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8th Air Force Europe in January 1944
SATURDAY, 1 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): The Operational Research Section, organized at Hq VIII Bomber Command in Oct 43, is made a special staff section, accountable directly to the US Chiefs of Staff (CoS). It is composed mostly of civilian specialists trained in statistical analysis and other disciplines pertinent to studying operations of a strategic bombing force. The section subsequently proves of great value in improving the effectiveness of strategic bombing.
HQ 491st and it's 852d, 853d, 854th and 855th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) transfer without personnel and equipment from the US to England. They will be equipped with B-24's and fly their first mission on 2 Jun.
The 856th, 857th, 858th and 859th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 492d Bombardment Group (Heavy) transfer from the US to North Pickenham, England with B-24's. They will fly their first mission on 11 May.
HQ 493d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and it's 860th, 861st, 862d and 863d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) transfer without personnel and equipment from the US to England; they will fly their first mission with B-24's on 6 Jun.
US STRATEGIC AIR FORCES IN EUROPE (USSAFE): USSAFE is established for operational control of the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces.
MONDAY, 3 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Special Night Operation: 1 B-17 is dispatched on an Oboe test against Germany but turns back due to an oxygen failure in the tail gun position.
HQ 452d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and it's 728th, 729th, 730th and 731st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) arrives at Deopham Green, England from the US with B-17's; first mission is 5 Feb.
TUESDAY, 4 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 174: 2 targets in Germany are hit; 19 bombers and 2 fighters are lost.
1. 371 of 439 B-17's and 115 of 130 B-24's are dispatched to the port area at Kiel; 7 B-17's and 34 B-24's hit targets of opportunity; they claim 4-12-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 11 B-17's and 6 B-24's are lost; 2 B-17's and 3 B-24's are damaged beyond repair and 111 B-17's and 16 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 22 KIA, 53 WIA and 170 MIA. 70 P-38's and 42 Ninth Air Force P-51's escort; they claim 1-1-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38 and 1 P-51 are lost and 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair; casualties are 1 WIA and 2 MIA.
2. 68 of 75 B-17's hit Munster; 2 B-17's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 35 damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 20 MIA. 430 P-47's escort; they claim 7-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is damaged.
Mission 175: During the evening, 4 B-17's drop 800,000 leaflets on Orleans, Lorient, Rouen and Tours, France at 2005-2021 hours; no losses. This is the first CARPETBAGGER operation from Tempsford, England on this night.
US airplanes begin flying supplies from UK to underground resistance forces in W Europe, this operation being coded CARPETBAGGER.
WEDNESDAY, 5 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): An Eighth Air Force report concludes that the US daylight strategic bombing program against Germany will be threatened unless steps are taken to reduce the enemy's fighter force, which has increased in strength in the W as a result of step-up in production, strengthening of firepower, and transfer of a larger percentage of fighters to the Western Front.
Mission 176: Four targets are hit costing 24 bombers and 12 fighters.
1. 119 of 131 B-17's and 96 of 114 B-24's hit the shipyard and industrial area at Kiel, Germany plus 10 aircraft hit targets of opportunity; they claim 41-6-13 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-17's and 5 B-24's are lost, 3 B-17's and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair and 61 B-17's and 15 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 36 KIA, 5 WIA and 100 MIA. This mission is escorted by 70 P-38's and 41 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 22-1-8 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 P-38's are lost; casualties are 7 MIA.
2. 112 of 117 B-17's hit the Bordeaux/Merignac Airfield in France; they claim 50-10-9 Luftwaffe aircraft; 11 B-17's are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 49 damaged; casualties are 11 KIA, 21 WIA and 110 MIA. This mission is escorted by 76 P-47's; they claim 2-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 P-47's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; casualties are 5 MIA.
3. 78 of 79 B-17's hit the Tours Airfield in France; they claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is lost and 10 damaged; casualties are 10 MIA.
