This day in the war in Europe 65 years ago

[Njaco]

14 February 1944

MEDITERRANEAN: Adolf Hitler orders a heavy counter-attack on Anzio, Italy.

In Italy, US Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack the marshalling yards at Modena, Brescia, and Verona and several targets of opportunity including the airfield and Piaggio aircraft factory at Pontedera and railroad bridges and lines at Parma, Sassuolo, Rubiera, and S of Vicenza; B-17s and escorting P-47s claim 20 fighters shot down; B-24s bomb the marshalling yards at Mantua, Verona, Massa Lombarda, Fenara and Arezzo, and targets of opportunity including the Pisa and Prato marshalling yards, airfields at Pisa and Pontedera, and road-rail junction near Vaiano.

US Twelfth Air Force B-25s bomb the Perugia marshalling yard, A-20's hit Grottaferrata; A-36s attack guns in the Pontecorvo area, railway yards at Civita Castellana and Frosinone, motor transport near Genzano di Roma, airfield at Furbara, and Ferentino railway station, some of the missions being in direct support of the US Fifth Army main front; P-40s bomb and strafe troop concentrations N and E of the Anzio beachhead, scoring hits on tanks, motor transport and guns near Cisterna di Roma, Cori and Rocca di Papa; P-47s hit Colleferro and dump at Valmontone; P-40s score direct hits on a vessel and fuel dump in the Rogoznica area.

The Twelfth Air Force loses several of its operational units, the 12th Bombardment Group (Medium) and 33d and 81st Fighter Groups being moved to India, and the 52d Troop Carrier Wing and its 4 groups being sent to England.

EASTERN FRONT: Heavy fighting continues at Korsun as the relief force meets ever stiffening resistance and makes little headway. The perimeter of the pocket continues to shrink as the Soviet forces capture Kosun-Sevchenkosky against the determined resistance of the SS Walloon Brigade.

Lt. Karl-Hein Froschek of 14(Jabo)./JG 5 was wounded by AA fire. He was the unit's last casualty before it changed to 4./SG 5.

UNITED KINGDOM: General Dwight D Eisenhower establishes HQ Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). Chief of Staff, Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC) comes under control of SHAEF.

The Free French minesweeping trawler 'Cap D'Antifer' was torpedoed by an E Boat off the Humber.

WESTERN FRONT: US Eighth Air Force Mission 222: 48 P-47s are dispatched to Eindhoven Airfield in the Netherlands; the primary target is overcast and 46 of 48 hit Gilze-Rijen Airfield without loss.

10./ZG 1 was based at Brest and during a non-combat mission, Lt. Heinz Bichler went missing after crashing into the sea south of Morgat.

 

[Njaco]

15 February 1944

UNITED KINGDOM: A Halifax bomber based at Leconfield airfield, near Beverley, was returning from ops when it hit high ground near Cloughton, 4 miles NW of Scarborough at 01.30. Six crew were killed.

GERMANY: After a rest of more than 2 weeks for the regular bomber squadrons, 891 aircraft - 561 Lancasters, 314 Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitos - were dispatched to Berlin. This was the largest force sent to Berlin and the largest non-1,000 bomber force sent to any target, exceeding the previous record of 826 aircraft (which included Stirlings and Wellingtons) sent to Dortmund on the night of 23/24 May 1943. It was also the first time that more than 500 Lancasters and more than 300 Halifaxes were dispatched. The German controllers were able to plot the bomber stream soon after it left the English coast but the swing north over Denmark for the approach flight proved too far distant for many of the German fighters. The German controller ordered the fighters not to fly over Berlin, leaving the target area free for the flak, but many fighters ignored him and attacked bombers over the city. The diversion to Frankfurt-on-Oder failed to draw any fighters. 43 aircraft - 26 Lancasters, 17 Halifaxes -were lost, 4.8 per cent of the force. Hptm. Georg-Hermann Greiner of 10./NJG 1 reached 17 victories and Lt. Wilhelm "Wim" Johnen of 5./NJG 5 claimed 3 Lancasters.

Berlin was covered by cloud for most of the raid. Heavy bombing fell on the centre and south-western districts and some of Berlin's most important war industries were hit, including the large Siemensstadt area. Over a thousand fires were started and 500 civilians were reported killed or buried in the rubble. Civilian losses were minimized because of the massive evacuation from the city caused by previous raids. This was really the end of the true 'Battle of Berlin'; only one more raid took place on the city in this period and that was not for more than a month.

WESTERN FRONT: 23 Oboe RAF Mosquitos attacked 5 night-fighter airfields in Holland, 43 Stirlings and 4 Pathfinder Halifaxes carried out minelaying in Kiel Bay, 24 Lancasters of No 8 Group made a diversion raid on Frankfurt-on-Oder, 9 aircraft made RCM flights and 14 Mosquitos carried out Serrate patrols. A Serrate Mosquito was the only aircraft lost. 2 Mosquitos to Aachen, 6 Stirlings and 6 Wellingtons minelaying off Bayonne and Lorient, 48 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Stirling lost from a Resistance flight.

The German navy begins equipping its submarines with snorkels, allowing them to remain submerged longer.

Canada's biological/chemical warfare group begins producing anti-botulinus toxin vaccines for use by Canadian soldiers in the upcoming invasion of France. Canada sends Britain first samples of Canadian-made anthrax.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 223: 52 of 54 B-24s hit V-weapon sites at St Pol/Siracourt, France; 29 B-24s are damaged; no losses or casualties.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 224: 95 P-47s are dispatched to bomb 2 airfields in France but are recalled; 1 P-47 is damaged; no casualties.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 225: 6 of 6 B-17s drop 300 bundles of leaflets on Orleans, Chartres, Cambrai, Le Mans, Lille and Reims, France at 2124-2155 hours without loss.

194 US Ninth Air Force B-26s bomb V-weapon sites, Cherbourg/Maupertus Airfield and targets of opportunity during a morning mission. 122 B-26s again bomb V-weapon construction sites in the coastal area of N France during the afternoon.

MEDITERRANEAN: The monastery at Monte Casino is destroyed as US bombers drop 422 tons of bombs on the historic location. The Allies thought that the Germans were using it as an observation post for artillery fire. They were not. After its destruction, the Germans quickly moved into the rubble and fortified the position. The bombardment is followed by an attack by the New Zealand Corps which makes no headway.

60+ B-24s attack the Poggibonsi marshalling yard, Campoleone and Porto d'Ascoli; heavy cloud cover causes numerous aborts; all the missions are unescorted. other B-26s bomb the railroad at Monte Molino and marshalling yard at Montepescali; A-20s attack motor transport, roads and road junction in the Albano Laziale area and NW of Valmontone; P-40s bomb concentrations near Cisterna di Roma and dumps in the Valmontone and Rocca di Papa areas; A-36s hit concentrations N of the Anzio beachhead, strafe trucks and barracks in the Frosinone-Rieti areas, bomb the Tiburtina and Trastevere marshalling yards in the Rome area and hit buildings N of Velletri.

Off Anzio, destroyer escort 'Herbert C. Jones' (DE-137) is damaged by radio-controlled bomb and large infantry landing craft LCI(L)-2 is damaged by mine. Bomb holes freighter 'Elihu Yale'; the explosion start fires that spread to tank landing craft LCT-35 alongside, destroying that vessel as well. Firefighting efforts by fleet tug 'Hopi' (ATF-71) ultimately prove successful but 'Elihu Yale' is later written off as a total loss. Two of the 40-man Armed Guard perish in the attack, as do three of the 45-man merchant complement and seven of the 182 stevedores working cargo. Tank landing craft LCT-152 rescues survivors from 'Elihu Yale' and LCT-35.

Hptm. Walter Hoeckner replaced Hptm. Wilhelm Steinmann as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 4.

EASTERN FRONT: As the situation in the north and south continues to deteriorate, Hitler allows Heeresgruppe Center to withdraw to the 'Panther' Line. He also, grudgingly gives permission to attempt a breakout from the Korsun pocket.

 

[Njaco]

16 February 1944

MEDITERRANEAN: Fighting at Anzio intensifies as Kesselring throws a force of seven divisions into the attack hitting the US 45th and British 56th Divisions hard. German aircraft lend strong support to the attacks and hit allied shipping as well. The ammunition ship Elihu Yale is destroyed in one air attack. At Cassino, the New Zealanders continue to throw themselves against the German paratroops and make little headway.

