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8th Air Force Europe in January 1943
SATURDAY, 2 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Four radar-equipped B-24s of the 329th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 93d Bombardment Group (Heavy) fly a "moling" or intruder, mission aimed at harassing the enemy in weather unsuitable for large missions by alerting air-raid crews in the area north of the Ruhr. The 329th has been in training for these operations since 14 Dec. This mission and two subsequent missions in Janauary are foiled by clear weather over the target area.
Twenty Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group are dispatched on fighter patrols. HQ 2d Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) with B-24s is established at St. Eval, England upon arrival from the U.S.
SUNDAY, 3 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Sixteen Spitfire Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly ship protection patrols.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 28: The primary target is the St Nazaire U-Boat base in France; this is the first attack on this installation since 23 Nov 42 and the heaviest attack to date against U-Boat bases. The 1st Bombardment Wing dispatches 85 B-17s of the 91st, 303, 305th and 306th Bombardment Groups (Heavy); the 4th Bombardment Wing dispatches 13 B-24s of the 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy); 60 B-17s and eight B-24s hit the target dropping 171 tons of bombs between 1130 and 1140 hours local. Formation (instead of individual) precision bombing is used for the first time by the VIII Bomber Command, and considerable damage is done to the dock area.
The mission stats are:
We claim 14 enemy aircraft shot down, 18 probably shot down and 4 damaged; we loose seven B-17s, three B-24s are damaged beyond repair, 44 B-17s and three B-24s are damaged. Human casualties are 5 KIA, 29 WIA and 70 MIA.
MONDAY, 4 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Twenty Sptifire Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly ship protection patrols. HQ 92d Bombardment Group (Heavy) moves from Bovingdon to Alconbury, England.
WEDNESDAY, 6 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
The 325th, 326th, 327th and 407th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 92d Bombardment Group (Heavy) with B-17s move from Bovingdon to Alconbury, England.
FRIDAY, 8 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Twelve Spitfire Mk Vs fly defensive patrols.
The 107th Observation Squadron (originally a Michigan National Guard unit), 67th Observation Group moves its Spitfires and L-4s from Aldermaston to Membury, England.
SATURDAY, 9 JANUARY 1943 EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Six Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group are dispatched to patrol the coast line.
MONDAY, 11 JANUARY 1943 EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Two Spitfire Mk Vs from the 4th Fighter Group fly ship protection patrols.
TUESDAY, 12 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Two Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group are used on a fighter patrol.
The 12th Bombardment Wing, VIII Bomber Command transfers from Chelveston, England to Marks Hall, England when all personnel and equipment are transferred to other units. This unit will remain a paper unit until being disbanded in England on 9 Oct 44.
WEDNESDAY, 13 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission 29: The primary targets are the steel and locomotive works and marshaling yard at Lille, France. The 1st Bombardment Wing dispatches 72 B-17s; 64 drop 125 tons of bombs on the targets between 1427 and 1430 hours local. Locomotive construction and repair work is seriously imparied.
We claim 3 enemy aircraft destroyed, 4 probably destroyed and 5 damaged; three B-17s are lost, 15 are damaged; human casualties are 2 KIA, 9 WIA and 30 MIA.
Sixteen B-24s of the 4th Bombardment Wing fly a diversionary raid. Escort for the raid plus two raids by RAF Bostons against St Omer, France is provided by 69 Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group. They claim 3 destroyed, 4 probably destroyed and 5 damaged; one Spitfire is lost. One Spitfire is forced down at Tangmere due to engine failure and sustained major damage.
Two other Spitfire Mk Vs also flew an uneventful fighter patrol.
HQ 56th Fighter Group and its subordinate 61st and 62d Fighter Squadrons are established at Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, England upon arrival from the US; the 63d Fighter Squadron is established at Wittering, Northamptonshire. The group will be equipped with P-47C-2 and P-47C-5 aircraft in Feb.
The ground echelon of the 1st Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) joins the air echelon at St Eval, Cornwall, England. The air echelon with B-24s has been operating from St Eval since 10 Nov 42.
THURSDAY, 14 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Eight Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group carry out three Rhubarbs (a small number of aircraft attacking ground targets usually in bad weather) and engage Fw 190s west of Ostend. We claim 2 enemy aircraft destroyed; two Spitfires are damaged one making a forced landing at Bradwell Bay with flak damage.
One of the three squadrons of the 4th Fighter Group completes its transition from the Spitfire Mk V to P-47Cs; the group will fly its first P-47 mission on 10 Mar 43.
FRIDAY, 15 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Twelve Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly uneventful fighter patrols.
