tactical Air Command from Luxembourg; operational HQ of the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) to Brunswick; HQ 84th and HQ 303FWs from Haltern to Gutersloh; HQ 363Tactical RG from Gutersloh to Brunswick; HQ 474FG and 428th, 429th and 430FSs from Strassfeld to Langensalza with P-38s; 14th Liaison Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group) from Hersfeld to Erlangen with L-5s; 402 and 485FSs, 370FG, from Zwartberg, Belgium to Gutersloh with P-51s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather cancels all bomber operations. 258 P-51s and P-38s fly armed reconnaissance over NE Italy, bombing marshalling yards, bridges, railroads, highways, and several buildings and strafing an airfield, rail and road traffic, and numerous other targets of opportunity; other P-38s fly reconnaissance while P-51s escort reconnaissance and supply missions.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The entire night and day effort is concentrated against German forces retreating N across the Po River in face of allied forces which send advance elements racing to the S bank; medium bombers fly 16 missions against ferries and pontoon bridge sites on the Po between Casalmaggiore and Polesella; XXII Tactical Air Command A-20s and A-26s, fighter-bombers, and fighters maintain night and day attacks on Po crossings and enemy movement; the command claims 900+ motor and horse-drawn vehicles destroyed.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (VII Fighter Command): 99 effective sorties are flown during fighter attack from Iwo Jima Island against Akenogahara and Suzuko Airfields in Japan; they claim 10 aircraft downed and 15 destroyed on the ground.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Missions 91to 95: Strikes against airfields continue; 87 B-29s bomb airfields at Izumi, Kushira, Miyazaki, Tomitaka, and Kanoya and 6 others hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-29 is lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: Numerous missions in support of ground forces on Luzon, Cebu, and Negros Islands continue. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Manggar and Jesselton airfields and P-38s hit Kuching. B-24s hit shipping and harbor installations at Saigon, French Indochina.
MONDAY, 23 APRIL 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 5 B-25s blast the Hsuchang railroad yards, completely demolishing a locomotive repair shop; 2 B-24s attack targets of opportunity in the S China Sea; 39 P-47s and P-51s attack troops, horses, trains, and rivercraft at or near Nanyang, Burma and Taiku, Shanhsien, Hsihhsiassuchi, Loning, Sinyang, Chenghsien, Sichuan, Lushan, and along the Pinghan railroad, and render a railroad tunnel near Sinyang unusable.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 7 P-61s attack with napalm, rockets, and cannon several targets during sweeps from Laihka to Loilem to Hopong to Wan Yin; Laihka Airfields, a bridge S of Wan Yin, trucks, and other targets are successfully pounded; 40+ fighter-bombers attack troop concentrations along and behind the lines at several points including Loilem, Nawng Leng, Mong Pawn, and Naungtaw; a bridge at Namhkok is temporarily out due to bomb damage to approaches; 570 transport sorties are flown to forward areas throughout the day.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):
Mission 966: During the night of 23/24 Apr, 1 B-17 and 12 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany and 14 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions to Denmark.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS First Tactical AF (Provisional): HQ 71 FW moves from Vittel, France to Heidelberg, Germany.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): Weather cancels combat operations by the 9th BombardmentDivision. In Germany, fighters patrol the Magdeburg area and the US Third Army front (E of the Bayreuth-Nurnberg area), fly armed reconnaissance over E Germany and W Czechoslovakia, and operate in conjunction with the XII Corps as it presses forward N of Regensburg between the Danube River and Czech Border. P-47 unit moves in Germany: 411th and 412FSs, 373FG, from Venlo, the Netherlands to Lippstadt; 509th, 510th and 511FSs, 405FG, from Ophoven, Belgium to Kitzingen.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Italy, 719 B-24s and B-17s attack bridges over the Brenta and Adige Rivers (at Bonavigo, Zevio, Albaredo d'Adige, 2 at Legnano, Badia, 3 at Padua, and Cavarzere) and hit a supply dump at Peschiera del Garda; 165 P-38s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance of NE Italy bomb and strafe rail and road bridges, highways, trains and vehicles, and other targets of opportunity; other P-38s fly reconnaissance; and other P-51s escort reconnaissance flights and MATAF B-25 missions against targets in N Italy.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 22/23 Apr, A-20s and A-26s and night fighters hit Po River crossings, a marshalling yard, airfields, vehicles, trains, and targets of opportunity in general in the N and W Po Valley; during the day medium bombers pound Po River crossings, road bridges over the Brenta River, and hit the Brenner rail line at 4 points; fighters and fighter-bombers on armed reconnaissance in the N and W Po Valley attack motor transport, road bridges, and numerous targets in support of the US Fifth Army, elements of which cross the Po River. The detachment of the 414NPS, 62FW, operating from Strossfeld, Germany with Beaufighters, returns to base at Pontedera, Italy.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 13 B-24s from Guam Island pound positions on Marcus Island. The 28(Photo)RS, 7AF, based on Kualoa Airfield, Hawaii with F-5Es, sends a detachment to operate from Okinawa, the first 7AF unit to arrive (another detachment is operating from Saipan Island).
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-25s hit the Shinei railroad yards, P-51s hit Karenko Airfield and P-38s attack various targets of opportunity. Fighter bombers continue to support ground forces in the N and S parts of Luzon Island pounding numerous artillery positions, supply areas, and general targets of opportunity. In China, B-24s bomb a military depot at Shanghai and shipping in Yulin harbor on Hainan Island. B-24s bomb the naval base at Saigon, French Indochina. In Borneo, other B-24s bomb airfields at Sepinggang and Jesselton and P-38s drop napalm on Tarakan Island targets. Other B-24s fly a shipping sweep over the Makassar Strait and damage several small vessels.
TUESDAY, 24 APRIL 1945
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The air echelon of the 19(Photo)Charting Squadron, 311(Photo)Wing (Mapping and Charting), based at Buckley Field, Colorado, moves from Accra, Gold Coast to Watton, England with F-9s (the squadron begins photo mapping of Europe in Jun 45).
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 2 B-24s bomb Hongay, French Indochina railroad yards and attack targets of opportunity in S China Sea. In China, 2 B-24s damage a vessel at Bakli Bay on Hainan Island; 4 B-25s hit railroad targets of opportunity from Siaokan to Sinyang while 2 damage a bridge at Kuanshuishih; 50+ P-51s, P-61s, and P-40s attack rivercraft, railroad targets, trucks, bridges, troops, horses, and other targets of opportunity at numerous S and E China locations as pressure by allied air and ground forces mounts against enemy movement and supply routes.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, about 40 P-47s and P-38s attack troop concentrations, storage areas, vehicles, and targets of opportunity in the Mong Nawng vicinity, W of Mong Kung-Laihka road, S of Loilem, and at Wan Hsan; transports land or drop 747 tons of supplies at advance bases and in frontline areas. The 71 and 115LS, 10AF [attached to 1Liaison Group (Provisional)], move from Myityina, Burma to Dinjan, India (air echelons remain at Myitkyina with UC-64s, L-1s, L-4s and L-5s until May).
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 967: During the night of 24/24 Apr, 11 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS First Tactical AF (Provisional): 417NPS, 64FW [attached to First Tactical AF (P)], moves from St Dizier, France to Giebelstadt, Germany with Beaufighters.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, the 9th Bombardment Division hits the airfield at Landau an der Isar and an oil depot at Schrobenhausen; fighters fly airfield cover, escort the bombers, fly armed reconnaissance, and operate in conjunction with the XII Corps as it continues SE between the Danube River and the Czech border, and with the XX Corps as it reaches the Danube SW and E of Regensburg. Unit moves in Germany: 15TRS, 10PRG, from Erfurt to Furth with F-6s; 125LS, IX Fighter Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), from Gutersloh to Brunswick with L-5s; 153Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), from Bad Wildungen to Weimar with L-5s; 422NFS, IX Tactical Air Command, from Strassfeld to Langensalza with P-61s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): About 700 B-24s and B-17s attack railroad bridges at Malborghetto Kolbnitz, Drauburg and Arnoldstein, Austria and in Italy, railroad bridges at Valbruna, Fermata di Brondolo, Casarsa della Delizia, and Latisana, road bridges at Spilinibergo, Bassano del Grappa, and Friola, a motor transport depot at Osoppo, marshalling yards at San Ambrogio di Valpolicella and Rovereto, and a supply dump at Peschiera del Garda. 79 P-38s and 90 P-51s fly armed reconnaissance over wide areas of N Italy, many strafing tactical targets N of the advancing US Fifth and British Eighth Armies; the P-38s carry out several dive-bombing missions, claiming 1bridge destroyed and 5 damaged. Other P-51s and P-38s fly 186 sorties in escort of the bombers, reconnaissance missions, and MATAF operations. 22 P-38s complete reconnaissance flights. The 2d, 4th and 5FSs, 52FG, move from Madna Airfield to Piagiolino Airfield, Italy with P-51s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 23/24 Apr, A-20s and A-26s bomb airfields at Villafranca di Verona, Ghedi, and Bergamo, marshalling yards at Trento, Piacenza. and Fidenza, and vehicles and other targets of opportunity throughout the Po Valley and elsewhere in N Italy; medium bombers hit 6 Po River crossings and (as ground forces reach and cross the Po at several points, relieving necessity for many attacks along the river) then carry out 6 attacks between Verona and Trento on the Brenner rail line; fighters and fighter-bombers blast vehicles on the Po Valley roads N of the river and up to the Brenner rail line, and also hit roads and vehicles between La Spezia and Parma.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (VII Fighter Command): HQ 506FG and the 457th, 458th and 462FSs arrive at North Field, Iwo Jima Island from the US with P-51s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 96: 101 B-29s strike the Hitahi aircraft plant at Tachikawa; 21others hit alternates and targets of opportunity; they claim 16 Japanese aircraft; 5 B-29s are lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: A-20s and fighter bombers continue to strike in support of ground forces on Luzon Island. On Formosa, A-20s hit sugar refineries at Mizukami and Shinei while B-24s bomb
Tainan and Hokko. Other B-24s bomb Tabanio and Miri in Borneo.
WEDNESDAY, 25 APRIL 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 2 B-24s bomb the railroad yards at Hongay, French Indochina. In China, 4 B-25s and 4 P-47s damage a bridge and knock out an AA position N of Anyang; 50+ P-47s and P-51s hit river, road, and rail targets, troops, horses, and buildings in areas around Loning, Hsihhsiassuchi, Linfen, Kuanshuishih, Saiping, Yungcheng, Sichuan, and Tsingsinghsien.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 16 P-38s attack truck parks, fuel dumps, and supply areas at Hopong and Hotang; 20 other P-38s hit troops at Wan Kinglong and at other points in the C Burma battle area;
transports complete 445 sorties to forward areas, landing or dropping 624 tons of supplies. The 165th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Sinthe, Burma to Asansol, India with UC-64s and L-5s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 968: 589 bombers and 486 fighters fly the final heavy bomber mission against an industrial target, airfields and rail targets in SE Germany and Czechoslovakia; they claim 1-1-0 Luftwaffe aircraft (including an Ar 234 jet); 6 bombers and 1 fighter is lost:
1. 307 B-17s are sent to hit the airfield (78) and Skokda armament works at Pilsen, Czechoslovakia; 6 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 180 damaged; 8 airmen are WIA and 42 MIA. Escorting are 188 of 206 P-51s.
2. 282 B-24s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Salzburg (109), Bad Reichenhall (56) and Hallein (57) and electrical transformers at Traunstein (56); 20 B-24s are damaged; 1airman is WIA. The escort is 203 of 216 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air.
3. 17 of 19 P-51s fly a sweep of the Prague-Linz area claiming 0-1-0 aircraft in the air; 1 P-51 is lost.
4. 17 of 19 P-51s fly a screening mission.
5. 4 P-51s escort 2 OA-10s on an air-sea-rescue mission.
6. 22 P-51s escort 5 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany and Czechoslovakia.
7. 88 of 98 P-51s escort RAF bombers.
Mission 969: During the night of 25/26 Apr, 11 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany. 12 B-24s and 1A-26 are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER missions to Norway; 7 aircraft complete the mission .
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 296 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s strike Erding Airfield and Freilassing ordnance depot; fighters fly airfield cover and escort missions, and operate in conjunction with the US XII Corps as it pushes along the N bank of the Danube River SE of Passau and support the XX Corps on the Danube at Regensburg and surrounding areas; US and Soviet forces establish contact near Torgau. Unit moves: HQ 97th Combat BW(L) from Marchais to Arrancy, France; HQ 397BG(M) and 597BS, 598BS and 599BS from Peronne, France to Venlo, the Netherlands with B-26s; 33Photographic RS, 363Tactical RG, from Gutersloh to Brunswick, Germany with F-5s; 492FS, 48FG, from Kassel to Illesheim, Germany with P-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): In Austria, 467 B-17s and B-24s bomb the main marshalling yard station, and sidings, N and S main marshalling yards and freight yard at Linz, the major Austrian traffic center along the railline running N to Prague, Czechoslovakia, plus the Wels marshalling yard (an alternate) and several targets of opportunity. 119 P-38s and P-51s fly armed reconnaissance over N Italy, a few strafing road traffic. The P-38s dive-bomb road and rail bridges and raillines. P-38s and P-51s fly almost 300 sorties in escort of the heavy bombers, P-38 reconnaissance flights, and MATAF B-26 raids.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, all combat operations are aimed at plugging retreat routes and disrupting transport in the N Po Valley and points to the N; medium bombers hit the Adige River crossing at Cavarzere and marshalling yard at Gorizia, and attack 5 bridges and fills on the Brenner line in Austria and N Italy, damaging 2 of the targets; fighters and fighter-bombers harass the retreating forces in the N Po Valley; during the night of 24/25 Apr, A-20s and A-26s and night fighters attack the crossings of the Adige and Po Rivers and the Canale Bianco, and strike airfields at Villafranca di Verona, Udine, and Bergamo, and marshalling yards at Brescia and Verona.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Brigadier General Joseph Smith assumes command of HQ XX BC.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb the harbor at Saigon, French Indochina, Balete Pass bridges on Luzon Island, and the airfields at Boeloedowang on Celebes Island and Basco on Batan Island. On Luzon, B-25s, A-20s, and fighters concentrate on Cagayan Valley bridges and support ground forces around Balete Pass, Baguio, and Solvee Cove; other FEAF support missions continue on S Luzon from Ipo Dam to New Bosoboso, E of Santa Maria, NE of Siniloan, Anuling, Monte Banahao, near Legaspi, and S of Camalig, and in the Monte Mandalagan-Monte Silay area.
THURSDAY, 26 APRIL 1945
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 29BS(H), VI BC, moves from Rio Hato, Panama to the Galapagos Islands with B-24s.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 2 B-24s bomb docks at Hongay, French Indochina. In China, 10 B-25s and 4 P-47s knock out bridges near Wuchang and N of Taiku and damage a bridge near Kaifeng; 80+ fighter-bombers blast troops, horses, road and rail transport, tanks, gun positions, and targets of opportunity at numerous places in S and E China as the campaign against the occupying Japanese intensifies.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 30 P-38s and P-47s attack troop concentrations E of Wan Sing, at Naungtaw, and in the vicinity of Loilem; transports land or drop 553 tons of supplies at forward bases and
frontline areas.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 970: During the night of 26/27 Apr, 6 of 8 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany; 1 B-24 crashes on takeoff. 2 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): In Germany, 125 bombers hit Plattling Airfield; fighters escort the bombers, fly airfield cover, carry out armed reconnaissance in Germany and Czechoslovakia, drop leaflets, and cooperate with the US XII Corps as its forces cross into Austria SE of Passau, and the XX Corps as it begins a full-scale assault across the Danube River at Regensburg; fighters claim 19 combat victories. Unit moves in Germany: HQ IX Tactical Air Command from Lahn Airfield, Marburg to Weimar; 160th and 161TRSs, 363TRG, from Gutersloh to Brunswick with F-6s; 162TRS, 10PRG, from Wiesbaden to Furth with F-6s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 107 B-24s bomb a motor transport depot at Tarvisio, Italy, and marshalling yards at Sachsenburg, Lienz, Spittal an der Drau, and Klagenfurt, Austria (all targets of opportunity); 117 B-17s and 196 B-24s, also dispatched against targets in N Italy, abort due to bad weather; 155 fighters provide escort; 75 P-38s and 102 P-51s fly armed reconnaissance over N Italy; of these, 12 P-38s and 48 P-51s strafe targets of opportunity; all of the P-38s dive-bomb rail lines and road bridges; 16 other P-38s dive-bomb the NW part of Alesso, Italy; reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort and supply escort missions by P-38s
and P-51s continue as usual.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 25/26 Apr, XXII Tactical Air Command aircraft hit marshalling yards, airfields, motor transport, and other communications targets, mainly in the N Po Valley; medium bombers complete 1 of 4 missions dispatched (clouds obscures 3 targets), hitting the Chioggia bridge and knocking out a span; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers attack enemy movement throughout the afternoon, destroying 150+ motor transport.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 13 B-24s from Guam Island bomb Eten Island in Truk Atoll.
VII Fighter Command: Mission 6: An unknown number of P-51s escort B-29s to Japan.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Missions 97 to 107: 195 B-29s (some escorted by fighters of the VII Fighter Command) bomb airfields at Usa, Oita, Saeki, Tomitaka, Imabari, Nittagahara, Miyazaki, Kanoya, Kokubu, and Miyakonojo, Japan; 41other B-29s hit targets of opportunity.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Shanghai, China. On Formosa, B-25s hit the Heito sugar refinery and nearby targets of opportunitys and P-38s on a sweep also hit several targets of opportunity. B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers continue to fly numerous sorties in support of ground forces on N and S Luzon Island. B-24s join USMC aircraft in pounding Cebu Island targets. On Borneo, B-24s hit Miri Airfield and B-25s and fighters hit targets on Tarakan Island. Unit moves: 12FS, 18FG, based at San Jose, Mindoro Island with P-38s, begins operating from Palawan Island; 421NFS, V Fighter Command, from San Marcelino to Clark Field, Luzon with P-38s and P-61s.
FRIDAY, 27 APRIL 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): On Shimushu Island, 6 B-24s drop fragmentation bombs on the Kataoka naval base, 1 B-24 hits Minami Cape, and another flies a radar-ferret mission.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 5 B-25s and 70+ fighter bombers attack bridges, positions, villages and town areas, gun emplacements, and river, road, and rail traffic at many points in S and E China chiefly around Fantung.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 37 P-38s and P-47s hit troop concentrations in the Wan Pong and Nawng Leng areas; 12 other fighter bombers sweep roads S of the bomb line; transports complete 408 sorties throughout the day, landing or dropping 618 tons of supplies at forward bases and frontline areas; the 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1 Air Commando Group, moves from Meiktila to Toungoo with UC-64s and L-5s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): By this date the flow of P-51, B-17, and B-24 replacement aircraft has stopped and the authorization of 68 planes per bomb group and 96 per FG is reduced to the original 48 and 75, respectively.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Weather grounds the 9th BombardmentDivision. In Germany, fighters fly sweeps, airfield cover, and armed reconnaissance, and attack airfields; other fighters fly air cover for the US XII Corps as the 11th Armored Division reaches the Czech border N of Bischofsreuth and other elements move further into Austria toward Linz, and support the XX Corps as it receives the surrender of Regensburg and expands its Danube River bridgehead; the 72Liaison Squadron, 9AF (attached to Sixth Army Group), moves from Kitzingen to Gmund with L-5s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather cancels bomber operations and hampers fighter missions; 8 P-51s and 2 P-38s complete weather reconnaissance missions; other fighters sent on reconnaissance escort and armed reconnaissance flights abort.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Bad weather throughout N Italy holds operations to a minimum; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers operate during the latter part of the afternoon, closely supporting ground forces in the battle area N of the Po River, hitting guns, vehicles, railroads, train cars, and Bergamo Airfield as the US 1 Armored Division spearheads the drive to the NW.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 11Guam Island-based B-24s bomb Woleai Atoll in the Caroline Islands.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Missions 108 to 113: 109 B-29s strike airfields at Izumi, Miyazaki, Kokubu, Miyakonojo, Kanoya, and Kushira on Kyushu Island, Japan; 3 B-29s hit targets of opportunity; 2 bombers are lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s attack Japanese installations at Cabatuan, La-lo, and Garit Norte; A-20s hit towns throughout the area; in S Luzon, fighter-bombers and A-20s hit targets E of Manila, in the Legaspi area, and at other scattered points. In Borneo, B-24s hit Jesselton Airfield and B-25s bomb Tarakan Island. B-24s bomb Mandai Airfield on Celebes Island and other B-24s hit Soerabaja, Java. The 550NPS, XIII Fighter Command (attached to 85FW), based at Tacloban, Leyte Island with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s, sends a detachment to operate from Zamboanga, Mindanao Island.
SATURDAY, 28 APRIL 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 10 B-25s bomb Paoching Airfield and the Shaho railroad yards, knock out a bridge near Kaifeng, and damage a bridge W of Showyang; about 80 fighter-bombers attack troops, airfields, storage facilities, railroad targets, rivercraft, trucks, and enemy positions in S and E China, again concentrating on the Fantung area; a B-24 claims a freighter sunk in the S China Sea.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 8 P-38s attack a cavalry regiment and supplies in the Namhok area; 6 others hit a bivouac area near Pawngleng; 22 P-47s are detailed to strike at troops, artillery positions, trucks, elephants, and carts along and behind the enemy lines in C Burma; despite bad weather most of the fighter-bombers complete their missions; transports make 441flights to forward areas, landing or dropping 610 tons of supplies. The 82BS(H), 12BG(M), ceases operating from Meiktila, Burma and returns to base at Fenny, India with B-25s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Weather prevents all 9AF combat operations. Unit moves in Germany: HQ 10(Photo)GR and 12TRS from Ober Olm to Furth with F-6s; 493FS, 48FG, from Kassel to Illesheim with P-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Continued bad weather cancels heavy bomber operations and limits fighters to escort and weather reconnaissance missions.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Weather severely curtails operations. In Italy, XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers, flying 100+ sorties, hit enemy movement in the battle area at several points from S of Piacenza to NW of Milan; medium bombers are grounded.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 B-24s from Guam Island hit Param Island, Truk Atoll during the early morning hours; 12 more attack Param during the afternoon.
VII Fighter Command: 20 P-47s from Saipan Island sweep Truk, strafing small vessels and airfields on Param and Moen Islands.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Missions 114 to 119: 119 B-29s hit airfields at Kushira, Kanoya, Miyakonojo, Kokubu, Miyazaki, and Izumi on Kyushu Island, Japan; 4 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim a total of 14 Japanese fighters; 5 B-29s are lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On N Luzon Island, B-25s hit targets in the Itogon area; A-20s attack Itogon mines and start fires among huts at Fabrica; fighter-bombers attack Balete Pass, Cagayan Valley, Tuguegarao, Trinidad, and Cervantes; on S Luzon A-20s and fighterbombers support ground forces at various points including the Batangas sector and hit targets around Norzagaray, Ipo Dam, Montalban, New Bosoboso, and along the San Andres trail. B-24s bomb Toshien, Formosa and several secondary targets. In Borneo, B-24s hit Kuching while B-25s and P-38s hit Tarakan Island and targets of opportunity along the Sarawak coast. B-24s over the Celebes bomb Masamba, Malimpoeng, and Mandai Airfields. B-25s sink about 20,000 tons of merchant shipping in Saigon, French Indochina harbor. The 36(Photo)RS, 6(Photo)RG, moves from Biak Island, New Guinea to Clark Field, Luzon with F-5s.
SUNDAY, 29 APRIL 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 12 B-25s attempting to bomb targets in the Kurile Islands abort due to a weather front. 6 B-24s radar-bomb Kataoka naval base on Shimushu Island.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 3 B-25s and 4 P-47s blast targets at the Taiyuan railroad yards; about 50 fighter-bombers, operating in forces of 1to 4 aircraft, blast numerous targets of opportunity in S and E China, hitting especially the Fantung area.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, 5 P-47s attack Laihka Airfield; 6 others strafe troops and horses at Tadamo; transports fly 427 sorties to forward areas, landing or dropping 537 tons of supplies. Unit moves: 81BS(M), 12BG(M), ceases operating from Meiktila, Burma with B-25s and returns to base at Fenny, India; 317TCS (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda, India with C-47s, sends a detachment to operate from Akyab, Burma.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):
Mission 971: 8 B-17s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS First Tactical AF (Provisional): HQ 64FW moves from Edenkoben to Schwabisch-Hall, Germany 9AF: Weather cancels operations by the 9th Bombardment Division. Fighters fly patrols and airfield cover, hit special targets, fly armed reconnaissance over E Germany and W Czechoslovakia, and cooperate with the XII Corps moving SE between the Danube River and the Czech border N of Linz, Austria, and with the XX Corps as some of its units establish bridgeheads and begin crossing the Isar River in the Plattling-Landau an der Isar-Landshut-Passau, Germany areas. Unit moves: HQ 48FG and 494FS from Kassel to Illesheim, Germany with P-47s; HQ 387BG(M) from Clastres, France to Beek, the Netherlands.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather again prevents bomber operations. 8 P-51s and P-38s complete weather and photo reconnaissance missions. 39 P-51s fly armed reconnaissance over NE Italy; 5 of the fighters bomb and 4 strafe various targets of opportunity, claiming 4 motor transports destroyed and a reconnaissance car and 2 parked aircraft damaged.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy, weather again restricts operations; the medium bombers are grounded; fighters and fighter-bombers attack retreating forces and communications throughout NE Italy including Thiene Airfield and claim 350+ motor transport destroyed; enemy forces in Italy, commanded by General Heinrich von Vietinghoff surrender unconditionally at Caserta, effective 2 May; HQ 57FG and 64th, 65th and 66FSs move from Grosseto to Villafranca di Verona, with P-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA VII Fighter Command:20 Saipan Island-based P-47s sweep Truk Atoll, strafing airfields, defenses, and gun positions on Moen and Param Islands and
hit Param and Falas Islands with rockets.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 24 Guam Island-based B-24s subsequently attack the same airfields as the fighters above. 20 B-24s, operating in 2 forces, pound air installations on Marcus Island in the N Pacific.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Missions 120 to 125: 111 B-29s strike airfields on Kyushu Island, Japan, i.e., Miyazaki, Miyakonojo, Kokubu, 2 at Kanoya, and Kushira Airfields; they claim nearly 30 Japanese aircraft shot
down; 2 B-29s are lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In support of ground forces on Luzon Island, fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations, supply areas, pillboxes, gun positions, vehicles, and other targets mainly in the Balete Pass, Baguio, and Echague areas and A-20s hit the New Bosoboso area, where fighters also support ground forces concentrating in the Ipo Dam area. In Borneo, B-24s pound Kuching Airfield while B-25s bomb Tarakan Island. Other B-24s hit Langoan, Mandai, and Mapanget airfields on Celebes Island. P-38s sweep French Indochina and strafe Thu Dau Mot Airfield. The 318TCS (Commando), 3 Air Commando Group, moves from Mangaldan to Laoag, Luzon with C-47s.
MONDAY, 30 APRIL 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 6 B-25s and 9 P-47s hit railroad yards at Taiyuan; 50+ P-47s, P-51s, and P-40s attack troops, defensive positions, bridges, rail targets, and scattered targets of opportunity in S and E China, concentrating around Laohokow, Hsihhsiassuchi, and Loning.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In Burma, bad weather cancels scheduled combat strikes; air supply operations to forward areas continue on a steady basis.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):
Mission 972: 6 of 7 B-17s dropleaflets in the Netherlands and France.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Weather cancels 9th Bombardment Division and XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) operations. In Germany, the IX Tactical Air Command flies airfield cover, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance; the XIX Tactical Air Command flies patrols and armed reconnaissance, and cooperates with the XII Corps moving SE between the Danube River and the Czech border N of Linz, Austria and with the XX Corps crossing the Isar River at several points in the Landau an der Isar-Landshut area.
Unit moves in Germany: HQ 354FG and 356FS from Ober Olm to Ansbach with P-47s; HQ 362FG and 379FS from Frankfurt to Furth with P-47s; HQ 405FG from Ophoven, Belgium to Kitzingen; 31(Photo)RS, 10PRG from Ober Olm to Furth with F-5s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): For the fourth consecutive day bad weather cancels bomber operations; P-38s fly reconnaissance, escorted by P-51s. Other P-51s and P-38s escort supply-dropping missions to N Italy and Yugoslavia.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): In Italy during the night of 29/30 Apr, A-20s and A-26s hit motor transport near Lake Como and roads in the Trento, San Michele all'Adige, and Bolzano areas; bad weather grounds the medium bombers; fighter-bombers fly armed reconnaissance over N Italy, blasting guns, vehicles, and other targets of opportunity; the 12(Photo)RS, 3PRG: moves from Peretola Airfield, Florence to Villafranca with F-5s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA VII Fighter Command: In a thorough strafing and rocket strike on several islands of Truk Atoll, 20 P-47s from Saipan Island attack the seaplane base, several small vessels, the airfield, barracks, radio station, and numerous other targets.
Long range Mission 7: 104 P-51s escort B-29s to hit the Tachikawa air depot claiming 0-1-0 Japanese aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost. HQ 318FG and the 19th, 73and 333FSs move from Saipan Island to Ie Shima Island, Ryukyu Islands with P-38s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 24 B-24s from Guam Island pound the airfields on Moen and Param Island in Truk Atoll. 22 B-24s, operating in 2 waves about 3 hours apart, bomb air installations on Marcus Island in the N Pacific.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Seven missions are flown.
Mission 126: 69 B-29s hit the Tachikawa air depot; 25 others hit targets of opportunity. The escort is 104 P-51s.
Missions 127 to 132: 56 B-29s hit airfields at Kokubu, Oita, Tomitaka, Saeki, and 2 at Kanoya on Kyushu Island and the city of Hamamatsu; 2 other B-29s hit targets of opportunity; the B-29s claim 10 aircraft downed.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s hit the Toshien fuel storage and bomb Tainan, Takao, and Okayama Airfields while B-25s hit Taito; escorting P-38s attack numerous targets of opportunity; and P-51s bomb Okayama Airfield. Numerous missions are flown over Luzon and Negros Islands by B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers in support of the ground forces. B-24s attack the Davao area on Mindanao Island. In Borneo, P-38s hit Tarakan Island and B-24s bomb Manggar Airfield. Other B-24s bomb Malimpoeng Airfield on Celebes Island. The 157th and 160th Liaison Squadrons (Commando), 3Air Commando Group, move from Calasio to Mabalacat, Luzon with UC-64s and L-5s (the 160th has a detachment operating from Mindoro Island).
MAY 1945
TUESDAY, 1 May 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-24 flies a weather reconnaissance mission over the Kurile Islands.
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 74BS(H), VI BC, moves from Aguadulce to Rio Hato, Panama with B-24s.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (2AF): The detachment of the 4(Photo)Charting Squadron, 311(Photo)Wing (Mapping and Charting) [attached to 4PRG] operating in Australia with F-7s, returns to base at Hollandia, New Guinea (the squadron is mapping areas of the SW Pacific).
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): During May the Japanese decide to give up their Greater E Asia Corridor and withdraw from S China; the 14AF further concentrates its attacks on rail and road movements and river shipping and thus plays a major role in critically reducing the enemy's mobility and supply lines. In China, 2 B-25s and 16 P-51s knock out bridges near Taiku and Kiehsiu and hit AA positions and locomotives near the bridges, blast gun emplacements in the Loning area, and hit several locomotives, near Shihkiachwang. Lieutenant General Albert C Wedemeyer, Commanding General US Forces China Theater, selects Lieutenant General George E Stratemeyer to command HQ AAF China Theater, with both HQ Tenth and 14AFs under his command. During May, the detachment of the 449FS, 51FG, operating from Posek, China with P-38s, returns to base at Chengkung.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Unit moves: 9th Photographic RS, 8(Photo)RG, from Myitkyina, Burma to Piardoba, India with F-5s; the detachment of the 317th TCS (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, operating from Akyab, Burma with C-47s, to base at Kalaikunda, India.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): During May, the 303d, 305th and 306TCSs, 442TCG, based at St-Andre-de-L'Eure, France with C-47, begins operating from Metz, France.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 973: 396 B-17s are dispatched to drop food supplies in the Hague (237) and Rotterdam (155), the Netherlands; a total of 777.1tons of food are dropped.
Mission 974: During the night of 1/2 May, 4 of 5 B-24s drop leaflets in Germany.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 9 A-26s bomb an ammunition plant at Stod, Czechoslovakia. The IX Tactical Air Command escorts the bombers, flies airfield cover, and patrols the Leipzig-Schwarzenberg, Germany area. The XIX Tactical Air Command flies patrols and armed reconnaissance over E Germany, W Czechoslovakia, and Austria, dive-bombs Berchtesgaden, and operates with the US XII Corps which is advancing SE between the Danube River and the Czech border and N into Czechoslovakia N of Passau, Germany, and with the XX Corps whose advance elements speed toward the Inn River at Wasserburg, Germany; the 353and 355FSs, 354FG, move from Ober Olm to Ansbach, Germany with P-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Despite bad weather 27 B-17s bomb the main station and marshalling yard at Salzburg, Austria; this is the final 15AF bombing Mission of the war; P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort missions.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): During the night of 30 Apr/1 May A-20s and A-26s bomb targets of opportunity in N Italy; bad weather during the day cancels medium bomber operations; fighter-bombers destroy numerous motor and horse-drawn vehicles in NE Italy; US Fifth Army forces approach the Brenner Pass on the Austro-Italian border, while British Eighth Army elements make contact with Yugoslav troops of Marshal Tito near Monfalcone; the flight of the 5(Photo)RS, 3 Photographic Group(R), operating from Pisa with F-5s returns to base at Peretola Airfield, Florence.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 16 Guam Island, Mariana Islands-based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific while 10 hit air installations on Param Island, Truk Atoll; during the night 9 more, flying individual snooper strikes, hit airfields on Param and Moen Islands in Truk.