This mission is escorted by 149 P-47's; they claim 3-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; no casualties.
4. 73 of 78 hit targets of opportunity at Neuss, Geilenkirchen, Dusseldorf and Wassenburg, Germany; they claim 2-5-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17's are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 22 damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 20 MIA.
THURSDAY, 6 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Lieutenant General James H Doolittle assumes command, replacing Lieutenant General Ira C Eaker who will go to Italy as Commanding General Mediterranean Allied Air Force (MAAF).
Mission 177: During the evening, 5 B-17's drop 984,000 leaflets on Amiens, Lille, Valenciennes, Cambrai and Reims, France without loss.
FRIDAY, 7 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): 351 of 382 B-17's and 69 of 120 B-24's hit the I G Faren Industrie plant at Ludwigshafen, Germany; they claim 30-6-17 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-17's and 17 B-24's are lost, 2 B-17's and 2 B-24's are damaged beyond repair and 104 B-17's and 18 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 14 KIA, 13 WIA and 121 MIA. 71 P-38's, 463 P-47's and 37 Ninth Air Force P-51's escort; they claim 7-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38 and 5 P-47's are lost and 1 P-47 is damaged; casualties are 6 MIA.
Mission 179: During the evening, 5 B-17's drop 1.08 million leaflets on Paris, Chartres, Caen and Evreux, France without loss.
SATURDAY, 8 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 180: During the evening, 5 B-17's drop 2.292 million leaflets on Antwerp and Brussels, Belgium; and Rennes, Brest and Nantes, France without loss.
MONDAY, 10 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 181: During the evening, 5 B-17's drop 4.8 million leaflets on Orleans, Chateauroux, Rouen, Le Mans and Tours, France without loss.
HQ 93d Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) transfers from Horsham St Faith to Elveden Hall, England.
TUESDAY, 11 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 182. Three aviation industry targets in Germany are hit; fierce opposition estimated at 500 Luftwaffe fighters is encountered and 60 bombers and 5 fighters are lost.
1. 177 B-17's are dispatched to Oschersleben; 139 hit the primary and 20 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 174-32-63 Luftwaffe aircraft; 34 B-17's are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 83 damaged; casualties are 9 KIA, 11 WIA and 349 MIA.
2. 114 B-17's are dispatched to Halberstadt; 52 hit the primary and 55 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 35-11-19 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-17's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 42 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 18 WIA and 81 MIA.
177 P-47's and 44 Ninth Air Force P-51's escort; they claim 29-11-14 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-47's are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 4 P-47's and 1 P-51 are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA and 2 MIA. Major James H Howard, a P-51 pilot of the 354th Fighter Group, shot down an Me 110 and then found himself the lone escort for a B-17 group being attacked by 30 Luftwaffe aircraft. For the next 30 minutes, he kept turning into the enemy fighters and firing until only one gun was firing; by this time, he was credited with 2-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft and saved the B-17's. Major Howard was awarded the Medal of Honor.
3. 234 B-17's and 138 B-24's are dispatched to Brunswick; 47 B-17's hit the primary, 114 hit Osnabruck, 25 hit Bielefeld, 22 hit Peine, 10 hit Herford and 1 hit Nienburg; no B-24's hit the primary, 58 hit Meppen, 1 hits Lingen and 7 hit other targets; they claim 19-17-16 Luftwaffe aircraft; 16 B-17's and 2 B-24's are lost, 1 each damaged beyond repair and 47 B-17's and 7 B-24's damaged; casualties are 5 WIA and 176 MIA. This mission is escorted by 49 P-38's and 322 P-47's; they claim 2-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38 and 2 P-47's are lost and 1 P-47 is damaged; casualties are 1 MIA. Among the PFF aircraft are 4 B-24's, this being the first time B-24's are used in this capacity.
HQ 96th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) is activated at Horsham St Faith, England.