In Italy, US Fifteenth Air Force B-24s, unescorted, bomb marshalling yards at Pontassieve, Siena, Poggibonsi and Prato, a bridge at Cecina, and a railroad and highway near Rieti. Twelfth Air Force B-25s bomb the Orte marshalling yard and attack the Campoleone area; B-26s bomb San Stefano al Mare and hit the area near the Perugia railroad bridge, a bridge N of Orvieto, a factory near the Marsciano bridge and a bridge at Albinia Station; A-20s, with RAF and South African Air Force (SAAF) Baltimores and Spitfires, hit concentrations in the Anzio battle area; A-36s bomb the Rome/Tiburtina and Rome/Ostiense marshalling yards in the Rome area; P-40s attack Monte Cassino Abbey, pound tanks, trucks, and troop concentrations along the US Fifth Army front, and hit the towns of Fondi and Roccasecca; fighters over Anzio encounter increased air effort in conjunction with an all-out ground offensive against the Allied beachhead.

WESTERN FRONT: Finish and Soviet authorities meet in Stockholm, Sweden to discuss terms for an armistice.

UNITED KINGDOM: The British Air Minister says that bomber losses for 1943 were, 2,369 U.K. and 997 U.S. planes down.

Another Halifax bomber based at Leconfield airfield, near Beverley, England was returning from ops and had made it back to Yorkshire despite all of his navigational aids being u/s. The visibility was poor and fuel was getting short so the pilot and crew baled out during which three were injured, one seriously. The Halifax crashed near the railway line between Sessay Wood and Coxwold, Yorkshire, some 50 miles NW of the airfield between 01.20 and 01.50.

EASTERN FRONT: Elements of the German 3rd Panzerkorp are stopped 12 miles from the perimeter of the Korsun Pocket. They have captured a bridge over the Gniloy Tikich River but, are exhausted and conclude that any further action would be fruitless. The 56,000 men of Group Stemmermann inside the pocket are ordered to prepare for a breakout attempt.

 

[Njaco]

17 February 1944

EASTERN FRONT: The End At Korsun: Led by the remnants of the elite 5th SS Panzer Division, Group Stemmermann launches their attempt to break out of the Korsun Pocket. In a blinding snowstorm they manage to find a seam in the Soviet defenses. At dawn, the weather clears and the Soviet cavalry and aircraft pounce on the columns of fleeing Germans. Having abandoned their heavy equipment, the breakout turns into a rout as desperate men flee from the carnage. General Stemmermann was killed in action along with many of his men. The Russian attacks force many of the refugees away from the bridge over the Gniloy Tikich River. When the fugitives reached the bank, many chose to swim the near freezing river rather than be captured. In the end, some did escape. Estimates vary greatly. Around 35,000 men escaped. They had little other than their personal weapons and often not even that. In the final analysis, the escapees were badly shaken and any semblance of organization had evaporated. The Germans had lost 10 divisions for some time to come.

MEDITERRANEAN: The Germans continue their counterattack against the Anzio beachhead hitting the US 45th Division particularly hard. Although both sides suffered heavy losses, the Germans came very near a decisive breakthrough to the beach. US artillery units firing over open sights from the beach and ships off shore managed to stop and turn back the German drive. At Casino, the 4th Indian Division managed to capture a part of the Cassino defenses (Point 593) but it was lost to German counterattacks.

Fw. Helmut Baumann of 5./JG 51 (38 kills) was killed in action.

The 455th and 456th Bombardment Groups (Heavy) become operational giving the Fifteenth Air Force 12 B-24 groups. In Italy, unescorted B-17s and B-24s attack Campoleone and Grottaferrata, motor transport parks in the Campoleone junction and Rocca di Papa areas, a troop concentration near Frascati, stores depots in the Grottaferrata area, and other targets in advance of the US Fifth Army's Anzio battle line which is under heavy counterattack by German forces.

US Twelfth Air Force B-25s bomb the Campoleone and Lanuvio area, B-25s hit dumps SW of Rome and N of Anzio, and also hit guns nearby; A-20s blast a dump and troop concentrations in the Anzio area; P-47s bomb dumps near Valmontone; A-36s hit Carroceto, concentrations SE of Rome, and a railroad underpass and a factory N of Anzio; P-40s blast enemy transport, guns, and assembly areas N of Cisterna di Latina, trucks N of Anzio and N of the beachhead battleline, railroad stations at Campoleone and Carroceto, and bivouac areas, dumps, a factory, and bridge in the battle area; this entire air effort (the heaviest to date in support of troops) is aimed at helping prevent a breakthrough at the beachhead, where the Germans are committed to a full-strength counter-offensive; A-36s bomb Monte Cassino Abbey in the only air action on the US Fifth Army main front.

UNITED KINGDOM: Advanced HQ, Ninth Air Force, is opened at Hillingdon House, Uxbridge. It is later joined in the area by advanced units of the IX Fighter Command and by troop carrier units, all of which form a nucleus of advanced echelons so as to centralize tactical operations in anticipation of combat on the Continent.

 

[Njaco]

18 February 1944

MEDITERRANEAN: At Anzio, the German attacks appear to be weakening but massed artillery and off-shore support are still needed to stabilize the situation in the beachhead. The last German reserves, the 26th Panzer and 29th Panzer Grenadier Divisions, are committed to the attack at Anzio. Once again, they make some gains but are stopped by a wall of artillery and naval gunfire. Meanwhile, attacks at Casino are called off to refit, rest and reform. To the south, Indian and New Zealand forces of the US 5th Army attempt to attack the hill masses north of Monte Cassino but are bloodily repulsed.

Heavy German air attacks, as well as artillery fire, continue on the beachhead at Anzio on an almost daily basis; harbor tug YT-198 is sunk by mine off Anzio. Elsewhere in the Mediterranean theater, tank landing craft LCT-205 capsizes in Gulf of Tunis, while being towed; tank landing craft LCT-340 is stranded by heavy weather at Pantelleria, Italy. Heavy weather also damages large infantry landing craft LCI(L)-211, resulting in her being towed to Palermo, Italy; and minesweeper 'Pilot' (AM-104) is accidentally rammed by U.S. merchant ship 'Samuel Ashe' and damaged off Naples, Italy.

The British cruiser HMS 'Penelope' is torpedoed by 'U-410' off the coast of Italy between Naples and Anzio. She would be the last cruiser the British would loose in the war.

In Italy, A-20s hit a troop concentration near Piedimonte; XII Air Support Command P-40s and A-36s fly 17 missions in support of US Fifth Army troops resisting the German counteroffensive which reaches its deepest penetration into the Anzio beachhead on this day; objectives include tanks, vehicles, gun positions, troop concentrations, and a railroad underpass along the Anzio-Albano Laziale axis; fighters over Anzio successfully intercept air strikes on the beachhead; New Zealand troops capture Cassino Station.

EASTERN FRONT: Attacks in the north of the eastern front continue to make progress as the Soviet 2nd Baltic Front captures Starayya-Russa and the Volkhov Front takes Shimsk. In the south, 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts begin regrouping for fresh offensives as the Germans pull away from their exposed positions created from the break-in attempt. Soviet forces take control of Nikopol, with its manganese mines.

UNITED KINGDOM: HQ Eighth Air Force issues orders to establish a photographic reconnaissance wing [8th Reconnaissance Wing (Provisional)] in Cheddington. The purpose is to make the Eighth independent in aerial reconnaissance and to consolidate the efforts of units presently engaged in this and related activities. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt, the President's son and currently Director of Reconnaissance for the Ninth Air Force, is named Commanding Officer.

Unternehmen Steinbock:The Germans conduct their heaviest night raid on London since 1941 as the Luftwaffe intensifies the 'Little Blitz'. The bombers managed to drop 175 tons within London.

WESTERN FRONT: Operation Jericho: Mosquitoes of RAF Nos. 21, 464 and 487 Sqdrns led by GC P. C. Pickard attacked Amiens prison in a bid to release French Resistance workers held there by the Germans. The raid was successful, releasing 258 of the 700 prisoners held in the prison - although a further 102 were killed by the bombing. Two Mosquitoes were shot down, including the Mossie of GC Pickard who was killed. The 2 Mosquitoes were confirmed as victories for Lt. Waldemar Radener and Fw. Wilhelm Mayer, both from 7./JG 26.