VII Fighter Command: The 6NPS, VII Fighter Command, departs Kagman Field, Saipan Island, Mariana Islands for Kipapa, Hawaii with P-61s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-25s hit the Heito sugar refinery and the town of Kagi. FEAF continues to support ground forces on Luzon and Negros Islands. On Borneo, B-24s support Australian landings on Tarakan Island and bomb Tawau and B-25s attack Jesselton, Tarakan Island, Sandakan, and Kudat, concentrating on airfields. HQ 6(Photo)RG moves from Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon. Unit moves during May: HQ 309BW(H) from San Marcelino to Lingayen, Luzon; 7th Combat Cargo Squadron, 2 Combat Cargo Group from Biak Island, New Guinea to Dulag, Leyte; the detachment of the 160th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 3Air Commando Group, ceases operating from Mindoro Island with UC-64s and L-5s and returns to base at Mabalacat, Luzon.
WEDNESDAY, 2 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 5 B-24s mine areas of the Yangtze River; 20+ B-25s and about 130 fighter-bombers attack communications targets and supply lines and hit a large variety of targets of opportunity throughout S and E China as the air campaign accelerates with the aim of disrupting the imminent withdrawal of the Japanese and the abandonment of their Greater E Asia Corridor.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 975: 401 B-17s are dispatched to drop food supplies in the Netherlands at Schipol (250) and Alkmaar (20) Airfields, Vogelenznag (40), Hilversum (20), Utrecht (59) and targets of opportunity (4); 4 B-17s are damaged by 20mm fire which ceases as soon as a green flare is fired; a totalof 767.1tons of food are dropped.
Mission 976: 8 B-17s, escorted by 9 P-51s, drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during daylight hours.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Weather cancels 9th BombardmentDivision operations. In Germany, fighters fly airfield cover, defensive freelance patrols, a sweep over the Dessau area, and patrol the Straubing-Ingolstadt area and the US Third Army front in Austria and Czechoslovakia;
unit moves: HQ 394BG(M) from Niergnies Airfield, Cambrai, France to Venlo, the Netherlands; 14LS, XIX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group) from Erlangen to Regensburg with L-5s; 72Liaison Squadron, 9AF (attached to Sixth Army Group), from Gmund to Augsburg; 377th and 378FSs, 362FG, and 425NPS, XIX Tactical Air Command, from Frankfurt to Furth with P-47s and P-61s respectively.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather limits operations to 1weather reconnaissance mission.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Bad weather continues; medium bombers are grounded while the XXII Tactical Air Command flies an uneventful armed reconnaissance in NE Italy.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 B-24s from Guam Island pound the airfield on Param Island in Truk Atoll while 21, flying in 2 forces, hit airfields and gun positions on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. During the night of 2/3 May, 9 more B-24s make individual harassment bombings on Param, Moen Island, and Tol Island in Truk Atoll.
VII Fighter Command: 12 Iwo Jima Island, Volcano Island-based P-51s strike a radio station on Chichi Jima Island in the Bonin Islands.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-24s and P-51s pound troops near Ipo Dam while B-25s, A-20s, and fighters hit Cagayan Valley targets; FEAF strikes in support of ground forces continue on Luzon and on Cebu Island. In Borneo, B-25s continue support for Australian troops on Tarakan Island and, in conjunction with USN (USN) aircraft, bomb Kudat Airfield.
THURSDAY, 3 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 9 B-25s and 6 fighterbombers attack truck convoys in the Hsiang River Valley and near Paoching, Changsha, and Hengyang, and pound railroad targets of opportunity and bridges in the Taiku, Singtai, and Linfen areas; 90+ fighter-bombers attack troops, town areas, ammunition dumps, river shipping and other targets of opportunity over wide areas of S and E China.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): With the fall of Rangoon, Burma on this date (Indian 26 Division elements occupy the city), the war against the Japanese in Burma is successfully concluded; pockets of resistance remain W of the Irrawaddy River and between that river and the Mandalay-Pegu, Thailand railway however, during May AAF operations are reduced drastically due to the lack of suitable air targets and because of the onset of bad weather preceding the monsoon. The 10AF is withdrawn from combat and moved back to India (see 15 May 45); 1squadron of P-38s remains in Burma to patrol the roads leading into China. Unit moves: 88FS, 80FG, from Myitkyina, Burma to Moran, India with P-47s; the detachment of the 156th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 2 Air Commando Group, operating from Myitche with UC-64s and L-5s, to Magwe, Burma; the 317th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2 Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda, India with C-47s, sends a detachment to operate from Comilla, India.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 977: 399 B-17s are dispatched to drop food supplies in the Netherlands at Schipol (251) and Alkmaar (20) Airfields, Vogelenzang (42), Hilversum (21), Utrecht (58) and a target of opportunity (3) in the Netherlands; a total of 739.1 tons of food are dropped.
Mission 978: 14 B-17s, escorted by 43 of 47 P-51s, drop leaflets in Germany during the day.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS First Tactical AF (Provisional): P-47 unit moves in Germany: 314FS, 315FS and 316FSs, 324FG, from Luneville, France to Stuttgart; 406FS, 371FG, from Eschborn Airfield, Frankfurt to Furth.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): 132 A-26s (on the final 9th Bombardment Division raid): bomb the Stod, Czechoslovakia ammunition plant. The IX Tactical Air Command escorts the A-26s and C-47s and flies airfield cover; the XIX Tactical Air Command patrols the US Third Army front, flies armed reconnaissance over Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia in the frontline areas and around Kiel and Lubeck, Germany, and escorts the A-26s; the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) escorts C-47s, flies sweeps, and hits shipping in the Kiel-Lubeck area. Unit moves: HQ 98th Combat BW(M) from Havrincourt, France to Venlo, the Netherlands; HQ 362FG from Furth to Illesheim, Germany.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Bad weather again restricts operations to reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort missions by 20 P-38s and escort of Mediterranean Allied Tactical AF (MATAF) a B-25 leaflet
dropping Mission in N Italy.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): To assure that the enemy implements the surrender terms in Italy and to observe road activity, fighters fly reconnaissance missions over N Italy and SW Austria; medium bombers drop leaflets in several areas where enemy troops might be unaware of the surrender. The 121Liaison Squadron, Twelfth AF (attached to Fifth Army), moves from Florence to Verona, Italy with L-4s and L-5s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The 163LS, AAFPOA (attached to Tenth Army), arrives on Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, from Saipan Island with UC-64s and L-5s. 10 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb airfields and targets of opportunity on several islands of Truk Atoll; during the night of 3/4 May, 8 more separately strike Param , Eten, and Moen Islands, and Truk airfields.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 7 missions are flown.
Missions 127 to 132: 59 B-29s bomb airfields at Tachiarai, Miyazaki, Miyakonojo, Kokubu and 2 at Kanoya; 5 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim 10 Japanese fighters; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 133: 88 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and the Inland Sea during the night of 3/4 May; 3 others mine other waters.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: Saigon, French Indochina is bombed by B-24s, which greatly damage a boatyard and oil storage areas. On Luzon Island B-24s and P-51s pound the Ipo area while A-20s and fighters support ground forces. In Borneo, B-25s continue support of ground forces on Tarakan Island and, with B-24s, carry out small raids against numerous targets on Borneo and Celebes, Manggar Airfield is heavily hit by B-24s and P-38s and USN airplanes hit warehouses in the Brunei Bay area. The 63TCS, 403TCG, moves from Biak Island, New Guinea to Dulag, Leyte Island with C-47s.
FRIDAY, 4 MAY 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Brigadier General Isaiah Davies replaces Major General Davenport Johnson as Commanding General 11AF on an interim basis.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 12 B-25s and 180+ fighter-bombers, mostly operating in flights of 2 to 4 aircraft, attack town areas, storage, troops, horses, trucks, river shipping, airfields, and many other targets of opportunity scattered over the vast expanse of S and E China.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): The 792d, 793and 794BSs(VH), 468BG(VH), begin a movement from Kharagpur, India to Tinian Island, Mariana Islands with B-29s.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Unit moves in Burma: 83BS(M), 12BG(M), based at Fenny, India with B-25s, begins operating from Magwe, Burma; 164th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, from Sinthe to Magwe with UC-64s and L-5s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 978: 1 B-17s and 8 B-24s are dispatched on a leaflet Mission during the night of 4/5 May; 7 aircraft drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): No bomber operations. In Germany, the IX Tactical Air Command flies patrols and armed reconnaissance, the XIX Tactical Air Command flies patrols and armed reconnaissance and operates in concert with the XII Corps assault on Linz, Austria, and with the XX Corps which crosses the Inn River and pushes E and SE; the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) sweeps the Dessau and Wittenberg areas and attacks shipping in the Kiel and Flensburg areas; German forces in the Netherlands, NW Germany and Denmark surrender. Unit moves: 377FS, 378FS and 379FS, 362FG, from Furth to Illesheim, Germany with P-47s; 556th, 557th, 558th and 559BS(M), 387BG(M), from Clastres, France to Beek, the Netherlands with B-26s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): No offensive operations; activity is limited to reconnaissance missions (with escort), escort of MATAF leaflet drops in N Italy, and escort of C-47s on supply dropping missions to Yugoslavia. HQ 332FG and the 100th and 301FSs move from Ramitelli Airfield to Cattolica, Italy with P-51s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The XXII Tactical Air Command continues flying visual reconnaissance during the night and day in N Italy; the US 85th Infantry Division reaches the Austrian border near San Candido and pushes on to the Brenner Pass at Vipiteno without opposition.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): In the Palau Islands, 22 B-24s from Angaur Island bomb AA positions on Koror Island. 11 B-24s from Guam Island hit the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):
Missions 140 to 143: 47 B-29s attack airfields at Oita, Omura, Saeki, and Matsuyama on Kyushu and Shikoku Islands, Japan; 2 others attack targets of opportunity; 1 B-29 is lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-25s bomb the Tuguegarao area on Luzon Island while other B-25s, A-20s, and fighterbombers, in spite of bad weather, support ground forces in N and S Luzon and on Negros Island. P-38s pound Itu Aba Island, China. B-24s heavily damage oil installations at Saigon, French Indochina. On Borneo, B-25s and P-38s support ground forces on Tarakan Island and B-24s hit Sandakan and Kota Baru and on Celebes Island, bomb Mandai and Masamba Airfields. HQ 18FG and 12th and 70FSs move from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Zamboanga, Mindanao Island with P-38s.
SATURDAY, 5 MAY 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 1 B-24 flies weather mission over the Kurile Islands.
HQ AAF (Second AF): The 2 Photographic Charting Squadron, 311(Photo)Wing (attached to FEAF), moves from Morotai Island, Moluccas Islands, to Palawan Island, Philippine Islands with F-7s (the squadron is performing mapping and photographic reconnaissance in the SW Pacific).
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 3 B-25s knock out a bridge at Singtai and hit railroad traffic in the Sinsiang area; 5 B-25s hit railroad cars and other targets of opportunity at Kaifeng, Hsihhsiassuchi, and in the Tungkuan and Luan areas; 76 fighter-bombers, operating in flights of 2 to 4 aircraft, attack a variety of targets of opportunity throughout S and E China. The 530FS, 311FG, moves from Kwanghan to Pungchacheng, China with P-51s.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Unit moves from Burma to India: HQ 33FG from Sahmaw to Piardoba; 90FS, 80th FG, from Myitkyina to Moran with P-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 980: 403 B-17s are dispatched to drop food at Schipol Airfield (261), Vogelenzang (40), Utrecht (60), N of Hilversum (16), Alkmaar (21) and other targets (4) in the Netherlands; a total of 744.5 tons of food are dropped.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS First Tactical AF (Provisional): HQ 371FG and 404th and 405FSs move from Eschborn to Furth, Germany with P-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): No 9AF operations except tactical and photo reconnaissance in forward areas. The 584th and 585BS(M), 394BG(M), move from Niergniew Airfield, Cambrai, France to Venlo, the Netherlands with B-26s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 14 P-51s escort MATAF C-47s on supply-dropping missions over Yugoslavia. The 99FS, 332FG, moves from Ramitelli to Cattolica, Italy with P-51s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): XXII Tactical Air Command fighters continue reconnaissance flights over N Italy, SW Austria, and as far N as Munich, Germany; fighters destroy numerous aircraft at an airfield SE of Munich.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 Angaur Island-based B-24s bomb Koror Island.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 7 missions are flown.
Missions 144, 145 and 147 to 149: 55 B-29s bomb airfields at Oita, Tachiarai, Kanoya, and Chiran on Kyushu Island, Japan; 2 others attack targets of opportunity; 3 B-29s are lost.
Mission 146: 148 B-29s [including the 58BW(VH),: flying their first attack of Japan from Tinian] hit a navy aircraft factory and arsenal at Kure, Japan; 4 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim 11Japanese fighters; 2 B-29s are lost.
Mission 150: During the night of 5/6 May, 86 B-29s drop mines in Tokyo Bay, Ise Bay, and at points in the Inland Sea; 4 others mine targets of opportunity.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In the first FEAF strike on the Amoy, China area, B-24s bomb an airfield and oil storage plant. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Shinchiku Airfield while B-25s and fighter-bombers hit the Taito sugar refinery, Shoka railroad yards, and Giran and Matsuyama Airfields. On Luzon Island, A-20s and fighter-bombers continue to hit Cagayan Valley targets and support ground forces at various locations. In Borneo, B-25s and P-38s support Australian forces on Tarakan Island, P-38s hit the Miri waterfront on the W coast and Keningau airfield in the N and B-24s bomb the Kuching waterfront on the W coast.
SUNDAY, 6 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 3 B-25s and 4 P-51s knock out a bridge at Hsihhsiassuchi, China; 111 fighter-bombers, operating in flights of 2 to 4 aircraft, attack numerous targets of opportunity throughout S and E China.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 3 missions are flown.
Mission 981: 383 B-17s are dispatched to drop food at Schipol (249) and Alkmaar (18) Airfields, E of Vogelenzang (37), W of Utrecht (59), and N of Hilversum (18), the Netherlands; a total of 693.3 tons of food are dropped.
Mission 982: 15 B-17s, escorted by 8 of 26 P-51s, drop leaflets in France and Germany during the day.
Mission 983: 10 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Channel Islands during the night of 6/7 May.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): No operations by the 9th Bombardment Division and the IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands. The XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) flies a demonstration Mission in the Klotze, Germany area.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 9 P-38s escort RAF Balkan AF supply-dropping missions to Yugoslavia.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Brigadier General Robert S Israel, Jr takes command of the XXII Tactical Air Command. Fighters fly reconnaissance over the French and Italian Alps.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 18 P-47s from Saipan Island sweep Truk Atoll, strafing the airfield on Moen Island, the seaplane base at Dublon Island, and shipping off Param, off Moen, and between Dublon and Fefan Islands.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In Formosa, B-24s bomb Matsuyama Airfield and secondary nearby targets and later bomb Toshien, Toko, and Kiirun and B-25s pound the town of Mato. A-20s and fighter-bombers fly numerous attack sorties in support of ground forces in N and S Luzon Island and fighter-bombers fly support missions over Panay Island. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Kudat and Keningau Airfields, P-38s hit Ranau and Labuan Island airstrips while B-25s support Australian troops on Tarakan Island. B-24s bomb Limboeng Airfield on Celebes Island. B-25s over French Indochina bomb warehouses at Dong Hoi.
MONDAY, 7 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 3 B-25s and 4 P-47s knock out a bridge N of Singtai; 3 B-24s attack Yellow River targets of opportunity, damaging at least 1bridge; 131 fighter-bombers again hit various targets of opportunity throughout S and E China, concentrating on railroad targets; the 21(Photo)RS, 14AF, based at Kunming with F-5s, sends a flight to operate from Laifeng (other flights are at Hanchung, Lulinag and Hsian).
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS: The German High Command surrenders unconditionally all land, sea, and air force's at Reims, France effective 9 May 45. General of the Army Dwight D Eisenhower says, "The mission of this Allied force was fulfilled at 0241 local time, May 7, 1945."
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 984: 231 B-17s are dispatched to drop food supplies at Schipol (154) and Alkmaar (10) Airfields, Vogelenzang (25), W of Utrecht (28) and N of Hilversum (12), the Netherlands; a total of 426 tons of food are dropped.
Mission 985: 15 B-17s, with 30 of 32 P-51s escorting, drop leaflets in Germany during the day.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The XIX Tactical Air Command flies sweeps over E Germany and W Czechoslovakia and carries out demonstration flights over prisoner of war (POW) camps. The 586th and 587BSS(M), 394BG(M), move from Niergnies Airfield, Cambrai, France to Venlo, the Netherlands with B-26s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): 13 P-51s escort 3 RAF Balkan AF supply dropping missions to Yugoslavia.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): P-47s fly reconnaissance over the Austrian Alps. HQ 57FG and the 65FS move from Verona to Grosseto, Italy with P-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 11Guam Island-based B-24s pound runways on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. VII Fighter Command: 16 Saipan Island-based P-47s strafe a radio station, airfield installations, and gun positions on Moen and Falas Islands in Truk Atoll.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Missions 151to 154: 41 B-29s bomb airfields at Usa, Oita, Ibusuki, and Kanoya on Kyushu Island; 34 Japanese aircraft are claimed destroyed by B-29s during the Usa and Oita missions; 3 B-29s are lost. The 792d, 793and 794BSs(VH), 468BG(VH), arrive at West Field, Tinian Island, Mariana Islands from India with B-29s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit targets in the Cagayan Valley and support ground action in the Cervantes area, Balete Pass and N of Laguna de Bay. In Borneo, P-38s hit Bintula, Kudat, and Ranau while B-25s, and P-38s hit gun positions and HQ on Tarakan Island. B-24s bomb Bingkalapa Airfield, Celebes and the harbor at Soerabaja, Java. In French Indochina, B-25s hit railroad targets between Cap Batangan and Cap Varella. The 17th Photographic RS, 4PRG, moves from Morotai Island to Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island with F-5s (a detachment is
operating from Dulag, Leyte Island).
TUESDAY, 8 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 13 B-25s knock out a bridge at Do Cam and damage others at Do Len, over the Song Chu River in French Indochina, and N of Kaifeng, China. In China, a single B-24 damages bridges at Huto; 20 P-51s pound rail and road traffic along the French Indochina coast while 12 P-51s and P-38s hit targets of opportunity in several cities; about 100 fighterbombers over wide areas of S and E China continue to hit numerous targets of opportunity, concentrating on shipping and the dock area at Taku.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Mission 986: 12 B-17s drop leaflets in Germany during the day.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS First Tactical AF (Provisional): HQ 324FG moves form Luneville, France to Stuttgart, Germany.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands patrol the Leipzig, Chemnitz, and Adorf, Germany and Linz, Austria areas, and fly sweeps and demonstration missions. Unit moves in Germany: HQ 405FG and 509FS from Kitzingen to Straubing with P-47s; 455BS(M), 323BG(M), from Prouvy Airfield, Leon, France to Gablingen with B-26s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): All 15AF aircraft stand down on V-E Day and offensive operations end. Subsequent operations involve transport, supply, training, and movement flights.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Transports carry out evacuation and supply missions in S Europe. The 64th and 66FSs, 57FG, move from Villafranca di Verona to Grosseto, Italy with P-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. 12 others from Guam Island pound the runway on Param Island in Truk Atoll. The 28(Photo)RS, 7AF, arrives on Okinawa Island from Kualoa Airfield, Hawaii with F-5Es. VII Fighter Command: 94 of 104 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island abort a strike to Nagoya due to weather and attack Kisarazu airfield.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Missions 155 to 158: 40 B-29s hit airfields at Kanoya, Miyakonojo, Oita, and Matsuyama on Kyushu and Shikoku Islands, Japan; 1other hits a target of opportunity.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In Borneo, P-38s hit Jesselton, Sengkawang, and Kudat Airfields while B-25s bomb the Kuching and Labuan Island Airfield areas. B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers continue to pound Cagayan Valley on Luzon Island. On Mindanao Island, B-24s hit Davao while P-38s hit the Labugan Airfield area. Other B-24s bomb Mandai Airfield on Celebes Island. B-25s bomb railway installations between Phan Rang and Binh Dinh, French Indochina.
WEDNESDAY, 9 MAY 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, radar discloses considerable shipping between Paramushiru and Shimushu Islands; thus, 12 B-24s take off and radar-bomb through overcast; another B-24 flies a radarferreting sortie over Paramushiru and Shimushu.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 14 B-24s, 14 B-25s, and 26 P-51s blast Paoching and various nearby targets of opportunity; some of the fighter-bombers also attack targets of opportunity W of Hengyang. 4 P-51s pound boxcars, locomotives, and other railroad targets from Tourane to Hue, French Indochina.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Unit moves in India: 6FS (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, from Hay to Asansol with P-47s; 115th Liaison Squadron, 10AF, from Dinjan to Nagaghuli with L-1s and L-5s.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): During late May, the following C-47 units begin a movement to Waller Field, Trinidad, British West Indies: HQ 315TCG and 34th, 43d, 309th and 310th Troop Carrier Squadrons from Amiens, France; HQ 316TCS and 36th, 37th, 44th and 45TCSs from Cottesmore, England. During May, HQ 438TCG and 84th, 88th, 89th and 90th Troop Carrier Squadrons move form Prosnes to Glisy Airfield, Amiens, France with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 453BG(H) and the 732d, 733d, 734th and 735BS(H) begin a redeployment from Old Buckenham, England to the US; it is only group departing by ship. During late May, the 407BS(H), 92BG(H), moves from Podington, England to Istres France with B-17s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The XIX Tactical Air Command patrols the Linz, Austria-Klatovy, Czechoslovakia areas and carries out further demonstration flights.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Unit movements from Italy to the US: the 828th, 829th, 830th and 831BS(H), 485BG(H), Venosa with B-24s; during May 45, HQ 47BW(H) from Manduria.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): With combat operations in S Europe at an end, transport aircraft continue supply and evacuation missions. The 447BS(M), 321BG(M), moves from Solenzara, Corsica to Falconara, Italy with B-25s. In late May 45, HQ 60TCG and 10th, 11th, 12th and 28th Troop Carrier Squadrons begin a movement from Pomigliano, Italy to Waller Field, Trinidad with C-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 29 B-24s from Guam Island, operating in 3 forces over a 6-hour period, bomb airfields, barracks, and targets of opportunity on Param and Moen Islands in Truk Atoll.
VII Fighter Command: 14 P-47s from Saipan Island sweep Truk Atoll.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb 2 airfields in the Canton, China area. On Luzon Island, A-20s and fighters fly offensive sweeps over the Cagayan Valley and support ground forces in the Cervantes, Baguio, and Balete Pass area and the Ipo-New Bosoboso-Infanta area. On Mindanao Island, B-24s bomb the area around Dalirig and Maluko preparatory to allied landings in the Macajalar Bay area on 10 May. P-38s over Borneo hit Brooketon, Sarawak and Tarakan Island.
THURSDAY, 10 MAY 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): The 11AF and the USN's Fleet Air Wing Four execute the heaviest and most successful joint Mission to date in the Kurile Islands; 12 B-24s bomb shipping targets in the Kataoka naval base on Shimushu Island, and fly photo reconnaissance over E and W Paramushiru Island on the return trip; next, 16 Attu Island, Aleutian Island-based B-25s take off; 1aborts while the others hit shipping between Kashiwabara on Paramushiru Island and Kataoka; heavy AA fire claims 1 B-25; a B-24 and a B-25 forceland in the USSR.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 19 B-25s and 4 P-47s attack bridges at Fengstun and Pinyang, on the Song Chu River, and N of Singtai (a Pinyang, China target is destroyed), hit Yungfengshih and Chingshuping, and bomb the airfield at Paoching; 100-120 fighter-bombers pounding targets of opportunity over S and E China, disrupt enemy movement and supply lines.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Unit moves in India: 1FS (Commando), 2 Air Commando Group, from Cox's Bazar to Kalaikunda with P-51s; 164th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1 Air Commando Group, from Sinthe, Burma to Asansol with UC-64s and L-5s; the 315th Troop Carrier Squadron, 443TCG, from Ledo to Dinjan with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Effective this date, Lieutenant General James H Doolittle, Commanding General, is relieved of duty in the ETO and assigned to HQ AAF in Washington, DC; he is relieved by Major General William E Kepner.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 9th Bombardment Division is redesignated the 9th Air Division. Ther are no operations for the Tactical Air Commands and the 9th Air Division.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 11Guam Island-based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus Island in the morning. During the afternoon, 19 B-24s flying in 2 forces, hit airfields on Param and Moen Islands in Truk Atoll.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 8 missions are flown; the B-29s claim 10 Japanese aircraft; 1 B-29 is lost.
Missions 159 to 162: 42 B-29s hit airfields at Matsuyama, Usa, Miyazaki, and Kanoya on Kyushu and Shikoku Islands; 14 others hit targets of opportunity.
Mission 163: 54 B-29s bomb the Tokuyama naval fuel station; 2 others hit targets of opportunity.
Mission 164: 56 B-29s hit the Tokuyama coal yards; 1other hits a target of opportunity.
Mission 165: 112 B-29s hit the Otake oil refinery; 14 others hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 166: 80 B-29s bomb the Amami-O-Shima naval oil storage facilities; 4 others hit targets of opportunity.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb an airfield in the Canton, China area. A-20s and fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets and support ground action in the battle zones throughout Luzon Island. On Mindanao Island, B-24s hit Impasugong, Kalasungay, and Malaybalay and B-25s in support of ground forces attack Kibawe and Tagolaan. B-24s bomb Makassar ship basins and Limboeng Airfield on Celebes Island and shore targets at Balikpapan on Borneo. B-25s, with fighter escort, hit Kari and communications targets of opportunity on Formosa. The 500BS(M), 345BG(M), moves from San Marcelino to Clark Field, Luzon with B-25s.
FRIDAY, 11 May 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 6 B-25s and 4 P-47s knock out the Chungmow bridge and damage a bridge at Sincheng; 2 B-25s bomb truck convoys in the Paoching, Hengyang, and Changsha areas; 60+ fighter-bombers hit troops, artillery positions, communications targets, and general targets of opportunity in S and E China, concentrating on the Yangchi and Fantung areas.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Unit moves in India: HQ 443TCG from Ledo to Dinjan and 459FS, 80FG from Rumkha to Dudhkundi with P-38s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 10 Guam Island-based B-24s hit the airfield on Param Island in Truk Atoll, while 13 pound the runways on Marcus Island in the N Pacific.
VII Fighter Command: 14 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island strafe and bomb the radio station at Chichi Jima Island.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 6 missions are flown.
Missions 167 to 171: 50 B-29s attack airfields at Oita, Saeki, Nittagahara, Miyazaki, and Miyakonojo on Kyushu Island; 8 others hit targets of opportunity. Missions against Japanese airfields terminate the air campaign, begun on 17 Apr, during which the 20AF has devoted a major effort toward hitting sources of Kamikaze raids against USN and USMC (USMC) forces in the Battle of Okinawa.
Mission 172: 92 B-29s bomb the Kawanishi aircraft plant at Kobe; 1 other hits a target of opportunity; they claim 9 Japanese fighters; 1 B-29 is lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s bomb Toshien Airfield and the towns of Koshun, Kato, Takao, Toko, and Shajo and B-25s pound Kagi. On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers continue to support the ground action near Paranum and in the Ipo Dam sector. On Borneo, B-24s bomb Keningau Airfield and B-25s bomb the Brunei Bay area. On Celebes Island, B-24s hit Mandai and Boeloedowang Airfields. Unit moves: 12FS, 18FG, ceases operating from Palawan Island with P-38s and returns to base at Zamboanga, Mindanao Island; 498BS(M), 345BG(M), from San Marcelino to Clark Field, Luzon with B-25s.
SATURDAY, 12 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 17 B-25s and 8 P-51s bomb the barracks and storage area at Loyang and hit railroad targets around Sinsiang and Sinyang, from Hankow to Sinyang, from Chenghsien to Szeshui, from Kioshan to Lohochai, and between Hengshan and Yoyang and knock out a bridge N of Hengyang; 150+ fighter-bombers again hit scattered targets in S and E China, concentrating on road, rail, and river traffic and supply lines.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Unit moves in India: 12th Combat Cargo Squadron, 3Combat Cargo Group, from Tulihal to Ledo with C-47s; 71 Liaison Squadron, 10AF, from Dinjan to Piardoba with UC-64s, L-1s, L-4s and L-5s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The XIX Tactical Air Command flies demonstration missions. HQ 362FG moves from Illesheim to Straubing, Germany.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): HQ 450BG(H) and 723BS(H) begin a movement from Manduria, Italy to the US with B-24s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Large-scale redeployment of Twelfth AF units officially begins (although the first large movement to the ZI has earlier taken place on 12 Jan 45, followed by redeployment of various units to all the theaters). On 12 May, the Twelfth has 198 units assigned and 8 attached; by the end of May, 17 assigned units will be redeployed from the theater, 43 assigned service units disbanded (and personnel used to form 21 new service units), 9 assigned units transferred to other HQ in the theater, and 1attached unit released-leaving 150 assigned and 7 attached units intact. The 12(Photo)RS, 3(Photo)GR moves from Villafranca to Peretola Airfield, Florence, Italy with F-5s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 9 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus Island while 12 more hit the airfield on Param Island in Truk Atoll.
VII Fighter Command: The 6NPS, 7FW, arrives at Kipapa, Hawaii from Saipan Island with P-61s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): HQ 331BG(VH), and 355th, 356th and 357BSs(VH), and HQ 502BG(VH), and 402d, 411th and 430BSs(VH), arrive at Northwest Field, Guam Island from the US with B-29s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: A-20s and fighterbombers support ground forces on Luzon and Negros Islands. In French Indochina, B-24s pound several railroad and road bridges at Binh Dinh, Phu My, Bong Son, Lai Ha, Tuy Hoa, and Phu Hiep and attack the railroad yard at An Trach and other railroad targets. In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s hit targets in the Brunei Bay area including Labuan Island, Brooketon, and Jesselton Airfields and troops on Tarakan Island. On Celebes Island, B-24s bomb Makassar shipyards and Limboeng Airfield. HQ 345BG(M) and 499BS and 501BS(M) move from San Marcelinto to Clark Field, Luzon with B-25s.
SUNDAY, 13 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 5 B-24s lay mines in the Yangtze River; 10 B-25s and 5 fighters knock out bridges at Hankow and Hengyang but fail to hit a bridge N of Siaokan; 130+ fighter-bombers over areas of S and E China attack troops, bridges, rail traffic, town areas, and other targets of opportunity and generally disrupt Japanese movement and communications; the flight of the 21(Photo)RS, 14AF, operating from Luliang with F-5s, returns to base at Kunming.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The 5FS (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Hay to Asansol, India with P-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 327BS(H), 92BG(H), moves from Podington England to Port Lyautey, French Morocco with B-17s and, as part of Project Green, begins servicing aircraft of units which are transporting redeployed personnel from Europe to N Africa.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): P-47 unit moves in Germany: HQ 368th FG and 395th and 396FSs from Frankfurt-am-Main to Buchschwabach; 511FS, 405FG, from Kitzingen to Straubing.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): B-24s units beginning a movement from Italy to the US: 717BS(H), 449BG(H), from Grottagie; 720BS(H), 450BG(H), from Manduria.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The 16TCS, 64TCG, ceases operating from Brindisi and returns to Rosignano Airfield, Italy with C-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 10 B-24s from Guam Island bomb a underground hangar on Moen Island in Truk Atoll. 9 other B-24s strike the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 173: During the night of 13/14 May, 12 B-29s drop mines in Shimonoseki Strait, Japan.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-24s again pound bridges along the French Indochina coast. Bombers and fighters pound Cagayan Valley targets and continue support of ground forces on Luzon Island. B-24s hit troop concentrations and caves in the Bugnay area. In Borneo, other B-24s bomb Oelin and Tabanio Airfields while B-25s and P-38s bomb Sandakan and support ground forces on Tarakan Island.
MONDAY, 14 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, B-24s mine the Yangtze River; 15 B-25s and 6 fighter-bombers hit river shipping near Hengshan and pound bridges and other railroad targets around Chushihtien, Sinyang, Kioshan, Kuanshuishih, Hengyang, Chuchou, Changsha, Yoyang, Sintien, Hsuchang, Saiping, and Hengshan; 120+ fighter-bombers over S and E China hit numerous targets of opportunity at several locations concentrating on the Liping and Tungkow areas; 14AF unit moves in China: 11th Combat Cargo Squadron from Dinjan, India to Yunnani with C-47s; 21Photographic RS from Kunming to Shwangliu with F-5s (flights operating from Hanchung, Hsian and Laifeng); 35(Photo)Reconnaissance Squadron based at Chanyi with F-5s sends a detachment to operate from Kunming.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Unit moves in India: 2FS (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, from Cox's Bazar to Kalaikunda with P-51s; 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, from Toungoo, Burma to Asansol with UC-64s and L-5s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 510FS, 405th FG, moves from Kitzingen to Straubing, Germany with P-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): A detachment of the 28th Photographic RS, 7AF, based on Okinawa with F-5Es, begins operating from Ie Shima Island, Ryukus Islands.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 174: 472 B-29s blast the urban area of N Nagoya, Japan; 8 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim about 20 Japanese fighters; 11 B-29s are lost. This is the XXI BC's first 4-wing raid as B-29s of the 58BW(VH), join bombers from the 73d, 313th, and 314BWs(VH), in a single mission.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Hozan, the largest military and air supply center on Formosa. A-20s and fighterbombers support ground forces on Luzon and Negros Islands. In Borneo, B-24s attack Jesselton and Sepinggang Airfields and B-25s hit Jesselton, Kudat, and Bintula Airfields and support ground forces on Tarakan Island. On Celebes Island, B-24s lightly raid Makassar harbor, Sidate Airfield, and Parepare warehouses and bomb Bima Airfield on Soembawa Island, Lesser Sunda Islands.
