Air War WW2 Portal 
9th Air Force Europe in April 1944
MONDAY, 3 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Because of a combat crew shortage which has caused abolition of the 50-mission limit tour of duty and resulted in fatigue and morale problems, IX Bomber Command establishes a new operational leave policy. Maximum leaves for bomber crews are set at 1 week between the 25th and 30th missions and 2 weeks between the 40th and 50th missions.
TUESDAY, 4 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Units arriving in England from the US:
HQ 373d Fighter Group and 410th Fighter Squadron at Woodchurch with P-47s (first mission is 8 May);
HQ 404th Fighter-Bomber Group at Winkton; HQ 406th Fighter-Bomber Group at Ashford;
HQ 410th Bombardment Group (Light) and 644th, 645th, 646th and 647th Bombardment Squadrons (Light) at Birch with A-20s (first mission is 4 May);
and 393d and 394th Fighter Squadrons, 367th Fighter Group, at Stony Cross with P-38s (first mission is 9 May).
WEDNESDAY, 5 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Units arriving in England from the US:
HQ 36th Fighter Group and 22d Fighter Squadron at Kingsnorth with P-47s (first mission is 8 May);
HQ 50th Fighter Group and 10th, 81st and 313th Fighter Squadrons at Lymington with P-47s (first mission is 1 May);
HQ 367th Fighter Group and 392d Fighter Squadron at Stony Cross with P-38s (first mission is 9 May);
HQ 397th Bombardment Group (Medium) and 596th, 597th, 598th and 599th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) at Gosfield with B-26s (first mission is 20 Apr);
411th and 412th Fighter Squadrons, 373d Fighter Group at Woodchurch with P-47s (first mission is 8 May);
506th, 507th and 508th Fighter-Bomber Squadrons, 404th Fighter-Bomber Group, at Winkton with P-47s (first mission is 1 May);
and 513th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 406th Fighter-Bomber Group, at Ashford with P-47s (first mission is 9 May).
THURSDAY, 6 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Units arriving in England from the US with P-47s:
23d Fighter Squadron, 36th Fighter Group, at Kingsnorth (first mission is 8 May);
and 512th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 406th Fighter-Bomber Group, at Ashford (first mission is 9 May).
SATURDAY, 8 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In Belgium, 198 B-26s attack Hasselt marshalling yard and hit Coxyde Airfield; and 32 P-47s bomb the area around Hasselt.
SUNDAY, 9 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
14th Liaison Squadron, US Strategic Air Forces in Europe (attached to US Third Army), arrives at Alderley Edge, England from the US with L-5s; first mission is in Jul.
MONDAY, 10 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
258 B-26s and 41 A-20s, including 12 aircraft dropping Window, attack coastal batteries at Le Harve/Le Grand Hameau, France and military installation nearby.
In Belgium during the afternoon 267 B-26s and A-20s bomb the marshalling yard, airfield, coastal defenses, and NOBALL targets at Charleroi/Montignies, Namur, Coxyde, Nieuport and other points on the N coast of W Europe.
47 P-47s dive-bomb the airfield at Evreux, France.
TUESDAY, 11 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In Belgium, 229 B-26s and 36 A-20s, including 3 dropping Window, attack Charleroi/Montignies, military installations on the coast, and Chievres Airfield.
90+ P-47s dive-bomb a military installation and Gael Airfield, France.
WEDNESDAY, 12 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
231 B-26s and 20 A-20s attack railroad, shore batteries, radar installations, airfields, and V-weapon sites at Dunkirk and Courtrai/Wevelghem, France; Coxyde/Furnes, De Pannes-Bains, Saint Ghislain and Ostend, Belgium; and points along the coast.
70+ P-47s dive-bomb military installations in N France.
THURSDAY, 13 APRIL 1944
SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE (SHAEF):
General of the Army Dwight D Eisenhower formally assumes direction of air operations out of the UK at 0000 hours (though he began informal exercise of this authority in late Mar 44). This assumption of authority gives Eisenhower direction over the Allied Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF), Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command, and US Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSTAF) (the Fifteenth Air Force retains some degree of independence) along with the US 1st Army Group, British 21 Army Group, and Allied Naval Forces.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
121 B-26s and 37 A-20s attack a marshalling yard, coastal batteries, airfields and V-weapon sites at Namur, Chievres and Nieuport, Belgium; Le Havre, France; and along the N coast of France in general; nearly 175 other aircraft abort missions mainly because of weather; and 48 P-47s also dive-bomb V-weapon sites.
Moves in England: HQ 358th Fighter Group and 365th, 366th and 367th Fighter Squadrons from Raydon to High Halden with P-47s; HQ 362d Fighter Group from Wormingford to Headcorn.
FRIDAY, 14 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Moves in England: HQ 363d Fighter Group and 380th, 381st and 382d Fighter Squadrons from Rivenhall to Staplehurst with P-51s; 355th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, from Boxted to Lashenden with P-51s.
SATURDAY, 15 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Moves in England: HQ 100th Fighter Wing from Ibsley to Lashenden; HQ 397th Bombardment Group (Medium) and 596th, 597th, 598th and 599th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) from Gosfield to Rivenhall with B-26s (first mission is 20 Apr); 377th, 378th and 379th Fighter Squadrons, 362d Fighter Group, from Wormingford to Headcorn with P-47s.
