Air War WW2 Portal 
9th Air Force Europe in May 1944
MONDAY, 1 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
The last of the 11 bombardment groups (8 medium and 3 light) of the IX Bomber Command becomes operational.
450 B-26s and A-20s attack numerous marshalling yards and industrial targets in France and Belgium.
406th Fighter Squadron, 371st Fighter Group, ceases operating from Ibsley, England and returns to base at Bisterne with P-47s.
TUESDAY, 2 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
250+ B-26s and A-20s bomb marshalling yards at Busigny, Valenciennes and Blanc-Misseron, France.
400+ P-47s and P-51s dive-bomb airfields and marshalling yards in France and the Low Countries.
THURSDAY, 4 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, 170+ B-26s and 36 A-20s bomb gun emplacements and other military targets at Etretat/Sainte-Marie-Au- Bosc, Etaples, Le Treport, Ault, Fecamp and Ouistreham.
FRIDAY, 5 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Brigadier General Myron R Wood assumes command of the IX Air Forces Services Command.
SATURDAY, 6 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
75 B-26s and A-20s dispatched to attack coastal defenses abort the mission because of weather.
422d Night Fighter Squadron, 71st Fighter Wing, moves from Charmy Down to Scorton, England with P-61s; first mission is 3 Jul.
MONDAY, 8 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
About 450 B-26s and A-20s bomb marshalling yards, coastal defenses, bridges, airfields and V-weapons sites in France and Belgium.
TUESDAY, 9 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
367th and 406th Fighter Groups become operational, the 17th and 18th operational groups.
40+ B-26s attack marshalling yards, railway batteries, coastal defense batteries, bridges, and NOBALL sites in France.
WEDNESDAY, 10 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
About 300 B-26s attack marshalling yards, airfields, and NOBALL targets in France and Belgium. P-47s and P-51s dive-bomb targets in NW Europe for the sixth straight day. Bad weather causes a large number of aborts.
THURSDAY, 11 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
330+ B-26s attack airfields at Beaumont-le-Roger and Cormeilles-en-Vexin and marshalling yard at Mezieres/ Charleville, France and Aerschot, Belgium. Bad visibility and failure to rendezvous with fighters cause 100+ aborts. This is start of Ninth Air Force's participation in AAF pre-invasion offensive against airfields.
14th Liaison Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command attached to Third Army, moves from Alderley Edge to Knutsford, England with L-5s; first mission is in Jul 44.
FRIDAY, 12 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
IX Troop Carrier Command carries out Operation EAGLE, a full-scale exercise of the tactics and techniques of paradrop, glider tow, parapack in resupply, air landing of supplies and medical evacuation as a dress rehearsal for the airborne invasion of Normandy.
450+ B-26s attack coastal defenses, airfields, bridges, railroads and railroad guns, and V-weapon sites in France and Belgium; thick haze impedes visibility and causes many aborts.
SATURDAY, 13 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
300+ B-26s and A-20s bomb airfields, coastal defenses, railway battery and V-weapon sites in France and Belgium. P-47s carry out dive-bombing raids on various targets.
SUNDAY, 14 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
404th Fighter Squadron, 371st Fighter Group, stops operating from Ibsley, England with P-47s and returns to base at Bisterne.
MONDAY, 15 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, 45 A-20s and B-26s bomb airfields at Creil and Evreux/Fauville and Somain marshalling yard; 300+ others are forced to abandon missions because of thick clouds.
WEDNESDAY, 17 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
30th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), moves from Chalgrove to Middle Wallop, England with F-5s.
FRIDAY, 19 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, about 290 B-26s and A-20s bomb coastal defenses, port area, railway battery, and NOBALL (V-weapon) targets; 125+ others fail to bomb because of extremely thick haze; about 300 P-47s dive-bomb targets.
SATURDAY, 20 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Around 450 B-26s attack airfields, coastal defenses, and V-weapon site in France; about 250 aborts are caused mainly by bad cloud conditions and failure to rendezvous with fighters. P-47s dive-bomb targets in NW Europe.
423d Night Fighter Squadron, 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), moves from Chormy Down to Chalgrove, England with F-3s and A-20s; the 423d will be redesignated 155th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 22 Jun.
SUNDAY, 21 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France 50 B-26s bomb airfields at Abbeville/Drucat; and 600+ P-47s and P-51s attack railroad rolling stock.
404th Fighter Squadron, 371st Fighter Group, based at Bisterne, England, begins operating from Ibsley with P-47s.
MONDAY, 22 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
Around 330 B-26s and A-20s bomb airfields and other targets in the Cherbourg, Calais, and Paris areas of France while a like number of P-47s and P-51s dive-bomb marshalling yards, airfields and other targets in the same general areas.
TUESDAY, 23 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, 15 B-26s bomb the airfield at Beaumont-le-Roger in a predawn attack; during the afternoon 58 B-26s bomb coastal batteries at Etretat/Sainte-Marie-Au-Bosc, Maisy and Mont Fleury; and 120+ P-38s strafe and bomb rolling stock in C France.
WEDNESDAY, 24 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, 450+ B-26s attack airfields, coastal defenses and V-weapon sites; and P-38s and P-47s dive-bomb 4 landing fields.
THURSDAY, 25 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
225+ B-26s attack bridges near Liege, Belgium and airfields at Lille/Nord and Monchy-Breton, France. About 250 P-47s dive-bomb various targets in W Europe.
FRIDAY, 26 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, nearly 400 B-26s and A-20s attack airfields at Beaumont-sur-Oise and Chartres and bridges at Vernon and Poissy; 108 P-47 and P-51 fighter-bombers hit a bridge at Oissel and airfields at Creil, Cormeilles-en-Vesin and Evreux/Fauville; P-47s and P-38s dive-bomb targets in NW Europe.
425th Night Fighter Squadron, Ninth Air Force, arrives at Chormy Down, England from the US with P-61s; first mission is in Jul 44.
SATURDAY, 27 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
About 590 B-26s attack railroad, bridges, and marshalling yards in France. P-47s bomb targets in NW Europe.
SUNDAY, 28 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
600+ B-26s and A-20s bomb marshalling and naval yards, railway bridges and V-weapon sites in France and Belgium; 8 aircraft are lost. P-47s dive-bomb several targets in the same general area.
MONDAY, 29 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
450+ B-26s and A-20s bomb airfields, marshalling yards, railroad bridges, coastal battery and NOBALL (V-weapon) targets in France and Belgium. 200+ P-47s bomb targets in the same area.
TUESDAY, 30 MAY 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO):
Loading of assault forces for Operation OVERLORD (invasion of Normandy) begins.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
In France, 320+ B-26s attack airfields at Denain/Prouvy and Mantes/Limay, and highway bridges at Meulan and Rouen. Nearly 400 P-47s dive-bomb targets in NW Europe.
WEDNESDAY, 31 MAY 1944
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):
About 200 B-26s bomb lock and highway bridges at Bennecourt, Courcelles-sur-Seine and Rouen, 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