FRIDAY, 14 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 183: 356 of 374 B-17's and 156 of 178 B-24's hit 20 of 21 V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area of France; 19 B-24's hit targets of opportunity; they claim 8-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17's and 1 B-24 are lost, 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 66 B-17's and 9 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 11 WIA and 31 MIA. 98 P-38's, 504 P-47's and 43 Ninth Air Force P-51's escort; they claim 14-1-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38, 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost, 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair and 9 P-47's and 1 P-51 are damaged; casualties are 3 MIA.
Mission 184: During the evening, 4 B-17's drop 840,000 leaflets on Amiens, Lille, Cambrai and St. Omer France without loss.
Mission 185: 2 B-17's are dispatched to Wesel, Germany for a night test of Oboe Mk II; 1 aircraft aborts and 1 drops 2 tons of high explosive bombs on the target without loss.
SUNDAY, 16 JANUARY 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO): General Dwight D Eisenhower assumes duties of Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force (AEF).
THURSDAY, 20 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 186: during the evening, 4 of 5 B-17's drop 960,000 leaflets on Lille, Brest, Caen and Chartres, France without loss.
FRIDAY, 21 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 187: 36 V-weapon sites in France, 34 in the Pas de Calais area and 2 in the Cherbourg area, are targetted; 24 are attacked by 302 of 597 B-17's and 68 of 198 B-24's; 15 B-17's and 9 B-24's hit targets of opportunity (2 V-weapon sites and 3 airfields); they claim 5-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-24's and a B-17 are lost, 3 B-24's are damaged beyond repair, and 103 B-17's and 41 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 31 WIA and 74 MIA. This mission is escorted by 49 P-38's, 531 P-47's and 48 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 6-0-4 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 2-2-0 on the ground; 1 P-47 is lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; casualties are 1 MIA.
Mission 188: During the night, 5 of 5 B-17's drop 1.2 million leaflets on Reims, Nantes, Le Mans, Tours and Orleans, France without loss.
SATURDAY, 22 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ 457th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrives at Glatton, England from the US.
SUNDAY, 23 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 232: 5 B-17's drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Rennes, Le Mans, Chartres, Lille and Orleans, France at 2136-2232 hours without loss.
MONDAY, 24 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 191: 857 B-17's and B-24's are put into the air with intentions of bombing transportation and industrial targets at Frankfurt-Heddernheim, Frankfurt/Main and Russelsheim. Most bombers had trouble forming up in bad weather and only 563 of the 857 airborne were dispatched; all of the B-24's were recalled. Because of worsening weather all groups were recalled at 1020 hours but 58 B-17's bombed the Zukunft Power Station near Eschweiler; they claimed 1-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17's were lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged; casualties were 5 KIA and 21 MIA.
Escorting were 101 P-38's, 535 P-47's and 42 Ninth Air Force P-51's; the fighters were assigned area patrol, protecting all bombers as they passed through their designated area but this was abandoned when the bombers were recalled; they claim 19-4-9 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 P-38's, 3 P-47's and 2 P-51's were lost and 6 P-47's were damaged; casualties are 9 MIA.
The RAF and USAAF in the United Kingdom, agree to place most of the available P-51's in the Eighth Air Force for long range escort of heavy bomber's. Eventually the Eighth is to be equipped almost exclusively with P-51's, with the P-38's and P-47's to be transferred to the Ninth Air Force.
TUESDAY, 25 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 192: During the evening, 5 of 5 B-17's drop 1.2 million leaflets on Caen, Reims, Chartres, Chateauroux and Brest, France without loss.
Mission 193: In an Oboe Mk II test, the Oboe equipment failed 3 minutes before the target (Aachen, Germany) and the B-17 dropped on the ETA; the B-17 was damaged by flak.
THURSDAY, 27 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 194: 5 of 5 B-17's drop 1.44 million leaflets on Paris, Rennes, Le Mans and Orleans, France without loss.
