Air War WW2 Portal 
9th Air Force Europe in August 1943
SUNDAY, 1 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Rumania, 177 B-24's, of the IX Bomber Command (including B-24's on loan from the Eighth Air Force) are dispatched to bomb oil refineries at Ploesti and nearby Campina. The operation (TIDALWAVE) is costly, 54 planes and 532 airmen are lost, but damage to the targets is severe. 5 Medal of Honors are awarded for this mission.
In Sicily, 230+ P-40's, the largest Ninth Air Force total to date, attack Adrano, the area near Randazzo, Messina, Milazzo, Taormina, and shipping in the Straits of Messina.
MONDAY, 2 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Sicily, P-40's attack shipping in the Straits of Messina and off Milazzo.
TUESDAY, 3 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Sicily, B-25's bomb Adrano and its highway approaches; and 300+ P-40's, the largest Ninth Air Force total to date, attack harbors and shipping at Milazzo and Messina, and give direct support to British ground forces in the Catania-Bronte area.
WEDNESDAY, 4 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Sicily, P-40's attack shipping at Messina and support ground forces at the N end of Mount Etna.
On the ground in Sicily, US troops are halted by fierce opposition at the Furiano River and at Troina.
THURSDAY, 5 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Sicily, B-25's bomb the town, roads, and road junctions of Francavilla and shipping in the Straits of Messina.
FRIDAY, 6 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Sicily, 60+ B-26's hit Bronte, Catania, and Randazzo and the area N of the Adrano-Biancavilla road; 20+ others bomb road intersections in Adrano and Bronte; and 100+ P-40's attack shipping and shore targets in the Messina area while 30 others attack shipping on the W coast.
SATURDAY, 7 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Sicily, 150 B-25's attack Randazzo; and 140+ P-40's attack shipping at Messina and in the Straits, and shipping and shore-supply stores along the NE coast.
SUNDAY, 8 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Sicily, 90+ B-25's bomb the Randazzo area; 130+ P-40's hit shipping at Messina and provide ground support in NE Sicily as US and British forces push E and N, capturing Sant'Agata di Militello, Monte Camolato, and Bronte.
MONDAY, 9 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Sicily, B-25's hit Divieto and a nearby tunnel W of Spadafora San Martino, and attack special points in the battle area of NE Sicily; P-40's hit shipping at Messina, Milazzo, and Palmi.
TUESDAY, 10 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
B-25's attack Randazzo, Sicily while P-40's bomb and strafe shipping on the SW coast of Italy and in the Straits of Messina.
WEDNESDAY, 11 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Sicily, 90+ B-25's bomb a bridge, roads, railway, and the city area in and about Randazzo. About 170 P-40's hit Randazzo, shipping at Milazzo and Messina, roads and trains near Messina, and troop movements and evacuations in NE Sicily.
THURSDAY, 12 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Sicily, 79 B-25's attack Falcone, Patti, Novara di Sicilia, and Barcellona; P-40's bomb and strafe shipping at Messina.
FRIDAY, 13 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
61 B-24's hit an aircraft factory at Wiener-Neustadt in the first Ninth Air Force raid on Austria.
80+ B-25's hit Piedimonte, Italy, Falcone, Sicily, and shipping at Messina, Sicily. 200+ P-40's attack shipping and bridges along the SW Italian coast, hit shipping in the Straits of Messina, and fly armored reconnaissance and fighter-bomber operations in NE Sicily.
The 67th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy), ceases operating from Benina, Libya with B-24's and returns to it's base at Shipdham, England.
SATURDAY, 14 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
61 B-24's, on loan from the Eighth Air Force, bomb the Bf 109 factory at Wiener-Neustadt, Austria.
B-25's attack road junctions and vehicle concentrations along the NE coast of Sicily and bomb a crossroads N of Palmi, Italy. P-40's hit shipping in the Milazzo and Messina, Sicily areas and along the Italian coast in the Palmi area.
SUNDAY, 15 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Sicily, B-25's hit shipping along the beaches of Sant' Agata di Militello; 180+ P-40's attack shipping at Messina and in the Straits of Messina. Enemy forces withdrawing to mainland Italy are pounded severely by constant air attacks.
MONDAY, 16 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
86 B-24's bomb the city area and airfields at Foggia, Italy. In Sicily, 50+ B-25's hit landing craft concentrations near Ganzirri and Messina, and 100+ P-40's hit shipping at Messina and in the Straits of Messina, as the enemy continues the withdrawal of rear guard troop to mainland Italy. Before midnight, US patrols enter Messina, which is under fire from the Italian coast.
TUESDAY, 17 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
200+ P-40's hit shipping at Messina, Sicily, at Palmi and in the Gulf of Gioia, Italy.
WEDNESDAY, 18 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Italy, P-40's attack motor transport between Scilla and Bagnara, and bomb shipping off Scilla.
THURSDAY, 19 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
About 70 B-24's bomb the marshalling yard at Foggia, Italy. P-40's fly coastal reconnaissance over the toe of Italy and bomb roads and buildings.
FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
P-40's strafe and bomb shipping off the Italian toe and communications targets on land. Hits are scored on bridges, railway yards, and railway cars.
SATURDAY, 21 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
B-24's attack a railroad station, marshalling yard, and air depot at Cancello Arnone, Italy.
SUNDAY, 22 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
All fighter and medium bomber groups of the Ninth Air Force are transferred to the Twelfth Air Force, i.e.:
12th Bombardment Group (Medium) and it's 81st, 82d, 83d and 434th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) at Gerbini, Sicily with B-25's,
57th Fighter Group and it's 64th, 65th and 66th Fighter Squadrons on Sicily with P-40's,
79th Fighter Group and it's 85th, 86th and 87th Fighter Squadrons on Sicily with P-40's,
324th Fighter Group and it's 314th, 315th and 316th Fighter Squadrons at El Haouaria, Tunisia with P-40's, and
340th Bombardment Group (Medium) and it's 486th, 487th, 488th and 489th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) at Comiso, Sicily with B-25's.
MONDAY, 23 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
B-24's hit a marshalling yard at Bari, Italy.
WEDNESDAY, 25 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
B-24's bomb the marshalling yard at Foggia, Italy.
The 566th and 567th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 389th Bombardment Group (Heavy), which have been operating from Bengasi, Libya with B-24's since Jul 43, return to their base at Hethel, England.
THURSDAY, 26 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
The 316th Troop Carrier Group and it's 36th, 37th, 44th and 45th Troop Carrier Squadrons with C-47's are transferred to the Twelfth Air Force.
The 328th, 329th, 330th, and 409th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 93d Bombardment Group (Heavy), which have been operating from Bengasi, Libya since Jun 43 with B-24's, return to their base at Hardwick, England.
FRIDAY, 27 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
The 564th and 565th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 389th Bombardment Group (Heavy), which have been operating from Bengasi, Libya since Jul with B-24's, returns to their base at Hethel, England.
TUESDAY, 31 AUGUST 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
B-24's bomb the marshalling yard at Pescara, Italy; they claim 9 enemy fighters destroyed.
The 66th and 68th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy), that have been operating from Benina, Libya with B-24's since Jun, return to their base at Shipdham, England.
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