GERMANY: A Ta 154 V-4 Moskito of EKD 154 crashed due to an undercarriage failure at Erfurt.

 

[Njaco]

19 February 1944

GERMANY: 823 RAF aircraft - 561 Lancasters, 255 Halifaxes, 7 Mosquitos were sent to Leipzig. 78 aircraft - 44 Lancasters and 34 Halifaxes - were lost, 9.5 per cent of the force. The Halifax loss rate was 13.3 per cent of those dispatched and 14.9 per cent of those Halifaxes which reached the enemy coast after 'early returns' had turned back. The Halifax IIs and Vs were permanently withdrawn from operations to Germany after this raid. This was an unhappy raid for Bomber Command. The German controllers only sent part of their force of fighters to the Kiel minelaying diversion. When the main bomber force crossed the Dutch coast, they were met by a further part of the German fighter force and those German fighters which had been sent north to Kiel hurriedly returned. The bomber stream was thus under attack all the way to the target. There were further difficulties at the target because winds were not as forecast and many aircraft reached the Leipzig area too early and had to orbit and await the Pathfinders. 4 aircraft were lost by collision and approximately 20 were shot down by flak. Hptm. Martin Becker of 2./NJG 6 claimed 4 Lancasters. Leipzig was cloud-covered and the Pathfinders had to use skymarking. The raid appeared to be concentrated in its early stages but scattered later.

45 RAF Stirlings and 4 Pathfinder Halifaxes minelaying in Kiel Bay, 16 Oboe Mosquitos bombing night-fighter airfields in Holland, 15 Mosquitos on a diversion raid to Berlin, 12 Serrate patrols. 1 Mosquito lost from the Berlin raid. 3 Mosquitos attacked Aachen and 3 more bombed flying-bomb sites in France without loss. Total effort for the night: 921 sorties, 79 aircraft (8.6 per cent) lost. This was the heaviest Bomber Command loss of the war so far, easily exceeding the 58 aircraft lost on 21/22 January 1943 when Magdeburg was the main target.

MEDITERRANEAN: After three days of desperate fighting the Allied divisions trapped on the Anzio beach-head halted a major German offensive. The attack was launched on 16 February, with General von Mackensen's XIV Armee supported by the Luftwaffe. A sustained artillery barrage opened up a gap in the sector held by the US 45th Division, and for a time, it appeared as though the Allied would be split in two. Panzers poured through the gap, but themselves came under attack as the Allies concentrated their own fire more effectively. Still, though, the Germans pushed the Allies back towards the beaches. But determined fighting by the British 1st and US 45th Divisions, backed by air and naval bombardment, checked the Germans at Carroceto Creek.

Motor torpedo boats engage German convoy southeast of Elba. Light cruiser 'Philadelphia' (CL-41) arrives off Anzio to provide gunfire support; she is thrice under shore battery fire but suffers no damage in the encounters. Destroyer 'Madison' (DD-425) conducts unsuccessful hunt for enemy submarine believed off Anzio.

In Italy, B-25s blast troop concentrations to the N of Anzio beachhead; A-36s and P-40s keep troops, tanks, and motor transport in the beachhead battle area under attack, flying 200+ sorties in 20+ missions as an Allied counterattack turns the tide of battle; fighters maintain control over the N part of the battle area.

WESTERN FRONT: 'U-264' is sunk at 17:07 hours by depth charges from the British sloops HMS 'Woodpecker' and 'Starling'. 52 survivors (No casualties). 'U-386' is sunk by depth charges from the British frigate HMS 'Spey'. 33 dead and 16 survivors.

EASTERN FRONT: German forces have reduced General Bor-Komorowski's hold on Warsaw to three isolated pockets, and the Polish Home Army and the attempt by communist partisans' (the People's Guard) to regain control of Warsaw must now depend on substantial aid from the Russians, poised just on the other side of the river Vistula. But Stalin has refused to aid the valiant Poles. The Russians have three operational airfields a few minutes' flight from Warsaw, while the RAF and South African bombers attempting to drop supplies to the Poles must fly from Foggia across Europe under constant Luftwaffe attacks. Of ten bombers which set out for Warsaw from Italy three days ago, six failed to return. What makes the loss of these aircraft and crews especially sad is that Stalin will not allow the RAF supply planes to land on Russian-controlled airfields. The Poles seem doomed in the face of such intransigence.

 

[Njaco]

20 February 1944

GERMANY: Big Week: In preparation for the Allied invasion scheduled in May, The Eighth Air Force begins "Big Week," attacks on German aircraft plants and airfields. For the first time, over 1,000 bombers are dispatched; 21 bombers and 4 fighters are lost hitting 3 areas in Germany. For the first time in the war, RAF and USAAF operations are coordinated.

But an unusual incident occurred before the bombers took off. A B-17 flown by Lt. Guy Reed and specially-equipped for recon and weather reporting took off to determine the weather conditions over Germany and the North Sea. While enroute, Lt. Reed picked up a ghost radio signal and decided to investigate. A ghost signal had been causing havoc among the bomber groups and misdirecting many bombers away from airfields until their fuel was exhausted and they ditched their bombers. Dropping through cloud cover, Reed's B-17 found the source of the radio signal - a He 177 recon plane. Coming up alongside the big bomber, the B-17 started firing at the Heinkel, beginning a battle across the North Sea as the two lumbering giants fired at each other. Lt. Reed brought the B-17 around the Heinkel and the crew fired on the German bomber at almost point-blank range. The Heinkel dove then appeared to stall alongside the Fortress. As the American bomber came alongside, the German gunners opened up on the B-17, killing the right waist gunner, knocking the cover off the top turret and jamming the rudder. A .50 cal shell from the B-17 nearly killed the German pilot and he decided to break off the battle. As he banked away, a volley of gunfire from the Fortress damaged one of his engines and the He 177 tumbled out of the sky out of control. Nobody survived the crash. Lt. Reed was able to bring his damaged plane back to Scotland for a crash landing.

417 B-17s are dispatched to Leipzig/Mockau Airfield, and aviation industry targets at Heiterblick and Abnaundorf; 239 hit the primary targets, 37 hit Bernburg, 44 hit Oschersleben and 20 hit other targets of opportunity; they claim 14-5-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 161 damaged. 314 B-17s are dispatched to the Tutow Airfield; 105 hit the primary and immediate area, 76 hit Rostock and 115 hit other targets of opportunity; they claim 15-15-10 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 37 damaged. 272 B-24s are dispatched to aviation industry targets at Brunswick, Wilhelmtor and Neupetritor; 76 hit the primary, 87 hit Gotha, 13 hit Oschersleben, 58 hit Helmstedt and 10 hit other targets of opportunity; they claim 36-13-13 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 37 damaged. The Missions are escorted by 94 P-38s, 668 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 73 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 61-7-37 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38, 2 P-47s and 1 P-51 is lost, 2 P-47s are damaged beyond repair and 4 aircraft are damaged.

598 RAF aircraft - 460 Lancasters, 126 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitos - to Stuttgart. The North Sea sweep and the Munich diversion successfully drew the German fighters up 2 hours before the main bomber force flew inland and only 9 aircraft - 7 Lancasters and 2 Halifaxes - were lost, 1.5 per cent of the force. 4 further Lancasters and 1 Halifax crashed in England.

USAAF Sgt Archibald Mathies, engineer, and Second Lt Walter E Truemper navigator, were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions this day.

WESTERN FRONT: 35 Eighth Air Force B-26s bomb Haamstede Airfield, The Netherlands, as a target of opportunity, after about 100 B-26s abort attacks on other airfields because of weather. 4 of 5 B-17s drop 200 bundles of leaflets on Tours, Nantes, Brest and Lorient, France at 2123-2200 hours without loss.

156 RAF aircraft - 132 from training units and 24 from squadrons - flew a large training exercise across the North Sea as a preliminary feint; 24 Mosquitos attacked airfields in Holland; 7 Mosquitos made a diversionary raid on Munich and there were 7 Serrate patrols. No aircraft lost.

