Air War WW2 Portal 
9th Air Force Europe in December 1943
WEDNESDAY, 1 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
175+ B-26's bomb airfields at Chievres, Belgium; and Cambrai/Epinoy, Lille/Yendeville, and Cambrai/Niergnies, France. 28 P-51's execute a sweep over NW France, marking the first Ninth Air Force fighter operation from the UK.
HQ IX Troop Carrier Command transfers from Cottesmore to Grantham, England.
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.
SATURDAY, 4 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
A Ninth Air Force directive establishes Operation CROSSBOW (operations against German missile launching sites) for the IX Bomber Command and provides a list of targets to be attacked immediately.
203 B-26's dispatched to attack the airfields at Chievres, Belgium and Lille/Vendeville, France must abort mission due to bad weather.
HQ IX Air Support Command is activated at Aldermaston Court, England.
SUNDAY, 5 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
52 B-26's bomb Ligescourt, Campagne-les-Hesdin, and Saint-Josse, France. 200 others are forced to abandon the mission because of heavy cloud cover over the targets, including V-weapon sites which the Ninth had scheduled to attack for the first time. Ninth Air Force P-51's from the 354th Fighter Group fly their first escort mission, accompanying Eighth Air Force heavy bombers in a raid against targets in the area near Amiens, France.
MONDAY, 6 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
HQ 70th Fighter Wing transfers from Greenham Common to Boxted, England while HQ 100th Fighter Wing transfers from Boxted to Greenham Common.
FRIDAY, 10 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
20 German aircraft attack 4 Ninth Air Force airfields in the UK (Gosfield, Andrews Field, Earls Colne, and Great Dunmow), killing 8 and wounding 20+ men.
HQ 434th Troop Carrier Group and it's 71st, 72d, 73d and 74th transfer from Fulbeck to Welford Park, England with C-47's.
SATURDAY, 11 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
HQ 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group and it's 107th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron transfer from Membury to Middle Wallop, England with Spitfires and F-6's.
SUNDAY, 12 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
The 109th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, transfers from Membury to Middle Wallop, England with Spitfires and F-6's.
MONDAY, 13 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Nearly 200 B-26's attack Schiphol Airfield in The Netherlands.
WEDNESDAY, 15 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
The Ninth Air Force comes under operational control of the AEAF. A new directive for tactical bomber operations lists reduction of enemy fighter forces as the basic objective. A Ninth Air Force planning staff, composed of officers who have had service with the Chief of Staff, Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC), is set up in London.
THURSDAY, 16 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
A basic directive for IX Bomber Command training is issued on this date. Since most of IX Bomber Command's combat units have been operational for some time earlier under the VIII Air Support Command, extensive training will not begin until after the first of the year when inexperienced units begin to arrive.
FRIDAY, 17 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
The Ninth Air Force planning group joins the 21 Army Group, AEAF, and the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force in preparation of the air section of the initial joint plan (Operation NEPTUNE) for Operation OVERLORD (the invasion of Normandy). This begins planning which later results in a massive Ninth Air Force plan for moving the Ninth into battle on the continent of Europe.
MONDAY, 20 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
35 B-26's attack V-weapon sites in N France; 150+ others abort because of weather.
The 381st Fighter Squadron, 363d Fighter Group, arrives at Keevil, England from the U.S. without aircraft.
TUESDAY, 21 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
84 B-26's bomb V-weapon sites and other targets in France.
WEDNESDAY, 22 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
210 B-26's sent to bomb special targets in France are recalled because of bad weather.
HQ 365th Fighter Group and it's 387th and 388th Fighter Squadrons arrive at Gosfield, England from the US with P-47's. They will fly their first mission on 22 Feb 44.
The 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 73d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, arrives at Aldermaston, England from the US without aircraft. They will be equipped with Spitfires and fly their first mission on 26 Mar 44.
THURSDAY, 23 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
HQ 71st Fighter Wing arrives at Aldermaston, England from the US.
HQ 363d Fighter Group and it's 380th and 382d Fighter Squadrons arrive at Keevil, England from the US without aircraft. They will be equipped with P-51's and fly their first mission on 24 Feb 44.
The 386th Fighter Squadron, 365th Fighter Group, arrives at Gosfield, England from the US with P-47's. They will fly their first mission on 22 Feb 44.
FRIDAY, 24 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
60+ B-26's attack NOBALL (V-missile sites) targets in Pas de Calais area of France. 30+ B-26's abort due to bad weather.
THURSDAY, 30 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, about 100 B-26's bomb Saint-Omer Airfield and V-weapon sites on the French N coast. About 100 others abort missions because of bad weather.
FRIDAY, 31 DECEMBER 1943
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Around 200 B-26's bomb V-weapon sites in the French coastal area.
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