TUESDAY, 15 MAY 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 13 B-24s bomb the Kashiwabara, Paramushiru Island-Kataoka, Shimushu Island area, claiming one ship destroyed, and a direct hit on another, and investigate radar activities. Low fog limits observation of other results; AA fire damages 2 B-24s, 1 of which forcelands in the USSR.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, a single B-24, supported by 2 P-51s, seriously damages 3 bridges near Singtai and Linmingkuan; 20 B-25s, some with fighter escort, bomb bridges, barracks, troops, horses, road and railroad targets, and general targets of opportunity around Sinyang, Yoyang, Changsha, Hsuchang, Chenghsien, Sichuan, Pinyang, Tsinkong, Luchou, Kweiping, Tanchuk, Laohokow, Siangyang, Nanying, Paoching, and Hengyang; 150 fighterbombers over S and E China attack a variety of targets chiefly road, rail, and river traffic, troops, and bridges, at many scattered locations; the Liping and Tungkow areas are again well covered.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Unit moves in India: HQ 10AF from Myitkyina, Burma to Piardoba; HQ 1Combat Cargo Group and 4th Combat Cargo Squadron from Dohazari to Hathazari with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves in Germany: HQ 323d BG(M) and 453d, 454th and 456BSs from Prouvy Airfield, Denain, France to Gablingen with B-26s; HQ 354th FG and 353and 355FSs from Ansbach to Herzogenaurach with P-51s; 377th, 378th and 379FSs, 362FG, from Illesheim to Straubing with P-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Unit moves in Italy: HQ 483BG(H) and 815th, 816th, 817th and 840BS(H) from Sterparone Airfield to Pisa with B-17s; HQ 485BG(H) begins a movement from Venosa to the US; 716th, 718th and 719BS(H), 449BG(H), begin a movement from Grottaglie to the US with B-24s; 773BS(H), 463BG(H), based at Celone Airfield with B-17s, sends a detachment to operate from Port Lyautey, French Morocco transporting men from Europe to N Africa.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Shinchiku, Formosa. In Borneo, B-24s and B-25s hit Miri and Kudat Airfields and support ground forces on Tarakan Island. P-38s pound troop concentrations
and gun positions on Mount Mandalagan on Negros Island. Unit moves: HQ 2d Combat Cargo Group and 5th Combat Cargo Squadron from Biak Island, New Guinea to Dulag, Leyte, Island with C-46s; HQ 348FG and 340th, 342d, 343 and 460FSs from San Marcelino to Floridablanca, Luzon Island with P-47s.
WEDNESDAY, 16 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, B-24s continue to lay mines in the Yangtze River; 33 B-25s and 16 P-47s and P-51s attack railroad targets, barracks, HQ, bridges, town areas, river shipping, and targets of opportunity at or near Kaifeng, Sinyang, Chungsiang, Chienyangi, Ichang, Chingmen, Yanglowtung, Kiyang, Loyang, Szeshui, Hsihhsiassuchi, Shanhsien, Neihsiang, Liuchow, Kweiping, Nanyo, Shihlipu, Hojung, Mingkiang, and Kioshan; 100+ fighter-bombers attack river, road, and rail traffic, troops, gun positions, and generally harass Japanese movement and supply lines in S and E China hitting especially targets of opportunity in Yangchi.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The 2Combat Cargo Squadron, 1
Combat Cargo Group, moves from Dohazari to Hathazari, India with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 397FS, 368th FG, moves from Frankfurt-am-Main to Buchschwabach, Germany with P-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): B-24 units beginning a movement from Italy to US: HQ 449BG(H) from Grottaglie; 721 and 722BS(H), 450BG(H), from Manduria.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The 121Liaison Squadron, Twelfth AF (attached to Fifth Army), moves from Verona to Manerba, Italy with UC-78s, L-4s and L-5s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 13 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific; 11others sent against Marcus abort because of bad weather.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):
Mission 175: During the night of 16/17 May, 25 B-29s mine Shimonsoeki Strait and 2 others hit targets of opportunity.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: Nearly 100 P-38s pound targets in the Ipo Dam area on Luzon Island with napalm. B-24s hit Balikpapan and Manggar, Borneo, and Tondano on Celebes Island while B-25s and P-38s hit Miri, Brookton, Bintula, Ft Brook, and a flak ship near Labuan Island Borneo; and P-38s also support ground forces on Tarakan. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Taichu and B-25s hit alcohol plants and railroad yards.
THURSDAY, 17 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 16 B-25s and about 100 fighters continue to disrupt communications and supply lines and hinder enemy withdrawal from numerous locations of S and E China, pounding town areas, troop concentrations, storage areas, river, road, and rail traffic and general targets of opportunity.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The 319TCS (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, ceases operating from various forward bases in Burma and returns to base at Asansol, India with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 33Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 67TRG, moves from Brunswick to Eschwege, Germany with F-5s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (VII Fighter Command): Fighters from Iwo Jima Island fly 41 effective strike sorties against Atsugi, Japan; pilots claim 10 parked aircraft destroyed. During the night of 17/18 May, 2 P-47s of the 318FG, presently arriving on Ie Shima (between 13 and 19 May), fly heckling Mission over Kyushu Island, Japan-the first such VII Fighter Command Mission against Japan.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 176: Between 0300 and 0600 hours local, 457 of 522 B-29s attack the Nagoya urban area in the last great attack on this city; the S part of Nagoya, the site of the Mitsubishi Aircraft Works, Aichi Aircraft Company's Atsuta plant and the Atsuta branch of the Nagoya Arsenal, the Nippon Vehicle Company and other targets are attacked; the attack is made from low levels; 11other B-29s hit targets of opportunity; 3 B-29s are lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: During sweeps over Formosa, B-25s and P-51s cause widespread damage hitting railroad yards, bridges, and alcohol plants and B-24s bomb airfields at Nanseiho and Matsuyama. Fighters fly 130+ sorties against the Ipo Dam area on Luzon Island. B-24s bomb Sepinggang and Manggar, Borneo, and Sidate, Celebes Island airfields. The 20th Combat Mapping Squadron, 6RG, moves
from Dulag, Letye Island to Clark Field, Luzon with F-7s.
FRIDAY, 18 MAY 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 8 B-24s bomb naval, harbor, and airfield targets at Kataoka on Shimushu Island; another B-24 searches for enemy radar along the Kurile Islands.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 9 B-25s blast the Siangtan supply areas; 8 B-25s, supported by 7 P-51s, hit railroad targets and other targets of opportunity around Sinyang, Kiaotow, Sintsiang, and Chenghsien; about 75 fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft continue the harassment of enemy movement and supply lines throughout S and E China, escort of C-47 transports, and surveillance of enemy forces.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 862BS(H), 493BG(H), moves from Wormingford to Debach, England with B-17s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 356FS, 354th FG, moves from Ansbach to Herzogenaurach, Germany with P-51s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (VII Fighter Command): In the Ryukus Islands, 8 P-47s from Ie Shima
Island make bombing, strafing, and rocket attacks on radar and ground installations on Kume Jima Island; other P-47s fly heckler strikes against Kyushu Island, Japan during the night of 18/19 May.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 177: During the night of 18/19 May, 30 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and Tsuruga Harbor in Japan. The advance air echelon of the 509th Composite Group arrives at North Field on Tinian Island; the 509th is scheduled to deliver atomic bomb attacks on Japan; its Commanding Officer is Colonel Paul W Tibbets Jr, a pilot with a distinguished record in the 97BG(H) in Europe and N Africa.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s bomb Taichu and Tainan Airfields; B-25s and fighter-bombers fly sweeps hitting numerous targets. B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers support ground forces on N Luzon Island and pound concentrations in S Luzon. Fighter-bombers also support ground forces on Negros Island. In Borneo, B-24s and B-25s hit Ft Brook and Sarawak while B-24s and P-38s attack defenses on Tarakan Island.
SATURDAY, 19 MAY 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 8 B-25s try to bomb Minami Cape radar installation and cannery on the Naka River on Shimushu Island; only one gets near the targets and bombs and strafes the area, while intense AA fire and enemy fighters drive off the rest and down 1 B-25; another B-25 is missing and a third reaches Petropavlovsk, USSR.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 4 B-25s blast the Kaifeng warehouse area, destroying at least 5 warehouses, while another hits nearby railroad tracks; another B-25 bombs the town of Shanhsien; about 90 fighterbombers attack river, road, and rail shipping, troops, supplies and general targets of opportunity, continuing the disruption of troop movement and withdrawal in S and E China.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The detachments of the 127th and 155LS (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, operating from Akyab, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s, return to base at Kalaikunda, India.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 61TCG and 14th and 15TCSs begin a movement from Abbeville, France to Waller Field, Trinidad, British West Indies with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 93BG(H) begins a movement from Hardwick, England to the US.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 161Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 363Tactical RG, moves Brunswick to Wiesbaden, Germany with F-6s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (VII Fighter Command): 100 P-51s are dispatched to escort B-29s to Tachikawa, Japan but abort due to weather. HQ 413FG and 1, 21 and 34FSs arrive on Ie Shima Island from the US with P-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 178: 272 B-29s make an abortive raid on the Tachikawa Aircraft Company and bomb the city of Hamamatsu; 14 others hit targets of opportunity; 4 B-29s are lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In Formosa, B-24s pound Kiirun harbor, B-25s sweep the W coast, hitting several targets including Toyohara, Nisui, and along the Ts'eng-Wen River, hitting a railroad yard, storage facilities, and damaging an alcohol plant on the Ts'eng Wen and fighters sweep the Giran, Tainan, and Heito areas. B-25s, A-20s, and fighterbombers support ground forces throughout Luzon Island, concentrating in the Ipo Dam area. P-38s support ground action on Cebu Island. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Oelin Airfield and, along with P-38s, attack targets on Tarakan Island. The air echelon of the 8(Photo)RS, 6RG, based at Dulag, Leyte Island with F-5s, begins operating from Clark Field, Luzon.
SUNDAY, 20 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 55 P-51s and P-40s pound truck concentrations, fuel dumps, gun positions, supply areas, troops, bridges, rail, road, and river traffic, and various targets of opportunity around Liping, Yangchi, Siangtan, Yoyang, Yungfengshih, Paoching, Taohwaping, Hengyang, Tungkow, and Changsha.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): In India, the detachment of the 317TCS (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, operating from Comilla with C-47s, returns to base at Kalaikunda.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): The 301TCS, 442TCG, moves from Dreux to St-Andre-de L'Eure, France with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 859BS(H), 492BG(H) [attached to 2641Special Group (Provisional)], moves from Rosignano to Gioia del Colle, Italy with B-24s and -47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves in Germany: HQ 373FG and 411th and 412FSs from Lippstadt to Illesheim with P-47s; 153th Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), from Weimar to Brunswick with L-5s; HQ 363Tactical RG and 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, from Brunswick to Wiesbaden with F-6s; 456BS(M), 323BG(M), from Gablingen to Kempten, Germany
with B-26s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): The 885BS(H), 2641Special Group (Provisional), moves from Brindisi to Rosignano, Italy with B-17s and B-24s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 10 Guam Island-based B-24s hit air operations buildings on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. The 396th and 820BS(M), 41BG(M), begin a movement from Wheeler Field, Hawaii to Okinawa with B-25s.
VII Fighter Command: 16 Saipan Island-based P-47s strafe airfields on Moen and Eten Islands and seaplane base and barges off Dublon Island, all in Truk Atoll. In Japan, 9 P-47s from Ie Shima hit a hangar and 2 boats at Fukue-Shima and 32 others hit airfields, railroads, buildings, and radar facilities on Kyushu Island.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 179: During the night of 20/21 May, 30 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait, Maizuru harbor, and He-Saki anchorage; 1 B-29 is lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: Despite bad weather B-25s over Formosa bomb various communications targets and an alcohol plant at Meiji. B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers pound the Cagayan Valley targets on Luzon Island. On Mindanao Island, B-24s bomb Piso Point, and fighterbombers support ground action in the Bukidnon area. In Borneo, P-38s hit Sandakan, Keningau, and Tarakan Island while B-25s hit shipping at Balikpapan harbor and a nearby barracks area and sawmill. HQ 375TCG moves from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Porac, Luzon.
MONDAY, 21 May 1945
ATO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CARIBBEAN (6AF): The 4TRS, Antilles Air Command, moves from Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico to Coolidge Field, Antigua, British West Indies with B-25s and F-5s.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 8 B-25s bomb a bridge approach N of Hankow, 1damages the railroad track between Changsha and Kweiyi, and 2 score near misses on a bridge at Kuanshuishih; 3 B-25s and 6 P-51s damage a bridge at Chihsien and hit railroad targets of opportunity in the Anyang area; 50+ fighter-bombers on armed reconnaissance continue attacks against river, road, and rail traffic, positions, troops, bridges, and numerous other targets in S and E China.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 482BG(H) begins a movement from Alconbury, England to the US.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: HQ 71 FW from Heidelberg, Germany to Nancy, France; HQ 50FG and 10th, 81 and 313FSs from Giebelstadt to Mannheim, Germany with P-47s; 410FS, 373FG, from Lippstadt to Illesheim, Germany with P-47s; 417NPS, XII Tactical Air Command, from Giebelstadt to Biblis, Germany with Beaufighters.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (VII Fighter Command): P-47s fly heckler strikes against Kyushu Island, Japan during the night of 21/22 May.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s blast numerous targets in the Cagayan Valley while A-20s and P-51s support ground forces in NW sectors; P-38s napalm-bomb the Ipo Dam and Marikina River sectors and hit positions throughout Negro Island. In Borneo, B-24s hit Brunei, Melak Airstrip, Samarinda shipyards, and troop concentrations on Tarakan Island. P-38s strafe railroad rolling stock in the Saigon, French Indochina area.
TUESDAY, 22 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 15 B-25s and 7 fighter bombers knock out a rail bridge at Hei-Shih Kuan, damage a bridge approach at Hwayuan, and hit a variety of targets S of Kuo-lueh-chen; 10 P-51s drop napalm on trucks, barracks, storage, trains, and town areas at Sinyang, and Shanyangchen; 45 other fighter-bombers and photo reconnaissance aircraft attack railroad targets, bridges, troops, and other targets at several S and E China points and survey enemy movements.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The flight of the 20th Tactical RS, 8(Photo)RG, operating from Akyab, Burma with F-6s, returns to base at Nagaghuli, India.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 410BG(L) and 644th, 645th, 646th and 647BS(L) move from Juvincourt to Beaumont-sur-Oise, France with A-20s and A-26s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 180: During the night of 22/23 May, 30 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and approaches; 1 B-29 is lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s bomb Toshien and Okayama while B-25s hit an oil plant W of Kagi and several targets of opportunity. B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers attack the Santa Fe, Fula, and Casambalangan areas in the N part of Luzon Island and support ground forces in the Ipo Dam and Marikina areas in the S. In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers attack Jesselton, Kudat, Bintula, and Tarakan Island.
WEDNESDAY, 23 MAY 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 7 B-24s radar-bomb the Kataoka naval base area on Shimushu Island while another flies a radar-ferret Mission in the same area.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 14 B-25s and 6 P-51s attack a bridge and gun positions N and S of Hwayuan, knock out a bridge and hit boxcars at Chungmow, damage a bridge N of Lohochai, damage a bridge and
nearby gun positions at Kuanshuishih, and pound truck convoys around Paoching, Hengyang, and Changsha; 30+ fighter-bombers hit various targets of opportunity around Liping, Yoyang, Changsha, Hengyang, Luntangpu, Chingmen, Shasi, and Ichang.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The 5th and 6FSs (Commando), 1 Air Commando Group, move from Asansol to Kalaikunda, India with P-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Major General Otto P Weyland assumes command of the 9AF and Brigadier General Homer L Sanders becomes Commanding General XIX Tactical Air Command. The XIX Tactical Air Command flies a navigational patrol to Gmunden, Liezen, Radstadt, and Innsbruck, Austria. Unit moves in Germany: 14th Liaison Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), from Regensburg to Holzkirchen with L-5s; 455BS(M), 323BG(M), from Gablingen to Leipheim with B-26s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ 64TCG and 16th, 17th, 18th and 35TCSs begin a movement from
Rosignano Airfield, Italy to Waller Field, Trinidad with C-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): The 27th and 392BS(H), 30BG(H), move from Kahuku and Kipapa respectively to Wheeler Field, Hawaii with B-24s.
VII Fighter Command: 32 P-47s from Saipan Island strafe Moen Island airfields and boats off Tol Island, buildings on Tarik Island, and the seaplane base, buildings, and small boats at Dublon Island, all in Truk Atoll.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):
Mission 181: During the night of 23/24 May, 520 out of 562 B-29s sent against Tokyo bomb an urban-industrial area S of the Imperial Palace along the W side of the harbor; 5 others hit targets of opportunity; 17 B-29s are lost; this is the largest number of B-29s participating in a single Mission during World War II.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon, A-20s and B-25s hit Cagayan Valley and Balete Pass targets, P-51s support ground forces in the Baguio area and P-38s hit the Ipo-Antipolo areas. On Borneo, Tawau, Bintula, Samarinda, and Miri are hit by B-24s, Ft Brook and Weston by B-25s, and Tarakan Island by fighter-bombers.
THURSDAY, 24 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 5 B-25s knock out a railroad bridge N of Anyang; 30+ fighter-bombers attack railroad targets, truck convoys, bridges, and other targets of opportunity around Nanyang, Burma and Anyang, Sichuan, Kuo-lueh-chen, Kuantaokou, Luntangpu, Houpo, Laohokow, Sinsiang, Kiehsiu, Linfen, Taiyuan, Puchou, and Yutze, China.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): HQ 80FG moves from Myitkyina, Burma to Dudhkundi, India. The 434BS(M), 12BG(M), ceases operating from Magwe, Burma with B-25s, and returns to base at Fenny, India.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Brigadier General Richard C Sanders becomes Commanding General 9th Air Division. Unit moves: HQ IX Air Defense Command from Paris, France to Neustadt, Germany; HQ 97th Combat Bombardment Wing(L) from Arrancy to Sandricourt, France; HQ 387BG(M) from Beek, the Netherlands to Rosieres-en-Santerre, France; HQ 397BG(M) from Venlo, the Netherlands to Peronne, France.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The 7TCS, 62TCG, moves from Tarquinia to Rosignano, Italy with C-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 26 Guam Island-based B-24s pound the airfield and surrounding area on Marcus Island.
VII Fighter Command: 120 Iwo Jima Island-based P-51s dispatched against Matsudo and Tokorozawa, Japan abort because of weather; P-47s fly heckler strikes against Kyushu Island, Japan during the night of 24/25 May.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 182: During the night of 24/25 May, 25 B-29s lay mines in Shimonoseki Strait and at Niigata, Nanao, and Fushiki.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-24s pound Cagayan Valley targets including Aparri; B-25s, A-20s, and P-51s hit numerous targets throughout the Valley and in NW and S Luzon, including the Vira, Callang, Santa Cruz, Baguio, Balete Pass, Ipo, and Antipolo areas. Fighter-bombers also support ground forces on Negros Island. In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s attack Ft Brook, Bintula, Tawau, Beaufort, Jesselton, along the Lawas River, and Malinau.
FRIDAY, 25 MAY 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 2 B-24s fly a radar ferret Mission over Matsuwa Island and bomb the Tagan Cape area; another B-24 flies armed weather reconnaissance.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) approve the directive for Operation OLYMPIC, the invasion of the Japanese Home Islands, scheduled for 1Nov 45.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 5 B-25s and 2 P-51s knock out a bridge N of Kioshan, damage another N of Changtuikuan, and pound railroad targets around Sinyang, Saiping, Sinantien, Hsuchang, and Chenghsien; 16 fighter-bombers on armed reconnaissance hit various targets of opportunity in the Nanyang, Burma and Anyang, Hantan, Chenghsien, Kaifeng, Linfen, Shihkiachwang, Sinsiang, Miyanghsien, Tenghsien, Loning, Sichuan, and Hsuchang, China areas. The 322TCS, 14AF, moves form Kunming to Loping, China with C-47s.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Unit moves: 83BS(M), 12BG(M), ceases operating from Magwe, Burma with B-25s, and returns to base at Fenny, India; 427th Night Fighter Squadron, 10AF, moves from Myitkyina, Burma to Dinjan, India with P-61s (a detachment is operating from Kunming, China).
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 416BG(L) and 668th, 669th, 670th and 671BS(L) move from Athies Airfield, Laon to Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France with A-26s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): HQ 484BG(H) and 824th, 825th, 826th and 827BS(H) move from Torretto Airfield, Italy to Casablanca, French Morocco with B-24s and begin transporting troops.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ 62TCG moves from Tarquinia to Rosignano Airfield, Italy.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): By concurrence of Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPOA), the VII Fighter Command, with its subordinate units, is assigned to operational and administrative control of HQ Twentieth AF. 100 Iwo Jima-based P-51s fly 73 effective strike sorties against Matsudo and Tokorozawa Airfields, Japan claiming 8-0-1Japanese aircraft in the air and 10-0-40 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost.
Mission 183: During the night of 25/26 May, 464 B-29's pound the urban area of Tokyo immediately S of the Imperial Palace just N of that bombed on 23/24 May, including financial, commercial, and governmental districts as well as factories and homes; 6 others bomb targets of opportunity; they claim 19 Japanese fighters; 26 B-29s
are lost on this mission, the highest single-day loss of B-29s in World War II.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers fly numerous strikes and ground support missions. Fighter-bombers also support ground force on Cebu Island. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Oelin, Ft Brook, and Tarakan Island while B-25s and P-38s hit Kudat and P-38s also support ground action on Tarakan.
SATURDAY, 26 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 12 B-25s and 6 P-51s damage 2 bridges N of Hankow; 4 B-25s hit railroad targets around Lohochai and between Kinkiang and Kioshan; 3 B-25s attack truck convoys in the Siangtan
and Paoching areas and along the Paoching-Hengyang-Changsha highway; 80+ fighter-bombers over several areas in S and E China continue to harass Japanese movements, attacking troops and positions and hitting rail and road traffic; the Japanese complete their withdrawal from Yungning, severing the land connection with French Indochina; the Chinese retake Nanning.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 398BG(H) and 600th, 601, 602 and 603BS(H) begin a movement from Nuthampstead, England to the US with B-17s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 422NFS, IX Tactical Air Command, moves from Langensalza to Rothwesten Airfield, Kassel, Germany with P-61s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Brigadier General James A Mollison assumes command of the 15AF. The 772BS(H), 463BG(H), moves from Celone Airfield to Pomigliano Airfield, Italy with B-17s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Brigadier General Charles T Myers assumes command of the Twelfth AF. The 4th and 8TCSs, 62TCG, move from Tarquinia to Rosignano Airfield, Italy with C-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 10 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 16 P-47s from Saipan Island strafe airfields on Moen Island, the seaplane base on Dublon Island, and several targets of opportunity, all in Truk Atoll.
Mission 184: During the night of 26/27 May, 29 B-29s mine waters in Shimonoseki Strait and at Fushiki, Fukuoka, and Karatsu.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-25s and P-38s sweep the W part of Formosa causing extensive damage to a variety of communications and industrial targets. A-20s and fighter-bombers pound numerous Luzon Island targets, particularly in the Balete Pass area and B-24s bomb Tuguegarao and Echague. Fighter-bombers also support ground forces on Cebu Island. In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers hit Tarakan Island, Beaufort, Weston, Tenom, Trusan Haji, Sandakan, and Jesselton.
SUNDAY, 27 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 15 B-25s bomb a textile mill at Chenghsien, attack trains, railroad track and a bridge in the Lohochai area, and bomb railroad yards at Sinyang; 80+ fighter-bombers attack town areas, trucks, railroad targets, bridges, and general targets of opportunity at scattered S and E China locations.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The 319TCS
(Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Asansol, India to Warazup, Burma with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 391BG(M) and 573BS(H) move from Assche, Belgium to Vitry-en-Artois, France with B-26s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 185: During the night of 27/28 May, 9 B-29s drop mines in Shimonoseki Strait and in the Moji area; 1 B-29 is lost. 16 Saipan Island-based P-47s sweep Truk Atoll, strafing the airfield, aircraft, and radio tower and facilities on Moen Island, buildings at the Dublon Island seaplane base and on Udot Island, and small craft off Dublon and Fanamu Islands.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-24s pound the railroad yards and rolling stock at Muong Man and Phan Rang, French Indochina. On Formosa, B-25s and fighter-bombers attack targets at Koshun, Shinei, Tairin, Ensui, Kohyo, and Kobi and attack numerous targets of opportunity at many other locations. On Luzon island, B-24s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets while other fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Balete Pass, Baguio, and Ipo Dam sectors. In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s and fighter-bombers attack Tawau, Kudat, Langkon, and Sandakan, and hit targets on Tarakan Island.
MONDAY, 28 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 19 B-25s, along with 8 fighterbombers, hit railroad, road, and river traffic around Vinh, Quang Tri, Dap Cau, and Song Chu, French Indochina, knock out a bridge at Hwayuan and demolish a tunnel opening near Wuchang, China. In China, 16 P-51s cause heavy damage and casualties blasting a bridge and military installations near Wuchang; 27 P-51s hit bridges, troops, storage, trucks, trains, rivercraft, and other targets in the Yoyang area; 65 other fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity at several locations throughout S and E China; 15 photo reconnaissance aircraft continue to maintain good coverage of enemy movements; the detachment of the 25FS, 51FG, operating from Poseh with P-51s, returns to base at Yunnani.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): The 302Troop Carrier Squadron, 314TCG, moves from Dreux to Poix, France with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Unit moves from England to the US: HQ 445BG(H) from Tibenham; the 564th, 565th, 566th and 567BS(H), 389BG(H), from Hethel with B-24s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): In Japan, fighters from Iwo Jima Island hit Kasumigaura and its airfield with 6 planes claimed destroyed and 40+ damaged and P-47s fly heckler strikes against Kyushu during the night of 28/29 May. The Japanese wage their last strong air effort on Okinawa hitting a number of ships and sinking the destroyer USS Drexler (DD-741).
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In French Indochina, B-24s again bomb the railroad yards E of Saigon at Phan Rang and Muong Man. In Formosa, B-25s and fighter-bombers attack industrial targets of opportunity at Shoka, Taichu, Ujitsu, Byoritsu, and other locations. On Luzon Island, B-24s, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers attack Pateng, the Ipo Dam area, Tuguegarao and Ugae airstrips, Anuling, the Baguio area, guns and defenses in the Balete Pass area, and support ground forces at several points. In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s, and fighters hit gun positions and other targets at Balikpapan and P-38s dive-bomb Keningau and Jesselton Airfields.
Unit moves: HQ 374TCG from Biak Island, New Guinea to Nielson Field, Luzon; 550NPS, XIII Fighter Command (attached to 85FW), based at Tacloban, Leyte Island with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s, sends a detachment to operate from Sanga Sanga, Sulu Island (another detachment is operating from Zamboanga, Mindanao Island).
TUESDAY, 29 MAY 1945
ATO - AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND: HQ 61TCG and 14th and 15th Troop Carrier Squadrons arrive at Waller Field, Trinidad, BWI from France with C-47s and begin transporting troops back to the US.
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 4 B-25s weather abort a shipping sweep along the E coasts of Paramushiru and Shimushu Islands.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, a single B-24 damages a railroad bridge over the Huto River and 4 B-25s and 4 P-51s knock out a bridge S of Kuanshuishih. In French Indochina, 2 B-25s attack locomotives near Vinh and about 30 fighter-bombers attack communications and transportation targets around Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Quang Tri, Vinh and Yen, Chenghsien and Yoyang, China
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The 88FS, 80th FG, moves from Moran to Dudhkundi, India with P-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 186: 454 B-29s, escorted by 101 P-51s from the VII Fighter Command for the first time on a fire-bomb raid, bomb Yokohama with incendiaries and destroy the main business district (a third of the city's area) along the waterfront; the burned out area of Yokohama now amounts to almost 9 square miles (23.3 square km); about 150 Japanese fighters attack the formations; the B-29s claim 6 fighters and the P-51s claim 26-9-23: 7 B-29s and 3 P-51s are lost. HQ 509th Composite Group arrives at North Field, Tinian Island from the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa, 100+ B-24s bomb Kiirun and several other towns and B-25s, and fighter-bombers, hit the Tainan alcohol plant and targets of opportunity. On Luzon Island, B-24s, B-25s, and A-20s hit a variety of targets in the N while other fighterbombers hit the C part of the island including the Cagayan Valley, Baguio, Balete, and Ipo areas. In Borneo, B-24s hit airfields at Oelin, Tabanio, and
Ft Brook.
WEDNESDAY, 30 MAY 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 7 B-25s pound railroad yards at Sinsiang and knock out a bridge at Sincheng; 28 fighter-bombers attack bridges, enemy positions, trucks, railroad targets, barracks, and general targets of opportunity around Anyang, Liuchow, Chingmen, Chungmow, Linfen, Huluehchen, Kweilin, Hsinganhsien, Leiyang, and Yenkoupu.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The 90FS, 80th FG, moves from Moran to Dudhkundi, India with P-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Units beginning a movement from England to the US: HQ 389BG(H) from Hethel; 700th, 701, 702 and 703BS(H), 445BG(H), from Tibenham with B-24s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: HQ 70FW from Bruhl to Bad Wildungen, Germany; 556th, 557th, 558th and 559BS(M), 387BG(M), from Beek, the Netherlands to Rosieres-en-Santerre, France with B-26s; 596BS(M), 397BG(M), from Venlo, the Netherlands to Peronne, France with B-26s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 10 Guam Island-based B-24s hit the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 14 P-47s strafe barges at Truk Atoll; 28 P-47s from Ie Shima Island hit shipping and a lighthouse at Amami-O-Shima, Japan and Okino Erabu, Ryukus Islands. The 320TCS and 393BS(VH), 509th Composite Group, arrive at North Field, Tinian Island from the US with C-47s, C-54s and B-29s respectively.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa, 100+ B-24s pound Takao while fighters sweep the coastal areas and B-25s concentrate on the Shinei area. A-20s hit Cagayan Valley targets on Luzon
Island. B-24s and fighters hit several targets in Borneo, concentrating on Tawau personnel and supply area and the airstrip at Ranau.
THURSDAY, 31 May 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 5 B-25s and 4 P-47s hit railroad tracks and cars in the Chenghsien and Kaifeng areas, knock out a bridge at Sinyang, damage a bridge at Lohochai, and strafe AA positions at both bridges; 30+ fighter-bombers damage 4 bridges, hit several railroad targets and rivercraft, attack trucks and troops, and strafe numerous targets of opportunity around Shihkiachwang, Changsha, Yoyang, Yenkoupu, Taohwaping, Changanyi, Chiuchiang, Liuchow, Tsinkong, and Pioching.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): USAAF units, including the 10AF and US components of the Eastern Air Command (EAC), are withdrawn from the Southeast Asia Command (SEAC) and returned to the operational control of the AAF; EAC is inactivated, along with the Strategic AF and Combat Cargo Task Force. The detachment of the 156th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 2 Air Commando Group, operating from Magwe, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s, returns to base at Kalaikunda, India.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 303BG(H) and 358th, 359th, 360th and 427BSs move from Molesworth, England to Casablanca, French Morocco and begin flying troops from Europe to N Africa for return to the US with B-17s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 597th, 598th and 599BS(M), 397BG(M), move from Venlo, the Netherlands to Peronne, France with B-26s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 8 P-47s from Ie Shima Island strafe buildings, barracks, and seaplane ramps at Amami-O-Shima, Japan.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers attack targets, with 90+ B-24s concentrating on Takao while other planes hit Kosbun, Giran warehouses and communications targets, and blast transportation and communications targets over wide areas. On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit targets in the Cagayan Valley, Balete Pass, and Baguio and Ipo areas. Fighter-bombers also hit Negros Island. On Borneo, B-25s and fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations on Tarakan Island and the occupied building area at Belait; fighter-bombers also blast airfields at Kudat, Jesselton, Keningau, and Labuan Island. HQ 433TCG move from Tanauan, Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon.
JUNE 1945
FRIDAY, 1 JUNE 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): A 4-plane shipping strike is called off due to weather.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: HQ AAF: The AAF Center, with headquarters at Orlando, Florida, is established with jurisdiction over the AAF School of Applied Tactics (formerly AAF Tactical Center), AAF Proving Ground Command, and AAF Board.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (2AF): During Jun, the detachment of the 4th Photographic RS, 311(Photo) Wing (Mapping and Charting): (attached to 6RG), operating from Zamboanga, Mindanao Island, Philippine Islands with F-7s, moves to Clark Field, Luzon Island (squadron is based at Hollandia, New Guinea and is mapping areas of the SW and W Pacific).
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 6 B-25s bomb the Sinsiang railroad yards while 4 B-25s and 4 P-47s damage a bridge N of Linmingkuan; 18 P-51s hit river shipping, warehouses and other targets in the Yoyang area; 20 other fighter-bombers knock out a bridge near Szeshui, pound river shipping near Yoyang, and attack various targets in the Huluehchen area; during Jun, the 118TRS, 14AF (attached to 23FG), moves from Chengkung to Laohwangping with P-40s and P-51s.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Unit moves in India: HQ 1 Combat Cargo Group from Hathazari to Myitkyina, Burma; 1 and 2Troop Carrier Squadrons, 443TCG, from Warazup and Shingbwiyang, Burma respectively to Dinjan with C-47s; 2 and 3Combat Cargo Squadrons, 1 Combat Cargo Group, from Hathazari to Bhamo and Myitkyina, Burma respectively with C-47s; 9th, 436th and 492BS(H), 7BG(H), from Pandaveswar to Tezpur with B-24s; 317th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2Air Commando Group, from Kalaikunda to Ledo with C-47s.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): During Jun, the following C-47s units begin a movement from France to the US: 71, 72d, 73and 74th TCSs, 434TCG from Mourmelon-le-Grand; 76th, 77th and 78TCSs from Bretigny.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The Operational Analysis Section ceases to function as a unit after a successful career of statistical research which assisted materially in improving the effectiveness of US strategic bombing. Unit moves in England: HQ 96th Combat BW(H) from Horsham St Faith to Ketteringham; HQ 457BG(H) and 748th, 749th, 750th and 751BS(H) from Glatton to the US with B-17s. During Jun, the 812th, 813th and 814BS(H), 482BG(H), begin a movement from Alconbury, England to the US with B-17s and B-24s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 575BS(M), 391BG(M), moves from Assche, Belgium to Vitry-en-Artois, France with B-26s. Unit moves during Jun, HQ 322BG(M) and 452BS(H) from Le Culot, Belgium to Fritzlar and Wickenrode, Germany respectively with B-26s; 72Liaison Squadron, XII Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), from Augsburg to Darmstadt, Germany with L-5s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): During early Jun, HQ 465BG(H) and 780th, 781, 782 and 783BS(H) begin a movement from Pantanella Airfield, Italy to Waller
Field, Trinidad, BWI with B-24s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 187: 458 B-29s attack Osaka, Japan and 16 others hit targets of opportunity; 148 P-51s of the VII Fighter Command, enroute to the escort rendezvous with the B-29s, encounter a severe weather front; flying behind in excessive turbulence, many of the fighters collide and 27 are lost; 27 others manage to find the B-29s and escort them over the target; the B-29s claim 16 Japanese fighters and the P-51s claim 1-0-0; 10 B-29s are lost. In the Ryukyu Islands 12 P-47s from Ie Shima Island fly strafing and rocket attacks against Kikaiga Island, Tokuno, and Amami Gunto, Japan.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In Formosa, B-24s pound Takao while fighter aircraft sweep the coastline. On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers continue to hit targets in the Cagayan Valley, at Pingkian, Kayapa, Gattaran, Cumao, Bone, and in the Ipo area; many of the mission s are ground support strikes. In Borneo, B-24s and P-38s hit Tarakan Island troop concentrations while B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s bit Kota Belud, Victoria, Jesselton, Langkon, and Labuan Island. The 67th and 69TCSs, 433TCG, move from Tanauan, Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon with C-47s. Unit moves during Jun 45: HQ 54TCW and 85FW from Leyte Island to Clark Field and Ft William McKinley, Luzon respectively.