Norwegian resistance successfully sinks a barge carrying heavy water from Ryukan, Norway bound for Germany. Heavy water is necessary for continued experiments by the German nuclear program.

Whilst serving in Captain Walker's renowned 2nd. Escort Group, sloop HMS 'Woodpecker' is hit by a Zaunkönig fired by 'U-764' (Leutnant zur See Hanskurt von Bremen) South of Iceland. 'Woodpecker's' stern is blown off but as she remained afloat was taken in tow. She sank in a gale on 27 February. There were no casualties.

VandW class destroyer HMS 'Warwick' is torpedoed and sunk by 'U-413' (Kapitanleutnant Gustav Poel) in the English Channel 20 SW of Trevose Head. The torpedo set off an internal explosion, whereupon 'Warwick' sank very quickly with 43 casualties and 93 survivors.

MEDITERRANEAN: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s blast troop concentrations in the Anzio, Italy beachhead area as the Axis efforts end. Twelfth Air Force B-26s hit troop concentrations along roads in the Vallalta area; B-25s hit dumps and assembly areas at the N edge of the Anzio beachhead, and A-20s bomb a troop and motor transport concentration SE of Carroceto; A-36s and P-40s hit troops, trucks and tanks NE of Carroceto, bomb the town of Fondi, a factory E of Carroceto, the town of Piedimonte, and hit guns and targets of opportunity along the N line of the beachhead; an Axis attempt to achieve a breakthrough is decisively defeated in the center of the salient created by a counteroffensive and their efforts end.

Tank landing ship LST-348 is sunk by German submarine 'U-410', 40 miles south of Naples, Italy. The vessel was participating in the landings in Anzio-Nettuno. At 1755, 'U-230' fired one Gnat at landing ships off Anzio and heard a detonation after 13 minutes, 25 seconds. The Gnat probably detonated at the end of its run. At 1851 hours, another torpedo was fired, which sank HMS LST-305.

EASTERN FRONT: The Soviet 2nd Baltic Front launches a fresh set of attacks against the much-diminished German XVI Armee around Kholm. The Soviet 22nd Army makes good progress in the initial assault.

 

[Njaco]

21 February 1944

WESTERN FRONT: 17 RAF Mosquitos to Duisburg, Stuttgart and 2 flying-bomb sites, 1 Serrate patrol, 41 aircraft minelaying in the Frisians and off French ports, 10 OTU sorties. 1 Stirling minelayer lost.

18 B-26s bomb Coxyde Airfield, Belgium; weather causes almost 190 aborts. The Ninth Air Force's Pathfinder Squadron (provisionally activated on 13 Feb) takes part in this operation, its first venture into combat. 185 aircraft scheduled to attack other airfields in the Netherlands and France in the afternoon are recalled because of bad weather.

EASTERN FRONT: 2nd Baltic Front continues its attacks capturing Soltsy and Kholm. To the south, 3rd Ukrainian Front continues its offensive threatening to surround Krivoi Rog.

GERMANY: "Big Week" continues with 3 areas in Germany targetted with the loss of 16 bombers and 5 fighters. 336 B-17s are dispatched to the Gutersioh, Lippstadt and Werl Airfields; because of thick overcast, 285 hit Achmer, Hopsten, Rheine, Diepholz, Quakenbruck and Bramsche Airfields and the marshalling yards at Coevorden and Lingen; they claim 12-5-8 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 63 damaged. 281 B-17s are dispatched to Diepholz Airfield and Brunswick; 175 hit the primaries and 88 hit Alhorn and Verden Airfields and Hannover; they claim 2-5-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 36 damaged. 244 B-24s are dispatched to Achmer and Handorf Airfields; 11 hit Achmer Airfield and 203 hit Diepholz, Verden and Hesepe Airfields and Lingen; they claim 5-6-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 6 damaged. Escort is provided by 69 P-38s, 542 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 68 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; the P-38s claim 0-1-0 Luftwaffe aircraft, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair; the P-47s claim 19-3-14 Luftwaffe aircraft, 2 P-47s are lost, 2 are damaged beyond repair, 3 are damaged and 2 pilots are MIA; the P-51s claim 14-1-4 Luftwaffe aircraft, 3
P-51s are lost.

The attack at Diepholz destroyed 3 He 177A-3s of Versuchs Jagdgruppe 10, a Grosszerstrorer (Big Destroyer) unit. The He 177s were modified by removinf the drop gear and fuel tanks to allow 30 vertically mounted infantry-type rocket launchers to be fitted in the bomb bays.

MEDITERRANEAN: In Italy, B-25s bomb Orte marshalling yard, and B-26s hit Imperia docks; A-20s pound troop concentrations near Campoleone, along with P-40s and A-36s which also hit a fuel dump, tank and truck concentrations, and gun positions in the area; fighter-bombers also bomb and block the Itri-Gaeta road.

 

[Njaco]

22 February 1944

GERMANY: "Big Week" continues with 799 aircraft dispatched against German aviation and Luftwaffe airfields; 41 bombers and 11 fighters are lost. 289 B-17s are dispatched against aviation industry targets at Aschersleben (34 bomb), Bernburg (47 bomb) and Halberstadt (18 bomb) in conjunction with a Fifteenth Air Force raid on Regensburg, Germany; 32 hit Bunde, 19 hit Wernegerode, 15 hit Magdeburg, 9 hit Marburg and 7 hit other targets of opportunity; they claim 32-18-17 Luftwaffe aircraft; 38 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 141 damaged. 333 B-17s are dispatched to Schweinfurt but severe weather prevents aircraft from forming properly and they are forced to abandon the mission prior to crossing the enemy coast; 2 B-17s are damaged. 177 B-24s are dispatched but they are recalled when 100 miles (160 km) inland; since they were over Germany, they sought targets of opportunity but strong winds drove the bombers over The Netherlands and their bombs hit Enschede, Arnhem, Nijmegen and Deventer; they claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-24s are lost and 3 damaged.

These missions are escorted by 67 P-38s, 535 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s, and 57 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; the P-38s claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft, 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair and 6 are damaged; the P-47s claim 39-6-15 Luftwaffe aircraft, 8 P-47s are lost and 12 damaged, 8 pilots are MIA; the P-51s claim 19-1-10 Luftwaffe aircraft, 3 P-51s are lost and 3 damaged.

Major Heinz Bar of II./JG 1 shot down a B-17 as did Lt. Werner Gerth - his first - of the new Sturmstaffel 1. Ofw. Adolf Glunz of 5./JG 26 was confirmed for 3 B-17s and 1 P-47. 8 Bombers were claimed by pilots of II./ZG 1 including Hptm. Egon Albrecht, Oblt. Meier and Uffz. Heinz Schlenkert. Ofw. Stefan Litjens of 4./JG 53 claimed 3 B-17s. The Luftwaffe lost 53 aircraft in addition to 53 damaged. 25 pilots were killed and 13 wounded. II./ZG 26 lost only one aircraft but it was the Me 410A-1 of Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Eduard Tratt. Hptm. Tratt, the highest scoring Zerstroer pilot with 38 kills in the air, 26 on the ground, 24 tanks, 312 trucks and 33 AA guns on his scoreboard, made a single-handed attack on a bomber formation near Nordhausen / Harz and was killed in the process. The only eye-witness was Oblt. Prokopp who was killed a short time later when his Me 410 was rammed by a P-47.

10 RAF Mosquitos went to Stuttgart, 8 to Duisburg and 3 to Aachen, 71 Halifaxes and 40 Stirlings sent minelaying off North German coast recalled because of bad weather at bases, 2 RCM sorties, 2 Serrate patrols. No aircraft lost.

MEDITERRANEAN: US Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack Petershausen marshalling yard and Regensburg aircraft factory in Germany and the air depot at Zagreb, Yugoslavia; a large force of B-24s hits Regensburg aircraft plants about the same time as the B-17 attack; other B-24s pound the town of Sibenik and the harbor at Zara, Yugoslavia; they claim 40 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed; 13 bombers are lost.

In Italy, US Twelfth Air Force B-25s bomb Foligno marshalling yard and Montalto di Castro railroad bridge, and B-26s attack Albinia Station railroad bridge; A-20s hit the area E of Campoleone; P-47s strike troops, gun positions, and a road junction N of Carroceto, roads near Roccasecca, and the town of Campoleone; A-36s hit guns NW of Carroceto and the town of Formia; P-40s attack guns SE of Campoleone.

