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8th Air Force Europe in December 1943
WEDNESDAY, 1 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 145: The industrial area at Solingen, Germany is the target. 206 of 215 B-17's, 69 of 78 B-24's and 5 of 6 B-17 PFF aircraft hit the target at 1159-1212 hours; they claim 4-5-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; 19 B-17's and 5 B-24's are lost, 2 B-17's and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair and 85 bombers are damaged; casualties are 13 KIA, 23 WIA and 227 MIA.
The mission is escorted by 42 P-38's and 374 P-47's; the P-47's claim 20-4-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-38's and 5 P-47's are lost, 1 each are damaged beyond repair and 3 P-47's are damaged; casualties are 7 MIA.
HQ VIII Air Support Command is disbanded at Sunninghill, England.
HQ 448th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrives at Seething, England from the US.
The 362d, 363d and 364th Fighter Squadrons, 357th Fighter Group, arrive at Raydon, England from the US with P-51B's. They will fly their first mission on 11 Feb 44.
The 708th, 709th, 710th and 711th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 447th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Rattlesden, England from the US with B-17G's. They will fly their first mission on 24 Dec.
THURSDAY, 2 DECEMBER 1943
ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY AIR FORCE (AEAF): The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) authorizes AEAF to attack "sky sites" in the Pas de Calais area and on the Cherbourg Peninsula in France, which RAF photography and British intelligence have virtually identified as missile-launching sites.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 146: 1 B-17 flies an Oboe test over Huls, Germany at 2139 hours dropping two 2,000 pound (907 kg) GP bombs and 1 photoflash bomb. 4 B-17's drop 2.09 million leaflets on Bremen, Oldenburg and Hamburg, Germany. No casualties on either mission.
FRIDAY, 3 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
A note from Air Chief Marshall Sir Charles F Portal, RAF, to the CCS states that OPERATION POINTBLANK, the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) of the USAAF and RAF against the Luftwaffe and the German aircraft industry, is 3 months behind in relationship to the tentative date for OPERATION OVERLORD, the overall plan for the invasion of W Europe, which had been set for 1 May 44. This brings more pressure on the Eighth Air Force to destroy industrial plants of importance to aircraft production.
The 365th and 366th Fighter Squadrons, 358th Fighter Group, transfer from Goxhill, England to Leiston, England with P-47D's. They will fly their first mission on 20 Dec.
SATURDAY, 4 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 147: 4 B-17's drop 800,000 leaflets on Rouen, Lille and Paris, France at 0222-0333 hours.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 148: 4 B-17's drop 800,000 leaflets on Le Mans, Orleans, Tours and Laval, France at 2037-2125 hours.
The 367th Fighter Squadron, 358th Fighter Group, transfers from Goxhill to Leiston, England with P-47D's.
SUNDAY, 5 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 149. Airfields in France are targetted; 8 B-17's and 1 B-24 are lost.
1. 216 B-17's are dispatched to La Rochelle/Laleu, St Jean D'Angely, Paris/Ivry, Paris/Bois and D'Colombes airfields; none hit the target due to weather; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged.
2. 96 B-24's are dispatched to Cognac/Chateaubernard Airfield; 2 hit St Nazaire; 1 B-24 is lost and 7 damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 10 MIA.
3. 236 B-17's are dispatched to the Bordeaux/Merignac air depot; 1 hits the target; they claim 12-5-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-17's are lost and 19 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 4 WIA and 50 MIA.
These missions are escorted by 34 P-38's and 266 P-47's plus 36 Ninth Air Force P-51's; 1 P-47 is lost; the pilot is MIA.
FRIDAY, 10 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 150: 1 B-17 is dispatched on an OBOE test flight but turns back due to an oxygen leak; two 2,000 pound (907 kg) bombs and a Photoflash are jettisoned off the French coast. In the second part of this mission, 6 of 6 B-17's drop 1.2 million leaflets on Rouen, Paris, Caen and Amiens, France and Ghent, Belgium at 2026-2102 hours. No losses.
HQ 2d Bombardment Division transfers from Horsham St Faith to Ketteringham Hall, England.
SATURDAY, 11 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 151: 437 of 490 B-17's and 86 of 93 B-24's hit the industrial area at Emden, Germany at 1220-1312 hours; they claim 86-22-23 Luftwaffe aircraft; 15 B-17's and 2 B-24's are lost, 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 120 B-17's and 18 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 20 WIA and 185 MIA. This mission is escorted by 31 P-38's, 313 P-47's and 44 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 21-0-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 P-47's and 1 P-51 are lost; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are damaged beyond repair and 3 P-47's are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 4 MIA.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 152: 4 of 4 B-17's drop 800,000 leaflets on Laval, Rennes, Le Mans and Nantes, France at 2026-2039 hours; no casualties.