SATURDAY, 2 JUNE 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 2 B-25s blast fuel and ammunition dumps NE of Nanyang, Burma. In China, 20 fighter-bombers attack the airfield at Tsinan, railroad yards and targets of opportunity at Anyang and the warehouse area at Paoching, knock out a bridge S of Singtai, and hit trucks, tanks, and armored vehicles in the Liuchow area.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 11Guam-based B-24s attack the airfield area on Moen Island in Truk Atoll.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): P-47s fly heckler strikes against Kyushu Island, Japan during the night of 2/3 Jun.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers continue to hit the Cagayan Valley in force, support ground forces in the Balete Pass and Ipo sectors, and attack areas E of Manila and N of Baguio. Fighter-bombers hit areas near Mount Mandalagan on Negros Island and dug-in positions NW of Bogo on Cebu Island. In Borneo, B-24s hit Pontianak Airfield and Tarakan and Labuan Islands while B-25s and fighters attack Kudat, Sandakan, and Miri. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Hozan and hit warehouses and dock facilities at Kiirun.
SUNDAY, 3 JUNE 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): On Shimushu Island in the Kurile Islands, 1 B-24 flying a radar ferret Mission to Kataoka is followed by 8 others, radarbombing and photographing scattered targets in the naval base area; 7 B-25s take off for an attack but 4 are turned back by weather and the others low level bomb a Masugawa River Cannery.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 5 B-25s and 25 P-51s blast the warehouse area and river traffic at Liuchow; 2 B-25s bomb the Sinyang-Lohochai railroad; a single B-24, escorted by 2 P-51s, damages a bridge N of Shihkiachwang; 4 P-51s damage a bridge E of Kiehsiu and strafe a train and lumber carts N of Linfen; bad weather curtails other scheduled fighter-bomber mission s.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): HQ 3Combat Cargo Group moves from Dinjan, India to Myitkyina, Burma while it's 9th and 10th Combat Cargo Squadron move from Warazup, Burma and Dinjan to Myitkyina with C-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): P-47s on a heckler patrol strafe targets of opportunity on Amami-O-Shima Island, Japan.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In Borneo, B-24s and fighters hit resistance areas on Negros Island. B-24s attack Kota Waringin and Muara Island while B-24s bomb Batavia, Java. P-51s hit coastal cargo vessels over the SE China coast.
MONDAY, 4 JUNE 1945
ATO - AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND: Units arriving at Waller Field, Trinidad, BWI from Italy with C-47s: HQ 60TCG and 10th, 11th, 12th and 28TCSs; HQ 64TCG and 16th, 17th, 18th and 35TCSs. These units will transport personnel from Waller Field to the US.
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 8 B-25s abort a shipping strike at Kurabu Cape on Paramushiru Island due to weather; 11 B-24s, however, get through and radar-bomb Kataoka naval base on Shimushu Island.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 12 B-25s heavily damage railroad yards and warehouses at Sinsiang; 10 B-25s and 4 P-51s in repeat attack on the yards cause numerous fires; 2 B-25s and 3 P-51s hit road and railroad targets of opportunity from Sinyang to Hsuchang; 17 fighters bomb or strafe bridges, railroad traffic, and other targets of opportunity around Chihsien, Linfen, Shihkiachwang, and Liuchow.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 153Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), moves from Brunswick to Augsburg, Germany with L-5s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): HQ 451BG(H) and 724th, 725th, 726th and 727BS(H), begin a movement from Castelluccio, Italy to the US with B-24s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 13 Guam Island-based B-24s hit the airfield and boat basin on Marcus Island in the N Pacific.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 8 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island bomb the radio station on Chichi Jima Island and strafe the town of Okimura on Haha Jima Island during the return flight. P-47s fly heckler strikes against Kyushu Island, Japan during the night of 4/5 Jun.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity in the Cagayan Valley and A-20s and fighter-bombers supporting ground forces strike defensive positions in Balete Pass, Aritao, Mount Imugan, Carulay, and Bambang. B-24s bomb Taihoku, Formosa. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Balikpapan and Manggar and support ground forces on Tarakan Island and B-25s hit Manggar, Djembajan, and Kudat.
TUESDAY, 5 JUNE 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 32 B-25s and 8 P-51s bomb the city of Nanyang, Burma, hit railroad yards at Anyang, and damage a bridge approach at Chuanhsien, China, and bomb ferries at Ninh Binh and Dap Cau, French Indochina. 40+ fighters bomb and strafe rail, river, and road traffic and general targets of opportunity throughout S and E China.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The 12th Combat Cargo Squadron, 3Combat Cargo Group, moves from Ledo, India to Myitkyina, Burma with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: HQ 406FG and 512th, 513th and 514FSs from Handorf to Nordholz, Germany with P-47s; 572 and 574BS(M), 391BG(M), from Assche, Belgium to Vitry-en-Artois, France with A-26s and B-26s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 188: 473 B-29s pound the city of Kobe, Japan with incendiaries; 8 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim 86 Japanese fighters; 11 B-29s are lost; the attack burns off over 4 square miles (10.4 square km) and damages over half of the city. P-47s from Ie Shima Island patrol over Amami Gunto Island, Japan and strafe a lighthouse.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets while other fighter-bombers support ground actions in Cervantes, Balete Pass, and Ipo battle zones and hit forces E of Manila. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Melak, Asa, and Kuching Airfields and Tarakan and Labuan Islands, while B-25s and fighters concentrate on Tuaran, Mensalung, and Kudat. B-24s pound Taito, Formosa.
WEDNESDAY, 6 JUNE 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 11 B-25s and 9 P-51s bomb railroad yards N of Siaokan and damage bridges, strafe gun positions, and attack general targets of opportunity around Saiping and Hwayuan; 30+ fighters bomb or strafe bridges near Chihsien and Fengstun and hit troops, railroad targets, and targets of opportunity around Linfen, Laohokow, Changsha, Peking, and Kweilin, and Dap Cau and Thanh Hoa, French Indochina.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 9AF moves from Chantilly, France to Bad Kissingen, Germany.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): B-24 unit moves from Italy to Waller Field, Trinidad, BWI: HQ 460BG(H) and 760th, 761, 762 and 763BS(H) from Spinazzola; HQ 464BG(H) and 776th, 777th, 778th and 779BS(H) from Pantanella Airfield.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 Guam Island-based B-24s hit oil storage buildings on Eten Island, Truk Atoll.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 36 Ie Shima Island-based P-47s, sweeping the S part of Kyushu Island, Japan, hit numerous targets of opportunity with rockets and machinegun fire, and claim 9 aircraft downed; in the Ryukyu Islands, Ie Shima-based P-47s patrol over Amami Gunto Island, Japan, strafing a lighthouse and buildings.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, A-20s and fighter-bombers blast bridges in Cagayan Valley and other fighterbombers pound the Balete Pass area. On Borneo, B-24s, B-25s, and fighterbombers hit Labuan Island supply areas, support troops on Tarakan Island, and bomb Kota Waringin and Pontianak Airfields, areas along the Belait River, around Brunei, and strike Miri, Jesselton, Kudat, and Beaufort. Bad weather cancels all missions against Formosan targets.
THURSDAY, 7 JUNE 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 7 B-25s and 4 P-47s damage a bridge near Anyang, bomb buildings N of Changsha and the airstrip at Paoching, and hit targets of opportunity during a road and river sweep from Siangtan to Yoyang; 45 fighters bomb or strafe numerous targets including troops, river traffic, town areas, and supplies in S and E China and knock out bridges at Singtai and Chihsien.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): Unit moves in India: HQ 7BG(H) from Pandaveswar to Tezpur; and 81BS(M), 12BG(M), from Fenny to Madhaiganj Airfield with B-25s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 578th and 579BS(H), 392BG(H) begin a movement from Wendling, England to the US with B-24s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Major Gustav M Minton Jr, takes command of HQ XXII Tactical Air Command, which ceases to function; Major Minton continues in the command until transfer to Army AFs Service Command, MTO - (AAFSCMTO) on 12 Aug.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): In the Palau Islands, 24 B-24s from Angaur Island, bomb the boat repair basin on Aurapushekaru Island. HQ 41BG(M) and the 396th and 820BSs (M) move from Wheeler Field, Hawaii to Okinawa with B-25s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 189: 409 B-29s, escorted by 138 VII Fighter Command P-51s, drop incendiary and high explosive bombs on Osaka, Japan, hitting the east-central section of the city which contains industrial and transportation targets and the Osaka Army Arsenal (largest in Japan); despite being forced to bomb by radar because of heavy undercast, the B-29s burn out over 2 square miles (5.2 square km) of the city, destroying 55,000+ buildings; 9 other B-29s hit alternate targets; the P-51s claim 2-0-1Japanese aircraft; 2 B-29s and 1 P-51are lost.
Mission 190: During the night of 7/8 Jun, 26 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and waters around Fukuoka and Karatsu, Japan. 20 P-47s from Ie Shima Island hit targets of opportunity (radio station, warehouses, freighter, and motor launches) on Kyushu Island, Japan, and claim 5 aircraft downed.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, A-20s and fighter-bombers hit personnel and defensive positions near Infanta, at Mount Mapatad, in the Marikina area, and in other areas in the Ipo sector;
in the N fighter-bombers pound numerous Cagayan Valley targets and support ground forces N of Baguio and E of Manila. In Borneo, B-24s pound Brooketon and Muara Island; B-25s and fighter-bombers hit Kudat, Ft Brook, Belait, Jesselton, and Keningau.
FRIDAY, 8 JUNE 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 15 P-51s and P-40s attack bridges near Hankow, N of Sinsiang, and SE of Tayung, knocking out the latter; 17 other fighters bomb and strafe river-craft, warehouses, trucks, airfield, town areas, and general targets of opportunity around Hwangkang, Ichang, Hengyang, Laohokow, and Tehsien.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): HQ 12BG(M) moves from Fenny to Pandaveswar and Madhaiganj Airfield, India respectively with B-25s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ XXIX Tactical Air Command (having been activated as a provisional command on 14 Sep 44) is activated by HQ 9AF.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Very Long Range Mission 17: 104 Iwo Jima Island-based fighters dispatched against Kagamigahara Airfield and Meiji in the Nagoya, Japan area, abort due to bad weather. The 548NFS, VII Fighter Command (attached to AAFPOA), moves from Iwo Jima Island to Ie Shima Island with P-61s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: Bad weather cancels Formosa strikes and limits operations on Luzon Island to fighter-bomber strikes against Cagayan Valley targets. In Borneo, Labuan Island Airfield is bombed by B-24s, while other B-24s and B-25s and P-38s attack gun positions at Balikpapan.
SATURDAY, 9 JUNE 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In coordination with USN surface and AFs attacking in the Kurile Islands, 6 B-24s and 8 B-25s fly extensive armed weather reconnaissance and anti-shipping sweeps over Kurabu and Otomari Capes, Ichinowatashi, and Asahigawa on Paramushiru Island; the B-24s score no results, half of them jettisoning their bombs; the B-25s then fly a diversionary bombing Mission over Araido Island where they are attacked by 8 Japanese fighters; to evade them, the B-25s fly over Kamchatka where Soviet AA fire shoots down one, killing its crew; another damaged B-25 crash-lands in Petropavlovsk. This is the first time Soviet AA hits a US aircraft.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 3 B-25s and 60+ P-47s, P-51s, and P-40s damage 4 bridges, hit river shipping, pound town areas and villages, and attack various targets of opportunity around Nanyang, Burma and Hwayuan, Changte, Suchow, Sinyang, Hankow, Laohokow, Tatung, Tashihkiao, Pinyang, Luchai, Kiehsiu, Linfen, Tsinan, and Shihkiachwang, China.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The 83BS(M), 12BG(M), moves from Fenny to Pandaveswar, India with B-25s.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - ICELAND (Iceland Base Command): The 33FS, Iceland Base Command, begins a movement from Iceland to the US.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Units moving from England to the US: HQ 351BG(H) and 508th, 509th, 510th and 511BS(H) from Polebrook with B-17s; the 576th and 577BS(H), 392BG(H), from Wendling with B-24s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Five missions are flown.
Mission 191: 44 B-29s attack the Kawanishi Aircraft Company's plant at Narao; 1other hits a target of opportunity.
Mission 192: 24 B-29s hit the Kawasaki plant at Akashi; there is 9/10 cloud cover and bombing is by radar; the village of Akashi rather than the factory is hit; 2 others bomb targets of opportunity.
Mission 193: 42 B-29s hit Aichi's Atsuta factory; only 4 bombs hit the target area but 1causes a devastating fire; 1other hits a target of opportunity.
Mission 194: During the night of 8/9 Jun, 26 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait; 1other mines an alternate target. 20 P-47s from Ie Shirna strafe various targets of opportunity on Kyushu Island, Japan. 57 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island pound Kagamigahara Airfield and the surrounding area in the Nagoya area; 20+ parked airplanes are claimed destroyed or damaged; 3 P-51s are lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In Borneo, Labuan Island is bombed by B-24s and other B-24s drop napalm on Brooketon. On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets and support ground forces in the Cervantes areas. Ground forces penetrate the last defensive position on Mindanao Island. Bad weather cancels operations N of the Philippine Islands. The 550NPS, XIII Fighter Command, based at Tacloban, Leyte Island with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s, sends a detachment to operate from Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island (other detachments are at Zamboanga, Mindanao and Sanga Sanga, Sulu Island).
SUNDAY, 10 JUNE 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 2 B-24s fly with the USN's Fleet Air Wing Four bombers on a shipping attack and sink NICHIEI MARU #5 off the SW coast of Paramushiru Island, Kurile Islands.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 14 P-51s damage a bridge near Singtai and attack barracks, river-craft, fuel dumps, trucks and other targets of opportunity around Taohsien, Lingling, Liuchow, and Kaifeng.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): HQ 4thCCG and the 13th, 14th and 15th Combat Cargo Squadrons move from Chittagong, India to Namponmao, Burma with C-46s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves in Germany: 125LS, IX Fighter Command (attached to Sixth Army Group), from Brunswick to Heidelberg with L-5s; 167th Liaison Squadron, XII Tactical Air Command, from Pfaffengrund to Darmstadt with L-5s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):6 missions are flown.
Mission 195: 23 B-29s attack the seaplane base at Kasumigaura; 2 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 196: 32 B-29s bomb an the Japan Aircraft Company plant at Tomioka; 1other hits an alternate target.
Mission 197: 118 B-29s are dispatched to hit the Nakajima Aircraft plant at Musashi; clouds cover the target and they hit the Hitachi engineering works at Kaigan; 2 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 198: 26 B-29s attack the Hitachi plant at Chiba.
Mission 199: 52 B-29s hit the Nakajima plants at Ogikubu and Omiya; 4 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 200: 29 B-29s attack the Tachikawa Army Air Arsenal and 3 others hit alternate targets. The VII Fighter Commands sends 107 P-51s to escort the B-29s; 27-7-10 Japanese aircraft are claimed without loss. 39 Ie Shima Island-based P-47s sweeping Kyushu Island, Japan, strafe numerous ground targets of opportunity, and claim 17 aircraft shot down.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers again pound the Cagayan Valley area and support ground forces E of Manila. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Labuan Island and Brooketon in coordination with landings of the Australian 9 Division on the shore of Brunei Bay and on Labuan and Muara Islands.
MONDAY, 11 JUNE 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 8 B-24s on a shipping sweep over the Kurile Islands do not find targets because of overcast and instead radar-bomb installations on Kurabu Cape, Paramushiru Island and in the Kataoka areas of Shimushu Island.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 4 B-25s, with fighter escort, bomb railroad yards at Kuanshuishih; 29 fighters attack bridges, rail and road traffic, river-craft, and targets of opportunity in general around Fenglochen, Liuchow, Samshui, Luchai, Lipu, Leiyang, and Kweilin.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The 16th Combat Cargo Squadron, 4thCCG, moves from Chittagong, India to Namponmao, Burma with C-46s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 857BS(H), 492BG(H) (attached to 1Air Division), moves from Bassingbourne to Alconbury, England with B-24s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):
Mission 201: During the night of 11/12 Jun, 26 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and Tsuruga Bay. Iwo Jima Island-based fighters hit Tokorozawa Airfield, Japan; pilots attacking the airfield claim 18 parked airplanes destroyed and 30+ damaged. Combat crews of the 509th Composite Group begin to arrive at North Field, Tinian Island, Mariana Islands, with their B-29s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s and fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets and pound forces E of Manila in the Ipo-Infanta areas and various targets N of Baguio; ground support strikes are flown in the Marikina River sector. In Borneo, B-24s support ground forces on Tarakan Island and bomb Kota Baru, Laoet Island, and Tawau; P-38s hit Beaufort while B-25s support ground forces in the Brunei Bay sector.
TUESDAY, 12 JUNE 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 4 B-25s strafe shipping off Paramushiru Island, near Arahata Cape, damaging 4 freighters and 2 barges; one of the B-25s is shot down.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 2 B-25s knock out a bridge S of Yutze while 4 escorting P-47s hit nearby AA positions and afterwards pound railroad targets at Linfen; 9 P-51s and 2 P-61s damage a bridge N of Hengyang, hit a storage area at Yunganshih, and attack railroad targets, troops, horses, AA positions, and road traffic in Neikiuhsien and Hengyang.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Unit moves in England: HQ 2 and 98BWS(H) from Hethel and Polebrook respectively to Alconbury; HQ 92BG(H) and 325th and 326BS(H) from Podington to Istres, France with B-17s where they begin transporting troops from Marseilles to Casablanca for return to the US; HQ 379BG(H) begins a movement from Kimbolton to Casablanca, French Morocco; HQ 467BG(H) and 788th, 789th, 790th and 791BS(H) begin a movement from Rackheath to the US with B-24s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 12 Guam Island-based B-24s pound the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: B-24s inflict heavy destruction on the navy yard and dock area at Hong Kong and railroad yards at Saigon, French Indochina. 2 B-32s bomb the airstrip on Batan Island. Numerous fighter-bombers and B-25s hit Cagayan Valley targets while other fighterbombers support ground forces N of Baguio and Balete Pass and E of Manila, all on Luzon Island and in Borneo, others concentrate on Tarakan Island, the Brunei Bay area, and coastal routes in N Borneo.
WEDNESDAY, 13 JUNE 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 11 B-25s and 7 P-51s considerably damage the Kaifeng railroad yards and strafe a communications center S of Puchou; 8 P-51s damage 2 bridges at Fenglochen and Shihkiachwang and hit railroad targets of opportunity around Fenglochen and Suchow.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Unit moves in England: HQ 14BW(H) from Shipdham to Bury St Edmunds and HQ 20BW(H) from Hardwick to Snetterton Heath.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 13 B-24s from Guam Island bomb the airfield on Moen Island, Truk Atoll.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):
Mission 202: During the night of 13/14 May, 29 B-29s drop mines in Shimonoseki Strait and in the waters at Niigata. 40+ P-47s from Ie Shima Island strafe and fire rockets at vessels, buildings, a radio station, barracks, and airfields at Amakusa Jima and Amami-O-Shima Islands, and Tokuno, Japan.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In Formosa, bad weather hinders B-24s; a few hit Toshien, the primary target and others hit alternates including Toko, Koshun, Kontei, Garan-bi Point, Taito, the Mako naval base and other targets and 2 B-32s bomb Koshun Airfield. On Luzon Island, A-20s and fighter-bombers attack the Cervantes and Marikina areas, targets in the Cagayan Valley, and islands N of Luzon. In Borneo, B-24s bomb the Balikpapan-Sepinggang area; B-25s and fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Brunei Bay area and, sweeping N Borneo from Kudat to Miri, hit numerous targets of opportunity.
THURSDAY, 14 JUNE 1945
AMERICAN THEATER ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The Joint Chiefs of Staff direct Generals of the Army Henry H "Hap" Arnold and Douglas MacArthur and Fleet Admiral Chester W Nimitz to prepare for immediate occupation of Japan in the event the enemy suddenly collapses or surrenders.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 42 P-51s attack bridges, shipping, AA positions, railroad targets, trucks, and communications around Hengyang, Hankow, Yoyang, Lingling, Anyang, Szeshui, Hohsien, Shihkiachwang, Neikiuhsien and Puchou.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 458BG(H) begins a movement from Horsham St Faith, England to the US.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 63FW moves from Heidelberg to Schwabisch-Hall, Germany and HQ 17BG(M) and 95BS(M) move from Dijon, France to Horsching, Austria with B-26s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers pound areas around the Cagayan Valley, Cervantes and N of Baguio and E of Manila. On Celebes Island, B-24s bomb warehouses at Parepare and a personnel area at Sidate. B-24s bomb AA positions at Balikpapan, Borneo. The air echelon of the 25th Photographic RS, 6RG, begins operating from Clark Field, Luzon with F-5s (squadron is based at San Jose, Mindoro Island).
FRIDAY, 15 JUNE 1945
ATO - AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND: B-24 units arriving at Waller Field, Trinidad, BWI from Italy to move troops to the US: HQ 464BG(H) and 776th, 777th, 778th and 779BS(H); HQ 465BG(H) and 780th, 781, 782 and 783BS(H); and the 760th, 761, 762 and 763BSs (H), 460BG(H).
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 3 B-25s and 47 P-51s and P-47s knock out a bridge W of Shihkiachwang, damage and attack others, and hit trucks, barracks, river-craft, storage facilities, gun positions, railroad targets, and targets of opportunity; targets are the Pinghan railroad, Kukong, Lingling, Chenhsien, Kuotaichiao, Pakonghow, Kweilin, Anyang, Shihkiachwang, Loyang, Liuchow, and Paoching areas.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): B-24 units beginning a movement from England to the US: HQ 44BG(H) and 66th, 68th and 506BS(H) from Shipham; HQ 392BG(H) from Wendling; 328th, 329th, 330th and 409BS(H), 93BG(H), from Hardwick.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 430FS, 474th FG, moves from Langensalza, Germany to Nice, France with P-38s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): HQ 460BG(H) begins a movement from Spinazzola, Italy to Waller Field, Trinidad, BWI.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The 86BS(L), 47BG(L), moves from Grosseto to Pisa, Italy with A-20s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 203: 444 B-29s fly an incendiary Mission against the Osaka-Amagasaki urban area, ending a month of concentrated fire raids against large Japanese cities; an additional 1.9 square miles (4.9 square km) of Osaka and 0.59 square miles (1.5 square km) of Amagasaki are burned out; 25 other B-29s hit alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost. 123 P-51s are dispatched as escort but 380 miles (612 km) from Iwo Jima the fighters are warned by a weather plane of a towering front over Japan and they abort the mission ; 1 P-51 is lost.
Mission 204: During the night of 15/16 May, 30 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and waters around Fukuoka, Karatsu, and Fushiki. The 680BS(VH), attached to HQ 504BG(VH), arrives at North Field, Tinian Island from
the US with B-29s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In Formosa, B-24s bomb Taichu Airfield and B-25s hit the town of Rokko and the airfield at Okaseki. On Luzon Island, numerous B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers pound various objectives, concentrating on the Cagayan Valley, the Cervantes area, and the Antipolo-Ipo sector. In Borneo, B-24s blast gun positions at Balikpapan and B-25s and P-38s hit areas between Brunei and Kudat. The 68th TCS, 433TCG, moves from Tanauan, Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon with C-46s.
SATURDAY, 16 JUNE 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 4 B-24s bomb and strafe shipping off Suribachi Bay, Paramushiru Island and a radar site on Minami Cape, Shimushu Island; one of the B-24s crashes into the water; 4 B-25s on a shipping strike score near misses on a freighter in Asahi Bay and bomb targets along the Torishima Chain; mechanical failures force 2 of the B-25s to fly to Petropavlovsk, USSR.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 2 B-25s hit supply movements on the Paoching-Hengyang road; 41 P-51 s attack bridges, shipping, road transport, power facilities, and railroad traffic, knocking out bridges near Siangtan, Changsha, and Suchow; rail, road and river traffic is attacked near Yoyang, Hengyang, Kuanyang, Shou-yang, Peking, and Linfen. A power plant at Uong Bi, French Indochina is heavily damaged.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: HQ 474FG and 428th and 429FSs from Langensalza to Schweinfurt, Germany with P-38s; the 37BS(M), 17BG(M), from Dijon, France to Linz, Austria with B-26s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): P-61s arrive on Ie Shima Island and take over night heckler missions against Kyushu Island, Japan from the P-47s; other P-61s fly night intruder missions over Amami Gunto Island, Japan, bombing various targets of opportunity; 38 P-47s from Ie Shima Island dive-bomb boats, AA positions, runways, and buildings on Kikai Island, Japan.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit personnel and supply targets in the Cagayan Valley and E of Manila, and support ground forces in the Cervantes sector. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Balikpapan gun emplacements, Tawau, and Samarinda, while B-25s hit the Brunei Bay area and fighter-bombers attack Miri, Jesselton, and Keningau Airfields and N Borneo targets of opportunity. On Formosa, 90+ B-24s pound Kiirun harbor and the town of Takao and 3 B-32s bomb Taito. HQ 308BW(H) moves from Luzon to Okinawa Island.
SUNDAY, 17 JUNE 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 4 B-25s bomb shipping near Kataoka, Shimushu Island; one ship (KONGO MARU) is observed exploding, another burns after a strafing run; 4 other B-25s fly a shipping sweep from Shimushu to Kurabu Cape, Paramushiru Island; a number of vessels are sighted but cannot be attacked because of land-based AA.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: General of the Army Henry H "Hap" Arnold, Commanding General US Army AFs, requests of Lieutenant General Albert C Wedemeyer, Commanding General US Forces in China, that Lieutenant General George E Stratemeyer replace Major General Clare L Chennault as head of AFs in China.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 2 B-25s bomb road and rail supply movements in the Paoching and Hengyang areas; 2 B-25s and 4 P-47s severely damage a bridge at Linmingkuan; 54 P-51s, P-47s, and P-61s hit road transport, railroad, river traffic, gun positions, bridges, and targets of opportunity around Kukong, Hankow, Lingkuantien, Changsha, Yoyang, Loyunghsien, Luchai, Hwangshapu, Kiyang, Kweilin, Kaifeng, and Shihkiachwang; and 4 P-47s blast a communications center at Puchou.
HQ AAF (XX BC): HQ XX BC begins a movement from Kharagpur, India to Okinawa.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 379BG(H) and 524th, 525th, 526th and 527BS(H) arrive at Casablanca, French Morocco with B-17s to move troops from France to N Africa.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ 47BG(L) and 84th and 85BS(L) move from Grosseto to Pisa, Italy.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 1mining and 4 incendiary missions are flown during the night of 17/18 Jun.
Mission 205: 25 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and waters around Kobe; 2 others mine alternate targets.
Mission 206: 117 B-29s attack the Kagoshima urban area and 1 hits an alternate target; 2.15 square miles (5.56 square km) are destroyed; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 207: 116 B-29s hit the Omuta urban area and 3 hit alternate targets; the was the heaviest attack of the 5 but only 0.217 square miles (0.56 square km) were destroyed, only 4.1% of the city's area.
Mission 208: 130 B-29s hit the Hamamatsu urban area; 2.44 square miles (6.32 square km) are destroyed.
Mission 209: 89 B-29s attack the Yokkaichi urban area; 1.23 square miles (3.19 square km) are destroyed. 33 P-47s from Ie Shima Island bomb and strafe shipping, the airfield, villages, a bridge and radar and radio facilities on Amami Gunto Island and Tokuno, Japan. During the night of 17/18 Jun, 2 P-61s from Ie Shima Island fly an unsuccessful (due to weather) intruder strike over Amami Gunto and Kyushu, Japan; this begins a campaign of night and day intruder missions over Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands by the night fighters (12 more are flown during Jun).
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers pound Cagayan Valley targets and numerous other objectives throughout N Luzon; many of the strikes support US Sixth Army forces. In Borneo, B-24s pound Balikpapan area oil targets and gun positions; B-25s and P-38s hit Limbang town and sweep from Beaufort to Jesselton, hitting Beaufort buildings, several communications targets at various points, and personnel areas on Labuan Island. On Formosa, B-24s bomb industrial and railroad targets at Kiirun and P-38s pound a railroad bridge and trucks at Soton. The detachment of the 550NPS, XIII Fighter Command, operating from Zamboanga, Mindanao Island with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s, returns to base at Tacloban, Leyte Island (other detachment are at Sanga Sanga, Sulu Island and Puerto Princessa, Palawan Island).
MONDAY, 18 JUNE 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 6 B-24s join USN aircraft in attacking Kataoka, Shimushu Island and Tomari Cape, Paramushiru Island; cloud cover prevents observation of effects; 1 B-24 flies a radar-ferret Mission over the Kurile Islands.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 70+ P-51s, P-61s, and P-47s continue to disrupt the Japanese withdrawal from S and E China, attacking bridges, villages and town areas, barracks, troop concentrations, motor transport, shipping and rail traffic, and targets of opportunity throughout wide areas.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 4th, 41, 45th and 94CBWs(H) are disbanded at Bury St Edmunds, Molesworth, Snetterton Heath, and Alconbury, England respectively.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 320BG(M) moves from Tavaux Airfield, Dole, France to Herzogenaurach, Germany; the 34th and 432BS(M), 17BG(M), move from Dijon, France to Linz, Austria with B-26s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: Supporting US Sixth Army forces on Luzon Island, B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers continue to attack targets in the Cagayan Valley, Balete Pass, and Cervantes areas, and other locations. In Borneo, B-24s blast troop concentrations in Balikpapan and S of Miri, Manggar Airfield and Sepinggang defenses and B-25s support ground forces on Labuan Island. In Formosa, B-24s destroy a block of buildings and several warehouses and small vessels in Kiirun harbor area, P-51s hit Taien and Toyohara Airfields and targets of opportunity while P-38s start numerous fires in the town of Kari.
TUESDAY, 19 JUNE 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In a coordinated shipping search, a B-24 flies the theater's longest mission, a 2,700-mile (4,345 km) roundtrip lasting 15.5 hours and flying as far as Uruppu Island, Japan; turning N the B-24 bombs a small convoy 25 miles (40 km) SW of Shimushu Bay, Shimushu Island, Kurile Islands, sinks a vessel, heavily damages another, and sets 2 more afire; another B-24 bombs and photographs Matsuwa Island; 4 B-25s break off a shipping sweep due to the presence of Japanese fighters.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 5 B-25s and 4 P-47s knock out a bridge on the Pinghan (Hankow-Peking) railroad while 4 P-51s knock out another NE of Kihsien on the Tungpu railroad; 70+ other P-51s damage several bridges, hit rail, road and river traffic, supplies, troops, and general targets of opportunity throughout S and E China.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 95BG(H) begins a movement from Horham, England to the US.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 444BS(M), 320BG(M), moves from Tavaux Airfield, Dole, France to Berghof, Germany with B-26s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 22 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb the airfield on Marcus Island in the N Pacific.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 4 missions, 1mining and 3 incendiary missions against secondary cities, are flown during the night of 19/20 Jun.
Mission 210: 136 B-29s hit the Toyohashi urban area destroying 1.7 square miles (4.4 square km).
Mission 211: 221 B-29s attack the Fukuoka urban area destroying 1.37 square miles (3.55 square km); 2 other B-29s attack alternate targets.
Mission 212: 123 B-29s attack the Shizuoka urban area destroying 2.25 square miles (5.83 square km); 1other hits an alternate target; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 213: 28 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and the waters at Niigata, Miyazu, and Maizuru. 47 Ie Shima Island-based P-47s bomb the airfield on Tokuno Island while 16 others patrol uneventfully over Amami-O-Shima Island. 117 fighters dispatched from Iwo Jima Island against Kagamigahara Airfield and Meiji, Japan abort because of bad weather.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: A-20s and fighterbombers continue to pound Luzon Island, chiefly around Cagayan Valley, SE of Aparri, and around Cervantes while heavy strikes in the C Cagayan area are in support of guerilla offensive. In Borneo, B-24s bomb fortifications and AA guns at Balikpapan while B-25s hit N Borneo targets including Keningau Airfield and targets N and NW of Kudat. In Formosa, B-24s bomb docks, warehouses, and railroad yards at Kiirun and B-25s pound the Shoka railroad yards and P-51s attack AA positions between Rokko and Toyohara; 2 bridges in the Shoka area are destroyed or badly damaged. The detachment of the 550th NFS, XIII Fighter Command, operating from Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s, returns to base at Tacloban, Leyte Island (a detachment is operating from Sanga Sanga, Sulu Island).
WEDNESDAY, 20 JUNE 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In French Indochina, 8 B-25s and 6 P-51s knock out 2 bridges near Quang Tri and My Chanh and blast surrounding AA positions while 8 fighter-bombers sink at least 3 river steamers in a canal at Haiphong. In China, 37 P-51s hit rail, road, and river traffic, bridges, and general targets of opportunity around Liuchow, Kweilin, Juchai, Hankow, Siangtan, Changsha, Hengshan, Sintsiang, Kweiyi, Kueiyangshih, and Ft Bayard; a bridge at Hankow is destroyed and several others damaged. The 11th Combat Cargo Squadron, 14AF, move from Yunnani to Luliang, China with C-47s.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 52Troop Carrier Wing begins a movement from Amiens, France to the US.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 401BG(H) and the 612th, 613th, 614th and 615BS(H) begin a movement from Deenethorpe, England to the US with B-17s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 441 and 442BS(M), 320BG(M), move from Tavaux Airfield, Dole, France to Pfriemd and Furth, Germany respectively with B-26s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 14 P-47s from Ie Shima Island bomb and strafe vessels, buildings, a lighthouse, and a village on Amami Gunto Island and the airfield on Tokuno Island; 38 others bomb the airfield at Omura and hit Tokuno on the return trip.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: A-20s and fighterbombers blast resistance on Luzon Island and directly support a guerilla offensive in the C Cayagan Valley. B-24s again pound AA positions in the Balikpapan, Borneo area. B-24s bomb Shinchiku Airfield on Formosa. The 419th NFS, XIII Fighter Command, based at Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island with P-61s, sends a detachment to operate from Sanga Sanga, Sulu Island (another detachment is at Zamboanga, Mindanao Island).