Five German E-boats approach Anzio beachhead during the night, but all are driven off without inflicting any damage. Submarine chaser PC-621 claims destruction of one E-boat and drives another ashore.

German submarine 'U-969' attacks convoy GUS 31 off the coast of Algeria, irreparably damaging U.S. freighters 'Peter Skene Ogden' and 'George Cleeve'; other than one fatality on board the former, there are no casualties to the American ships. The survivors were picked up by the American SS 'William T. Barry' after 30 minutes and landed in Oran. Both ships are towed and beached to facilitate salvage: 'Peter Skene Ogden' at Herbillon and 'George Cleeve' to Bone, Tunisia. Both are later written off as total losses.

400 German soldiers drowned when their train was blown into a flooded river at Athens by mines laid by British led Greek partisans. Hundreds more were injured. A general was amongst the dead. The ambush marks a new offensive in the Balkans, with British officers from the Special Operations Executive leading Andarte freedom fighters. Ten coaches plunged down a ravine on the main Athens to Salonika line. The surviving armoured coach was sprayed with machine gun fire before the partisans disappeared into the countryside.

EASTERN FRONT: German forces avoid the fate of their comrades at Korsun as they make a hasty retreat from Krivoi Rog before the Red Army pincers could slam shut. 3rd Ukrainian Front enters the city.

Soviet bombers attack Stockholm by mistake. There are no casualties.

WESTERN FRONT: An RCAF 162 Sqn Catalina attacked 'U-550' with machine guns in the North Atlantic. Two crewmembers were killed.

66 Ninth Air Force B-26s bomb Gilze-Rijen Airfield, The Netherlands; bad weather causes 100+ others to abort.

UNITED KINGDOM: The Luftwaffe mounts a large raid on the UK.

HQ VIII Bomber Command is redesignated as HQ, Eighth Air Force.

 

[Njaco]

23 February 1944

GERMANY: US Fifteenth Air Force B-24s bomb the industrial complex at Steyr, Austria. Other heavy bombers are forced to abort because of bad weather; the bombers and escorting fighters claim 30+ aircraft shot down. Oblt. Walther Dahl of III./JG 3 shot down 2 four-engined bombers and a P-38 to bring his score to 61 kills.

17 RAF Mosquitos to Düsseldorf, 2 Serrate patrols, 3 OTU sorties. No aircraft lost. A Mosquito of No. 692 Squadron RAF dropped a 4,000-lb bomb on Düsseldorf. This is double the original bombload of the Mk IV. To carry this large device, the bomb-bay is bulged. The Mosquitos of the Light Night Striking Force regularly carried such heavy bombs during the remaining months of the war to targets as far distant as Berlin.

MEDITERRANEAN: General Lucian Truscott takes full command of VI Corps at Anzio, replacing General Lucas as the Germans regroup for a fresh series of counterattacks against the beleaguered troops.

In Italy, P-40s hit a gun position N of Campoleone and patrol the Anzio area. Weather prevents other operations.

WESTERN FRONT: 'U-257' is sunk in the North Atlantic, by depth charges from frigates HMCS 'Waskesiu' and HMS 'Nene'. 30 dead and 19 survivors. According to a crewmember on the HMCS 'Waskesiu' the HMS 'Nene' only participated in picking up survivors while the Canadian frigate dropped the depth charges, after both frigates had picked up an ASDIC signal that the Canadians insisted was a U-boat, which sank the boat.

EASTERN FRONT: The 2nd Baltic and Volkhov Fronts continue their offensive in northern Russia capturing Strugi Krasneyye and 1st Belorus Front drives toward Dno.

Hptm. Alois Lechner (45 kills), a former bomber pilot and a Gruppenkommandeur with I./NJG 100, went missing over Mogilev. Hptm. Lechner was the Kommandofuhrer of Sonderkommando Lechner, a detachment of NJG 2. The Sonderkommando operated in conjuction with the rail-mounted radar station 'Sumatra I' in an attempt to stop Russian night raids on East Prussia. "Sumatra I" had a Freya unit and two Wurzburg units and an evaluation section. Lechner's Kommando only succeeded in putting a temporary halt to the Russian night attacks and it was after the arrival of NJG 5 that the Soviet raids were stopped. Hptm. Lechner achieved 26 Abschussen with the aid of 'Sumatra I' from July 1943 until his death.

Oblt. Anton Hafner of JG 51 destroyed 7 Russian aircraft to bring his score to 131 kills.

UNITED KINGDOM: A Do 217 night-fighter made a perfect belly-landing near Cambridge after its crew bailed out over London and delivered to the Allies a near- perfect example of a German night-fighter. The plane was soon used for RAF purposes.

 

[Njaco]

24 February 1944

EASTERN FRONT: 1st Belorus Front captures Dno while 2nd Beloruss Front took Rogachev.

The prime minister of Finland says that Finland is prepared to make peace immediately with Russia, subject to conditions.

MEDITERRANEAN: German submarine 'U-761' was detected by PBY-5A Catalinas from VP-63, now based at Naval Air Facility (NAF) Port Lyautey, French Morocco, during an attempt to pass through the Straits of Gibraltar. The two VP-63 aircraft used their MAD gear to detect, track, and assist in the sinking of 'U-761', the first sinking of a submarine aided by MAD equipment. The U-boat was attacked by an RAF Catalina Mk. IB of No. 202 Squadron, based at Gibraltar, and a PV-1 Ventura of USN Bombing Squadron One Hundred Twenty Seven (VB-127) also based at NAF Port Lyautey. The crew of the VB-127 Ventura, assisted in the kill by dropping depth charges on 'U-761' when it surfaced. Following the attack by VB-127 PV-1, the U-boat was scuttled in the mid-Atlantic near Tangier in view of approaching British destroyers. Nine of the 57 men aboard were lost; the 48 survivors, including the captain, were picked up by HMS 'Anthony' and HMS 'Wishart'.

In Italy, US Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack Canino landing ground, but clouds prevent accurate bombing and most bombs fall W and SW of the main target area; A-36s attack airfields at Littoria, Guidonia and Marciglialia. P-47's hit motor vessels and tug off Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia and targets of opportunity inland.

GERMANY: 734 RAF aircraft - 554 Lancasters, 169 Halifaxes, 11 Mosquitos - carried out the first Bomber Command raid on Schweinfurt, home of Germany's main ball-bearing factories. 266 American B-17s had raided the factories the previous day. Bomber Command introduced a novel tactic on this night. The Schweinfurt force was split into two parts - 392 aircraft and 342 aircraft, separated by a 2-hour interval. Part of the German fighter force was drawn up by earlier diversions. The first wave of the Schweinfurt bombers lost 22 aircraft, 5.6 per cent; the second wave lost only 11 aircraft, 3.2 per cent, and it is believed that only 4 bombers from the second wave were shot down by night fighters. Total losses were 33 aircraft - 26 Lancasters, 7 Halifaxes - 4.5 per cent of the force. Martin Becker of 2./NJG 6 destroyed a Halifax to reach 19 kills.

179 RAF training aircraft on a diversionary sweep over the North Sea, 60 Halifaxes and 50 Stirlings minelaying in Kiel Bay and the Kattegat, 15 Mosquitos to airfields in Holland, 8 Mosquitos to Kiel and 7 to Aachen, 12 Serrate patrols. 2 Stirlings were lost from the minelaying operation and 1 Serrate Mosquito of No 141 Squadron was lost, the first Serrate aircraft to be lost under Bomber Command control. 5 Wellingtons laid mines off Lorient without loss.

WESTERN FRONT: US Eighth Air Force Missions 237, 238 and 239 are flown today against targets in France; 7 B-17s are lost. Heavy clouds cause over half the bombers dispatched to return without bombing. 49 of 81 B-24s hit the Ecalles sur Buchy V-weapon sites; 1 B-24 is damaged. Escort is provided by 61 P-47s. 258 B-17s are dispatched against V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais; 109 hit the primary target, 10 hit a road junction E of Yerville, 7 hit a rail siding SW of Abbeville and 6 hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-17s are lost and 75 damaged; casualties are 5 WIA and 63 MIA. Escort is provided by 81 P-38s, 94 P-47s and 22 P-51s; 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair; the P-51s claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground. 180 US Ninth Air Force B-26s attack NOBALL (V-weapon) targets and Rosieres-en-Santerre, France. Bad weather makes bombing difficult and causes 34 other B-26s to abort.