SUNDAY, 12 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 153: 4 B-17's drop 800,000 leaflets on Paris, Amiens and Orleans, France at 2033-2044 hours; no casualties.
HQ 92d and 94th Combat Bombardment Wings (Heavy) transfer from Polebrook to Camp Blainey and Alconbury, England respectively.
HQ 95th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) is activated at Attlebridge, England.
MONDAY, 13 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 154; the port area at Bremen and Kiel, Germany are hit; 5 aircraft are lost. This is the first mission where more than 600 aircraft are dispatched.
1. 171 of 182 B-17's dispatched to Bremen hit the target at 1159-1206 hours; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 30 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 3 WIA.
2. 367 of 403 B-17's, 93 of 107 B-24's, 12 of 12 B-17 PFF and 6 of 6 B-24 PFF aircraft are dispatched to Kiel; heavy frosting and poor visibility disrupts the formation and 78 B-17's hit targets of opportunity in Hamburg at 1300-1305 hours; the remaining aircraft hit Kiel at 1245-1317 hours; 7-3-17 Luftwaffe aircraft are claimed; 4 B-17's and 1 B-24 are lost; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 136 B-17's and 4 B-24's are lost; casualties are 4 KIA, 16 WIA and 50 MIA.
These missions are escorted by 31 P-38's, 322 P-47's and 41 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 1-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost, 1 P-38 and 1 P-47 are damaged beyond repair and 1 P-38 is damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 1 MIA. P-51's escorting the heavy bombers reach the limit of their escort range for the first time.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 155: 5 B-17's drop 1 million leaflets on Le Mans, Rennes, Tours, Nantes and Chartres, France at 2138-2155 hours; no losses.
THURSDAY, 16 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 156: the port area at Bremen, Germany is the target. 402 of 479 B-17's, 133 of 141 B-24's and 10 of 11 PFF aircraft hit the target at 1309-1322 hours; they claim 18-11-11 Luftwaffe aircraft; 10 B-17's are lost; 2 B-17's and 2 B-24's are damaged beyond repair; 128 B-17's, 22 B-24's and 5 PFF aircraft are damaged; casualties are 6 KIA, 8 WIA and 104 MIA. The mission is escorted by 31 P-38's, 131 P-47's and 39 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is lost, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair and 1 P-38 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 1 MIA.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 157: 4 B-17's drop 1.952 million leaflets over Hannover, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; and Lille, France at 1903-1943 hours; no losses or casualties.
SUNDAY, 19 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 158: 5 B-17's drop 1 million leaflets on Paris, Amiens and Chartres, France at 2059-2135 hours; no losses or casualties.
MONDAY, 20 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 159: the port area at Bremen, Germany is hit. 357 of 407 B-17's, 103 of 127 B-24's and 12 of 12 PFF aircraft hit the target at 1142-1214 hours; they claim 21-14-23 Luftwaffe aircraft; 21 B-17's and 6 B-24's are lost; 3 B-17's are damaged beyond repair; 213 B-17's and 34 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 9 KIA, 41 WIA and 270 MIA. Window-metal foil strips which, when dropped from an airplane, provide an echo which confuses radar locating equipment is used for the first time on an Eighth Air Force mission. This mission is escorted by 26 P-38's, 418 P-47's and 47 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 19-3-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-47's and 4 P-51's are lost; 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair and 5 P-47's are damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 5 MIA. Twin-engine, rocket-firing Luftwaffe fighters attack under protection of single engine airplanes.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 160: 5 B-17's drop 1 million leaflets on Lille and Lens, France and Ghent and Brussels, Belgium at 2005-2015 hours; no losses.
WEDNESDAY, 22 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 161: Marshalling yards at Osnabruck and Munster, Germany are targetted; 22 US bombers are lost. Heavy cloud conditions along with a malfunction of Pathfinder equipment result in a large number of heavy bombers failing to attack targets.
1. 147 of 225 B-17's, 87 of 121 B-24's and 2 PFF aircraft hit the Osnabruck at 1356-1434 hours; they claim 18-8-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-17's and 12 B-24's are lost; 2 B-17's and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair; and 21 B-17's and 11 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 6 KIA, 13 WIA and 160 MIA.
2. 164 of 177 B-17's, 30 of 43 B-24's and 3 PFF aircraft hit Munster at 1353-1417 hours; 3 B-17's and 2 B-24's are lost, 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair, and 29 B-17's are damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 50 MIA.
The bombers are escorted by 40 P-38's, 448 P-47's and 28 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 15-1-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-38's and 2 P-47's are lost and 1 P-47 is damaged; casualties are 4 MIA.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 162: 6 B-17's drop 1.212 million leaflets on Paris, Amiens, Chartres, Orleans and Rennes, France at 1942-2018 hours; no casualties.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 163: 1 B-17 drops two 2,000 pound (907 kf) general purpose bombs and 1 Photoflash on Cologne, Germany at 2020 hours; no casualties.