THURSDAY, 21 JUNE 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In French Indochina, 16 B-25s bomb an enemy fort at Bac Ninh, hit railroad yards and trains at Thanh Hoa, Phu Dien, Yen Li Station, Ha Trung, and Ninh Binh, damage a tunnel at La Son, bomb a barge concentration at Ha Dong, and attack a train near the Duc Tho bridge. 40+ P-51s and P-38s hit road, rail, and river transport, coastal shipping, troops, supply lines, and targets of opportunity in French Indochina and S and E China.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Major General Westside T Larson
relieves Major General William E Kepner as Commanding General, 8AF.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 112th Liaison Squadron, 9AF (attached to HQ Command, SHAPE), moves from Buc, France to Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany with L-5s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 24 B-24s from Guam Island bomb fuel oil storage and power plant buildings on Eten Island in Truk Atoll. The detachment of the 28(Photo)RS, 7AF, operating from Ie Shima Island with F-5Es, returns to base on Okinawa.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 214: 25 B-29s mine the sea approaches around Fushiki, Senzaki, Nanao, and Yuya Bay, Japan during the night of 21/22 Jun; 2 others mine alternate areas.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: Fighter-bombers attack positions and supply areas in the the Cagayan Valley, other locations in N Luzon and in the Marikina and Infanta areas in C Luzon. In Borneo, B-24s pound the Balikpapan town area, Manggar Airfield, Sepinggang defenses, and Oelin Airfield and B-25s bomb the town of Keningau while P-38s blast the nearby airfield; the fighter-bombers attack Kudat and caves near Jesselton. On Formosa, P-38s hit targets at Mato and Kagi and targets of opportunity along the W coast.
FRIDAY, 22 JUNE 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): Major General John B Brooks relieves Brigadier General Isaiah Davies as Commanding General, 11AF.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (2AF): The 19RS (Long Range, Photographic), 311(Photo)Wing (Mapping and Charting): (attached to 9AF), arrives at Thurleigh, England from the US with F-9s to begin photo-mapping of Europe (air echelon is at Watton, England).
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): 23 B-25s and 4 P-47s pound trucks, trains, and gun positions in the Hanoi, French Indochina area, and in China, bomb railroad yards and barracks area at Sinsiang, hit rail and road targets, buildings, and radar station in the Showyang area, knock out a bridge S of Saiping, and damage a bridge N of Hsuchang; 40+ fighters hit rail, road, and river traffic, artillery emplacements, line positions, and other targets in French Indochina and S and E China.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The 5th and 6FSs (Commando), 1Air Commando Group, moves from Kalaikunda to Asansol, India with P-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Unit moves from England: HQ 2 Air Division begins a movement from Ketteringham Hall to the US; HQ 384BG(H) and 544BS(H) from Grafton Underwood to Istres, France with B-17s to move US soldiers to Casablanca, French Morocco for return to the US; 322d, 323 and 401BS(H), 91BG(H), from Bassingbourn with B-17s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: HQ 50FG and 10FS begin a movement from Mannheim, Germany to the US; 442BS(H), 320BG(M), from Tavaux Airfield, Dole, France to Herzogenaurach, Germany with B-26s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF):
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Unit moves from Italy to the US: 84BS(L), 47BG(L), begins a movement from Pisa; 99FS, 332FG from Cattolica.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 446 B-29s are dispatched in 6 missions to targets on S Honshu Island, Japan during the day.
Mission 215: 162 B-29s attack the Kure Naval Arsenal and 12 others hit alternate targets; 72% of the roof area of the arsenal is damaged; 2 B-29s are lost.
Mission 216: 108 B-29s hit the Mitsubishi aircraft plant at Tamashima destroying 135 of 231machine tools and almost half the roof area; 10 others hit alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost.
Mission 217: 52 B-29s attack the Kawanishi aircraft plant at Himeji causing great destruction among the buildings and total destruction of machine tools; 4 others hit alternate targets.
Missions 218 and 219: 34 B-29s hit the Mitsubishi and Kawasaki aircraft plants at Kagamigahara and 10 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 220: 25 B-29s hit the Kawasaki aircraft factory at Akashi and 1 hits an alternate target. 40+ P-47s from Ie Shima Island fly combat patrols over Amami Gunto Island, Japan, claiming 11Japanese aircraft downed.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: Fighter-bombers supporting ground action continue to hit concentrations and positions in the Cagayan Valley on Luzon Island. In Borneo, B-24s pound Balikpapan area gun
and defensive positions while B-25s hit nearby warehouses and numerous other buildings and P-38s dive-bomb and score direct hits on pillboxes. On Formosa, B-24s hit Toshien oil facilities and P-38s attack Mato while 2 B-32s blast gun positions and barracks at Heito. The 25LS, Thirteenth AF, moves from Malabang to Del Monte, Mindanao Island with UC-78s and L-5s.
SATURDAY, 23 JUNE 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): In the Kurile Islands, 2 B-24s on a shipping sweep between Matsuwa and Paramushiru Islands sink 1freighter, damage 2 more, and hit a whale boat; 1Japanese fighter is claimed destroyed; 6 more B-24s bomb Kataoka on Shimushu Island.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In French Indochina, 4 B-25s knock out the E approach to the Phu Lang Thuong bridge and 4 P-38s bomb locomotives and a barracks area at Les Pins and Lang Son. 12 P-51s strafe airfields in the Canton, China area. 17 other fighters strafe railroad targets and river traffic around Wuchou, Siaokan, and Peking, China, and Hanoi, and Vinh, French Indochina.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 91BG(H) and 324BS(H), begin a movement from Bassingbourn, England to the US with B-17s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves in Germany: HQ 358th FG and 365th, 366th and 367FSs move from
Sandhofen to Reims, France, with P-47s; HQ 404FG and 506th, 507th and 508FSs from Fritzlar to Stuttgart with P-47s; the 81 and 313FSs, 50FG, begin a movement from Mannheim to the US; and the 522FS, 27FG, from Biblis to Sandhofen with P-47s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The 85th and 86BS(L), 47BG(L), begin a movement from Pisa, Italy to the US.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): Major General Thomas D White becomes Commanding General, 7AF.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 221: In Japan, during the night of 23/24 Jun, 26 B-29s mine the harbors of Fukuoka, Karatsu, Sakai, and Niigata; 1 B-29 is lost; 38 P-47s from Ie Shima Island bomb airfields at Hakata and Itazuke and, during the return flight, attack 2 boats off Amami Gunto Island; 40 other P-47s bomb Saitozaki Airfield; 100 P-51s are dispatched from Iwo Jima Island to airfields at Kagamigahara and Hyakuri; they claim 19-3-16 aircraft in the air and 13-40 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: 150+ B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers continue heavy strikes against the Balikpapan, Borneo area concentrating on gun emplacements and defensive positions. On Luzon Island, A-20s and fighter-bombers pound troop concentrations and occupied areas in the Cagayan Valley and fighter-bombers attack pockets of resistance in the Infanta and Antipolo areas. B-24s bomb a butanol plant at Kobi, Formosa.
SUNDAY, 24 JUNE 1945
ATO - ALASKA THEATER OF OPERATIONS (11AF): 2 B-24s on a shipping sweep instead radarbomb Kurabu Cape on Paramushiru Island, because of overcast and turbulence; another planned shipping strike by 6 B-25s is also cancelled due to weather.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 13 B-25s and 12 fighter bombers knock out bridges at Lohochai and S of Chenghsien and hit surrounding AA positions, attack animal-drawn transport at Hsiangcheng, attack railroad targets of opportunity in the Shihkiachwang area, and hit railroad yards at Siaokan; 40+ fighter-bombers continue harassing enemy withdrawals in S and E China where numerous communications targets, gun positions, bridges, and rail, road, and river traffic are attacked.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 381 and 532d, 533d, 534th and 535BS(H) begin a movement from Ridgewell, England to the US with B-17s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 27FG and 523and 524FSs move from Biblis to Sandhofen, Germany with P-47s.
US STRATEGIC AFS IN EUROPE (USSTAF): Unit moves from Furth, Germany: 15TRS, USSTAF, begins a movement to the US; 162TRS, USSTAF, to Reims, France with F-6s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ 47BG(L) begins a movement from Pisa, Italy to the US.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): At dawn 1 B-24 from Guam Island bombs buildings on Marcus Island in the N Pacific; during the afternoon 18 more bomb the airfield. HQ 494BG(H) and 864th, 865th, 866th and 867BS(H) move from Angaur Island, Palau Islands to Yontan, Okinawa with B-24s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 36 P-47s from Ie Shima Island attack boats and a village in the Sakishima Archipelago, a wharf on Kuro Island, Ishigaki Island, and buildings, villages, targets of opportunity, and several points in the Ryukyu Islands. HQ 507FG and 463d, 464th and 465FSs arrive on Ie Shima Island, Ryukyu Islands from the US with P-47s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In Luzon, 5AF A-20s and fighter-bombers support the US Sixth Army and Filipino troops in the Kiangan sector and N and NE of Tuguegarao, blast numerous targets throughout the Cagayan Valley, Cervantes area concentrations, and the Infanta-Antipolo resistance pockets. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Balikpapan town and coastal guns and fighter-bombers pound coastal guns while B-25s bomb warehouses and the nearby Manggar Airfield. The detachment of the 159th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 3Air Commando Group [attached to 5th Air Liaison Group (Provisional)], ceases operating from Negros Island with UC-64s and L-5s, and returns to base at Mangaldan, Luzon.
MONDAY, 25 JUNE 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 18 B-25s and 14 P-51s and P-47s knock out bridges N of Shihkiachwang and N of Saiping, bomb a power plant, barracks, and warehouse at Sinsiang, bomb the Nanyo-Hengyang road, and hit the railroad yard at Siaokan; 80+ fighter-bombers attack bridges, gun positions, river, road, and rail traffic, and generally harass Japanese movements throughout S and E China, particularly around Hengyang, Yoyang, Liuchow, Changsha, Lipu, and Luchai; the 21Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 14AF, based at Shwangliu sends a flight to operate from Ankang with F-5s.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 435th TCG and 75TCS begin a movement from Bretigny, France to the US with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Unit moves in England: HQ 381BG(H) begins a movement from Ridgewell to the US; 546BS(H), 384BG(H), from Grafton Underwood to Istres, France with B-17s to transport personnel from France to N Africa.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: HQ 366FG and 391FS from Handorf Airfield, Munster to Bindlach Airfield, Bayreuth, Germany with P-47s; HQ 409BG(L) and 640th, 641, 642 and 643BS(L) begin a movement from Couvron Airfield, Laon, France to the US; HQ 410BG(L) and 644th, 645th, 646th and 647BS(L) begin a movement from Beaumont-sur-Oise, France to the US.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The 97BS(L), 47BG(L), begins a movement from Pisa, Italy to the US.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): At dawn 3 B-24s from Guam Island attack heavy AA positions on the W coast of Marcus Island in the N Pacific.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 222: During the night of 25/26 Jun, 26 B-29s plant mines in Shimonoseki Strait and at Maizuru and off Obama Island.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In Borneo, oil facilities, shore defenses and the nearby Manggar Airfield in the Balikpapan, area are well covered by B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers. B-24s bomb Mandai Airfield on Celebes Island. On Luzon Island, B-25s and fighter-bombers hit targets (mostly troop concentrations and resistance pockets) in the Cagayan Valley, in the Cervantes area, and in the Infanta sector. Unit moves: HQ 403d TCG from Biak Island, New Guinea to Leyte Island; 157th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 3Air Commando Group [attached to 5th Air Liaison Group (Provisional)], from Mabalacat, Luzon to Okinawa with UC-64s and L-5s; and the detachment of the 159th Liaison Squadron, 3Air Commando Group [attached to 5th Air Liaison Group (Provisional)], ceases operating from Cebu Island with UC-64s and L-5s and returns to base at Mangaldan, Luzon.
TUESDAY, 26 JUNE 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 21 P-51 s bomb or strafe road, river, and rail traffic, motor pools, gun positions, and buildings around Yoyang, Hengyang, Chenghsien, Linfen, and Tsinan, and knock out a bridge SW of Yutze.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Unit moves in England: HQ 1BW(H) from Bassingbourn to Alconbury; HQ 40th BombardmentWing(H) from Thurleigh to Istres, France where it oversees the units transporting troops from France to N Africa for return to the US.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves in Germany: HQ IX Tactical Air Command from Weimar to Fritzlar; the 417th Night Fighter Squadron, 64FW, from Biblis to Braunschardt with Beaufighters.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 1Guam Island-based B-24 attacks heavy AA positions on the W side of Marcus Island at dawn.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 510 B-29s and 148 P-51s fly 9 missions against aircraft factories, light-metals industries and arsenals in S Honshu and Shikoku; 6 B-29s and 1 P-51 are lost.
Mission 223: 64 B-29s hit the light metal industry at Osaka and 4 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 224: 109 B-29s attack the Osaka Arsenal; 3 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 225: 31 B-29s hit the Kawasaki aircraft plant at Akashi and 5 others hit targets of opportunity; the 4,000-pound (1,814 kg) bombs are wellplaced but the target has been almost destroyed in previous raids.
Missions 226 and 227: 58 B-29s attack the Nagoya Arsenal; 6 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost.
Missions 228 and 231: 85 B-29s hit the Kawasaki aircraft plant at Kagamigahara; 23 others hit alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost; every important building is knocked out.
Mission 229: 50 B-29s attack the Aichi aircraft plant at Eitoku and 14 others attack alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost; the raid causes light damage.
Mission 230: 29 B-29s hit the light metal industry at Nagoya and 2 others hit targets of opportunity. The B-29s claim 20 Japanese fighters destroyed. The Nagoya and Osaka missions are escorted by 148 P-51s; they claim 2-0-5 Japanese aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost.
Mission 232: During the night of 26/27 Jun, 33 B-29s attack the Utsube Oil Refinery at Yokkaichi, the top-priority petroleum target; 1other B-29 hits an alternate target.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers hit targets in the Infanta area and troop concentrations in the Cagayan Valley and Kiangan area; ground support strikes are flown in the Cervantes area and E of Manila. In Borneo, strikes against the Balikpapan area continue by B-24s and B-25s hitting oil targets and the nearby airfield at Manggar and B-24s bomb the Trombol airstrip. Other B-24s bomb the airfield at Limboeng, Celebes Island. On Formosa during the night of 26/26 Jun, P-61s set fires at the Ensuiko sugar refinery while B-24s hit the sugar refinery at Tanshi during the day.
WEDNESDAY, 27 JUNE 1945
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): HQ 308BG(H) and 374th, 375th and 425BS(H) move from Hsinching and Kwanghan, China to Rupsi, India with B-24s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 370FG and 401, 402 and 485FSs move from Gutersloh to Sandhofen, Germany with P-51s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): In an early morning raid from Guam Island, 3 B-24s bomb the underground storage area and fortifications on Marcus Island in the N Pacific Ocean. At midday 18 B-24s pound the airfield on Moen Island, Truk Atoll.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 233: During the night of 27/28 Jun, 29 B-29s mine the harbors of Hagi, Kobe, and Niigata, Japan.
Very long range fighter Mission 25: 148 P-51s are dispatched from Iwo Jima Island, against Kasumigaura, Imba, and Tsukuba Airfields in the Tokyo area but abort because of weather. 20 P-47s from Ie Shima Island hit shipping and a village on Kikai Island, Japan; AA from vessels downs 2 P-47s; 1vessel is left aflame; 12 other P-47shit shipping off Kakeroma Island, while 20 more attack vessels and targets of opportunity throughout the Sakishima Archipelago. During the night of 27/28 Jun, 5 P-61s fly intruder attacks, hitting vessels off Amami Gunto Island and Wan Airfield.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: During the night of 26/27 Jun, B-24s over the Soerabaja Strait area bomb Tandjoeng-perak Airfield, Java. In Borneo, for the 15th consecutive day, B-24s pound Balikpapan destroying oil facilities and shore defenses, B-25s hit warehouses, other buildings, and the general waterfront area. Other B-24s bomb Mandai and Limboeng Airfields on Celebes Island. On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers hit the Kiangan area, a troop concentration NW of Bolog, the Pagong area, and the Bontoc-Sabangan area, provide ground support near Montalban, and hit targets in the Infanta sector.
THURSDAY, 28 JUNE 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 7 B-25s and 4 P-51s bomb the town of Changsha, a troop concentration and supply area, and blast truck convoys and ammunition trains in the Yoyang area; 28 P-51s hit a communications center S of Puchou, knock out bridges near Kiehsiu and Neikiuhsien, bomb gun emplacements and defensive positions SE of Hsihsiakou, and attack railroad traffic and damage a road bridge in the Suchow and Yoyang areas.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The detachment of the 427th Night FS, 10AF, operating from Kunming, China with P-61s, returns to base at Dinjan, India.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): The 301Troop Carrier Squadron, 442TCG, moves from St-Andre-del L'Eure, France to Halle, Germany with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 389th and 390th Fighter Squadrons, 366FG, move from Handorf Airfield, Munster to Bindlach Airfield, Bayreuth, Germany with P-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 3 B-24s from Guam Island bomb fuel storage on Marcus Island.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 487 B-29s fly 4 incendiary missions against secondary cities during the night of 28/29 Jun; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 234: 138 B-29s attack Okayama destroying 2.13 square miles (5.52 square km), 63% of the city area; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 235: 141 B-29s hit Sasebo destroying 0.97 square miles (2.51square km), 48% of the city area; 2 other B-29s hit alternate targets.
Mission 236: 91 B-29s attack Moji destroying 0.302 square miles (0.782 square km), 26.9% of the city area; 3 B-29s hit alternate targets.
Mission 237: 117 B-29s hit Nobeoka destroying 0.52 square miles (1.35 square km), 36% of the city area.
39 P-47s from Ie Shima attack shipping at Koniya, Japan with rocket and bombing and hit Tokuno Island with rockets and machinegun fire; 26 more hit targets of opportunity in the Sakishima Archipelago including vessels, docks, an airfield, floatplane, and village.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In Borneo, B-24s pound installations in the Manggar area while B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s hit defenses near Balikpapan; the P-38s also skipbomb oil storage and other B-24s hit runways at Tabanio and Oelin. On Celebes Island, B-24s bomb the airfields at Limboeng and Langoan. On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations in the Kiangan area while supporting ground forces and attack Japanese concentrations and positions between Ipo and Infanta. B-24s strike a butanol plant at Keishu, Formosa. Unit moves: HQ 35FG from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa; 70TCS, 433Troop Carrier Group, from Tanauan, Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon with C-46s and C-47s.
FRIDAY, 29 JUNE 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (14AF): In China, 15 B-25s and 4 P-47s knock out a bridge at Chungmow and damage another; 18 P-51s attack troop concentrations, gun emplacements, villages, bridges, and targets of opportunity around Hsihsiakou, Yutze, Anyang, Puchou, and Szeshuiand and knock out a bridge at Szeshui.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The 427NPS, 10AF, based at Dinjan, India with P-61s, sends a detachment to operate from Chengkung, China.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 2 missions are flown during the night of 29/30 Jun.
Mission 238: 32 B-29s drop 209 tons of bombs on the Nippon Oil Company refinery at Kudamatsu, Japan without loss.
Mission 239: 25 B-29s mine the W Shimonoseki Strait and waters around Maizuru and Sakata without loss. 34 P-47s from Ie Shima Island hit airfields at Kanoya and Kushira on Kyushu Island, Japan with rockets and machinegun fire, and attack shipping while returning, claiming 7 small vessels sunk.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: In Borneo, continuing the offensive against Balikpapan, B-24s, B-25s, and fighterbombers bomb defensive positions and oil installations; other B-24s bomb Ft Brook and Oelin Airfields. On Luzon, fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Kiangan area and in the Cervantes sector. Other B-24s bomb the oil refinery at Shinchiku, Formosa.
SATURDAY, 30 JUNE 1945
ATO - AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND: HQ 460BG(H) and the 760th, 761, 762 and 763BSs move from Waller Field, Trinidad to Natal, Brazil with B-24s and continue to move redeployed personnel from Europe to the US.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): HQ AAF, China Theater is established by a General Order from HQ, US Forces, China Theater. Lieutenant General George E Stratemeyer is appointed Commanding General; subordinate elements are the Tenth and 14AFs, China Air Service Command, and the 8RG. In China, 2 B-25s attack a bridge at Lohochai, causing little damage; 4 fighter-bombers pound hill positions and hit an artillery emplacement SW of Hsihsiakou; 3 others bomb and strafe an enemy held temple and a troop area at Likuanchiao.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 69RG begins a movement from Haguenau, France to the US.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The organization charts show a further net loss during Jun 45; 16 units have been transferred to other HQ within the theater, 1sent directly to the Pacific, another redeployed to the US, 3 disbanded, 9 provisional units discontinued, and 5 attached units relieved (plus a Brazilian unit attached for operations being released); only 2 units are added to the Twelfth.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 2 Guam Island-based B-24s attack the boat basin on Marcus Island.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): The 509CG, scheduled to deliver the first atomic bomb attack on Japan, begins combat flight training from Tinian Island; for most crews, this involves 5 or 6 practice missions such as a navigation training flight to Iwo Jima Island, bombing Rota Island in the Mariana Islands during the return flight, 2 or more short bombing missions against Rota or Guguan Island, Mariana Islands, 1long bombing Mission against Truk Atoll, and 1against Marcus Island, all run in flights of from 2 to 9 B-29s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, FEAF (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Cervantes sector, N of Baguio and pound gun positions and other targets in the Kiangan area as the Luzon campaign officially ends at 2400 hours local. In Borneo, B-24s again pound Balikpapan and B-25s pound targets in NE Borneo and cause considerable damage at Tawau and Tandjoengredeb. The 39FS, 35FG, moves from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa with P-51s.
JULY 1945
SUNDAY, 1 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 2 B-24s from Guam Island, Mariana Islands, bomb the building concentration on Marcus Island in the N Pacific. 33 B-25s, operating in two flights from Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, bomb Chiran Airfield on Kyushu Island, Japan. 2 others hit Yaku-shima Island in the Osumi Islands. During Jul, HQ VII BC moves from Saipan Island, Mariana Island to Okinawa. The 9TCS, 7AF, moves from Saipan Island to Guam Island with C-47s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): During the night of 1/2 Jul, 1mining and 4 incendiary missions are flown: Mission 240: 152 B-29s attack the Kure urban area destroying 1.3 square miles (3.4 square km), 40% of the city; 2 other B-29s hit alternate targets.
Mission 241: 154 B-29s hit the Kumamato urban area destroying 1.0 square mile (2.6 square km), 20% of the city; 1other B-29 hits an alternate target; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 242: 100 B-29s bomb the Ube urban area destroying 0.42 square miles (1.1square km), 23% of the city.
Mission 243: 126 B-29s attack the Shimonoseki urban area destroying 0.51 square miles (1.32 square km), 36% of the city; 5 other B-29s hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 244: 24 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and the waters at Nanao and Fushiki. 148 Iwo Jima based P-51s are dispatched to hit airfields in the Nagoya area (Kasumigaura, Itami, Hamamatsu, and Nagano); they claim 2-0-0 aircraft in the air and 3-7 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, a few B-25s bomb a bridge and ferry terminal at Chungmow and near Kaifeng and 4 escorting P-47s strafe Kaifeng Airfield and locomotives in the area; 4 other P-47s bomb the railroad yards at Yuhsiang and 4 P-51s knock out a bridge E of Kiehsiu; on this date Chinese forces capture Liuchow.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 437th Troop Carrier Group and 83d, 84th, 85th and 86TCSs begin a movement form Voisins Airfield, Coulommiers, France to the US with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 547BS(H), 384BG(H), moves from Grafton Underwood, England to Istres, France with B-17s to begin moving troops from Europe to N Africa for shipment back to the US.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: HQ 99th Bombardment Wing(M) from Tirlemont to Namur, Belgium; 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 69RG, from Haguenau, France to Furth, Germany with F-6s. Unit moves during Jul 45: HQ IX Fighter Command from Weimar to Fritzlar, Germany; HQ XII Tactical Air Command to Erlangen, Germany; HQ XIX Tactical Air Command begins a movement from Germany to the US; HQ 42d BW(M) from Dijon to Reims, France; HQ 98th BombardmentWing(M) from Venlo, the Netherlands to Tirlemont, Germany; HQ 367th FG and 392FS from Eschborn Airfield, Frankfurt, Germany to the US; HQ 373FG and 410th, 411th and 412th Fighter Squadrons from Illsheim, Germany to the US; HQ 411FG from Illsheim, Germany to the US; the 10th and 22Tactical Reconnaissance, 67RG, from Haguenau, France to the US.
UNITED STATES STRATEGIC AFS IN EUROPE (USSTAF): The 31 and 162TRSs and 39(Photo)Reconnaissance Squadron, USSTAF, begin a movement from Wiesbaden, Germany to the US.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Unit moves: HQ 461BG(H) and 764th, 765th, 766th and 767BSs from Torretto Airfield, Italy to the US with B-24s; 154th Weather RS(M), 15AF, from Bari, Italy to the US.
Unit moves during Jul 45: HQ 55BW(H) from Spinazzola to Bari, Italy; HQ 301BG(H) and 32d, 352d, 353and 419BS(H) from Lucera, Italy to the US with B-17s; HQ 325FG and 317th, 318th and 319FSs from Mondolfo to Vincenzo Airfield, Italy; HQ 454BG(H) and 736th, 737th, 738th and 739BS(H) from San Giovanni, Italy to the US with B-24s; 740BS(H), 455BG(H), from San Giovanni to Bari, Italy with B-24s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In Borneo, B-24s pound defenses at Balikpapan as Australian forces make amphibious landings; and B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s hit airfields at Oelin, Tabanio, and Trombol, and bomb the Tawau area. B-24s hit Limboeng and Mandai airstrips on Celebes Island. Fighter-bombers hit troops and gun positions in the Kayan-Tadian area on Luzon, Philippine Islands.
MONDAY, 2 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 3 B-24s from Guam Island attack a radar installation on Marcus Island. Unit moves to Okinawa: HQ 11BG(H) and 26th, 98th and 431BSs (H) from Guam Island with B-24s; HQ 319BG(L) and 437th, 439th and 440BS(L) to Kadena from the US with A-26s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 245: During the night of 2/3 Jul, 39 B-29s bomb an oil refinery at Minoshima; 1other hits alternate targets.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 28 P-51s hit rail, river, and road traffic, bridge, and buildings around Hengyang, Hankow, and Yoyang, attack a bivouac area and HQ E of Changsha, and bomb a troop concentration and buildings at Yangan. The fighter-bombers pound HQ, buildings, a fortified compound, barracks, general targets of opportunity around Tartin, and a troop concentration near Sichuan.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): The 545BS(H), 384BG(H), moves from Grafton Underwood, England to Istres, France with B-17s to transport personnel from France to N Africa for shipment back to the US.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Units beginning a movement from Germany to the US: HQ 405FG and 509th, 510th and 511th Fighter Squadrons from Straubing; and 72 and 167LS, XII Tactical Air Command, from Augsburg and Darmstadt, respectively.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In Borneo, B-24s bomb defenses in the Balikpapan area, P-38s support Australian forces as they complete the capture of Balikpapan and its oil installations and B-25s hit the Bintula personnel area. On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers hit resistance pockets near Kiangan and supply areas in the Cervantes sector. B-24s pound Toyohara Airfield on Formosa.
TUESDAY, 3 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 2 B-24s from Guam Island attack water storage buildings on Marcus Island. 36 B-25s from Okinawa, attacking in two flights, hit Chiran Airfield, Japan. The 438BS(L), 319BG(L), arrives at Kadena, Okinawa from the US with A-26s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 509 B-29s participate in 1mining and 4 incendiary missions during the night of 3/4 Jul; 3 B-29s are lost: Mission 246: 26 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and waters at Funakawa and Maizuru during the predawn hours of the 4th; 2 other B-29s mine alternate targets.
Mission 247: 116 B-29s attack the Takamatsu urban area destroying 1.4 sq mi (4.6 sq km), 78% of the city; 3 other hit alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost.
Mission 248: 125 B-29s hit the Kochi urban area destroying 0.92 sq mi (3.0 sq km), 48% of the city; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 249: 106 B-29s attack Himeji urban area destroying 1.216 sq mi (3.99 sq km), 63.3% of the city.
Mission 250: 129 B-29s hit the Tokushima urban area destroying 1.7 sq mi (5.6 sq km), 74% of the city; 2 B-29s attack alternate targets.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 3 B-25s knock out a bridge near Suicheng while 2 P-47 escorts hit nearby AA positions; 70+ P-51s and P-47s continue to disrupt the Japanese withdrawal, attacking transport, supply, and communications targets, troops, bridges and Japanese-held points; the targets are near Hengyang, Paoching, Kueiyangshih, Changsha, Kweilin, Lingling, Kukong, Hankow, Siangtan, Isuho, Chiuchiang, Fahsien, Tanchuk, Lohochai, and the Luichow Peninsula. The fighter-bombers also hit shipping, a cement plant, an airfield, and barracks area near Haiphong, French Indochina.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): The air echelon of the XX BC, including Brigadier General Joseph Smith, Commanding General, sets sails from India for Okinawa; the rest of the command sails in 2 lots, on 12 Jul and 4 Aug, leaving only a few small detachments in the India-Burma area. [The 58BW(VH), earlier sailed to the Marianas on 27 Feb].
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 355FG moves from Steeple Morden, England to Gablingen, Germany. The 752d, 753d, 754th and 755BS(H), 458BG(H), begin a movement from Horsham St Faith, England to the US with B-24s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 161Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 67RG, moves from Wiesbaden, Germany to Reims, France with F-6s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): 5AF fighters fly their first Mission over Japan, P-51s destroying floatplanes in the Fukuoka harbor area on Kyushu. On Luzon, fighter-bombers hit resistance areas in the Mankayan and Kiangan sectors. On Celebes Island, B-24s bomb runways at Mandai and Limboeng airfields. In Borneo, B-24s pound Batu Kawa airstrip SE of Kuching and defensive positions near Balikpapan in support of the Australian drive inland. The 868BS(H), Thirteenth AF, moves from Morotai Island to Leyte Island with B-24s (the squadron specializes in low-level night attacks and pathfinder missions).
WEDNESDAY, 4 JULY 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): To celebrate the 4th of July, 8 B-24s radar-bomb the Kataoka naval base on Shimushu Island with napalm.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 3 B-24s from Guam Island attack AA installations on the SW corner of Marcus Island.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 159 Iwo Jima-based P-51s attack the Yokosuka naval base, and airfields in the Tokyo area (Imba, Tsukuba, and Kasumigaura); they claim 9-25 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost.
CHINA THEATER (AAF, China Theater) A group of officers arrives at Chungking, China to organize HQ, AAF China Theater.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 30 P-51s and P-38s over French Indochina and S and E China attack docks and shipping at Haiphong, Red River shipping between Hanoi and Hung Yen, French Indochina, small craft between Mon Cay, French Indochina and Pakhoi, China, between Hongay and Pai-lung Wei Cape, and between Pai-lung Wei Cape and Umpo, China; the fighter-bombers also hit road traffic on the Luichow Peninsula and sampans E of Tanchuk, China.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): The 301Troop Carrier Squadron, 442TCG, moves from Halle to Tempelhof Airdrome, Berlin, Germany with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 446BG(H) and 704th, 705th and 706BS(H) begin a movement from Flixton, England to the US with B-24s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: 393FS, 367FG, from Eschborn Airfield, Frankfurt, Germany to Crepy-en-Laonois, France with P-47s; 432BS(H), 17BG(M), from Linz to Zell-am-See, Austria with B-26s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): P-51s fly a massive sweep along the W coast of Kyushu Island, Japan. On Luzon, fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Cagayan Valley and others attack Batan Island. On Borneo, B-24s again pound defenses near Balikpapan and B-25s bomb Sibuti. On Celebes Island, B-24s pound the Donggala seaplane base and runways at Boeloedowang and Limboeng Airfields.
THURSDAY, 5 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 46 B-24s and 24 B-25s all from Okinawa bomb Omura Airfield and 2 towns in the Omura-Nagasaki area, Japan.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 100 P-51s, based on Iwo Jima, strike airfields in the Tokyo area (Ibaraki, Yatabe, Yawatasaki Cape, and Maruta); they claim 5-11 aircraft on the ground.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 8 B-25s sink several sampans and junks at Haiphong, French Indochina and damage several larger vessels. 2 B-25s and 2 P-47s knock out a bridge S of Chumatien, China. 37 P-51s over French Indochina and S and E China blast shipping in the Hongay and Haiphong, French Indochina area, and in China, pound docks and small vessels at Chikhom, knock out a bridge at Chumatien, blast a barracks area at Anyang, and hit river and rail traffic around Tanchuk and Chenghsien.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Units beginning a movement from England to the US: HQ 448BG(H) and 712th, 713th, 714th and 715BS(H) from Seething with B-24s; HQ 491BG(H) and 852d, 853d, 854th and 855BS(H) from North Pickenham with B-24s; 707BS(H), 446BG(H), from Flixton with B-24s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Colonel Roger J Browne takes command of HQ XIX Tactical Air Command. Unit moves: HQ 48FG and 492d, 493and 494FSs from Illesheim, Germany to Laon, France with P-47s; HQ 67RG and 30th Photographic Reconnaissance and 107TRSs begin a movement from Eschwege, Germany to the US; 95BS(M), 17BG(M), from Liz to Ebensee, Austria with B-26s; 425th NFS, XIX Tactical Air Command, from Furth, Germany to Crepy-en-Laommis, France with P-61s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): On Formosa, B-24s bomb Toshien, Takao, Toyohara and the nearby Kamioka supply area, and Taihoku Airfield. Fighter-bombers fly nearly 100 sorties in support of ground forces in the Kiangan area on Luzon. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Manggar and Riko and Australian troops cross Balikpapan Bay and land on the W shore. P-51s sweeping Kyushu Island, Japan strafe targets of opportunity and down several aircraft.