UNITED KINGDON: 'SS Philipp M' (2,085t) cargo ship, Tyne to London with coal, was sunk by an E Boat, off Great Yarmouth.

 

[Njaco]

25 February 1944

MEDITERRANEAN: The destroyer HMS ''Inglefield' is sunk at dusk off Anzio by a Hs293A Glide bomb and sinks very rapidly off Anzio. There are 35 casualties and 157 survivors.

In Italy, US Twelfth Air Force P-40s attack guns and troop concentrations east of Campoleone and in the Carroceto area; A-36 Apaches bomb the towns of Terracina and Sperlonga and roads in the area; P-40s also maintain patrols over Anzio. Other B-17s hit the air depot at Klagenfurt, Austria, and the dock area at Pola, Italy. B-24s attack the Fiume, Italy, marshalling yard and port and hit the Zell-am-See, Austria, railroad and Graz airfield and the port area at Zara, Yugoslavia; 30+ US aircraft are lost; they claim 90+ fighters shot down.

The Geschwaderkommodore of JG 77, Obstlt. Johannes Steinhoff took off alone against 50+ B-17s. The Kommodore shot one Fortress out of the formation. The B-17 fell behind until it was finally destroyed north of Klagenfurt.

GERMANY: In the final "Big Week" mission, 4 targets in Germany are hit; 31 bombers and 3 fighters are lost. 268 B-17s are dispatched to aviation industry targets at Augsburg and the industrial area at Stuttgart; 196 hit Augsburg and targets of opportunity and 50 hit Stuttgart; they claim 8-4-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 13 B-17s are lost. 267 B-17s hit aviation industry targets at Regensburg and targets of opportunity; they claim 13-1-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 12 B-17s are lost. 172 B-24s hit aviation industry targets at Furth and targets of opportunity; they claim 2-2-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 B-24s are lost. Continuing coordinated attacks with the US Eighth Air Force on European targets, US Fifteenth Air Force B-17s with fighter escorts bomb the Regensburg, Germany, aircraft factory; enemy fighter opposition is heavy.

Escort is provided by 73 P-38s, 687 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47 Thunderbolts and 139 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; the P-38s claim 1-2-0 Luftwaffe aircraft: the P-47s claim 13-2-10 Luftwaffe aircraft, 1 P-47 is lost; the P-51s claim 12-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft, 2 P-51s are lost. German losses were 142 aircraft and nearly 1000 planes on the assembly lines were destroyed.

594 RAF aircraft - 461 Lancasters, 123 Halifaxes, 10 Mosquitos - on the first large raid to Augsburg. The various diversions and the splitting of the main bomber force into 2 waves again reduced casualties still further. 21 aircraft - 16 Lancasters, 5 Halifaxes - lost, 3.6 per cent of the force; at least 4 of these casualties were due to collision. The bombing at Augsburg was outstandingly successful in clear weather conditions and against this 'virgin' target with only weak flak defences. The Pathfinder ground-marking was accurate and the raid became controversial because of the effects of its outstanding accuracy. Serious damage is done to the engineering works and aircraft components factory. 85,000 people are made homeless. The beautiful old centre of Augsburg was completely destroyed by high explosive and fire, with much less than the usual spread of bombing to the more modern outer areas, where some industry was located. There were 246 large or medium fires and 820 small ones; the temperature was so cold (minus 18" Celsius) that the River Lech was frozen over and many of the water hoses also froze. The Germans publicized it as an extreme example of 'terror bombing'.

The air raid on Augsburg destroyed the second version of the new Bf 109V-55, "Early-Availability High Altitude Fighter". The designers were forced to use the first version, V-54, for testing.

WESTERN FRONT: 191 B-26 Marauders bomb Venlo, Saint-Trond, and Cambrai/Epinoy Airfields, France in a morning raid as a diversion in support of the VIII Bomber Command heavy bombers over Germany; 36 abort, mainly because of a navigational error; 164 B-26s dispatched against military targets in France during the afternoon are recalled because of bad weather.

Major General Paul L Williams becomes Commanding General of the Ninth Air Force's IX Troop Carrier Command.

'U-91' is sunk by the British destroyers HMS 'Affleck', 'Gore' and 'Gould'. 36 dead and 16 survivors.

The Artic convoys from Britain to Russia begin to dominate their German adversaries as the latest convoy (JW-57 with 43 merchants) comes through with no merchant losses. The only loss was the destroyer HMS 'Mahratta' when it takes a hit from a Zaunkönig fired by 'U-990' (Kapitanleutnant Hubert Nordheimer) and then one more torpedo and sinks at 2055. The destroyer explodes and sinks within minutes. Despite the fact that destroyers HMS 'Impulsive' and 'Wanderer' are quickly on the scene there are 220 casualties and just 16 survivors in the freezing waters. The commander, ten officers and 209 ratings lost their lives.

'U-601' sunk in the Arctic Ocean NW of Narvik, Norway by depth charges from an RAF 210 Sqn Catalina aircraft. 51 dead (all hands lost).

131 RAF aircraft minelaying in Kiel Bay, 22 Mosquitos to airfields in Holland, 15 Mosquitos on diversionary raids to 4 towns to the north of the Augsburg routes, 5 RCM sorties, 10 Serrate patrols. 3 Halifaxes and 1 Stirling lost from the minelaying operation.

 

[Njaco]

26 February 1944

WESTERN FRONT: Lieutenant-Commander Peter Williams sails at dusk from Dartmouth. He heads towards Weymouth; then, once out of sight, he turns south. On reaching the Brittany coast he cuts his speed to reduce noise, wash and phospherescence, and creeps through rocks and swirling tides to anchor within a few hundred yards of the beach. A sailor is placed on stand-by to cut the grass rope in an emergency. Williams then sent his surfboat inshore with muffled oars, on a rising tide to avoid footprints, in order to land a party which included Francois Mitterrand, the future President of France. As the boat returned, laden with five agents and a downed Allied pilot, it was able to find the MGB in the dark with a device, invented by Williams, which homed in on its Asdic [sonar] transmissions. By breakfast time, Williams was back in Dartmouth.

'U-66' attacked the convoy STL-12 about 130 miles west of Takoradi and reported one ship sunk and another damaged. However, the only ship hit and sunk was the 'Silvermaple' (Master William Candlish Brydson). The master, five crew members and one gunner were lost. 47 crew members, nine gunners and one passenger were picked up by HMS 'Kildwick' (Z 06) (Lt P. Pannell) and landed at Takoradi on 27 February.

EASTERN FRONT: This night 600 Soviet bombers attack Helsinki for the third time in three weeks. From 6.45 pm until 5.10 am next morning over 500 Soviet planes try to penetrate the Finnish air-defences. Several bombers make more that one sortie, the Finns estimate that there's more than 1000 sorties. Massive fires break out destroying large sections of the city. The Soviets loose only 3 aircraft. Since the two previous attempts ten and twenty days ago, the defences had been strengthened further, and there's 15 heavy AA-battalions defending the city. Majority of bombers are unable to reach their targets, and only 18 people are killed at Helsinki. MTB Hurja 5 and Patrol Boat VMV 8 are destroyed in Helsinki bombing while in dock.

The Soviet offensive continues in northern Russia as the Red Army takes Rorkhov.

MEDITERRANEAN: Weather limits US Twelfth Air Force operations severely, but P-47's hit shipping N and S of Velaluka, Yugoslavia.

 

[Njaco]

27 February 1944

MEDITERRANEAN: Light cruiser 'Philadelphia' (CL-41) carries out seven gunfire support missions off Anzio.

In Italy, A-36s attack Littoria and Guidonia Airfields and Ladispoli dock area; rail cars NE of Rome are also attacked; P-40s follow up with a raid against Littoria and hit trucks and other targets in the area; weather prevents other operations by the Twelfth Air Force.

