Air War WW2 Portal 
9th Air Force Europe in March 1944
WEDNESDAY, 1 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
IX Troop Carrier Command establishes a Pathfinder school to provide pre-invasion training in all navigational aids.
Moves in England: HQ 71st Fighter Wing from Greenham Common to Andover; HQ 366th Fighter Group from Membury to Thruxton; 12th and 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons, 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, from Aldermaston to Chilbolton with F-6s; 390th Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Group, to Thruxton from the US with P-47s (first mission is 14 Mar); 402d and 485th Fighter Squadrons, 370th Fighter Group, from Aldermaston to Andover with P-38s (first mission 1 May).
Moves in England during March: HQ 438th Troop Carrier Group and 87th, 88th, 89th and 90th Troop Carrier Squadrons from Welford to Greenham Common with C-47s.
THURSDAY, 2 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, 353 B-26s attack NOBALL (V-weapon) targets, Tergnier, and Amiens/Glisy and Rosieres-en-Santerre Airfields in morning and afternoon missions.
Moves in England: 79th Troop Carrier Squadron, 436th Troop Carrier Group, from Bottesford to Membury with C-47s; 391st Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Group, from Membury to Thruxton with P-47s (first mission is 14 Mar).
FRIDAY, 3 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, 218 B-26s bomb airfields at Laon/Couvron, Beauvais/Tille, Rosieres-en-Santerre, Roye/Amy and Montdidier, and military installations at Juvincourt-et-Damary and Berneval-le-Grand.
Moves in England: HQ 434th Troop Carrier Group and 71st, 72d, 73d and 74th Troop Carrier Squadrons from Fulbeck to Aldermaston with C-47s; HQ 436th Troop Carrier Group and 80th, 81st and 82d Troop Carrier Squadrons from Bottesford to Membury with C-47s.
SATURDAY, 4 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, 251 B-26s and 21 A-20s scheduled to bomb Malines marshalling yard and Bernay Saint Martin Airfield abort the mission because of heavy cloud cover over the targets.
HQ 84th Fighter Wing moves from Keevil to Beaulieu, England.
SUNDAY, 5 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
217 B-26s attack NOBALL (V-weapon) targets in the Saint-Omer-Abbeville, France area.
HQ 365th Fighter Group and 386th, 387th and 388th Fighter Squadrons move from Gosfield to Beaulieu, England with P-47s.
MONDAY, 6 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, 260 B-26s bomb NOBALL (V-weapon) targets, Hirson marshalling yard, and Beauvais/Tille, Airfield; heavy clouds cause 50+ B-26s and A-20s to abort missions.
Arriving in England from the US are: 93d and 94th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 439th Troop Carrier Group, at Balderton; 510th and 511th Fighter-Bomber Squadrons, 405th Fighter-Bomber Group, at Christchurch with P-47s (first mission is 11 Apr).
TUESDAY, 7 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, 112 B-26s and 18 A-20s attack V-weapon sites on the Channel coast, military installations near Criel-sur-Mer and Greny, and targets of opportunity in the area; bad weather causes the recall of 150+ B-26s before they attack targets.
Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 371st Fighter Group and 404th, 405th and 406th Fighter Squadrons at Bisterne with P-47s (first mission is 12 Apr); HQ 405th Fighter-Bomber Group and 509th Fighter-Bomber Squadron at Christchurch with P-47s (first mission is 11 Apr); HQ 409th Bombardment Group (Light) and 640th, 641st, 642d and 643d Bombardment Squadrons (Light) at Little Walden with A-20s (first mission is 13 Apr); 422d Night Fighter Squadron, Ninth Air Force, at Charmy Down with P-61s (first mission is 3 Jul).
34th Troop Carrier Squadron, 315th Troop Carrier Group, ceases operating from Blida, Algeria with C-47s and returns to base at Spanhoe, England.
WEDNESDAY, 8 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In the Netherlands, 225+ B-26s attack Volkel Airfield once and Soesterberg Airfield twice in morning and afternoon missions.
Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 303d Fighter Wing at Ashford; 95th, 97th and 98th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 440th Troop Carrier Group, at Bottesford with C-47s.
FRIDAY, 10 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Units arriving in England from the US: 96th Troop Carrier Squadron, 440th Troop Carrier Group, at Bottesford with C-47s; 585th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 394th Bombardment Group (Medium), at Boreham with B-26s (first mission is 23 Mar).
SATURDAY, 11 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
61 B-26s bomb V-weapon sites in N France; 53 abort because of weather and navigational difficulties.
Arrivals in England from the US: HQ 53d Troop Carrier Wing at Greenham Common; HQ 394th Bombardment Group (Medium) and 584th, 586th and 587th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) with B-26s at Boreham (first mission is 23 Mar); HQ 440th Troop Carrier Group at Bottesford.