RAF light bombers attack numerous NOBALL (V-weapons) targets in France in conjunction with the Osnabruck-Munster raids.
THURSDAY, 23 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
92 P-47's are dispatched to Gilze-Rijen Airfield in The Netherlands; 2 squadrons dive-bomb the target while the 1 squadron provides escort; no casualties.
HQ 453d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and it's 732d, 733d, 734th and 735th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) arrive at Old Buckenham, England from the US with B-17's. They will fly their mission on 5 Feb 44.
FRIDAY, 24 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
26 heavy bomber groups are now operational.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 164: 23 V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area of France are hit. 478 of 526 B-17's 192 of 196 B-24's hit the targets at 1330-1510 hours; 2 B-24's are damaged beyond repair and 85 B-17's are damaged; casualties are 4 WIA. This is the largest number of aircraft carrying out attacks of any Eighth Air Force mission to date and the first of its major strikes against missile sites. The heavies are escorted by 40 P-38's, 459 P-47's and 42 Ninth Air Force P-51's; 2 P-38's are damaged beyond repair and 2 P-51's are damaged; no casualties.
MONDAY, 27 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 165: 7 B-17's drop 1.392 million leaflets on Paris, Lille, Evreux, Rouen and Caen, France at 1735-1812 hours; no losses.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 166: 1 B-17 is dispatched to Quadrath (??) but drops two 2,000 pound (907 kg) bombs and a Photoflash bomb on an unknown target.
TUESDAY, 28 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
The 20th Fighter Group (P-38) becomes operational, making a total of 11 operational fighter groups in the Eighth Air Force. The VIII Fighter Command has flown over 17,500 sorties and destroyed more than 200 aircraft. The VIII Bomber Command is charged with forming and training a special organization (the Radio Counter Measure Unit) to use radio countermeasures against enemy defenses; 24 specially equipped B-17's are to operate in support of both night and day raids.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 167: A B-17 drops two 2,000 pound (907 kg) bombs and a Photoflash bomb on Dusseldorf, Germany in an Oboe test.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 168: 6 B-17's drop 2.84 million leaflets on Hannover, Osnabruck, Hildsheim, Germany; Zwolle, The Netherlands; and Amiens, France at 1950-2027 hours. No losses.
THURSDAY, 30 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 169: The port area and oil refinery at Ludwigshafen, Germany are hit at 1156-1300 hours. 502 of 530 B-17's 145 of 168 B-24's, and 11 of 12 PFF aircraft attack the target; they claim 12-4-9 Luftwaffe aircraft; 14 B-17's and 9 B-24's are lost, 4 B-17's and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair and 106 B-17's and 11 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 11 KIA, 19 WIA and 200 MIA.
The mission is escorted by 79 P-38's, 463 P-47's and 41 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 8-3-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 11 P-47's and 2 P-51's are lost, 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair and 5 P-47's are damaged; casualties are 12 MIA.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 170: 5 B-17's drop 1 million leaflets on Antwerp, Ghent, Lens, Belgium and Cambrai, France at 2319-2340 hours; no losses.
FRIDAY, 31 DECEMBER 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
VIII Bomber Command Mission 171: Various targets in France are hit; 19 B-17's and 6 B-24's are lost.
1. 200 of 236 B-17's and 57 of 60 B-24's hit the Bordeaux-Merignac, Cognac-Chateaubernard and Landes Bussac Airfields at 1211-1315 hours; they claim 17-13-27 Luftwaffe aircraft; 18 B-17's and 5 B-24's are lost, 8 B-17's and 2 B-24's are damaged beyond repair and 103 B-17's and 5 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 9 KIA, 36 WIA and 231 MIA.
2. 57 B-17's are dispatched to hit a blockade running ship at Gironde but cannot find the target; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged; casualties are 2 KIA and 5 WIA.
3. 87 of 94 B-24's hit the St Jean D'Angely Airfield at 1211-1235 hours; they claim 9-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-24 is lost, 3 are damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged; casualties are 10 MIA.
4. 120 of 125 B-17's hit the industrial areas at Paris-Ivry and Bois-Colombes at 1207-1227 hours; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 49 damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 10 MIA.
These missions are escorted by 74 P-38's, 441 P-47's and 33 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 9-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38, 2 P-47's are 1 P-51 are lost; 1 P-38 and 6 P-47's are damaged beyond repair and 1 P-38 is damaged; casualties are 3 WIA and 2 MIA.
The total bomb tonnage dropped by the Eighth Air Force in Dec 43, 13,142 tons (14,486 tonnes), for the first time exceeds that dropped by the RAF Bomber Command.
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
THE MIGHTY EIGHTH WAR DIARY by Roger A. Freeman, ISBN 1-85409-071-2