WESTERN FRONT: Major General Elwood R Quesada (reappointed Commanding General IX Fighter Command on 21 Feb) receives authority to revive the IX Fighter Command (existing only on paper since creation of the IX Air Support Command) on a temporary basis as an operational HQ to function as a Combined Control Center with RAF 11 Group at Uxbridge, England, where Fighter Command will prepare operations orders for Ninth Air Force fighter and fighter-bomber groups. Quesada retains command of the IX Air Support Command.

EASTERN FRONT: Twelve He 111s of I./KG 4 and 14 He 111s of I./KG 27 made a dusk attack on Kirovgrad North airfield. After the bombs were dropped, 2 fires and one explosion south of the runway were observed. Hits were recorded on the runway, hangers and the southern part of the airfield.

 

[Njaco]

28 February 1944

MEDITERRANEAN: The second offensive from Anzio begins. The attack fails to break through. Four German divisions launch attacks against the beleaguered forces at Anzio driving down the Cisterna-Anzio road. The US 3rd Division beat back the attacks.

In Italy, B-25s attack Canino landing ground, but clouds prevent accurate bombing and most bombs fall W and SW of the main target area; A-36s attack airfields at Littoria, Guidonia and Marciglialia. P-47's hit motor vessels and a tug off Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia and targets of opportunity inland.

EASTERN FRONT: The Allied convoy JW-57 - 42 merchant ships and a tanker - arrives safely at Murmansk having sunk two U-boats but lost the destroyer HMS 'Mahratta'.

NORTH AMERICA: The last Vultee SNV-2 is delivered to the USN.

WESTERN FRONT: 8 RAF OTU Wellingtons carried out leaflet operations to France without loss.

US Eighth Air Force Missions 237, 238 and 239 are flown today against targets in France; 7 B-17s are lost. Heavy clouds cause over half the bombers dispatched to return without bombing. 49 of 81 B-24s hit the Ecalles sur Buchy V-weapon sites; 1 B-24 is damaged. Escort is provided by 61 P-47s. 258 B-17s are dispatched against V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais; 109 hit the primary target, 10 hit a road junction E of Yerville, 7 hit a rail siding SW of Abbeville and 6 hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-17s are lost and 75 damaged; casualties are 5 WIA and 63 MIA. Escort is provided by 81 P-38s, 94 P-47s and 22 P-51s; 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair; the P-51s claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground. 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Amiens, Rennes, Paris, Rouen and Le Mans, France at 2023-2055 hours without loss.

180 US Ninth Air Force B-26s attack NOBALL (V-weapon) targets and Rosieres-en-Santerre, France. Bad weather makes bombing difficult and causes 34 other B-26s to abort.

UNITED KINGDOM: A Hurricane fighter crashed in a field at Fowberry Moor Farm, Chatton, Northumberland at about 12.30. The plane was from 781 Squadron, RNAS Lee-on-Solent. At the time of the crash a heavy snow storm was in progress and the visibility was poor.

GERMANY: Because of continuing problems with the coupled engine arrangement of the He 177, Ernst Heinkel had suggested in 1940 of using 4 seperate engines on the heavy bomber instead of the designed arrangement. He was turned down. So without official sanction, Heinkel continued to work on the new bomber, designated He 177B. The design was revived in 1943 after Hitler demanded a bomber to attack London and the He 177B was re-named the He 277. Using 4 DB 603A engines, the second prototype flew from Vienna-Schwechat airfield on this date.

At Erfurt airfield, a Ta 154 V-8 'Moskito' of EKD 154 crashed due to an undercarriage failure.

 

[Njaco]

29 February 1944

MEDITERRANEAN: The Allies fend off a German attack on their right flank at Anzio. Bad weather prevents the Germans from continuing their attacks at Anzio, but heavy artillery fire hits hard.

In Italy, B-26s bomb the main and satellite airfields at Viterbo and several targets of opportunity along the W coast; B-25s bomb troops and gun positions W of Cisterna di Roma while A-20s hit concentrations to the S; P-40s and A-36s strike at troop concentrations along the N perimeter of the Anzio beachhead; other P-40s hit barracks and railroad yards at Littoria and a tank concentration S of Cisterna; P-47's (with British aircraft) hit Giulianova railway station and shipping off Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia; fighters maintain patrol over the Anzio beachhead.

EASTERN FRONT: The whole of Finland is waiting for the Diet, the Finnish parliament, to decide whether or not to agree to the Russian terms for the cessation of hostilities. These terms include territorial concessions similar to those laid down by the Russians after the "Winter War" of 1939-40, but they do not require unconditional surrender as preliminary to peace talks. The main reasons that the Finns are not taking up the Soviet terms are the amount of reparations the Soviets are demanding ($600 million in 1938 US Dollars; economic experts consulted stated that it was impossible to pay in the schedule), and the very short time given to expel or intern the German forces from country coupled with the rapid demobilization of the Finnish Army (it was feared that the Soviets would use this as an excuse to occupy Finland). In a secret session the Finnish parliament votes the cabinet the powers to continue the peace-feelers with the Soviet Union.

One of the finest commanders in the Red Army, Marshal Nikolai Vatutin, is killed in an ambush by Ukrainian nationalist partisans while en route to the Soviet 60th Army. Vatutin, who had played a vital role in last year's battle at Kursk and in clearing the Ukraine, was fired on as he drove with his staff to visit front-line troops. His attackers are Ukrainian nationalists who went over to the Germans in the hope that they would establish a Ukrainian state. Now they fight both Germans and Russians. Vatutin will be sorely missed by the Red Army, It was he who, with Konev, engineered the destruction of the German pocket at Korsun. Georgi Zhukov, has taken over command of the First Ukrainian Front.

WESTERN FRONT: Since January, 34 U-boats have been sunk.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 241: 38 of 48 B-24s hit the V-weapon site at Lottinghen, France without loss. Escorting are 79 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s; 1 is lost and the pilot is MIA. US Eighth Air Force Mission 242: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Orleans, Lille, Reims, Cambrai and Chateauroux, France at 2025-2121 hours without loss.

19 US Ninth Air Force B-26s bomb a coastal gun position and nearby Breck-sur-Mer Airfield, France. 216 B-26s abort a mission against 8 V-weapon sites in France because of total cloud cover over the targets.

GERMANY: 15 RAF Mosquitos to Düsseldorf and 1 to a flying-bomb site at Sottevaast, 20 OTU sorties. 1 OTU Whitley lost.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 240: 218 of 226 B-17s hit aviation industry targets at Brunswick, Germany and targets of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 54 damaged; casualties are 4 WIA and 10 MIA. Escorting are 61 P-38s, 346 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 147 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; 2 P-38s are lost and 1 damaged, 2 pilots are MIA; the P-47s claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft, 1 P-47 is lost and 1 damaged, 1 pilot is MIA; 1 P-51 is lost, the pilot is MIA.

 

[Njaco]

1 MARCH 1944

WESTERN FRONT: On 5 days during 1-16 March 1944, 2 RAF Bomber Command Oboe Mosquitos acted as 'formation leaders' for bomber units of the Second Tactical Air Force attacking flying-bomb sites. The formation bombed as soon as it saw the bombs of the Oboe Mosquito being released. There were no losses from the 10 Bomber Command sorties flown in this period.

18 RAF Mosquitos to airfields in Holland, 11 Mosquitos on a diversion raid to Munich, 6 RCM sorties, 10 Serrate patrols. No aircraft lost. 1 RAF Mosquito to a flying-bomb site, 10 Halifaxes and 1 Stirling on Resistance operations, 16 OTU sorties. No losses.

Destroyer escort 'Bronstein' (DE-189) sinks German submarine 'U-603' in the North Atlantic and teams with destroyer escorts 'Thomas' (DE-102) and 'Bostwick' (DE-103) to sink 'U-709'.

Whilst in company with several escorts hunting down a submarine contact, frigate HMS 'Gould' is torpedoed (A homing torpedo) and sunk at 7.20pm 480 miles NNE of the Azores by 'U-358' (Kapitanleutnant Rolf Manke). There are 123 casualties and 14 survivors. 'U-358' (Type VIIC) is sunk north of the Azores, in position by depth charges from the British frigates HMS 'Gould' (ex-USS Lovering), 'Affleck', 'Gore' and 'Garliese'. 50 dead and 1 survivor. On 5 May, 1943 'U-358' was depth charged in the North Atlantic by the British destroyer escort HMS 'Pink'. The boat was damaged so badly that she had to return to base.