FRIDAY, 6 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Taking off during the late evening hours of 6 Jul, 517 B-29s make four incendiary and 1HE attacks between 0700 and 0800 hours local on 7 Jul; 1 B-29 is lost:
Mission 251: 124 B-29s attack the Chiba urban area destroying 0.86 sq miles (2.23 sq km), 43.4% of the city; 1other B-29 hits an alternate target.
Mission 252: 123 B-29s hit the Akashi urban area destroying 0.81sq miles (1.7 sq km), 57.0% of the city; 1other B-29 hits an alternate target.
Mission 253: 133 B-29s attack the Shimizu urban area destroying 0.71sq miles (1.49 sq km), 50% of the city; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 254: 131 B-29s hit the Kofu urban area destroying 1.3 sq miles (2.7 sq km), 65% of the city; 1other B-29 hits an alternate target.
Mission 255: 59 B-29s drop 500-pound (227 kg) bombs on the Maruzen Oil Refinery at Wakayama; 1other hits an alternate target. 110 Iwo Jima-based P-51s attack airfields in the Tokyo area (Kumagaya, Yamagata, and Chiba); they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 6-25 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost.
CHINA THEATER (AAF, China Theater) Lieutenant General George E Stratemeyer officially assumes command as Commanding General AAF China Theater; he will arrive in China several days later.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 98 P-51s and P-38s over French Indochina and S and E China continue to disrupt the Japanese retreat and hit transport and supply targets; rail, road, and river traffic, coastal shipping, bridges, troops, Japanese-held areas, and general targets of opportunity are blasted at many locations chiefly around Kweilin, Kukong, and Yangso, China, and Haiphong, and Hanoi, French Indochina. On this date Major General Claire L Chennault, Commanding General 14AF, requests per Mission to retire, which is soon granted.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 466BG(H) and 784th, 785th, 786th and 787BS(H) begin a movement from Attlebridge, England to the US with B-24s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: 37BS(M), 17BG(M), from Linz to Horsching, Austria with B-26s; 109TRS, 67RG, begins a movement from Eschwege, Germany to the US; the 449th, 450th, 451 and 452BS(M), 322BG(M), from Le Culot, Belgium to Langendiebach Airfield, Honau; Frankenberg; Arolsen; and Wickenrode Germany respectively with B-26s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): On Luzon, fighter-bombers continue to support ground forces N of Kiangan and bomb the town of Mankayan. In Formosa, B-24s bomb Heito, Ryutan, and Taien Airfields and A-26s pound the Taito railroad yards. B-24s over Borneo bomb Bandjermasin warehouses, Tandjoengredeb buildings, Samarinda shipyards, and the Balikpapan and Manggar areas. Okinawa-based P-51s hit transportation targets in the Kagoshima Bay area of Japan.
SATURDAY, 7 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 100+ P-51s dispatched from Iwo Jima to hit airfields in the Tokyo area abort due to bad weather. HQ XX BC arrives at Sakugawa, Okinawa from India; HQ 414FG and 413th, 437th, and 456FSs arrive at North Field, Iwo Jima from the US with P-47s (first Mission is 13 Jul).
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 80+ P-51s and P-38s over French Indochina and S and E China continue to disrupt the Japanese withdrawal, pounding numerous communications and transport targets and general targets of opportunity particularly in the Yangso, Kweilin, and Fenstun areas.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 64FW moves from Schwabisch-Hall to Darmstadt, Germany.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): On Luzon Island, B-25s and fighter-bombers strike at remnants of the Japanese army in the Laguna de Bay and Marikina areas and fighter-bombers also hit areas of resistance near Kiangan, Penablanca, and Mankayan. B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s support Australian ground forces in the area near Balikpapan, Borneo. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Matsuyama and Taihoku Airfields in force.
SUNDAY, 8 JULY 1945
CENTRAL PACIFIC
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 2 FGs (100+) P-51s from Iwo Jima pound airfields and other targets at Hyakuri, Chofu, Tokorozawa, and Yachimata, Japan; 5 aircraft are claimed downed and at least 25 destroyed on the ground; 8 P-51s are lost.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 6 B-25s and 4 P-47s severely damage a bridge N of Sinsiang and hit nearby trains. 60+ P-38s, P-47s, and P-51s pound river shipping, rail traffic, supplies, and troops at Haiphong, Do Son, and Tourane, French Indochina and at numerous locations in S and E China.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Units beginning a movement from England: HQ 357FG from Leiston to Neubiberg, Germany; HQ 492d
BG(H) from Harrington to the US.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 34BS(M), 17BG(M), moves from Linz to Horsching Austria with B-26s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): HQ 52FG moves from Piagiolino Airfield to Lesina, Italy.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): On Luzon, P-38s and P-51s supporting ground operations hit supply and personnel areas near Kiangan and
Penablanca. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Shinchiku Airfield, B-25s start fires at the Getsubi alcohol plant and on Koto Island, and P-38s attack oil production area at Gyuni Kuki. On Borneo, B-24s and B-25s, supporting Australian forces, hit the Balikpapan area defensive positions, Samarinda shipyards, various targets along the Samarinda road, and warehouses at Tandjung. B-24s [including some of the RAAF (RAAF)] bomb warehouses at Donggala on Celebes Island. The 69th and 311FSs, 58th FG, move from Porac, Luzon to Okinawa with P-47s.
MONDAY, 9 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): 43 B-24s from Okinawa bomb Omura Airfield, Kyushu, Japan (1other bombs the airfield on Kikaiga-shima, Amami Islands, Ryukyu Islands) and 50+ Okinawa-based B-25s hit Tokuno Airfield on Tokuno Shima, Amami Islands.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): During the night of 9/10 Jul, 1mining, 1 bombing and 4 incendiary missions are flown against Japan; 3 B-29s are
Lost.
Mission 256: 29 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and the waters at Niigata and Nanao; 1other mines other targets; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 257: 123 B-29s attack the Senai urban area destroying 1.22 sq mi (3.16 sq km), 27% of the city area; 1other B-29 hits an alternate target; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 258: 115 B-29s attack the Sakai urban area destroying 1.02 sq mi (2.64 sq km), 44% of the city area; 3 other B-29s hit alternate targets.
Mission 259: 108 B-29s hit the Wakayama urban area destroying 2.1sq mi (5.44 sq km), 52.5% of the city area.
Mission 260: 129 B-29s attack the Gifu urban area destroying 1.93 sq mi (5.0 sq km), 74% of the city area; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 261: 61 B-29s attack the Utsube Oil Refinery at Yokkaichi with poor results; 1 hits an alternate target.
102 Iwo Jima Island-based P-51s hit airfields at Itami, Hamamatsu, Aichi, and Washinomiya, claiming 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 15-5 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost.
CBI - BURMA-INDIA THEATER (10AF): The 20TRS, 8RG, moves from Nagaghuli to Dergaon, India with F-6s.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 5 B-25s knock out 2 bridges in the Sinantien area; 14 P-51s and P-38s knock out bridges near Hengyang and Sinshih, damage a bridge near Chihsien, and attack shipping and railroad targets of opportunity around Hankow, Lukou, and Sinshih, China, and Dong Hoi, French Indochina. The detachment of the 1Combat Cargo Squadron, 14AF, operating from Liangshan returns to base at Hsinching with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 454BS(M), 323BG(M), moves from Innsbruck, Austria to Nesselwang, Germany with B-26s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): On Luzon, P-38s and P-51s fly ground support in the Iguig area of the Cagayan River Valley and hit Sabangan. Nearly 50 P-51s are weathered out of a Kyushu, Japan sweep from Okinawa. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Okaseki, Toyohara, and Takao Airfields and A-26s attack Karenko. On Borneo, B-24s and P-38s supporting Australian forces, hit Japanese forces in areas near Balikpapan, Manggar, and Sepinggang; (Australian and Dutch forces complete the encirclement of Balikpapan Bay); other B-24s hit the Samarinda shipyards; and B-25s in support of operations in the Brunei Bay area bomb a Japanese-occupied area E of Beaufort. Unit moves: HQ 348FG and 340FS from Floridablanca, Luzon to Ie Shima, Ryukyu Islands with P-51s; ground echelon of 25(Photo)RS, 6RG, from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Okinawa (air echelon is at Clark Field, Luzon with F-5s); 310FS, 58FG, from Porac, Luzon to Okinawa with P-47s; 418NPS, V Fighter Command [attached to 308BW(H)] from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Okinawa with P-61s.
TUESDAY, 10 JULY 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): 4 B-24s fly a search down the W coasts of Paramushiru and Shimushu Islands and then radar-bomb Minami Zaki on Shimushu Island. 1 B-24 flies a radar-ferret Mission over the N Kurile Islands.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): During the night of 10/11Jul, 1 B-24 from Okinawa bombs Karasehara Airfield, Japan; 43 other Okinawa-based B-24s bomb Wan and Sateku Airfields on Kikaiga-shima, Amami Islands; 50+ B-25s bomb Wan Airfield and Saha-Saki on Nakano Shima, Ryukyu Islands, and Kurume, Kyushu, Japan.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 102 P-51s, based on Iwo Jima, attack Hashin, Nishinomiya, Sano, and Tokushima, Japan mostly hitting airfields; 3 P-51s are lost.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 14 B-25s bomb the town of Dong Anh and the railroad shops at Phu Lang Thuong, French Indochina, and truck convoys moving through the Siang Chiang Valley, China. In China, 22 P-51s and P-38s bomb warehouses at Wuchang, hit railroad targets of opportunity near Yoyang, strafe 3 railroad stations N of Chuanhsien, bomb buildings N of Kanchou, knock out a bridge approach S of Chuting, damage a bridge near Hengyang, and hit targets of opportunity at Weichow Island, Laohokow, China, and Tourane, French Indochina. The 71Liaison Squadron, 14AF, begins a movement from Piardoba, India to Kunming, China with UC-64s, L-1s, L-4s and L-5s.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: HQ 358FG and 365th and 367FS begin a movement from Reims, France to the US; 155(Photo)RS, 363RG, from Maastricht, the Netherlands to Rothwesten Airfield, Kassel, Germany with A-20s and F-3s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): The 2FS, 4FS and 5FS, 52FG, move from Piagiolina Airfield to Lesina, Italy with P-51s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): On Luzon, P-38s and P-51s support ground action in the N Cagayan Valley and hit enemy pockets E of Manila. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Tainan Airfield, destroying several planes, and bomb warehouses at Takao. Bad weather again prevents fighter sweep from Okinawa over Kyushu, Japan. B-24s hit the town of Muarakaman and airfield at Tabanio, Borneo while P-38s strafe numerous targets of opportunity in SE Borneo. B-24s bomb the warehouse area at Donggala on Celebes Island. HQ 58th FG moves from Porac, Luzon to Okinawa.
WEDNESDAY, 11 JULY 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): 5 B-24s radar-bomb Kataoka on Shimushu Island and 4 B-25s fly a shipping sweep and bomb a Otomae Wan fishery, scoring hits among the buildings.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): During the night of 11/12 Jul, 2 B-24s from Okinawa attack Byu and Miyazaki Airfields, Kyushu, Japan.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 262: During the night of 11/12 Jul, 25 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and waters at Miyazu, Maizuru, Obama Island and, in the first B-29 operation to Korea, 2 mine Pusan and Najin.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 25 P-51s and P-40s attack bridges, troops, gun positions, rail traffic, rivercraft, coastal shipping, and various scattered targets at or near Nanchang, Kweiyi, Puchi, Tanchuk, and the Luichow Peninsula.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 439th Troop Carrier Group and 91, 92d, 93and 94TCSs begin a movement from Chateaudun, France to the US with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 93Combat BW(H) begins a movement from Mendlesham, England to the US.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): The 366FS, 358th FG, begins a movement from Reims, France to the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): P-51s sweep Kyushu, Japan. B-24s bomb Shinchiku Airfield on Formosa. B-25s and fighter-bombers pound troop concentrations and defenses in the Cagayan Valley on Luzon Island and B-24s pound troop concentrations on Negros Island. B-25s and P-38s pound highway targets in the Balikpapan, Borneo area.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR (2AF): The 4RS (Long Range, Photographic), 311(Photo)Wing (attached to 6th Reconnaissance Group), moves from Hollandia, New Guinea to Tacloban, Leyte with F-7s (the squadron is mapping areas of the SW and W Pacific).
THURSDAY, 12 JULY 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): 4 B-25s on a shipping sweep bomb and strafe a freighter; 1 B-25 is lost killing the crew.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): HQ 7AF on Okinawa is declared open by a General Order on this date. 47 B-24s from Okinawa, failing to bomb the primary target, Tsuiki, Japan because of clouds, attack the airfield on Kikaiga-shima, Amami Islands. 2 Okinawa-based B-24s bomb Byu and Miyazaki Airfields, Kyushu during the night. 50+ B-25s bomb Kanoya airfield and the town of Aburatsu on Kyushu and Tokuno airfield on Tokuno Shima, Amami Islands. On Kyushu, Chiran Airfield is pounded by 70 B-25s and A-26s (this is the first strike against Japan by 7AF A-26s); 2 more A-26s hit the Ibusuki seaplane station.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): During the night of 12/13 Jul, 1 bombing and 4 incendiary missions are flown; 3 B-29s are lost.
Mission 263: 115 B-29s attack the Utsunomiya urban area destroying 0.94 sq mi (2.4 sq km), 34.2% of the city; 5 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 264: 123 B-29s hit the Ichinomiya urban area destroying 0.01sq mi (0.03 sq km), 0.8% of the city area; 2 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 265: 92 B-29s attack the Tsuruga urban area destroying 0.77 sq mi (2 sq km), 68% of the city; 2 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 266: 123 B-29s hit the Uwajima urban area destroying 0.14 sq mi (0.36 sq km), 14% of the city; 1other hits an alternate target.
Mission 267: 53 B-29s attack the Kawasaki Petroleum Center destroying about 25% of the target; 2 B-29s are lost, 1between Guam and Tinian.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 3 B-25s blast supply convoys moving through the Siang Chiang Valley; 43 P-51s and P-38s attack bridges, rivercraft, barracks road traffic, and coastal shipping around Changsha, Hsinching, the Luichow Peninsula and Nanchang and in French Indochina, Hamrong, the Tonkin area, and Cao Bang. 2 bridges are knocked out and others damaged, airfields are strafed at Vinh, French Indochina and Kiungshan, China.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 95th Combat BW(H) begins a movement from Kettingham, England to the US.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves in Germany: 160TRS, 363RG, from Wiesbaden to Eschwege with F-6s; 453BS(H), 323BG(M), from Augsburg to Haunstetten with B-26s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ XII AFs Service Command is disbanded at Siena, Italy.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): P-51s sweep Kyushu, Japan. B-24s bomb Canton, China. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Toshien while A-26s hit numerous targets at Tamazato and P-51s hit targets along the W coast. On Luzon, fighter-bombers hit pillboxes E of Iguig, attack concentrations in the Bontoc-Kiangan area, and support ground forces E of Manila (the town of Kiangan falls to the 6th Infantry Division, but resistance in the area continues). B-24s over Negros Island in support of ground forces bomb a concentration NE of Mount Mandalagan. B-24s destroy a barrack area at Tandjung, Borneo and others hit warehouses at Donggala, Celebes Island. The 341, 342 and 460FSs, 348FG, move from Floridablanca, Luzon to Ie Shima with P-51s.
FRIDAY, 13 JULY 1945
CENTRAL PACIFIC
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 268: During the night of 13/14 Jul, 30 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and waters at Fukuoka, and ports at Seishin, Masan, and Reisui.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 14 B-25s and 12 P-51s attack bridges, railroad yards, AA guns, and targets of opportunity at Anyang and Puchi, China, and Do Cam, French Indochina. 33 P-51s and P-38s attack river shipping, buildings, road traffic, rail targets, and general targets of opportunity around Trung Khanh Phu, Tonkin, the Delta area, Cao Bang and Thanh Hoa, French Indochina and Wangypan, the Luichow Peninsula, Pinglo, Changsha, and Wuchou, China. The 449FS, 51FG, moves from Chengkung to Mengtsz, China with P-38s.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 349th Troop Carrier Group and the 23d, 312th, 313th and 314TCSs begin a movement from Amy Airfield, Roye, France to the US with C-46s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): Unit moves in England: HQ 92 CBW(H) from Elveden Hall to the US. The 652d BS (Heavy, Weather Reconnaissance), 1Air Division, from Watton to Alconbury, England with B-17s (the squadron flies weather reconnaissance missions in the ETO).
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): B-24s bomb storage areas at Canton, China. On Formosa, B-24s bomb boatyards and buildings at Suo while A-26s hit the Karenko railroad yards. B-24s bomb concentrations NE of Mount Mandalagan on Negros Island. On Luzon, B-25s and fighter-bombers hit the Kiangan area, attack Japanese pockets E of Iguig and N of Tuguegarao, pound pillboxes, ammunition dumps, and vehicles in the Cervantes sector, and blast hostile areas near Siniloan, NE of Laguna de Bay. P-38s attack gun entrenchments in the Miri area of Borneo. P-38s on a sweep over SW Celebes Island hit vehicles and communications targets.
SATURDAY, 14 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (7AF): HQ 7AF moves from Saipan Island to Okinawa and is reassigned from AAF Pacific Ocean Area and overall operational control by the USN to FEAF. 7AF units in the Ryukyu Islands, operating under Tactical AF, Ryukyus (Tenth Army Tactical AF): since Apr 45 when the first element of the 7AF arrived, are now under operational control of HQ 7AF. The move from Saipan takes place between 18 Jun and 28 Jul.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): P-51s from Iwo Jima sent on a strike against Meiji and Kagamigahara in the Nagoya, Japan area abort because of weather.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 25 P-51s and P-38s bomb or strafe ammunition and supply dumps, river, road, and rail traffic, and coastal shipping around Laohokow, Tinpak, Koyiu and Yutze, China and Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, Hongay, Mon Cay and Vinh, French Indochina.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): The 308FS, 31FG, moves from Mondolfo to Triolo, Italy with P-51s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ 350FG and 345th, 346th and 347FSs begin a movement from Pisa, Italy to the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): On this date HQ 7AF officially joins the Fifth and Thirteenth AFs as part of FEAF. On Formosa, A-26s hit the Taiharo refinery and warehouse area and P-51s over the W coast blast railroad targets. P-47s sweep the N China coast and attack coastal cargo vessels NW of Tinghai. On Luzon, fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Mankayan and Kiangan areas and hit enemy positions in the Ipo-Infanta sector. B-24s support ground forces on Negros Island, bombing the area NE of Mount Mandalagan. On Celebes Island, B-24s bomb airstrips at Boeloedowang, Limboeng, Mapanget, and Tanamon and Japanese HQ at Sindjai. The air echelon of the 25(Photo)RS, 6RG, moves from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa with F-5s (ground echelon arrived on Okinawa on 9 Jul).
SUNDAY, 15 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): During the night of 15/16 Jul, 1 mining and 1bombing Mission are flown without loss.
Mission 269: 26 B-29s mine waters at Naoetsu and Niigata, Japan and Najin, Pusan, and Wonsan, Korea; 1 other mines an alternate target.
Mission 270: 59 B-29s bomb the Nippon Oil Company at Kudamatsu and the facility is almost completely destroyed; 3 others hit alternate targets. 104 Iwo Jima-based P-51s attack airfields and other tactical targets at Meiji, Kagamigahara, Kowa, Akenogahara, Nagoya, and Suzuko, Japan claiming 13-4-20 aircraft in the air and on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 3 B-25s blast truck convoys moving through the Siang Chiang Valley of China. 39 P-51s and P-47s attack rivercraft, troops, coastal shipping, bridges, railroad yards, gun positions, trains, and other targets around the Luichow Peninsula, Anyang, Yutze, Sinsiang, Fentingtukou, Paoching, Tanchuk and Kweiyi, China, and Pac Muong and Haiphong, French Indochina.
ETO - AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 436th Troop Carrier Group and 79th, 80th, 81 and 82TCSs begin a movement from Melun, France to the US with C-47s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF):
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: 34th Photographic RS, 10RG, from Haguenau, France to Furth, Germany with F-5s; 394FS, 367FG, from Eschborn Airfield, Frankfurt, Germany to Reims, France with P-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Unit moves in Italy: HQ 306FW begins a movement from Fano to the US; HQ 31FG and 307th and 309FSs from Mondolfo to Triolo Airfield with P-51s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Unit moves in Italy: HQ 57th FG and 64th, 65th and 66FSs from Grosseto to Bagnoli with P-47s; 414NPS, 12AF from Pontedera to Bagnoli with P-61s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): B-24s bomb an arms plant at Canton, China. On Formosa, P-51s sweep the W coast, blasting a warehouse and other buildings S of Takao and targets of opportunity on Hoko Island. On Luzon, P-38s and P-51s support ground forces in the N Cayagan Valley, in the Kiangan sector, and in the Cervantes area and B-25s and P-51s bomb defensive positions in the Infanta sector. On Kyushu Island, Japan, 58 B-24s hit airfields at Tomitaka and Usa. 25 B-24s pound Kikaiga-shima, Amami Islands, Miranoura on Yaku-shima, Osumi Islands, and an airfield on Tamega Island. The 65TCS, 403TCG, moves from Morotai Island to Dulag, Leyte with C-46s and C-47s.
MONDAY, 16 JULY 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): 2 B-24s fly a negative shipping search mission to Shimushiru Island. 4 B-25s on an enemy shipping sweep deck-level bomb and strafe an enemy freighter; 3 of the bombers then bomb and strafe Torishima Retto, the secondary target.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): HQ 20AF is officially moved from Washington, DC to Harmon Field, Guam Island; HQ XX BC is inactivated, effective 18 Jul, and HQ and HQ Squadron XXI BC is redesignated HQ Squadron, 20AF; thus the BCs are brought to an end as actual establishments and their wings pass to direct control of HQ 20AF of which Major General Curtis Emerson LeMay takes command on this date. During the night of 16/17 Jul, 469 B-29s fly 4 incendiary raids against Japanese cities without loss.
Mission 271: 119 B-29s attack the Namazu urban area destroying 1.4 sq mi (3.6 sq km), 89.5% of the city.
Mission 272: 124 B-29s hit the Oita urban area destroying 0.555 sq mi (1.437 sq km), 25.2% of the city.
Mission 273: 94 B-29s attack the Kuwana urban area destroying 0.63 sq mi (1.63 sq km), 77% of the city; 2 other B-29s hit alternate targets.
Mission 274: 129 B-29s hit the Hiratsuka urban area destroying 1.04 sq mi (2.69 sq km), 44.2% of the city; 1other hits an alternate target. During the day, 5 P-47s hit Yanagawa and 96 Iwo Jima-based P-51s hit targets (mainly airfields) at Kameyama, Kiyosu, Komaki, Okazaki, Suzuko, and Akenogahara; 22 air victories are claimed; 1 P-51 is lost. HQ 21FG moves from Central Field to South Field on Iwo Jima.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 5 B-25s pound enemy truck convoys moving
supplies through the Siang-Chiang Valley and S of Kweilin; 60+ P-51s, P-38s, and P-47s continue to hit river, road, and rail traffic, bridges, troops, supplies, and other targets at many points in French Indochina and S and E
China.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (8AF): HQ 8AF issues its last
movement order in the ETO; after much reorganization and redeployment of units, HQ relieves the VIII Fighter Command from assignment to 8AF and directs HQ and HQ Squadron to move from Charleroi, Belgium back to the UK (the unit moves to High Wycombe the following day, 17 Jul) where VIII Fighter Command is to assume control over all 8AF units remaining in UK. HQ 8AF is transferred without personnel, equipment, or combat elements to Okinawa, where the Eighth and 20AFs are to comprise US Army Strategic AFs in the Pacific (USASTAF) under command of General Carl Spaatz. By this date 90,000+ persons (50+ per cent of the Eighth's strength on 30 Apr 45) have been redeployed to US, N Africa, and various parts of the ETO.
ETO - EUROPEAN TACTICAL OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: HQ 71 FW from Nancy to Essey Airfield, Nancy, France; HQ 323BG(M) from Gablingen to Landsberg, Germany; 358FS, 355th FG, from Steeple Morden, England to Gablingen, Germany with P-51s.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (AAF, India-Burma Theater): Major General Thomas J Hanley, Jr assumes command of AAF, India-Burma Theater.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Unit moves in Italy: 121LS, 12AF from Manerba to Florence with UC-78s, L-4s and L-5s; the 486th, 487th, 488th and 489BS(M), 340BG(M), begins a movement from Rimini to the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): B-24s bomb warehouses at Watampone on Celebes Island. On Luzon, P-51s and B-25s support ground forces in the Kiangan-Baguio sector and an area E of Manila. On Formosa, P-51s on a sweep attack communications targets, hitting a railroad station and a locomotive shed at Byoritsu and scoring a direct hit on bridge SW of Koryu. On Kyushu Island, Japan, B-24s, A-26s, B-25s, P-51s and P-47s from Okinawa and Ie Shima pound targets; P-51s hit several E coast targets, concentrating in the Kagoshima Bay area; 27 A-26s, 1 B-24, and 39 P-47s hit the airfield and bridge at Miyazaki; 33 B-24s bomb bridges at Nobeoka; 36 B-25s, a B-24 and an A-26 pound Sadohara bridge; 6 B-24s bomb harbor and town of Aburatsu; and 5 P-47s hit Yanagawa. The 64TCS, 403Troop Carrier Group, moves from Biak Island to Dulag, Leyte with C-47s.
ZI - ZONE OF INTERIOR: The first atomic bomb is successfully exploded at Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Second AF: The air echelon of the 19RS (Long Range, Photographic), 311th Reconnaissance Wing (attached to 9AF), moves from Watton to Thurleigh, England with F-9s (the squadron is photo-mapping Europe).
TUESDAY, 17 JULY 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): The 77BS(M), 28BG (Composite), flies it's last Mission of the war when 4 B-25s make an unsuccessful shipping sweep between Kurabu Zaki and Tomari Zaki; 2 of the B-25s land in the USSR and 11 of the 12 airmen become the last American aircrew interned in the USSR during the war (one airman is KIA). An unsuccessful shipping sweep is flown by 2 B-24s over Shimushiru Island.
CENTRAL PACIFIC 20AF:
Mission 275: During the night of 17/18 Jul, 27 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and waters in the Nanao-Fushiki area, at Henashi Cape, Iwase and at Seishin; 1other B-29 mines an alternate target.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, a single B-25 attacks 3 truck convoys in the Siang Chiang Valley and bombs the area along the river at Hengyang; 70+ P-51s and P-47s continue to disrupt enemy movement in French Indochina and S and E China, attacking bridges, railroad yards, rail, road, and river traffic, airfields, gun positions, and many other targets at various locations, especially around Suichwan, Linfen, and Sinsiang, China.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves in Germany: HQ 63FW from Schwabisch-Hall to Darmstadt; 354th and 357FSs, 355th FG, from Steeple Morden, England to Gablingen with P-51s.
VIII Fighter Command: HQ VIII Fighter Command moves from Charleroi, Belgium to High Wycombe, England.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In China, nearly 150 B-24s, B-25s, and A-26s pound Chiang Wan Airfield, P-47s attack shipping and warehouses in the Taishan Island area while others hit Tinghai Airfield and B-25s hit Itu Aba Island. P-51s over Kyushu and the N Ryukyu Islands attack shipping, severely damaging a 10,000-ton cargo vessel in the harbor on Amami-O-Shima Island and P-47s dive-bomb railroad tunnels NW and SW of Kagoshima, Kyushu. B-24s bomb Limboeng, Celebes Island barracks and strafe a schooner off SW Celebes. B-25s attack Jesselton Airfield in Borneo. The 13th Troop Carrier Squadron, 403TCG, moves from Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands to Dulag, Leyte Island with C-47s.
WEDNESDAY, 18 JULY 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): 2 routine search and weather sorties are flown.
CENTRAL PACIFIC [US Army Strategic AFs in the Pacific (USASTAF)] HQ USASTAF is established at Guam Island under General Carl Spaatz.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 4 B-25s blast the railroad yards at Dong Anh, French
Indochina. 36 P-51s and P-38s hit river traffic, rail targets, coastal shipping, enemy positions, trucks, and other targets around Viet Tri, French Indochina and other areas of French Indochina and near Yoyang, Suichwan, Lingling, Chikhom, Kukong, and Dosing, China.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): HQ 332FG and 100th and 301 fighters Squadrons move from Cattolica to Lucera, Italy with P-51s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In China, about 150 B-24s, B-25s, and A-26s, covered by 54 P-47s, hit the Shanghai area, airfields at Chiang Wan, Wusung, and Lunghua, Shanghai docks, shipping on the Whangpoo River, and airstrips on Chusan Island. Other P-47s attack various targets of opportunity on Kyushu Island, Japan and P-51s attack communications lines, bridges, shipping, towns, and other targets throughout Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. P-38s hit communications and transportation targets throughout the N part of Formosa while B-24s pound the airfield at Matsuyama. B-24s bomb Boetoeng and Watampone on Celebes Island; on Borneo, B-25s hit Jesselton and P-38s attack Langkon. P-38s hit Japanese concentration along the Kibawe trail on Mindanao Island, Philippine Islands.
THURSDAY, 19 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): During the night of 19/20 Jul, 1mining, 4 incendiary
and 1bombing missions are flown by B-29s against Japan and Korea; 3 B-29s
are lost.
Mission 276: 27 B-29s lay mines in the Oyama, Niigata, Miyazu, Maizuru, Tsuruga, Nezugaseki, Obama Island, and Kobe-Osaka areas of Japan and at
Wonsan, Korea; 1 B-29s mines an alternate target.
Mission 277: 127 B-29s attack the Fukui urban area destroying 1.6 sq mi
(4.2 sq km), 84.8% of the city; 1other B-29s hits an alternate target.
Mission 278: 126 B-29s hit the Hitachi urban area destroying 0.88 sq mi
(2.28 sq km), 64.5% of the city; 1other B-29 hits an alternate target; 2 B-29s are lost.
Mission 279: 91 B-29s attack the Choshi urban area destroying 0.379 sq mi (0.982 sq km), 33.8 % of the city.
Mission 280: 126 B-29s hit the Okazaki urban area destroying 0.65 sq mi (1.68 sq km), 68% of the city; 1 B-29 hits an alternate target.
Mission 281: 83 B-29s bomb the Nippon oil plant at Amagasaki; 1other B-29 hits an alternate target.
Iwo Jima-based P-51s strike airfields, factories, railroads, power lines and other tactical targets at Kagamigahara, Nagoya, Meiji, Izumi, Nishinomiya, and Tambaichi during the day.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 20 B-25s, 16 P-51s, and 4 P-47s blast railroad yards at Shihkiachwang; 7 other B-25s and 2 P-51s hit bridges S of Yoyang and bomb truck convoys in the Siang Chiang Valley, particularly around the Siangtan area. 37 fighter-bombers disrupt enemy movement over wide areas of French Indochina and S and E China, attacking numerous targets of opportunity.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): HQ 456BG(H) and 744th, 745th, 746th and 747BS(H) begin a movement from Stornara, Italy to the US with B-24s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In Borneo, P-38s hit a suicide boat hideout at Sandakan while B-25s bomb Jesselton Airfield. P-38s support ground forces, hitting positions along the Kibawe trail on Mindanao Island, Philippine Islands. B-25s hit Itu Aba Island, China. In Japan, 90+ P-51s pound numerous targets on sweeps over the Nagoya area and hit airfields, factories, power facilities, and gun positions at locations including Kagamigahara, Nishinomiya, and Osaka.
FRIDAY, 20 JULY 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): 8 B-24s fly the heaviest and most successful Mission of the month, bombing hangars and revetments at Matsuwa Airfield on Matsuwa Island. The detachment of the 11FS, 343FG, operating from Amchitka Island with P-38s and P-40s since Mar 44, returns to base on Adak Island.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): The 393BS(VH), 509th Composite Group, begins a series of 12 precision attacks over Japan for the purpose of familiarizing the crews with the target area and tactics contemplated for the scheduled atomic bomb missions; the strikes (on 20, 24, 26, and 29 Jul) are mostly against (or near) cities previously bombed, in the general area of cities chosen for possible atomic attack, and involve from 2 to 6 aircraft in order to accustom the Japanese to sight of small formations of B-29s flying at high altitudes. 94 P-51s based on Iwo Jima are dispatched against targets, mainly airfields, at Kamezaki, Meiji, Okazaki, Nagoya, Kagamigahara, Hamamatsu, and Komaki, Japan; they claim 1-11Japanese aircraft on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 10 B-25s and 6 P-51s hit truck convoys around Hengyang and Wuchang, and storage on an island near Changsha, China, locomotive shops at Phu Thuong, and power plant and railroad targets in the Vinh, French Indochina area. 50+ P-51s, P-38s, and P-61s disrupt enemy movement and general withdrawal in Indochina and S and E China, attacking river, road, and rail traffic, coastal shipping, supplies, and other targets. The 115th Liaison Squadron, 14AF, moves from Nagaghuli, India to Chengkung, China with L-1s, L-4s and L-5s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): The 363and 364FSs, 357FG, move from Leiston, England to Neubiberg, Germany with P-51s.
VIII Fighter Command: The 859BS(H), 492BG(H) [attached to 2641Special Group (Provisional)], moves from Gioia del Colle to Bari, Italy with B-24s and C-47s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): P-38s attack the town of Langkon, Borneo. On Celebes Island, B-24s pound Togian Island and P-38s hit targets of opportunity on the SW. B-25s hit Itu Aba Island, China and W of Palawan Island, Philippine Islands for the second consecutive day. On Luzon, A-20s and fighter-bombers support the ground action in the Kiangan area and in the lower Cagayan Valley while B-25s and fighter-bombers hit Japanese positions in the Marikina and Infanta areas. B-24s bomb an area S of Fabrica on Negros Island. Unit moves: The detachment of the 419th Night Fighter Squadron, XIII Fighter Command, operating from Zamboanga, Mindanao with P-61s, returns to base at Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island; 498BS(M), 345BG(M), from Clark Field, Luzon to Ie Shima with B-25s.