SUNDAY, 16 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
HQ 410th Bombardment Group (Light) and 644th, 645th, 646th and 647th Bombardment Squadrons (Light) move from Birch to Gosfield, England with A-20s; first mission is 4 May.
MONDAY, 17 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Unit moves in England: HQ 70th Fighter Wing from Boxted to Ibsley; and HQ 354th Fighter Group and 353d and 356th Fighter Squadrons from Boxted to Lashenden with P-51s.
TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
277 B-26s, including 24 dropping Window, and 37 A-20s bomb gun positions and marshalling yards at Dunkirk, Calais, and Charleroi/Saint Martin, France.
XIX Air Support Command is redesignated XIX Tactical Air Command and becomes operational and IX Air Support Command is redesignated IX Tactical Air Command.
Unit moves in England: HQ 440th Troop Carrier Group from Bottesford to Exeter; 423d Night Fighter Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command, arrives at Chormy Down from the US with A-20s, the squadron mission will change to photo recon and they will fly their first mission on 6 Jun and be redesignated 155th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 22 Jun.
WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
After several weeks of instruction, a IX Air Forces Services Command training exercise (Operation BOOMERANG) in waterproofing and landing motor vehicles gets under way. This exercise, in preparation for a cross-channel movement lasts several weeks and involves 55 units, over 650 vehicles, and more than 2,500 men.
350+ B-26s and A-20s bomb marshalling yards, city areas, and targets of opportunity at Gunzburg, Ulm, Neu Ulm, Donauworth, and Schelklingen, Germany; and fighters fly over 1,200 sorties against a variety of targets in NW Europe.
THURSDAY, 20 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, almost 400 B-26s and A-20s attack gun positions at Etaples, Bazinghen, Villerville, Gravelines and Fecamp, the airfield at Poix, and V-weapon sites and targets of opportunity in the Pas de Calais area; nearly 140 P-47s bomb marshalling yards at Creil and Mantes-La-Jolie.
FRIDAY, 21 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, 236 B-26s and 34 A-20s attack gun positions, coastal defenses and V-weapons sites at Etaples, at Berck-sur-Mer, near Doullens, and in the Saint-Omer, Abbeville, and Amiens area; 4 B-26s are lost; 175+ P-47s dive-bomb marshalling yards and concentrations at Montignies-sur-Sambre, Hasselt, Namur, and Haine-Saint- Pierre.
405th and 406th Fighter Squadrons, 371st Fighter Group, based at Bisterne, England with P-47s, begin operating from Ibsley, England.
SATURDAY, 22 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
400+ B-26s and about 90 A-20s fly two missions against V-weapon sites in the area of Saint-Omer and Hesdin, France. Nearly 275 P-47s and P-51s dive-bomb marshalling yards in Belgium.
SUNDAY, 23 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
307 B-26s and 57 A-20s attack NOBALL (V-weapon) targets, gun positions and marshalling yards in the Pas de Calais, France area and in an adjacent area of Belgium. Around 1,000 P-47s and P-51s dive-bomb numerous targets throughout France and the Low Countries.
MONDAY, 24 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
38 B-26s dispatched against targets in France are recalled because of bad weather. 32 P-47s dive-bomb the Louvain, Belgium marshalling yard with good results.
TUESDAY, 25 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
240 B-26s and 69 A-20s bomb V-weapon sites in the coastal area of France and gun positions at Le Treport, Vareneville-sur-Mer, Fontenay-sur-Mer/Crisbec, Ault, Fecamp, Houlgate and Saint-Pierre-du-Mont, France. About 150 P-47s dive-bomb airfields in France and Belgium. Around 175 B-26s are forced to abort missions because of bad weather.
HQ 441st Troop Carrier Group and 99th, 100th and 301st Troop Carrier Squadrons move from Langar to Merryfield, England with C-47s.
WEDNESDAY, 26 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
The Ninth Air Force Tactical Air Plan for Operation NEPTUNE (actual operations within Operation OVERLORD; used for security reasons on OVERLORD planning documents bearing place names and dates) is published, 10 days after receiving formal Allied Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF) directive ordering such a plan.
Around 125 B-26s attack Plattling landing ground, Germany. Fighters fly 750+ sorties against scattered targets in NW Europe.
Unit moves in England: HQ 50th Troop Carrier Wing from Bottesford to Exeter; HQ 439th Troop Carrier Group and 91st, 92d, 93d and 94th Troop Carrier Squadrons from Balderton to Upottery with C-47s; 95th, 96th, 97th and 98th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 440th Troop Carrier Group, from Bottesford to Exeter with C-47s.
THURSDAY, 27 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
About 450 B-26s and A-20s and 275+ P-47 and P-51 dive bombers attack gun emplacements, marshalling yards, coastal batteries, airfields and several military installations in France and Belgium.
Unit moves in England: 24th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, III Tactical Air Command, to Chalgrove from the US with F-5s (first mission is 23 May); 302d Troop Carrier Squadron, 441st Troop Carrier Group from Langar to Merryfield with C-47s.
FRIDAY, 28 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
18 B-26s bomb the airfield at Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France as a secondary target. Nearly 250 B-26s dispatched to bomb marshalling yards are recalled because of heavy cloud cover over the targets.
SATURDAY, 29 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
217 B-26s dispatched to bomb marshalling yards in France abort the mission because of heavy cloud cover over the target area.
SUNDAY, 30 APRIL 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
300+ B-26s and A-20s attack V-weapon construction works and marshalling yards in France.
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