A joint British-American-Canadian board overseeing the Habbakuk ice ship project is dissolved. See Habbakuk: The Iceberg Aircraft Carrier | Online Information Bank | Research Collections | Royal Naval Museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

HQ and HQ Squadron, VIII Air Force Services Command is redesignated as HQ and HQ Squadron, Air Service Command, US Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSTAF), after functioning as such during Jan and Feb 44 while re-designation was being authorized. 8th Strategic Air Depot Area is redesignated VIII Air Force Services Command.

US Ninth Air Force Troop Carrier Command establishes a Pathfinder school to provide pre-invasion training in all navigational aids.

GERMANY: 557 RAF aircraft - 415 Lancasters, 129 Halifaxes, 13 Mosquitos - raided Stuttgart. Thick cloud on the routes to and from the target made it difficult for the German fighters to get into the bomber stream and only 4 aircraft - 3 Lancasters and 1 Halifax - were lost, 0.7 per cent of the force.

Walter Model is promoted to Field Marshal.

The Luftwaffe established the "Fighter Staff", responsible to Herr Saur, Supervisor of Armament. who was given dictatorial powers as the representative of Reichsminister Speer. This only served to remove Generalluftzugmeister Milch from the realm of the aircraft industry. The Staff was filled with men from Labour circles who knew nothing about the Luftwaffe.

Major Helmut Lent of Stab./NJG 3 and the Nachtjagd's leading scorer, received promotion to the rank of Oberstleutnant.

EASTERN FRONT: The Soviet attacks in northern Russia begins to slow but the Red Army was still able to capture Russaki.

14(Eis.)./KG 3 was formed at Flensburg/Scleswig-Holstein (ex-9(Eis.)./KG 1). 14(Eis.)./KG 3 was a highly specialized train-busting Staffel. the crews were specially trained to fly day or night between 100' and 1,000' along railway lines and bomb and /or shoot up trains, railway stations and marshalling yards. They were also used at very low altitude against tank concentrations. The Staffel was always in the East and was equipped all or partially with cannon-armed Ju 88s.

UNITED KINGDOM: 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).

March saw a further 4 Luftwaffe attacks on London, as well as an unsuccessful raid on Hull on the 19th followed towards the end of the month by the first directed against Bristol since 1942. By this time only 297 bombers were available for operations over Britain, these being the Do 217s of I. and III./KG 2, Stab. and 6./KG 100 and part of I./KG 66; the Ju 88s of II. and III./KG 6, Stab., II. and III./KG 30, Stab., I. and II./KG 54 and Stab./KG 77; the Ju 188s of II./KG 2, Stab and I./KG 6; the Me 410s of Stab and I./KG 54 as well as the He 177s of I./KG 100.

MEDITERRANEAN: For the 5th consecutive day, bad weather forbids all US Fifteenth Air Force operations except reconnaissance missions.

US Twelfth Air Force undergoes a reorganization as a result of the loss of several operational units. XII Troop Carrier Command (Provisional), consisting of a single wing, is disbanded and its personnel absorbed into the 51st Troop Carrier Wing and other units, the 51st Troop Carrier Wing being placed under the administrative control of Twelfth Air Force. HQ XII Bomber Command is reduced to 1 officer and 1 enlisted man as other personnel are transferred to the 57th Bombardment Wing, which along with the 42d Bombardment Wing (Medium), is placed under the administrative control of Twelfth Air Force. HQ XII Bomber Command will exist as a retaining cadre until 10 Jun 44 when it is officially disbanded.

In Italy, P-40s attack gun positions and vehicles in the US Fifth Army battle area; P-40s and Spitfires of XII Air Support Command maintain cover over the Anzio beachhead area. P-47s attack a 2000-ton vessel in the Adriatic Sea.

 

[Njaco]

2 MARCH 1944

EASTERN FRONT: Soviet submarine Shch-216 of the Black Sea Fleet is sunk off Cape Tarkhankutskiy by a German submarine.

Awards were presented to pilots from JG 52. Oblt. Gerhard Barkhorn was awarded the Schwerter (Swords) and Walter Krupinski and Lt. Erich Hartmann were each awarded the Eichenlaub (Oak Leaves).

MEDITERRANEAN : The rain stopped today, and bombers roamed the blue skies blasting the Germans who have attacked the Anzio garrison day and night since 28 February. Yesterday the Germans, hampered by driving rain, gave up the ground that they had won, and today the US 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion was relieved by the 30th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division. Despite Hitler's fury, Kesselring has called off the offensive.

Over 400 people who boarded a freight train in the absence of any other transport die of carbon monoxide poisoning when the train stops in a tunnel at Salerno.

Lend Lease Aid to Turkey is cut off, due to their reluctance to join the Allies.

459th Bombardment Group (Heavy) (with B-24s) becomes operational, giving the Fifteenth Air Force 13 heavy bomber groups on combat status.

In Italy, nearly 300 US Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s, escorted by 150+ P-38s and P-47s, support the US Fifth Army's Anzio beachhead, bombing the Cisterna di Roma-La Villa area, Velletri, and troop concentrations, guns and other military targets in the battle area at several points, including the Stazione di Campoleone and Carroceto areas. US Twelfth Air Force B-26s attack an assembly area E of Carroceto and, with B-25s, bomb guns and an assembly area NW of Cisterna di Roma, A-20s hit troops in the beachhead battle area; P-40s and A-36s blast troops and guns throughout the Anzio battle area, also hitting Cisterna and Littoria; P-40s and A-36s fly uneventful cover over Anzio. P-47s hit a motor vessel off Sibenik, Yugoslavia leaving it burning.

WESTERN FRONT: At 0259, U-744 attacked the combined Convoy MKS-40/SL-149 and reported three LSTs sunk. In fact, HMS LST-362 was sunk and HMS LST-324 was damaged.

117 RAF Halifaxes and 6 Mosquitos of 4, 6 and 8 Groups to attack the SNCA aircraft factory at Meulan-Les-Meureaux, 15 miles outside Paris. The Oboe marking was accurate and the Halifaxes seriously damaged the factory buildings. No aircraft lost.

15 Lancasters of RAF No 617 Squadron carried out a successful raid on an aircraft factory at Albert in France, 13 Mosquitos to 3 targets in Germany and a flying-bomb site, 2 RCM sorties, 8 Serrate patrols, 8 Stirlings minelaying off French Channel ports, 44 aircraft on Resistance operations, 10 OTU sorties.

84 of 106 US Eighth Air Force B-17s dispatched hit the air depot at Chartres, France; 1 B-17 is lost and 12 damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 10 MIA. This mission is escorted by 89 P-38s, 145 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 47 Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 1 P-38 is lost.

In France, 353 US Ninth Air Force B-26s attack NOBALL (V-weapon) targets, Tergnier, and Amiens/Glisy and Rosieres-en-Santerre Airfields in morning and afternoon missions.

GERMANY: US Eighth Air Force Mission 244: 327 B-17s are dispatched to the Frankfurt am Main marshalling yard; only 101 hit the primary target because of PFF failures; 103 hit Frankfurt Offenbach, 49 hit Ludwigshafen, 20 hit Limburg, 12 hit Fischbach and 8 hit other targets of opportunity; 8 B-17s are lost with 1 KIA, 5 WIA and 80 MIA. 154 B-24s are also dispatched to the same target; 36 hit the primary and 46 hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost and 3 damaged beyond repair; casualties are 16 KIA, 4 WIA and 11 MIA. The bombers claim 2-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft. Escort is provided by 33 P-38s, 445 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 111 P-51s; 1 P-38 is damaged; the P-47s claim 13-2-3 Luftwaffe aircraft, 3 P-47s are lost and 7 damaged, 2 pilots are MIA; the P-51s claim 4-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft, 2 P-51s are damaged and 1 pilot is MIA.

The OKL ordered that only the K-4 version of the Bf 109 was to be produced, halting production of all other versions, including the K-1 and K-3.

 

[Bernhart]

have a question about the mosquito raids. What is a serrate? I'vee looked for the reference in diferent boooks and and online but can't find anything.
Thanks

 

[Njaco]

from 434 Squadron - Glossary Terms

"Serrate sortie - operation to locate and destroy enemy night fighters and combined with night bomber raids. Made use of airborne radar"