SATURDAY, 21 JULY 1945
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 11 B-25s and 2 P-51s attack truck convoys in the Siang Chiang Valley, bomb a HQ near Wuchang, and hit a bridge, trains, warehouses, and AA positions in the Sienning area. 40+ P-51s, P-38s, and P-61s again attack numerous targets and disrupt enemy movement in French Indochina and S and E China, hitting communications targets, supplies, transport, and other targets of opportunity.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 357FG and 362FS arrive at Neubiberg, Germany from Leiston, England with P-51s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): B-25s and A-26s bomb shipping at Naze-Ko, Ryukyu Islands. P-38s hit the Kiangan area on Luzon. Bad weather restricts activity in the Netherlands East Indies, Philippine Islands, Japan, and other target areas mainly to light raids and snooper missions. Unit moves to/on Okinawa: HQ 319BG(L) and 437th, 438th, 439th and 440BS(L) from Kadena to Machinato with A-26s; ground echelon of 8(Photo)RS, 6RG, from Dulag, Leyte (air echelon at Clark Field, Luzon with F-5s); 373BS(H), 494BG(H), from Luliang, China to Yontan with B-24s; 405BS(M), 38BG(M), from Lingayen, Luzon with B-25s.
SUNDAY, 22 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): A bombing and a mining mission are flown during the night of 23/24 Jul; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 282: 23 B-29s, staging through Iwo Jima, mine Shimonoseki Strait and the Korea coast at Najin-which in the longest B-29 combat mission of the war-and in the Pusan-Masan, Korea area; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 283: 72 B-29s bomb the coal liquefaction company at the Imperial Fuel Industry Company at Ube. 100+ Iwo Jima Island-based P-51s hit airfields, rail installations, and other tactical targets at Itami, Hanshin, Sano, Tokushima, Takamatsu, and Minato, Japan.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 16 B-25s and 8 fighter-bombers blast truck convoys moving supplies through the Siang Chiang Valley, bomb railroad yards at Siaokan, and knock out 2 bridges S of Sincheng and Lohochai. 50+ P-51s, P-47s, and P-38s continue the campaign to disrupt enemy movement and withdrawal in French Indochina and S and E China, pounding numerous rail, road, and river targets, supply dumps, and coastal shipping.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: HQ 55FG and 338th and 343FSs from Wormingford, England to Kaufbeuren, Germany with P-51s; 158LS, 9AF, from Ahrweiler, Germany to Orly, France with L-1s and L-4s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In China, 22 B-24s from Okinawa hit Chiang Wan and 1 hits Tinghai Airfield, 37 B-25s bomb an oil plant at Shanghai and a destroyer in the Whangpoo River, P-47s from Ie Shima join the B-25 attack on the Shanghai area, hitting a destroyer, gunboat, and freighter in the Whangpoo River, and factories and railroad shops, 34 P-51s from Okinawa also hit Whangpoo shipping and 37 A-26s hit the airfield at Tachang. B-24s on a night shipping search and weather mission bomb airfields at Tinghai and on Chusan Island, China; Pusan, Korea; and Yonago, Japan. On Luzon, B-25s, P-51s, and P-38s, hampered by bad weather, fly 30+ ground support sorties in the Gubano, Cervantes, and Mankayan areas.
Unit moves: HQ 322Troop Carrier Wing from Hollandia, New Guinea to Manila, Luzon; air echelon of 26(Photo)RS, 6th Reconnaissance Group, from Lingayen to Clark Field, Luzon with F-5s (ground echelon at Lingayen); 311TCS, 7AF, begins a movement from Bellows Field, Hawaii to Okinawa with C-47s; 403BS(H), 43BG(H), from Clark Field, Luzon to Ie Shima with B-24s.
MONDAY, 23 JULY 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): 2 B-24s radar-bomb Kurabu Cape Airfield on Paramushiru Island.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 8 B-25s and 4 P-51s bomb the railroad yards at Sinyang and hit a warehouse at Ichang, China. 100+ P-51s, P-38s, and P-40s attack numerous targets, including rail, road, and river traffic, airfields, coastal shipping, bridges, storage facilities, and railroad yards, at many locations over S and E China, especially in the Paoching area and, to a smaller degree, over French Indochina. The 115th Liaison Squadron, 14AF, moves from Chengkung to Hsingchiang, China with L-1s, L-4s and L-5s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS VIII Fighter Command: Unit moves in England: HQ 4FG and 334th, 335th and 336FSs from Debden to Steeple Morden with P-51s; HQ 25BG(R) begins a movement from Watton to the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): B-25s pound Jesselton, Borneo while B-24s over other areas of the Netherlands East Indies bomb Amboina on Ambon Island and the Tolonoeoe Islands. Fighter aircraft support ground forces in the Kiangan, Luzon area. B-25s bomb Itu Aba Island, China. B-24s hit Miho and Saeki, Japan. Single B-24s on armed reconnaissance hit several targets including Tinghai Airfield, China, Kure harbor, Japan, and Tanega Island, Ryukyu Islands.
TUESDAY, 24 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 7 missions (625 B-29s) are flown against targets in the Nagoya and Osaka areas; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 284: 82 B-29s attack the Sumitomo Light Metals Industries propeller factory at Osaka; most of the machine tools had been removed but the facility is completely wrecked; 4 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is
lost.
Mission 285: 81 B-29s hit the Kawanishi Aircraft Plant at Takarazuka destroying 77% of the plant; 3 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 286: 153 B-29s hit the Osaka Arsenal and Kuwana; the arsenal sustains additional damage amounting to 10% of the original roof area; 9 others hit alternate targets;
Mission 287: 66 B-29s attack the Aichi aircraft plant at Eitoku; the plant sustains its heaviest damage of the war; 5 others hit alternate targets.
Missions 288 and 289: 113 B-29s hit the urban are of the city of Tsu; 2 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 290: 77 B-29s attack the Nakajima plant at Handa destroying the principal assembly buildings; 1 B-29 hit an alternate target. 91 P-51 s, operating out of Iwo Jima, hit airfields and other tactical targets at Hamamatsu, Suruga Bay, and other points in the Nagoya, Japan area.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 8 B-25s and 6 P-51s pound truck convoys in the Hengyang area, hit river shipping near Pakonghow, and damage a bridge and storage area and knock out AA positions at Puchi and 15 P-51s blast the Changsha area, destroying an estimated 28 warehouses and 8 fuel storage buildings. 80+ P-51s, P-38s, and P-47s over French Indochina and S and E China continue to disrupt the Japanese withdrawal, pounding dozens of targets of opportunity at numerous locations.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS VIII Fighter Command: The 4th, 7th, 18th and 391BSs (H), 34BG(H), begin a movement from Mendelsham, England to the US with B-17s.
IX Troop Carrier Command: HQ 434TCG begins a movement from Mourmelon-le-Grand, France to the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In China, 100+ 5AF B-24s fly their first strike from Okinawa, bombing the Chiang Wan Airfield N of Shanghai; 7AF B-25s from Okinawa hit Wusung and Lunghua Airfields in the Shanghai area while A-26s and B-25s attack the Tachang and Tinghai Airfields; and fighter-bombers hit shipping and targets of opportunity throughout the general area attacked by the bombers. In Borneo, Thirteenth AF B-25s pound the Jesselton Airfield and B-24s hit Oelin and Tabanio Airfields. Other B-25s hit Itu Aba Island, China. 5AF fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Infanta and Leyban areas of Luzon. Unit moves: 65BS(H), 43BG(H), from Clark Field, Luzon to Ie Shima with B-24s; detachment of the 419th Night Fighter Squadron, XIII Fighter Command, operating from Sanga Sanga, Sulu Island, to base at Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island with P-61s; 421Night Fighter Squadron, V Fighter Command, from Clark Field, Luzon to Ie Shima with P-61s; 822 and 823BS(H), 38BG(H), from Lingayen, Luzon to Okinawa with B-24s.
WEDNESDAY, 25 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): During the night of 25/26 Jul, 106 B-29s fly 1 bombing and 1mining mission; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 291: 75 B-29s attack the Mitsubishi Oil Company and Hayama Petroleum Company at Kawasaki destroying 33% of the storage tanks units and other facilities; 1 B-29 hits an alternate target and 1suffers a direct flak hit over the target and goes down.
Mission 292: 29 B-29s mine the waters at Nanao, Fushiki, Obama Island, Tsuruga, and Seishin, Japan, and Pusan, Korea; 1other mines an alternate target.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 10 B-25s and 3 P-38s knock out bridges at Tho Linh and Quang Tri, French Indochina and damage a barge and a river steamer in the Wuchou, China area. 30 P-51s and P-38s attack river, road, and rail traffic, railroad yards, and other targets in the areas of Duc Tho, Bac Ninh, Vinh, and Hanoi, French Indochina, and Kukong, Samshui, Wuchou, and the West River, China. The 71Liaison Squadron, Fourteen AF [attached to XIV AF Tactical Air Command (Provisional)], arrives at Kunming, China from Piardoba, India with UC-64s, L-1s, L-4s and L-5s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: HQ 305BG(H) and 364th, 365th, 366th and 422BS(H) from Chelveston, England to St Trond, Belgium; 125LS, XII Tactical Air Command (attached to HQ Command, US Forces, European Theater), from Heidelberg to Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany with L-5s; 153Liaison Squadron, XII Tactical Air Command, from Augsburg to Heidelberg, Germany with L-5s.
VIII Fighter Command: Units beginning a movement from England to the US: HQ
34BG(H) from Mendlesham; 654BS(Heavy, Reconnaissance, Special), 25BG(R), from Watton.
MTO - AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND (North African Division): Units inactivated at Casablanca, French Morocco: HQ 303BG(H) and 358th, 359th 360th and 427BS(H); HQ 379BG(H) and 524th, 525th, 526th and 527BSs (H); HQ 484BG(H) and 824th, 825th, 826th and 827BS(H).
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In Borneo, B-24s bomb Pontianak and Kuching Airfields while B-25s and fighters attack a dispersal area in the Jesselton Airfield area. B-24s pound enemy troops on Negros Island and B-25s bomb Itu Aba Island, China. B-24s bomb Kikaiga-shima, Amami Islands, N Ryukyu Islands and the town of Tsuiki. Unit moves from Luzon: HQ 38BG(M) and 71BS(M) from Lingayen to Okinawa with B-25s; HQ 345BG(M) from Clark Field, to Ie Shima.
THURSDAY, 26 JULY 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): 7 B-24s successfully hit the Kataoka Naval Base on Shimushu Island with incendiaries, leaving smoke columns 5,000 ft (1,524 m) high in their wake; there is no airborne opposition and AA fire is moderate and inaccurate. Another B-24 flies a radar-ferret Mission over the N Kurile Islands.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): During the night of 26/27 Jul, 350 B-29s fly 3 incendiary missions against secondary cities; 1 B-29 is lost:
Mission 293: 127 B-29s attack the Matsuyama urban area destroying 1.22 sq mi (3.16 sq km), 73% of the total city area.
Mission 294: 97 B-29s hit the Tokuyama urban area destroying 0.47 sq mi (1.22 sq km), 37% of the city area; 1other hits an alternate target.
Mission 295: 124 B-29s attack the Omuta urban area destroying 2.05 sq mi (5.31sq km), 38% of the city area; 1other hits an alternate target; 1 B-29 is lost.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 8 B-25s and 4 P-51s bomb the railroad yards at Lohochai and hit a storage area and animal transport in the Pinking area. 100+ P-51s, P-38s, and P-61s pound enemy movement and withdrawal in French Indochina and S and E China, hitting supplies, troops, river, road, and rail traffic, coastal shipping, railroad yards, bridges, town areas and other targets at numerous locations. The 427NPS, 10AF, based at Dinjan, India with P-61s, sends a detachment to operate from Nanning, China.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 79FG and 85th and 86FSs move from Cesenatico, Italy to Horsching, Austria with P-47s.
Potsdam Conference: The Potsdam ultimatum is issued, i.e., Japan is told to surrender unconditionally or face "utter destruction."
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In Borneo, B-24s hit Tabanio, Trombol, Sengkawang, and Oelin Airfields. Fighter-bombers and B-25s over Luzon (where the Thirteenth AF now provides ground support) aid ground forces in the Mankayan area and near Tuguegarao. B-24s plaster Japanese positions on ground support strikes over Negros Island. B-25s bomb Itu Aba Island, China.
Other B-25s on a shipping search attack a convoy at Tsutsu Bay, Japan sinking 3 small cargo vessels, a freighter, and a few small craft. B-24s on snooper strikes attack several targets, including various targets in the Ryukyu Islands, airfields at Tinghai, China and at Nakazu, Japan, and docks at Pusan, Korea. Unit moves from Luzon: HQ 43BG(H) and 64BS(H) from Clark Field to Ie Shima with B-24s; ground echelon of 36(Photo)RS, 6RG, begins a movement from Clark Field to Okinawa (air echelon at Clark Field until Sep 45).
FRIDAY, 27 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Mission 296: During the night of 27/28 Jul, 24 B-29s drop mines in Shimonoseki Strait, at Fukuoka, Niigata, Maizuru, Senzaki, and in Fukawa Bay; 1other mines an alternate target; 3 B-29s are lost to heavy flak, 2 ditching with 13 men rescued and 1crash landing on Iwo Jima and subsequently scrapped.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 13 B-25s, some with P-51support, hit a supply movement in the Siang Chiang Valley, bomb railroad yards at Siaokan and Sinyang, and hit coastal shipping in the Do Son, French Indochina area. 50+ P-51s and P-38s concentrate on attacking river shipping at numerous points of French Indochina and S and E China also hitting road and rail traffic, coastal vessels, storage areas, and bridges.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 386BG(L) and 552d, 553d, 554th and 555BS(L) begin a movement from St Trond, Belgium to the US. Unit moves in Europe: HQ 391BG(L) and 572 and 573BS(L) from Vitry-en-Artois to Laon, France with A-26s; HQ 416BG(L) and 668th, 669th, 670th and 671BS(L) from Cormeille-en-Vexin to Laon, France with A-26s; 87FS, 79FG, from Cesenatico, Italy to Horsching, Austria with P-47s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ 340BG(M) begins a movement from Rimini, Italy to the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): 60+ Fifth and 7AF B-24s pound a marshalling yard at Kagoshima, Kyushu and 50 escorting P-51s attack numerous nearby targets of opportunity; 150+ P-47s over Kyushu hit communications and industrial targets, including a tunnel S of Kurino, bridges at Okasa, Hitosuse-gawa, and Matsubase, and factories and a power plant at Yatsushiro. B-24s of the Thirteenth AF hit airstrip N of Pontianak, Borneo. The 500BS(M), 345BG(M), moves from Clark Field, Luzon to Ie Shima with B-25s.
SATURDAY, 28 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): During the night of 28/29 Jul, 554 B-29s fly 6 incendiary raids on secondary cities and 1bombing raid without loss.
Mission 297: 76 B-29s attack the Tsu urban area destroying 0.84 sq mi (2.18 sq km), 57% of the city area.
Mission 298: 61 B-29s hit the Aomori urban area destroying 1.06 sq mi (2.75 sq km), 64% of the city area; 3 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 299: 122 B-29s attack the Ichinomiya urban area destroying 0.99 sq mi (2.56 sq km), 75% of the city area; 2 others attack alternate areas.
Mission 300: 93 B-29s hit the Uji-Yamada urban area destroying 0.36 sq mi (0.93 sq km), 39% of the city area; 1other hits an alternate target.
Mission 301: 90 B-29s attack the Ogaki urban area destroying 0.48 sq mi (1.24 sq km), 40% of the city area.
Mission 302: 29 B-29s hit the Uwajima urban area destroying 0.53 sq mi (1.37 sq km), 52% of the city area.
Mission 303: 76 B-29s bomb the Shimotsu Oil Refinery; 75% of the tank capacity, 90% gasometer capacity and 69% of the roof area destroyed or damaged; 1other B-29s hits an alternate target. 140+ P-51s, based on Iwo Jima, hit 9 objectives (airfields and military targets) in a wide area around Tokyo and attack a destroyer escort along the Chiba Peninsula, leaving it burning.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 7 B-25s and 4 P-51s attack a supply movement through the Siang Chiang Valley, hit a freighter and 2 smaller vessels off Shuitang, and pound troops near Kian. About 90 P-51s, P-47s, and P-61s disrupt the Japanese movement throughout S and E China and in French Indochina; the fighter-bombers concentrate on river transport.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 70FW moves from Bad Wildungen to Furstenfeldbruck, Germany.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In Japan, 137 Ie Shima-based P-47s rocket and strafe airfields, oil stores, railroad yards, warehouses, industry, gun positions, and other targets on Kyushu at or near Kanoya, Metatsubara, Tachiarai, Kurume, Saga, and Junicho; 21more P-47s attack shipping at Yatsushiro and A-26s and B-25s pound airfields at Kanoya; P-51s and B-25s, sweeping over the Inland Sea, destroy 2 small cargo vessels and a patrol boat and 70+ B-24s bomb shipping at Kure, claiming direct hits on a battleship and an aircraft carrier. On Luzon, B-25s and P-38s in support of ground forces hit enemy positions in the Mankayan-Kiangan area and in the Marikina area. In the Philippines, other P-38s hit troop concentrations on Jolo Island and B-24s support ground forces on Negros Island.
Units movingfrom Luzon to Ie Shima: 82 and 110TRSs, 71RG, from Lingayen with F-6s; 499th and 501BS(M), 345BG(M), from Clark Field with B-25s.
SUNDAY, 29 JULY 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF):
Mission 304: During the night of 29/30 Jul, 24 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and the waters at Fukuoka, Karatsu, and Najin; 2 others mine alternate targets.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 4 B-25s and 2 P-51s hit shipping off Luichow Peninsula near Cape Kami, barracks at Chingmen, and cannon-strafe trucks at Kuanshuishih and oil storage at Yingtak. About 100 P-51s, P-38s, and P-61s attack a variety of targets over a vast area from Haiphong, French Indochina to Peking, China, continuing the steady campaign against enemy movement and withdrawal.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 365FG and 386FS move from Fritzlar, Germany to Suippes, France with P-47s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): P-47s from Ie Shima and B-24s, B-25s, and A-26s from Okinawa pound targets in the Japanese Home Islands; 70+ B-24s pound shipping at Kure, 41 B-24s hit a factory and storage area NW of Aburatsu, shipping and engine works in Nagasaki and vicinity, and the towns of Nobeoka, Kyushu and Oita; B-25s hit Kagoshima, Kyushu, Kibana, a bridge, barracks and other buildings at Miyazaki, warehouses, a lighthouse, and navigation light at Tozaki-hana, and bomb Tokuno Shima; A-26s pound the naval base and engine works at Nagasaki; numerous P-47s hit the harbor at Kure, shipping and seaplane station at Ibusuki, railroad station, docks, and town area of Makurazaki, Chiran and Izumi Airfields, and shipping at Kagoshima Bay. P-51s hit numerous targets of opportunity on the S coast of Korea and on the S part of Kyushu, where shipping, railroads, and Omura, Kyushu and Sashiki factories are also attacked. B-24s hit Sidate Airfield and warehouses at Watampone on Celebes Island. Other B-24s over Negros Island bomb resistance pocket S of Fabrica. On Luzon, B-25s and P-38s hit Japanese positions near San Mariano and W of Kiangan, troop concentrations in the Marikina watershed, and ridge emplacements in the Bantayan area; several buildings are destroyed at Pasco Point. Unit moves: 17th Reconnaissance Squadron (Bombardment), 71RG, from Lingayen, Luzon to Ie Shima with B-25s (detachment remains at Lingayen until Sep 45); 868BS(H), Thirteenth AF from Leyte to Okinawa with B-24s (the 868th uses airborne radar for low-level attacks at night and for pathfinder operations).
MONDAY, 30 JULY 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): 8 B-24s on way to the Kurile islands are soon recalled because of weather disturbances.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Iwo Jima-based P-51s attack airfields, railroads, and other tactical targets throughout the Kobe-Osaka, Japan area.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 2 B-25s bomb supply convoys moving through the Siang
Chiang Valley of China. 40+ P-51s, P-38s, and P-61s hit various targets in S and E China, and in French Indochina, chiefly river transport, but also troop concentrations, railroad traffic, and many targets of opportunity; target areas include Nanyang, Suchow, Hankow, Sinyang, Anking, Anyang, Lohochai, Kukong, Takhing, Koyiu, Samshui, Pingsiang, Kian, Yungcheng, Yingtak, and Wuchou, China.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): The 387th and 388 FSs, 365FG, move from Fritzlar, Germany to Suippes, France with P-47s.
JAPAN: The Japanese reject the Potsdam ultimatum. Nevertheless General of the Army George C Marshall, Chief of Staff, US Army, directs General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Commanding General US Army Forces in the Pacific, Lieutenant General Albert C Wedemeyer, Commanding General, US Forces in the China Theater, and Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief Pacific, to proceed with plans for a surrender.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In Japan, 60+ B-25s and A-26s bomb Omura Airfield and 4 of the planes hit airfield at Izumi; P-47s support the strike and also hit numerous nearby targets of opportunity; B-25s, failing to find targets on a shipping sweep over Korean waters, bomb shipping, a railroad, and a warehouse in the Sendai area and covering P-51s also hit nearby targets of opportunity; 80+ P-47s bomb Sendai, leaving much of the town in flames; P-51s on photo reconnaissance of S Kyushu destroy trains and small craft; and nearly 80 P-47s attack the Miyazaki, Karasehara, and Tomitaka areas, firing warehouses and damaging barracks, hangars, towers, and other buildings, and blast buildings and construction on and near Shibushi Airfield. B-24s bomb Kota Waringin Airfield in Borneo. On Luzon, B-25s and P-38s support ground forces E of Ilagan, near Kiangan, and E of Manila in the Infanta sector. HQ 91Reconnaissance Wing moves from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa.
TUESDAY, 31 JULY 1945
CARIBBEAN (Caribbean Division, Air Transport Command): Following units are inactivated at Waller Field, Trinidad: HQ 60TCG and 10th, 11th, 12th and 28TCSs; HQ 61TCG and 14th, 15th, 53and 59TCSs ; HQ 64TCG and 16th, 17th, 18th and 35TCSs; HQ 315TCG and 34th, 43d, 309th and 310TCSs; HQ 464BG(H) and 776th, 777th, 778th and 779BS(H); and HQ 465BG(H) and 780th, 781, 782 and 783BS(H).
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): HQ 301 FW arrives on Ie Shima from the US.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 3 B-25s continue to bomb supply convoys moving through the Siang Chiang Valley. 52 P-51s and P-61s over S and E China attack rivercraft, trucks, railroad traffic, coastal shipping, ammunition dumps, and other targets at several locations including areas around Yanglowtung, Changsha, Siangyin, Hengyang, Hankow, Paoching, Nanyang, Nanking, Kulo, Hoihow, and Yoyang. The flight of the 35(Photo)RS, 14AF, operating from Kunming, China with F-5s, moves to Nanning (squadron is based at Chanyi).
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): The 574th and 575BS(M), 391 BG(M), move from Vitry-en-Artois to Laon, France with B-26s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Organizational charts show a great decrease in Jul in the size of the Twelfth AF due to redeployment, transfer, disbandment, and discontinuance of 50 units; only 5 new units are added to the Twelfth and this leaves 77 assigned and 3 attached units compared to 122 assigned and 2 attached the previous month; the Twelfth practically ceases to be a flying AF as only 2 BGS(M), a night fighter squadron, and a RG remain as flying units and the planes from these units are shortly transferred to Army AFs Services Command, MTO.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In Japan, 80+ B-24s pound the Kagoshima railroad yards and several other targets in the general area including the Sasebo naval base, Yaki-shima, and Nagasaki; A-26s and B-25s bomb Kanoya and Miyazaki Airfields and nearby targets, the Sasebo naval base, Marushima, warehouses at Nagasaki, and a factory and power plant on Koyagi Island; P-51s attack flak positions at Moji, blast shipping at Iki Island and off the NW and W coast of Kyushu, hit an island WSW of Sasebo, bomb railroad targets and warehouses in the Izumi area, and in general attack the railroad and road net and other communications targets throughout Kyushu and P-61s continue harassing missions during the night. P-51s over the Ryukyu Islands bomb airstrips on Miyako Island, and bomb a town in the Koniya area. On Luzon, B-25s and P-38s support ground action, hitting forces in the Cagayan Valley and Cervantes and Infanta sectors. B-24s pound the area S of Fabrica on Negros Island.
Unit moves: HQ 5AF from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa; HQ 6RG from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa.
AUGUST 1945
WEDNESDAY, 1 AUGUST 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): During the night of 1/2 Aug, 801 of 836 B-29s dispatched carry out 1mining, 5 fire-bomb and 1bombing raids on Japan; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 305: 37 B-29s drop mines in Shimonoseki Strait, in Nakaumi Lagoon, at Hamada, Sakai, Yonago, Najin, and Seishin; 5 others mine alternate targets.
Mission 306: 169 B-29s attack the Hachioji urban area destroying 1.12 sq mi (2.9 sq km), 80% of the city; 3 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 307: 173 B-29s hit the Toyama urban area, a center of aluminum, ballbearing and special steel production, destroying 1.87 sq mi (4.84 sq km), 99.5% of the city; 1other hits an alternate target.
Mission 308: 125 B-29s attack the Nagaoka urban area destroying 1.33 sq mi (3.37 sq km), 65.5% of the city; 5 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 309: 160 B-29s hit the Mito urban area destroying 1.7 sq mi (4.4 sq km), 65% of the city; 1other hits a target of opportunity.
Mission 310: 120 B-29s bomb the Mitsubishi Oil Company at Kawasaki but could only add slightly to the damage previously inflicted; 2 other hit targets of opportunity. 30+ Iwo Jima-based P-51s hit airfields and other targets in the Osaka-Nagoya area of Japan; bad weather prevents numerous other fighters from reaching targets.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (10AF): Major General Albert F Hegenberger becomes Commanding General 10AF and HQ 10AF moves from Piardoba, India to Kunming, China (HQ at Kunming was officially opened on 23 Jul). The scheduled role of the 10AF in China is almost identical with its completed Burma mission: to act as the tactical AF giving direct support and providing air supply to Chinese ground forces operating S of the 27th parallel N.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, bad weather severely curtails operations; P-61s effectively sweep rivers in the Wuchou, Canton, and Tsingyun areas, sinking several large junks and sampans. Unit moves in China: the 26FS, 51FG, from Kunming to Nanning with P-51s; 322TCS, 14AF, from Loping to Liangshan with C-47s. Unit moves in China during Aug 45: HQ 23FG and 74th and 75FSs from Luliang to Liuchow with P-51s (the detachment of the 74th operating from Tushan also moves to Liuchow); 528th, 529th and 530FSs, 311FG from Shwangliu and Pungchacheng respectively to Hsian with P-51s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves in Aug 45: HQ 98BW from Tirlemont, Belgium to Kitzingen, Germany; HQ 99BW(M) from Namur, Belgium to the US; HQ 100FW from Konigstein, Germany to the US; HQ 48FG and 492d, 493and 494FSs from Laon, France to the US; HQ 362FG and 377th, 378th and 379FSs from Straubing, Germany to the US; HQ 363RG from Wiesbaden to Eschwege, Germany; 422NFS, IX Tactical Air Command, from Rothwesten Airfield, Kassel, Germany to the US.
VIII Fighter Command: HQ 447BG(H) and 708th and 710BS(H) begin a movement from Rattlesden, England to the US with B-17s. Unit moves from England to the US in Aug 45: HQ 486BG(H) and 832d, 833d, 834th and 835BS(H) from Sudbury with B-17s; and 858BS(H) from Harrington with B-24s.
IX Troop Carrier Command: During Aug 45, the 100TCS, 441TCG, moves from Dreux, France to Frankfurt, Germany with C-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): HQ 52FG and 2d, 4th and 5FSs begin a movement from Lesina, Italy to the US.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): Unit moves in Italy to Pomigliano during Aug 45: HQ XXII Tactical Air Command from Florence; HQ 57BW from Fano; HQ 62FW from Antignano; the 5th and 12(Photo)RSs, 3RG, from Peretola Airfield, Florence with F-5s. Units beginning a movement from Italy to the US during Aug 45: 121LS, 12AF from Florence; 445th, 446th, 447th and 448BS(M), 321BG(M), from Falconara.
WESTERN PACIFIC FEAF (FEAF): B-24s bomb shipyards at Pontianak, Borneo and other B-24s hit barracks and AA guns along Makassar Strait, Celebes Island. P-38s strafe locomotives in the Soerabaja, Java area. On Luzon Island, P-38s support ground forces ENE and SE of Mankayan and, along with USMC (USMC) aircraft, pound enemy positions and concentrations in the Upian area.
In French Indochina, B-24s bomb the Tourane marshalling yard while escorting P-51s strafe boxcars at Quang Nam. Other B-24s strike military stores at Takao, Formosa. In Japan, about 50 B-24s bomb targets in the Nagasaki dock and harbor area; B-25s and fighter-bombers in the Nagasaki area hit docks, railroad yards, and shipping; other B-24s bomb Koniya Airfield and hit Kakeroma Island; 80+ P-47s hit railroad bridges and other railroad targets at Sendai and P-47s fly their first combat mission from Iwo Jima, joining VII Fighter Command P-51s in a sweep over S Honshu Island; and rolling stock and airfields are attacked in the Okazaki, Itami, and Nagoya areas. Unit moves during Aug 45: HQ V BC and HQ V Fighter Command from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa; HQ 71RG from Binmaley, Luzon to Ie Shima; 22TCS, 374TCG, from Finschhafen, New Guinea to Nielson Field, Luzon with C-47s; the detachment of the 550NPS, XIII Fighter Command, operating from Sanga Sanga, Sulu Island with P-61s, returns to base at Tacloban, Leyte.
HQ AAF: During Aug 45, the 4RS (Long Range, Photographic), 311th Reconnaissance Wing (attached to 6RG), based at Tacloban, Leyte Island with F-7s, sends the detachment operating from Clark Field, Luzon to operate from Okinawa (squadron is mapping areas of the SW and W Pacific).
THURSDAY, 2 AUGUST 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): On Shimushu Island in the Kurile Islands, 5 B-24s visually bomb Kataoka Naval Base and 1radar-bombs Kokutan Zaki and returns to base (600 miles or 966 km) on 3 engines.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Lieutenant General Nathan F Twining relieves Lieutenant General Curtis Emerson LeMay as Commanding General 20AF; LeMay is assigned to USASTAF as Chief of Staff.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 10 B-25s, escorted by 2 P-47s, knock out a bridge at Sinyang and severely damage a bridge at Lohochai; 7 B-25s bomb the town of Sinning, and hit several truck convoys between Siangtan and Changsha and in the Siang Chiang Valley; 31 P-51 s also bomb the town of Sinning; 40+ P-47s and P-51s knock out at least 3 bridges and damage others and attack shipping, fuel dumps, gun positions, trucks, railroad yards and general targets of opportunity around Sichuang, Shangkao, Yoyang, Hankow, Mingkiang, Sincheng, Yutze, Houmachen, Yuncheng, Anyang, and Kaoyi.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 404FG and 506th, 507th and 508FS begin a movement from Stuttgart, Germany to the US.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): HQ 459BG(H) and 756th, 757th, 758th and 759BS(H) begin a movement from Giulia Airfield, Italy to the US with B-24s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): Bad weather cancels all FEAF missions from Okinawa. Thirteenth AF P-38s support ground forces on N Luzon, hitting pockets of resistance W of Kiangan and blasting enemy occupied caves on a ridge NW of Bontoe.
FRIDAY, 3 AUGUST 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): Fighters from Iwo Jima fly nearly 100 effective sorties throughout the Tokyo area, hitting airfields, rail installations, and trains.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): 16 B-25s pound various railroad targets in E China; 50+ fighter-bombers attack bridges, railroad yards, storage areas, enemy troops, river and rail traffic, and various other targets as the campaign to disrupt the Japanese retreat from S and E China continues in spite of considerable bad weather.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
VIII Fighter Command: The 709th and 711BS(H), 447BG(H), begin a movement from Rattlesden, England to the US with B-17s.
IX Troop Carrier Command: HQ 438TCG and the 87th, 88th, 89th and 90TCSs begin a movement from Glisy Airfield, Amiens, France to the US.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Brigadier General William L Lee takes command of the 15AF.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): P-38s and B-25s support ground forces in N Luzon, hitting buildings in the Apunan area and Japanese positions at various locations including ridges SW of Kiangan and W of Banaue. B-24s bomb airstrips at Tanamon and Sidate on Celebes Island and bomb the seaplane base on Kangean Island in the Java Sea.
SATURDAY, 4 AUGUST 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (10AF): The 127th, 155th and 156LS (Commando), US Army Forces, Pacific, begin a movement from Kalaikunda, India to Okinawa.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, bad weather hampers operations however, 4 B-25s damage the Sincheng railroad bridge, 4 B-25s and 2 P-51s bomb Pailochi Airfield and hit trucks in the area, and 7 P-51s damage 12 locomotives between Taiyuan and Tsinan, destroy or damage several trucks near Shihkiachwang, and bomb a bridge near Chihsien. The detachment of the 490BS(M), 341BG(M), operating from Hsian, China with B-25s, returns to base at Hanchung.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): Major General William E Kepner takes command of the 9AF.
VIII Fighter Command: Units beginning a movement from England to the US: HQ 390BG(H) from Framlingham; 856BS(H), 492BG(H), from Harrington with B-24s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): B-25s over Kyushu, Japan hit an industrial area near Takanabe, bombing warehouses, factories, a railroad bridge, and marshalling yard. B-25s and P-38s support ground forces on Luzon, hitting Japanese forces near Santa Ines, in the Butitio area, and near Mount Obudan. B-24s support the ground action S of Fabrica on Negros Island. B-24s bomb Miti Airfield on Halmahera Island. P-38s on a sweep over Singapore, Malaysia claim 2 Japanese planes downed. The 20RS (Long Range, Photographic-RCM), 6RG, moves from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa with F-7s; the ground echelon of the 36(Photo)RS, 6RG, arrives on Okinawa from Clark Field (air echelon at Clark Field until Sep 45).
SUNDAY, 5 AUGUST 1945
CENTRAL PACIFIC [US Army Strategic AFs in the Pacific (USASTAF)] 8AF: HQ 333BG(VH) and 435th, 460th and 507BSs(VH) arrive at Kadena, Okinawa from the US with B-29s.
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): During the night of 5/6 Aug, 612 B-29s fly 1mining, 1bombing and 4 incendiary raids against Japan; 2 B-29s are lost.