SATURDAY, 16 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
RAF heavy bombers attack Berlin during the night of 16/17 Jan for the first time since 7 Nov 41. Target indicator bombs are used for the first time.
SUNDAY, 17 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Four Sptifire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly uneventful ship protection patrols.
MONDAY, 18 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
HQ 4th Bombardment Wing transfers from Camp Lynn to Marks Hall, England.
WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Twenty-two Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly three missions. Two engage in a Rhubarb (small number of aircraft attacking ground targets usually in bad weather) and attack three locomotives at Calais, France; 14 fly an interception mission; and six fly defensive patrols. One aircraft is damaged beyond repair.
THURSDAY, 21 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
At the Casablanca Conference between Prime Minister Churchill, President Roosevelt and the Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS), the CCS issue the "Casablanca Directive." It broadly outlines the operations of the USAAF VIII Bomber Command and the RAF Bomber Command located in the UK as having the primary object of the destruction of the German military, economic and industrial systems and undermining of morale of the German people. Primary targets listed in order of priority are submarine construction yards, the aircraft industry, transportation, oil plants and other war industries. It largely relieves the VIII Bomber Command of supporting North African operations.
Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker, Commanding General Eighth Air Force, completes a paper called "The Case For Day Bombing" which he presents to General Henry "Hap" Arnold, Commanding General Army Air Forces at the Casablanca Conference. Eaker then discusses these ideas on the merits of daylight bombing with Churchill in an attempt to convince him of its effectiveness. Churchill later concurs. This paper leads to development of the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) program.
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 49 sorties during the day. Early in the day, 26 escort RAF Venturas attacking Caen/Carpiquet, France. Later in the day, 23 support a Circus (heavy fighter escort of a small force of bombers in an attempt to provoke a Luftwaffe fighter response) to Caen, France.
A 93d Bombardment Group (Heavy) B-24 attempts a Moling mission, i.e., bad weather operation by single aircraft designed to alert the Luftwaffe.
FRIDAY, 22 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Twenty five Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group support RAF Bostons on missions. We claim four enemy aircraft destroyed; one Spitfire is lost, one damaged beyond repair, one damaged and one pilot is MIA.
SATURDAY, 23 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission 30: The 1st Bombardment Wing dispatches 73 B-17s against the port area of Lorient, France; 35 aircraft hit the primary target between 1348 and 1351 hours local and drop 86 tons on the target.
We claim 7 enemy aircraft destroyed, 5 probably destroyed and 4 damaged; five B-17s are lost and one aircraft is declared damaged beyond repair upon returning to England; human casualties are 1 KIA, 19 WIA and 50 MIA.
Nineteen B-17s hit the secondary target, the U-Boat base at Brest at 1413 hours; they drop 45.25 tons of bombs on the target and claim one enemy aircraft damaged; no B-17s are lost and only two are WIA.
The 2d Bombardment Wing dispatches 17 B-24s on a diversionary raid.
Four Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly uneventful ship protection patrols.
MONDAY, 25 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Fighter Command Circus 255: 17 Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group escort RAF Bostons on uneventful Circus 255. Circus is a large number of fighters escorting a small number of bombers in an attempt to get the Luftwaffe to respond.
TUESDAY, 26 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Fighter Command Circus 256: 22 Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group escort 12 RAF Venturas on a Circus mission; 1 Spitfire is lost. A 93d Bombardment Group (Heavy) B-24 attempts a Moling mission.
WEDNESDAY, 27 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission 31: The Eighth Air Force makes its first raid on Germany. The 1st and 2d Bombardment Wings dispatch 64 B-17s and 27 B-24s against the primary target, the Wilhelmshaven, Germany Naval Base; 53 B-17s hit the target between 1110 and 1113 hours local dropping 137.5 tons of bombs; two other B-17s attack the submarine base at Emden at 1135 hours as a target of opportunity; the B-24s are unable to locate the target due to bad weather and a navigational error and return to base. Mission stats: we claim 22 enemy aircraft destroyed, 14 probably destroyed and 13 damaged; 1 B-17 and 2 B-24s are lost; 32 B-17s and 11 B-24s are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 3 WIA and 30 MIA.
Seven Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly uneventful fighter patrols.
FRIDAY, 29 JANUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Six Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly an uneventful defensive patrol.
A 93d Bombardment Group (Heavy) B-24 attempts a Moling mission.
Source:
COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
Jack McKillop
USAF (Airways and Air Communications Service)
1955-59
used sources by McKillop:
AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1961, ISBN 0-912799-02-1
COMBAT SQUADRONS OF THE AIR FORCE, WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF 1982
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by the Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1973