SUNDAY, 12 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
HQ 474th Fighter Group and 428th, 429th and 430th Fighter Squadrons arrive at Moreton, England from the US with P-38s; first mission is 25 Apr.
MONDAY, 13 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
40 B-26s attack a V-weapon site at Lottinghen/Les Grands Bois, France; 37 abort due to bad weather.
Moves in England: HQ 97th Combat Bombardment Wing (Medium) from Marks Hall to Little Walden; 153d Liaison Squadron, IX Fighter Command (attached to First Army), from Keevil to Erlestokes with L-5s.
TUESDAY, 14 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, moves from Chilbolton to Middle Wallop, England with F-6s.
WEDNESDAY, 15 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
A directive states that the Ninth Air Force is released from first priority commitment to assist the Eighth Air Force. P-51s of the Ninth Air Force, committed to the Allied Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF), will continue to escort heavy bombers when required by the Eighth Air Force. Ninth Air Force Advanced HQ assumes the function of target selection and mission planning for the IX Bomber Command. AEAF HQ has the authority to indicate percentage of effect to be expended on each type of target on a long-term basis.
In France, 118 B-26s attack marshalling yards at Aulnoye and Haine-Saint- Pierre and Chievres Airfield; during the afternoon, 10 B-26s using "Oboe" to test its accuracy, bomb Coxyde Airfield with poor results; dive-bombing missions using fighters begin with a 7-plane attack on Saint-Valery-en-Caux Airfield.
HQ 368th Fighter Group and 395th, 396th and 397th Fighter Squadrons move from Greenham Common to Chilbolton, England with P-47s.
THURSDAY, 16 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, moves from Chilboton to Middle Wallop, England with F-6s.
FRIDAY, 17 MARCH 1944 - ST PATRICK'S DAY
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
70 B-26s bomb the marshalling yard at Criel-sur-Mer, France.
HQ 441st Troop Carrier Group and 99th, 100th, 301st and 302d Troop Carrier Squadrons, arrive at Langar, England from the US with C-47s.
SUNDAY, 19 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, 152 B-26s and 65 A-20s attack NOBALL (V-weapon) targets in the Saint-Omer area during morning and afternoon missions; 16 P-47s dive-bomb the airfield between Boulogne-sur-Mer and Le Touquet; the morning raids precede an Eighth Air Force attack with B-17s on V-weapon sites.
MONDAY, 20 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group completes a series of 83 missions (begun on 23 Feb) during which photographs were made of 160 miles (256 km) of French coastline and 2 inshore strips, each 120 miles (192 km) long; 9,500 prints are produced and no aircraft are lost. In France, 200+ B-26s and A-20s bomb 4 NOBALL (V-weapon) targets and Creil marshalling yard; and 85 P-47s dive-bomb airfields at Abbeville, Poix and Conches.
TUESDAY, 21 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
All B-26s dispatched to bomb NOBALL (V-weapon) targets in France are recalled because of bad weather.
THURSDAY, 23 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
220 B-26s on a morning mission bomb Creil marshalling yard and airfields at Beaumont-le-Roger and Beauvais/Tille; in an afternoon raid, 146 bomb Haine-Saint-Pierre marshalling yard.
31st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, III Reconnaissance Command, arrives at Chalgrove, England from the US with F-5s; first mission is 10 Apr.
SATURDAY, 25 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
140+ B-26s attack the Hirson, France marshalling yard.
SUNDAY, 26 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
338 B-26s and 35 A-20s attack the Ijmuiden, The Netherlands torpedo-boat pens. In France, nearly 140 P-47s and P-51s dive-bomb Creil marshalling yard and other military installations.
MONDAY, 27 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
18 B-26s attack V-weapon sites in N France; 35 others abort due primarily to failure of blind-bombing equipment. The onset of bad weather makes this the last B-26 mission until 8 Apr.
303d, 305th and 306th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 442d Troop Carrier Group, arrives at Fulbeck, England from the US with C-47s.
WEDNESDAY, 29 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Units arriving in England from the US:
HQ 48th Fighter Group and 492d, 493d and 494th Fighter Squadrons at Ibsley with P-47s (first mission is 20 Apr);
HQ 442d Troop Carrier Group and 304th Troop Carrier Squadron at Fulbeck with C-47s;
34th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, III Reconnaissance Command, at Chalgrove with F-5s (first mission is 19 Apr).
THURSDAY, 30 MARCH 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
IX Engineer Command is formally activated by the War Department with Brigadier General James B Newman as Commanding General.
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