Mission 311: 27 B-29s mine the waters of the Sakai, Yonago, Nakaumi Lagoon, Miyazu, Maizuru, Tsuruga, Obama, Najin and Geijitsu areas; 1other B-29 mines an alternate target.
Mission 312: 63 B-29s attack the Saga urban area destroying 0.02 sq mi (0.05 sq km), 1.5% of the city; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 313: 92 B-29s hit the Maebashi urban area destroying 1sq mi (2.59 sq km), 42.5% of the city; 4 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 314: 250 B-29s attack the Nishinomiya-Mikage urban area destroying 2.8 sq mi (7.25 sq km), 29.6% of the city; 3 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 315: 106 B-29s bomb the Ube Coal Liquefaction Co. facility at Ube destroying 100% of the refining units and destroying or damaging 80% of other structures; 2 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 316: 64 B-29s attack the Imabari urban area destroying 0.73 sq mi (1.89 sq km), 76% of the city area.
HQ VII Fighter Command is officially assigned to HQ 20AF. 100+ P-51s strike airfields and military installations in large area around Tokyo, scoring especially effective hits at Katori Airfield.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 20 P-51s knock out a bridge NW of Anyang and damage another NE of Kiehsiu, attack railroad targets during sweeps from Taiyuan to Suchow and Tehsien to Pengpu, and strafe rivercraft between Ichang and Lokehang.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS VIII Fighter Command: HQ 96BW(H) begins a movement from Ketteringham, England to the US; the 653BS (Light, Weather Reconnaissance), 25BG(R), moves from Watton to Chalgrove, England with Mosquito XVIs; the 728th, 729th, 730th and 731BS(H), 452BG(H), begin a movement from Deopham Green, England to the US with B-17s.
IX Troop Carrier Command: HQ 313TCG and 29TCS begin a movement from Achiet, France to the US with C-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): HQ 31FG and 307th, 308th, and 309FSs begin a movement from Triolo Airfield, Italy to the US.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ 57FG and 65th and 66FSs begin a movement from Bagnoli, Italy to the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In Japan, 330+ B-24s, B-25s, A-26s, P-47s, and P-51s pound Tarumizu town, the industrial area on Kyushu and many targets of opportunity on Kyushu and in the Ryukyu Islands. P-38s support ground forces on Luzon, hitting Japanese concentrations ENE of Naguilian, near Mount Data, and at other points. B-24s pound Japanese positions S of Fabrica on Negros Island. Other B-24s bomb supply and personnel areas and AA positions in the Makassar area on Celebes Island.
B-24s also bomb Miti on Halmahera Island. The 80FS, 8FG, moves from San Jose, Mindoro to Ie Shima with P-38s.
MONDAY, 6 AUGUST 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): The world's first atomic attack takes place. At 0245 hours, Colonel Paul W Tibbets pilots the B-29 ENOLA GAY off the runway at North Field, Tinian Island; at 2-minute intervals, 2 observation B-29s follow (Major Charles W Sweeney's GREAT ARTISTE and Captain George W Marquardt's Number 91. At 0915 hours (0815 hours Japan time) the atomic bomb is released over Hiroshima from 31,600 feet (9,632 meters); it explodes 50 seconds later. 80+% of the city's buildings are destroyed and over 71,000 people (Japanese figures (US figures say from 70,000 to 80,000) are killed. The ENOLA GAY lands on Tinian at 1458 hours, followed within the hour by the 2 observation B-29s. Almost 100 fighters from Iwo Jima attack airfields and military installations at 6 locations throughout the general area around Tokyo.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 10 P-51s and P-47s damage 10 locomotives between Tehsien and Suchow and 5 around Anyang, Kaifeng, and Loyang, and lightly damage bridges N of Chihsien and S of Houmachen.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: HQ 370FG and 401, 402 and 485FS move from Sandhofen to Fritzlar, Germany with P-51s.
VIII Fighter Command: Unit movements from England to the US: HQ 13th and HQ 20BWS(H) from Horham and Snetterton Heath;
HQ 385BG(H) and 548th, 549th, 550th and 551BS(H) from Great Ashfield with B-17s; HQ 388BG(H) and 560th, 561, 562 and 563BSs from Knettishall with B-17s;
HQ 452BG(H) from Deopham Green; HQ 493BG(H) and 860th, 861, 862 and 863BS(H) from Debach with B-17s; 334th, 335th, 336th and 412BS(H), 95BG(H), from Horham with B-17s; 406th and 857BSs(VH), 492BG(VH), from Harrington and Alconbury respectively; the 568th, 569th, 570th and 571BS(H), 390BG(H), from Framlingham with B-17s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The 64FS, 57th FG, begins a movement from Bagnoli, Italy to the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): Okinawa-based aircraft pound targets on Kyushu, Japan; 150+ P-47s and A-26s fight bad weather to hit the primary, Miyakonojo; 170+ B-24s, B-25s, and P-47s hit Kagoshima as a secondary target; and 60+ B-25s and P-51s attack shipping and ground targets of opportunity in the Tsushima Strait area and in the N Ryukyu Islands. P-51s operating in the area between Kyushu and Korea bomb an airfield and strafe numerous targets of opportunity on Saishu Island and P-47s bomb Anjo on Tanega Island. Other aircraft, operating individually or in pairs, hit various targets of opportunity on the S Korea coast, in the Inland Sea, S Honshu, W Shikoku Island, throughout the N Ryukyu Islandss, and in the Shanghai, China area. B-24s pound resistance pockets on Negros Island in the Philippine Islands.
Unit moves: HQ 3BG(L) and 89th and 90BS(L) from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Okinawa with A-26s; HQ 8FG and 36FS from San Jose, Mindoro Island to Ie Shima with P-38s; ground echelon of 26(Photo)RS, 6RG, from Lingayen, Luzon to Okinawa (air echelon remains at Clark Field, Luzon with F-5s).
TUESDAY, 7 AUGUST 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): 5 B-24s bomb Kataoka Airfield on Shimushu Island; AA fire damages 2 B-24s.
CENTRAL PACIFIC [US Army Strategic AFs in the Pacific (USASTAF)] 8AF: HQ 346BG(VH) arrives at Kadena, Okinawa from the US.
20AF: 154 B-29s fly a bombing Mission during the day and 30 B-29s fly a mining mission during the night of 7/8 Aug; 1 B-29 is lost.
Mission 317: 124 B-29s, escorted by VII Fighter Command fighters, bomb the naval arsenal at Toyokawa. 1 B-29 is lost. After escorting the B-29s on their bombing mission, P-51s attack railroad targets and shipping in and near Magarimatsu, Chofu, Atsugi, and Sagami.
Mission 318: During the night of 7/8 Aug, 29 B-29s, escorted by FEAF P-47s, drop mines in Shimonoseki Strait, at Miyazu, Maizuru, Tsuruga, Obama and at Najin; 1other mines an alternate target.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): Unit moves in China: HQ 14AF from Kunming to Paishiyi; 16FS, 51FG, based at Chengkung with P-51s, sends a detachment to operate at Pakhoi.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The 414NPS, 12AF begins a movement from Bagnoli, Italy to the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In Japan, P-47s cover the 20AF B-29 strike against Kyushu targets; B-24s and A-26s over Kyushu pound Tsuiki Airfield and other B-24s start fires at Omura; B-25s hit bridges and other targets at Matsubase and Kawajiri and bomb a convoy off Pusan, Korea; other B-25s hit Chiran and Izumi Airfields. fighter-bombers attack and considerably damage communications and transportation facilities throughout Kyushu. B-24s bomb Takao Airfield on Formosa. On Luzon, B-25s and P-38s support ground forces near Ambuclao, Kiangan, Batangan, Aparri, Mankayan, Bontoc, and Tabayoc and the Palugloko Mountains. In the Netherlands East Indies, B-24s bomb an area E of Bandjermasin, Borneo, and P-51s hit the harbor at Soerabaja, Java. The 8th and 13BS(L), 3BG(L), move from San Jose, Mindoro to Okinawa with A-26s.
WEDNESDAY, 8 AUGUST 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 381 B-29s fly three missions, 2 during the day of 8 Aug and 1during the night of 8/9 Aug; 7 B-29s are lost.
Mission 319: Shortly before 1200 hours, 221 B-29s drop incendiaries on Yawata destroying 1.22 sq mi (3.16 sq km), 21% of the city; 6 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29s is shot down by Japanese fighters and 3 are lost to mechanical reasons.
Mission 320: Late in the afternoon, 60 B-29s bomb an aircraft plant and arsenal complex at Tokyo; 2 others hit alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost to flak and 1to mechanical reasons (these are the last B-29s lost in action by the 20AF.
Mission 321: During the night of 8/9 Aug, 91 B-29s hit Fukiyama with incendiaries destroying 0.88 sq mi (2.28 sq km), 73.3% of the city; 1 hits an alternate target.
100+ fighters from Iwo Jima hit airfields, factory buildings, barracks, and rail installations in the Osaka, Japan area.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 10 P-51s hit buildings, trucks, rivercraft, and other targets of opportunity in the Paoching, Hengyang, and Chuanhsien areas.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): The 37(Photo)RS, 5RG, moves from San Severo to Bari, Italy with F-5s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): Okinawa-based B-24s, B-25s, A-26s, P-51s, and P-47s carry out numerous strikes against targets on Kyushu Island, Japan; targets include the Usa and Tsuiki Airfields, communications and transport targets all over Kyushu, shipping between Kyushu and Korea, and targets of opportunity in the Ryukyu Islands, on the China coast, and on Formosa. P-47s escorting 20AF B-29s claim 10 Japanese planes downed. B-24s bomb Shinchiku Airfield, Formosa. B-24s on a shipping search hit Lolobata Airfield on Halmahera Island. On Luzon, B-24s support ground forces in the Lenatin River Valley and SSE of Mankayan and P-38s support ground action SSE of Mankayan, in the Kiangan area, and NW of Bagabag.
Unit moves: HQ 475FG and 431, 432 and 433FSs from Lingayen, Luzon to Ie Shima with P-38s; 528BS(H), 380BG(H), from San Jose, Mindoro to Okinawa with B-24s.
THURSDAY, 9 AUGUST 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): The second and last atomic bomb of World War II is dropped on Japan; Major Charles W Sweeney pilots a B-29, BOCK'S CAR , off the runway at North Field, Tinian Island, Mariana Islands, at 0230 hours; he is followed by 2 observation B-29s-the GREAT ARTISTE piloted by Captain Frederick C Bock (who has exchanged planes with Sweeney for the mission ) and another B-29 piloted by Major James I Hopkins (who loses contact with the other 2 B-29s); the primary target, Kokura, is obscured by bad weather; the attack is made against the secondary target, Nagasaki. The bomb, dropped from 28,900 feet (8,809 meters) at 1158 hours (1058 hours Nagasaki time), explodes about a minute after release. Japanese reports claim nearly 24,000 killed; US figures estimate about 35,000. The attacking B-29s refuel on Okinawa, and return to Tinian by 2339 hours.
Mission 322: During the night of 9/10 Aug, 95 B-29s bomb the Nippon Oil Refinery at Amagasaki; 2 others hit alternate targets.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (10AF): HQ 10AF moves from Kunming to Liuchow, China; when the war ends, the deployment of 10AF units to China is still in progress; so, for the Tenth, war ends amidst a major reorganization.
14AF: In China, 5 B-25s, with P-51escort, damage the Puchi railroad bridge, and hit rail traffic N of Sinsiang; the P-51s strafe AA positions and targets of opportunity near the bridge; 4 other B-25s operating individually, attack truck convoys and targets of opportunity S of Changsha, S and N of Yoyang, and in the Siang Chiang Valley, and hit the S end of the town of Siangtan.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): The 417NPS, 64FW, moves from Braunschardt to Rothwesten Airfield, Kassel, Germany with P-61s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In Japan, B-25s over Kyushu Island, bomb airfields at Kanoya, the town of Noma, shipping in Beppu Bay, bridges, factories, and oil storage at Tsurusaki, and shipping, coastal villages, and communications targets in the Tsushima Strait area; A-26s and A-20s hit Kanoya Airfield and the industrial areas of Kushikino, Minato, and Shimahira; B-24s over W Honshu Island bomb the airfield at Iwakuni; 200+ P-47s and P-51s hit numerous targets on Shikoku and Kyushu Islands, and in the Ryukyu Islands including airfields, barracks, harbor installations, bridges, shipping, vehicles, and various factories and storage facilities. B-24s bomb military stores at Matsuyama, Formosa. On Luzon, B-25s and P-38s support ground forces in areas N of Baguio, SSE of Mankayan, S of Kabayan, SE of Cervantes, near Kiangan, and NW of Infanta. B-24s over Ambon and Ceram Islands bomb Laha barracks on Ambon.
Unit moves: HQ 3Air Commando Group and 3and 4FSs (Commando) from Laoag, Luzon to Ie Shima with P-51s;
HQ 380BG(H) from San Jose, Mindoro to Okinawa; and 35FS, 8FG, from San Jose Mindoro to Ie Shima with P-38s.
FRIDAY, 10 AUGUST 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): The Japanese radio announces the Japanese desire for peace and USASTAF limits operations to precision mission. 104 B-29s fly 2 missions against Japan without loss.
Mission 323: During the day, 70 B-29s, escorted by 2 groups of P-51s, bomb the arsenal complex at Tokyo; 3 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 324: During the night of 10/11Aug, 31 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait, Nakaumi Lagoon, and waters at Sakai and Yonago, Japan and Wonsan, Korea.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): Major General Charles B Stone III assumes command of HQ 14AF, replacing Major General Claire L Chennault.
In China, 5 B-25s and 4 P-51s bomb a bivouac S of Siangyin, hit convoys S of Siangtan and in the Siang Chiang Valley, pound a storage area and AA positions at Nanchang, and hit a truck concentration N of Hengshan; 50+ P-47s and P-51s attack rivercraft, railroad targets, troops, trucks, and bridges at several points in S and E China.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): The 34BS(M), 17BG(M), moves from Horsching to Marchtrenk, Austria with B-26s; the 112th Liaison Squadron, US Forces, European Theater, begins a movement from Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany to the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In Japan, 80 B-24s, 118 B-25s, and 220+ P-47s and P-38s pound the Kumamoto area; 20+ B-24s bomb the Oita area; 39 P-51s provide cover over both targets; nearly 40 B-25s attack destroyers, cargo ships, and small vessels during a shipping sweep between Kyushu Island and Korea; P-47s bomb Sasebo Harbor; P-51s hit various targets of opportunity on Honshu and Kyushu and B-25s bomb targets of opportunity in the N Ryukyu Islands. B-24s bomb Shinchiku, Formosa. On Luzon, P-38s hit troop concentrations near Mount Pulog and ENE of Dupax. B-24 unit moves from San Jose, Mindoro: HQ 90BG(H) and 320BS(H) to Ie Shima; and 530BS(H), 380BG(H), to Okinawa.
SATURDAY, 11 AUGUST 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): The 11FS, 343FG moves from Adak to Shemya Islands with P-38s.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): In China, 9 P-51s attack troops, trains, and rivercraft around Chenhsien, Tehsien, and Hengyang; and the 115th Liaison Squadron, 14AF, based at Hsingchiang with L-1, L-4s and L-5s, begins operating primarily from Peishiyi.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): The 32(Photo)RS, 5RG, moves from San Severo to Bari, Italy with F-5s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): In Japan, Okinawa-based B-24s, B-25s, A-26s, A-20s, and fighters flying about 530 sorties cause extensive destruction to shipping and shore installations in the Inland Sea, in the Tsushima area, and of communications, transportation, and other targets throughout Kyushu Island. Philippine Island-based B-24s bomb Heito Airfield on Formosa and Laha barracks on Ambon Island. P-38s hit buildings near Dibuluan and fieldguns near Kiangan on Luzon. The 400BS(H), 90BG(H), moves from San Jose, Mindoro to Ie Shima with B-24s.
SUNDAY, 12 AUGUST 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): 4 B-24s make a combined visual and radar bomb run over Kataoka on Shimushu Island; 3 more bomb Suribachi Airfield on Paramushiru Island, hitting runways and buildings; 1 B-24 flies a radar-ferret mission.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): Colonel Reginald F Vance becomes commander of HQ 9AD.
IX Troop Carrier Command: HQ 441TCG moves from Dreux, France to Frankfurt, Germany.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): B-24s from Okinawa bomb Matsuyama Airfield on Formosa. In Japan, B-25s and A-26s hit Chiran and Kanoya Airfields while other A-26s and A-20s and P-47s hit the towns of Kushikino, Akune, and Miyazaki; more B-25s and fighter-bombers hit shipping and communications targets on Kyushu, the N Ryukyu Islands, and between Japan and Korea; the aircraft claim several small merchant ships sunk and damaged, and numerous bridges, railroads, factories, and other targets of opportunity hit. On Formosa, B-24s from the Philippine Islands pound Kagi Airfield and the Takao marshalling yard. On Luzon, P-38s support ground forces in or near Kabayan, Kiangan, and Uldugan. Unit moves: Air echelon of the 8(Photo)RS, 6RG, from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa with F-5s joining the ground echelon that arrived in Jul; 319BS(H), 90BG(H), from San Jose, Mindoro to Ie Shima with B-24s; 387BS(H), 312BG(H), from Floridablanca, Luzon to Okinawa with A-20s; and 529BS(H), 380BG(H), from San Jose, Mindoro to Okinawa with B-24s.
MONDAY, 13 AUGUST 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): The 11AF dispatches its last combat mission when 6 B-24s radar-bomb the Kashiwahara Staging Area on Paramushiru Island with incendiaries, leaving huge columns of smoke.
CENTRAL PACIFIC [US Army Strategic AFs in the Pacific (USASTAF)] 8AF: The 461, 462 and 463BS(VH), 346BG(VH), arrive on Okinawa from the US with B-29s.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (10AF): Unit moves in China: 27TCS, 443TCG, from Chengkung to Liangshan with C-47s; 427NFS, 10AF, from Dinjan, India to Liuchow with P-61s (detachments at Chengkung and Nanning, China).
14AF: The flight of the 21(Photo)RS, 14AF, at Hanchung with F-5s, returns to base at Shwangliu (other flights are at Hsian and Ankang).
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 368FG and 395th, 396th and 397FS move from Buchschwabach to Straubing Germany with P-47s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): The 416NPS, XXII Tactical Air Command, moves from Pontedera, Italy to Horsching, Austria with P-61s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): B-24s and B-25s from Okinawa pound shipping in the waters off Korea and Kyushu Island and in the Inland Sea claiming several vessels sunk and damaged; P-47s over Keijo encounter 20 Japanese aircraft and claim at least 16 shot down. B-25s attack Japanese forces near Palacian, Luzon. P-38s hit shipping in the Singapore, Malaysia area. Unit moves from Luzon: HQ 312BG(H) and 386BS(H) from Floridablanca to Okinawa with B-32s; 547NFS, V Fighter Command, from Lingayen to Ie Shima with P-38s and P-61s.
TUESDAY, 14 AUGUST 1945
POA - PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (20AF): 752 B-29s fly 7 missions against Japan without loss. These are the last B-29 missions against Japan in WWII. The following 3 missions were flown during the day: Mission 325: 157 B-29s bomb the naval arsenal at Hikari; 4 others hit alternate targets.
Mission 326: 145 B-29s bomb the Osaka Army Arsenal and 2 hit alternate targets; 160+ P-51escort the B-29s and attack airfields in the Nagoya area; 1 P-51 is lost.
Mission 327: 108 B-29s bomb the railroad yards at Marifu; 2 others hit alternate targets. The following 4 missions were flown during the night of 14/15 Aug.
Mission 328: In the longest nonstop unstaged B-29 Mission from the Mariana Islands, 3,650 miles (5,874 km), 132 B-29s bomb the Nippon Oil Company at Tsuchizakiminato.
Mission 329: 81 B-29s drop incendiaries on the Kumagaya urban area destroying 0.27 sq mi (0.7 sq km), 45% of the city area.
Mission 330: 86 B-29s drop incendiaries on the Isezaki urban area destroying 0.166 sq mi (0.43 sq km), 17% of the city area.
Mission 331: 39 B-29s mine the waters at Nanao, Shimonoseki, Miyazu, and Hamada. Before the last B-29s return, President Harry S Truman announces the unconditional surrender of Japan. Immediately thereafter, the 11th Airborne Division leaves the Philippine Islands by air for Okinawa, where it goes on standby as the initial occupation force for Japan.
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) IX Troop Carrier Command: The 302TCS, 27th Air TG, moves from Poix to Villacoublay, France with C-47s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): B-25s, P-47s, and P-51s attack shipping in Korea and Kyushu waters, claiming several vessels destroyed and damaged. P-47s over the Osaka-Nagoya, Japan area claim several Japanese aircraft shot down. The 19BS(H), 22BG(H), moves from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa with B-24s.
WEDNESDAY, 15 AUGUST 1945
CENTRAL PACIFIC [US Army Strategic AFs in the Pacific (USASTAF)]: All offensive action against Japan ends.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): All offensive action against Japan ends. HQ 81FG and 91FS move from Fungwansham to Huhsien, China with P-47s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): HQ 310BG(M) and 379th, 380th, 381 and 428BS(M) move from Fano to Pomigliano, Italy with B-25s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): All units are transferred or redeployed with the exception of the 6719th WAC HQ Platoon (an assigned unit) and a Detachment, 1054th MP Company, Aviation.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): All offensive action against Japan ends. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur is notified that he is Supreme Commander for Allied powers. MacArthur tries to communicate with Tokyo using the War Department signal facilities, but when he receives no reply, he turns to the Army Airways Communications System (AACS). The AACS Manila station (call sign WXXU), tapped out MacArthur's instructions to the Japanese using a frequency over which AACS had been broadcasting uncoded weather information; the message reads: From Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers To The Japanese Emperor, the Japanese Imperial Government, the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters Message Number Z-500 I have been designated as the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (the United States, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) and empowered to arrange directly with the Japanese authorities for the cessation of hostilities at the earliest practicable date. It is desired that a radio station in the Tokyo area be officially designated for continuous use in handling radio communications between this headquarters and your headquarters. Your reply to this message should give the call signs, frequencies and station designation. It is desired that the radio communication with my headquarters in Manila be handled in English text. Pending designation by you of a station in the Tokyo area for use as above indicated, station JUM on frequency 13705 kilocycles will be used for this purpose and Manila will reply on 15965 kilocycles. Upon receipt of this message, acknowledge. Signed MacArthur. Within less than 2 hours, the Tokyo reply came back. This was the first direct communication between the Allies and Japan.
Unit moves: HQ 22BG(H) and 33BS(H) from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa with B-24s; 66TCS, 403TCG, from Morotai Island to Dulag, Leyte with C-46s; 160LS, 3Air Commando Group [attached to 5th Air Liaison Group (Provisional)], from Mabalacat, Luzon to Ie Shima with UC-64s and L-5s; 321BS(H), 90BG(H), from San Jose, Mindoro to Ie Shima with B-24s; 531BS(H), 380BG(H), from San Jose, Mindoro to Okinawa with B-24s; and 674BS(L), 417BG(L), from San Jose, Mindoro to Okinawa with A-20s.
THURSDAY, 16 AUGUST 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (10AF): In China, the detachments of the 427NFS, 10AF, operating from Chengkung and Nanning with P-61s return to base at Liuchow.
14AF: Unit moves in China: 1Combat Cargo Squadron, 14AF (attached to 69th Composite Wing), from Hsinching to Chengkung with C-47s; detachments of 21(Photo)RS, 14AF at Laifeng returns to base at Shwangliu and a flight begins operating from Chihkiang, all with F-5s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): Unit moves: HQ 371FG and 404th, 405th and 406FSs from Furth, Germany to Horsching, Austria with P-47s; 364BS(H), 305BG(H), based at St Trond, Belgium begins operating from Meeks Field, Iceland on photo-mapping operations with B-17s; 393FS, 367FG, from Crepy-en-Laonois, France to the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): Unit moves to Okinawa: HQ 49FG and 9FS from Lingayen, Luzon with P-38s; 5th and 6th Combat Cargo Squadrons, 2Combat Cargo Group, from Dulag, Leyte with C-46s.
FRIDAY, 17 AUGUST 1945
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): Unit moves in China: 91FS, 81FG, from Fungwanshan to Huhsien with P-47s; detachment of the 426NPS, 14AF (attached to 312FW), at Hsian returns to base at Shwangliu with P-61s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): Unit moves to Okinawa: HQ 417BG(L) and 672 and 675BS(L) from San Jose, Mindoro with A-20s; 7th and 8FSs, 49FG, from Lingayen, Luzon with P-38s.
SATURDAY, 18 AUGUST 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (10AF): The 19LS, 10AF, moves from Chengkung to Nanning, China with L-1s and L-5s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): The 425NFS, 9AF, moves from Crepy-en-Laommis to St Victoret, France. VIII Fighter Command: The 368BS(H), 306BG(H), based at Thurleigh, England with B-17s, sends a detachment to operate from Gibraltar to fly photo-mapping missions.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): Unit moves to Okinawa: 2BS(H), 22BG(H), from Clark Field, Luzon with B-24s; 67BS(L), 417BG(L), from San Jose, Mindoro with A-20s.
SUNDAY, 19 AUGUST 1945
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): Unit moves in China: 16FS, 51FG from Chengkung to Nanning with P-51s (the detachment at Pakhoi also moves to Nanning); detachment of 426NPS, 14AF (attached to 312FW), at Liangshan returns to base at Shwangliu with P-61s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): Two B-25Js of the 345BG(M) intercept two "Betty" bombers N of Ie Shima. The Japanese aircraft carry a delegation from Tokyo enroute to Manila to meet General MacArthur's staff to work out details of the surrender. The "Betty's" are painted all white with green crosses on the wings, fuselage and vertical tail surface and use the call signs Bataan I and Bataan II. The Japanese land on Ie Shima and transfer to C-54s for the flight to Manila. On the return flight from Ie Shima to Japan, the Betty's run out of fuel and ditch in Tokyo Bay but the delegation is rescued and completes the mission . The 39TCS, 317TCG, moves from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa with C-47s.
MONDAY, 20 AUGUST 1945
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): The 92FS, 81FG, moves from Fungwanshan to Huhsien, China with P-47s.
ETO - THEATER OF OPERATIONS: VIII Fighter Command: The 367BS(H), 306BG(H), based at Thurleigh, England with B-17s, sends a detachment to operate from Lagens, Azores to photo-map Africa.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): HQ 2 Combat Cargo Group and 7th and 8th Combat Cargo Squadrons move from Dulag, Leyte to Okinawa with C-46s.
ZONE OF INTERIOR (HQ AAF): The 19RS (Long Range, Photographic), 311RW (attached to 9AF), moves from Thurleigh, England to Tortorella Airfield, Italy with F-9s (the squadron is photo-mapping Europe).
TUESDAY, 21 AUGUST 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): 2 B-24s are prevented by cloud cover from taking photos of the Soviet occupation of the Kurile Islands; 4 others abort a photo mission to Paramushiru and Shimushu Islands due to weather.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (10AF): The 71LS, 10AF, moves from Kunming to Liuchow, China with UC-64s, L-1s and L-5s.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): The detachment of the 426NFS, 14AF (attached to 312FW), operating from Ankang, China with P-61s, returns to base at Shwangliu.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): The 408BS(H), 22BG(H), moves from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa with B-24s.
WEDNESDAY, 22 AUGUST 1945
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): HQ 365FG and 386FS, 387FS and 388FS move from Suippes, France to Antwerp, Belgium with P-47s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): C-47 units arriving on Okinawa from Hawaii: 311TCS, US Army Forces, Middle Pacific; and 316TCS, 7AF.
THURSDAY, 23 AUGUST 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): 4 B-24s fly a photo mission over Paramushiru and Shimushu Islands, Kurile Islands.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): The 33(Photo)RS, 363RG, begins a movement from Eschwege, Germany to the US.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): The 23(Photo)RS, 3RG, moves from Peretola Airfield, Florence to Pomigliano, Italy with F-5s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): HQ 310BW(M), 5AF, moves from San Jose, Mindoro to Clark Field, Luzon.
FRIDAY, 24 AUGUST 1945
ATO - ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (11AF): B-24s try to photograph the Soviet occupation of the Kurile Islands but are impeded by clouds.
CBI - CHINA THEATER (10AF): C-47 unit moves: 2TCS, 443TCG, from Dinjan, India to Chihkiang, China; 322Troop Carrier Squadron, 10AF, from Liangshan to Chihkiang, China.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): The 76FS, 23FG, moves from Luliang to Liuchow, China with P-51s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): The 425NPS, 9AF, begins a movement from St Victoret, France to the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): HQ 317TCG moves from Clark Field, Luzon to Okinawa.
SATURDAY, 25 AUGUST 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (10AF): C-47 units moving to Luliang, China: 3and 4th Combat Cargo Squadrons, 1Combat Cargo Group (under operational control of HQ 69th Composite Wing), from Myitkyina, Burma and Hathazari, India respectively.
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): The 118TRS, 14AF, moves from Laohwangping to Liuchow, China with F-6s.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS VIII Fighter Command: HQ 2BW(H) begins a movement from Alconbury, England to the US.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): Unit moves: 68th and 69TCS, 433TCG, from Clark Field, Luzon to Iwo Jima with C-46s and C-47s respectively; 318TCS (Commando), 3Air Commando Group, from Laoag, Luzon to Ie Shima with C-47s.
SUNDAY, 26 AUGUST 1945
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (9AF): The 394FS, 367FG, begins a movement from Reims, France to the US.
VIII Fighter Command: Units beginning a move from England to the US: HQ 1 and 14BW(H) from Alconbury and Bury St Edmunds respectively; HQ 487BG(H) and 836th, 837th, 838th and 839BS(H) from Lavenham with B-24s; and HQ 490BG(H) and 848th, 849th, 850th and 851BS(H) from Eye with B-17s.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): HQ 3RG moves from Florence to Pomigliano, Italy.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): The 70TCS, 433TCG, moves from Clark Field, Luzon to Iwo Jima with C-46s.
MONDAY, 27 AUGUST 1945
CENTRAL PACIFIC [US Army Strategic AFs in the Pacific (USASTAF)] 10AF: B-29s begin supplying prisoners-of-war and internee camps in Japan, China, and Korea with medical supplies, food, and clothing. The first supply drop (to Weihsien Camp near Peking, China) is followed by a concentrated effort of 900 sorties in a period of less than a month. 4,470 tons of supplies are dropped to about 63,500 prisoners in 154 camps.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): Unit moves: HQ XIII BC from Morotai Island to Clark Field, Luzon; and 67TCS, 433TCG, from Clark Field, Luzon to Iwo Jima with C-46s.
TUESDAY, 28 AUGUST 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (10AF): HQ 443TCG and 1TCS move from Dinjan, India to Chihkiang, China with C-47s.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): With the discontinuance of the 6719th WAC HQ Platoon, the Detachment, 1054th MP Company, Aviation, remains the only unit still attached to 12AF.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): The occupation of Japan officially begins as an advance party arrives in the Home Islands. When the news of the Japanese proposal for surrender came on 15 Aug, the 68th Army Airways Communications System (AACS) Group, 7th AACS Wing, received orders to fly into Atsugi Airfield near Tokyo and set up the communications equipment necessary to guide in the first contingent of occupation troops. AACSs mission was to provide navigational aids, point-to-point communications with Okinawa, air-to-ground communications for planes in flight, weather data, and air traffic control. Colonel Gordon Blake quickly assembled a special unit of 5 hand-picked men. Colonel Blake and his AACS men, part of a 150 man task force, flew from Okinawa to Atsugi with 24 C-47 aircraft laden with equipment. In order to carry as much equipment as possible, the load was lightened by carrying only enough fuel to reach Atsugi. Although the Japanese had surrendered unconditionally, Blake and his communicators still did not know whether some might still be hostile. The sight of hundreds of Japanese Navy guards lined up along the airfield was not encouraging to the occupants of the first aircraft to land, but they were met by a group of courteous, English-speaking Japanese military personnel. The navy guards were in their honor. The AACS-men lost no time in getting operations into full swing, and by 29 Aug, the Atsugi control tower was completed. The first planes to arrive on 30 Aug were 5 additional C-47s carrying components to set up the first airborne radio station in AF history. Within a few hours, the first C-54 aircraft of the official occupation forces landed at Atsugi and by mid-afternoon Blake's AACS crews had directed 340+ takeoffs and landings at the rate of 1every 2 minutes. On 30 Aug, Atsugi was the busiest airport in the world.
WEDNESDAY, 29 AUGUST 1945
Nothing to report.
THURSDAY, 30 AUGUST 1945
CBI - CHINA THEATER (10AF): HQ 1Combat Cargo Group moves from Myitkyina, Burma to Liuchow, China.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): HQ 82FG and 95th, 96th and 97FSs move from Vincenzo Airfield to Lesina, Italy with P-38s.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): The occupation of Japan in force begins when the 11th Airborne Division is flown to Atsugi Airfield and US Marines land at Yokosuka naval base. The 159th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 3Air Commando Group [attached to 5th Air Liaison Group (Provisional)] moves from Mangaldan, Luzon to Okinawa with UC-64s and L-5s.
FRIDAY, 31 AUGUST 1945
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS VIII Fighter Command: The 369th and 423BS(H), 306BG(H), based at Thurleigh, England with B-17s, send detachments to operate from Istres, France to photo-map Europe and Africa.
MTO - STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (15AF): Colonel Elmer J Rogers Jr assumes command of HQ 15AF until it's inactivation on 15 Sep 45.
MTO - TACTICAL OPERATIONS (12AF): HQ Twelfth AF is inactivated in Italy.
SEPTEMBER 1945
SATURDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 1945
CBI - THEATER OF OPERATIONS - CHINA (14AF): The flights of the 35(Photo)RS, 14AF, at Chihkiang and Nanning, China with F-5s, return to base at Chanyi.
ETO - EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS VIII Fighter Command: HQ 65FW moves from Saffron Walden to Elveden Hall, England.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FEAF): The 371 and 372BS(H), 307BG(H), move from Morotai Island to Clark Field, Luzon with B-24s.
SUNDAY, 2 SEPTEMBER 1945
FINI!
Hostilities with Japan end officially with the signing of the instrument of surrender aboard the USS Missouri (BB-63) in Tokyo Bay.
This chronology is dedicated to all the men and women who served in the US Army AFs in World War II and especially the 40,061 USAAF airmen who died in combat in Overseas Theaters. Requiescat in pace.
Editor for Asisbiz: Matthew Laird Acred
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