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8th Air Force Europe in February 1943
MONDAY 1 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
The 4th Fighter Group dispatches 20 Spitfire Mk Vs on uneventful defensive and fighter patrols.
TUESDAY, 2 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission 32: 61 B-17s and 22 B-24s are dispatched against the Hamm, Germany marshalling yards. The formation encounters bad weather over the North Sea and returns to base.
VIII Fighter Command Circus 257 (a Circus was a heavy fighter escort of a small force of attack or bomber aircraft to entice the Luftwaffe up): 25 Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group escort 12 Venturas on an uneventful Circus. Nine other Spitfires of the 4th Fighter Group fly an uneventful ship patrol.
WEDNESDAY, 3 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Fighter Command Circus 258 (a Circus was a large force of fighters escorting a small force of bombers to entice the Luftwaffe up to fight): 22 Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group escort 12 Venturas on an uneventful Circus 258.
The 4th Fighter Group also flies 25 sorties on uneventful offensive missions.
THURSDAY, 4 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Lieutenant General Frank M. Andrews, USAAF, assumes command of the European Theater of Operations, US Army.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 33: 65 B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Wing and 21 B-24s of the 2d Bombardment Wing are dispatched against the Hamm, Germany marshalling yards. The B-24s turn back before hitting the Dutch coast when the temperature drops below the lowest limit of the thermometers (-40 degrees C). Heavy clouds cover Hamm so three of four B-17 groups (39 B-17s) attack the marshalling yard, port area and industries in Emden, Germany between 1200 and 1215 hours local dropping 92.25 tons of bombs. We claim 25 enemy fighters destroyed, 8 probably destroyed and 6 damaged; 5 B-17s are lost; human casualties are 17 WIA and 50 MIA. Bombers are opposed for the first time by Ju 88 and Me 110 twin-engine fighters.
The 4th Fighter Group dispatches 21 Spitfire Mk Vs on uneventful fighter patrols and an air-sea rescue search.
FRIDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Spitfires of the 4th Fighter Group fly 8 sorties; 2 on uneventful patrols and 6 to strafe an shipping convoy. Two corvettes and a merchant ship are damaged in the convoy; 1 Spitfire is shot down and the pilot is listed as MIA.
SATURDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Six Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly uneventful shipping patrols.
WEDNESDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
German submarine, U-519, is sunk northwest of Spain (47-05N 18-34W) by a B-24 of the 2d Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy), 25th Antisubmarine Wing attached to the 1st Antisubmarine Group (Provisional).
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly two uneventful sorties on shipping patrol.
FRIDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 18 uneventful sorties, 16 on shipping patrols and 2 on defensive patrols.
SATURDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 24 sorties on shipping patrols. One aircraft is lost and the pilot was killed.
SUNDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission 34: The 1st Bombardment Wing dispatches 74 B-17s against the Hamm, Germany marshalling yards. The mission is cancelled due to weather and the aircraft are recalled before they pass the European coast. We claim 1 enemy aircraft destroyed; 1 B-17 is damaged.
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 18 uneventful sorties on shipping patrols.
MONDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission 35: The 2d Bombardment Wing dispatches 23 B-24s against the port area and shipping at Dunkirk, France; 21 aircraft drop 62 tons of bombs at 1540 hours local. We claim 3 enemy aircraft destroyed and 1 possibly destroyed; we lose 2, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 7 are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 24 MIA.
The Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 30 uneventful sorties on shipping patrols.
TUESDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission 36: 71 B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Wing and 18 B-24s of the 2d Bombardment Wing are dispatched against the locks and U-boat base at Saint-Nazaire, France; 59 B-17s and 6 B-24s drop 160 tons of bombs between 1052 and 1055 hours local. We claim 20 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed, 12 probably destroyed and 2 damaged; we lose 6 B-17s and 2 B-24s with 28 B-17s and 2 B-24s damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 7 WIA and 81 MIA.
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 34 uneventful sorties on fighter patrols.
The 13th Photographic Squadron (Light), 3d Photographic Group with F-5s and L-4s transfers from Podington to Mount Farm, England.
WEDNESDAY, 17 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
The Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 38 uneventful sorties on patrol during the day.
THURSDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 26 uneventful sorties during the day on shipping and defensive patrols.
FRIDAY, 19 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
The Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 26 uneventful sorties during the day; 2 on defensive patrols and 24 on an offensive sweep of the St. Omer, France area.
SATURDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 14 uneventful sorties during the day on shipping patrols.
WEDNESDAY, 24 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Lieutenant General Ira C Eaker, Commander Eighth Air Force, is advised by the War Department of the Combined Chiefs of Staff decision to employ his fighter units primarily in an offensive role in support of the bombers.
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 14 uneventful sorties on shipping patrols.
FRIDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission 37: 76 B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Wing and 17 B-24s of the 2d Bombardment Wing are dispatched against Bremen, Germany. The primary target is overcast so 59 B-17s and 6 B-24s attack the docks and surrounding areas of Wilhelmshaven, Germany dropping 164.25 tons of bombs between 1123 and 1125 hours local. We claim 21 Luftwaffe fighters destroyed, 9 probably destroyed and 5 damaged; we lose 5 B-17s and 2 B-24s plus 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair; casualties are 14 WIA and 73 MIA. The Luftwaffe attempts air-to-air bombing by fighter aircraft and the use of parachute bombs fired by AAA.
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 82 uneventful sorties; 6 on shipping patrols and 76 on 3 missions escorting Venturas attacking Dunkirk, France. [NOTE: At this time, there were 3 squadrons flying Ventura Mk Is and Mk IIs assigned to RAF Bomber Command and based in Norfolk, England. No. 21 Squadron, RAF, was based at Methwold; the other 2 squadrons, No. 464 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and No. 487 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), were based at Feltwell.]
SATURDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
VIII Bomber Command Mission 38: 63 B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Wing and 15 B-24s of the 2d Bombardment Wing are dispatched against the U-boat pens, port and naval facilities at Brest, France; 46 B-17s and 14 B-24s drop 155 tons of bombs on the target between 1455 and 1500 hours local; 2 B-24s are damaged; there are no casualties.
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 40 uneventful sorties; 16 on shipping patrols and 24 as part of an escort for RAF Venturas bombing Dunkirk, France.
SUNDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 12 uneventful patrol sorties.
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