FRIDAY, 28 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 195: 54 B-24's in 2 groups are dispatched to the Bonnieres V-weapon site in France; 2 Gee-H equipped PFF aircraft lead each group; due to technical difficulties, the second formation was ordered to follow the lead and bomb the same target as a secondary; 4 minutes before the target the leader of one section accidentally released and the following 11 aircraft did likewise; 31 hit the primary; 1 B-24 is damaged. 122 P-47's provide escort without loss.
Gee-H is more accurate than H2X but is of use only against targets within the 200-mi (320 km) beacon range; later, aircraft are equipped with both devices.
Mission 196: During the evening, 5 of 5 B-17's drop 1.36 million leaflets on Amiens, Rouen, Cambrai, Reims and Caen, France without loss.
Mission 197: During the night, 1 B-17 on an Oboe Mk II test drops 2 tons of bombs on Emmerich, Germany.
748th, 749th, 750th and 751st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 457th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Glatton, England from the US with B-17's; first mission is 21 Feb.
SATURDAY, 29 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 198: Led by PFF aircraft, 675 B-17's and 188 B-24's are dispatched to hit the industrial area at Frankfurt, Germany; 590 B-17's and 170 B-24's hit the primary target; 46 B-17's bomb Ludwigshafen due to a deviation from planned bomb route; they claim 75-27-48 Luftwaffe aircraft; 24 B-17's and 5 B-24's are lost, 2 B-17's and 3 B-24's are damaged beyond repair and 116 B-17's and 19 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 22 KIA, 32 WIA and 299 MIA. Escort is 89 P-38's, 503 P-47's and 40 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 47-6-14 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 P-38's and 10 P-47's are lost, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair and 3 P-38's and 1 P-47 are damaged; casualties are 14 MIA.
This is first Eighth Air Force mission in which more than 700 aircraft attack targets.
Mission 199: During the evening, 5 of 5 B-17's drop 1.2 million leaflets on Lille, Tours, Lorient, Nantes and Valenciennes, France without loss.
HQ 458th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrives at Horshal St Faith, England from the US.
SUNDAY, 30 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 200: 623 B-17's and 154 B-24's are dispatched to hit aviation industry plants in Brunswick, Germany but cloud cover prevents visual bombing; 597 B-17's hit the secondary target, the city of Brunswick and 2 others hit targets of opportunity; the B-24's find dense smoke and contrails over the secondary and 104 bomb Hannover and 39 hit other targets of opportunity; the bombers claim 51-7-27 Luftwaffe aircraft; 18 B-17's and 2 B-24's are lost, 3 B-17's are damaged beyond repair and 104 B-17's and 11 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 4 KIA, 14 WIA and 206 MIA. Escort includes 635 P-38's, P-47's and Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 45-15-31 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-38's and 2 P-47's are lost, 2 P-38's, 3 P-47's and 2 P-51's are damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 4 MIA.
Mission 201: During the evening, 5 of 5 B-17's drop 1.2 million leaflets on Chateauroux, Brest, Chartres, Le Mans and Caen, France without loss.
Mission 202: In a night Oboe Mk II test, 1 B-17 drops 2 bombs on Duren, Germany.
MONDAY, 31 JANUARY 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 203: 74 of 74 B-24's hit V-weapon site construction at St. Pol/Siracourt, France; 2 aircraft are damaged beyond repair; no losses. The B-24's are escorted by 114 P-47's.
Mission 204: 70 of 75 P-47 fighter-bombers, escorted by 47 P-38's and 87 P-47's bomb Gilze-Rijen Airfield, The Netherlands; they claim 13-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 P-38's are lost, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair and 2 P-47's damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 6 MIA.
Transfers in England: HQ 357th Fighter Group and 362d Fighter Squadron from Raydon to Leiston with P-51's (first mission is 11 Feb); HQ 358th Fighter Group and 367th Fighter Squadron from Leiston to Raydon with P-47's and is reassigned to the Ninth Air Force on 1 Feb.
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
