This day in the war in Europe 65 years ago

[Njaco]

3 MARCH 1944

MEDITERRANEAN : The 3rd Infantry Division is hit hard again at Anzio but is able to hold the German attacks.

Around 200 US Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s, with 50+ P-47s as escort, hit targets in Italy; the B-17s hit the Rome, Littorio and Tiburtina marshalling yards; the B-24s hit Canino landing ground and Viterbo and Fabrica di Roma air depots; 80+ B-24s and 100+ P-38s abort because of bad weather. US Twelfth Air Force B-25s bomb Rome/Ostiense and railroad stations at San Benedetto de Marsi; weather cancels light and other medium bomber operations; P-40s hit gun positions in the N Anzio beachhead area while A-36s attack the train and tented area between Magliano Romano and Rome; other P-40s fly patrol over the Anzio beachhead area.

The Luftwaffe kept up its efforts in Italy. A dozen Ju 88s of I. and III./LG 1 took off from Aviano along with elements of KG 76 to bomb Anzio harbour. During the Allied attack on Littorio and Fabrica there was no Luftwaffe opposition but fighters rose in defense of other targets. I./JG 2 claimed 5 B-24s and 5 P-47s while I./JG 4 claimed 3 more bombers. In all, 2 B-24s from the Viterbo force and 1 from the Canino raid were lost along with 4 P-47s of the escorting 325th FG. I./JG 4 lost 3 aircraft and 3 more damaged.

President Roosevelt announces that the Italian Fleet will be distributed among the United States, Great Britain, and Soviet Union.

GERMANY: US Eighth Air Force Mission 246: The USAAF launches the first daylight-bombing raid against Berlin. 555 B-17s and 193 B-24s are dispatched to industrial areas and aviation industry plants at Berlin, Erkner and Oranienburg but deteriorating weather and dense contrails force the formations to abort or seek targets of opportunity, i.e.: One bomber group of 29 bombers and 6 escort fighters failed to get the recall order and continued on to the target. The German air defenses failed to respond to such a small raid. When the bombers reached Berlin, there was a clearing in the cloud cover and they hit the city. 9 of 555 B-17s are lost, 61 hit Wilhelmshaven and 14 hit targets of opportunity; casualties are 2 KIA, 3 WIA and 83 MIA. 2 of 193 B-24s are lost and only 4 hit targets of opportunity; casualties are 3 KIA, 8 WIA and 20 MIA. The bombers claim 3-1-1 Luftwaffe aircraft. Escort is provided by 89 P-38s, 484 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 130 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; claim and loses are: 1 P-38 is lost and 1 damaged; 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair and 13 damaged; P-51s claim 8-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 P-51s are lost; 5 pilots are MIA. Uffz. Hans-Joachim Tunger of II./JG 1 (4 kills) is killed in action.

16 RAF Mosquitos flew to Berlin, 10 to Düsseldorf, 1 to Krefeld and 2 to Sottevaast flying-bomb site, 45 aircraft minelaying off French ports, 9 OTU sorties. No losses.

WESTERN FRONT: 3 Wellington minelaying sorties flown on this night by RAF No. 300 (Polish) Squadron, based at Ingham, were the last Wellington operations flown by a normal Bomber Command squadron; RCM squadrons of No 100 Group would continue to use Wellingtons in small numbers for several months and the OTUs would use Wellingtons until the end of the war.

Adolf Hitler orders the Channel Islands converted into fortresses.

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.

Lt. Wilhelm Johen of 5./NJG 5 was appointed Staffelkapitaen of 6./NJG 5.

 

[Njaco]

4 MARCH 1944

GERMANY: US Eighth Air Force Mission 247: 502 B-17s are dispatched to hit industrial areas in the suburbs of Berlin; bad weather forces aircraft to either turn back or hit targets of opportunity and only 1 wing attacks the primary target and a total of 249 bomb. A recall message was received and most of the bombers turned back. The lead aircraft for the 95th BG, "I'll Be Around", was piloted that day by Alvin Brown, with squadron leader Grif Mumford on board as a command pilot. The radio operator of the aircraft received the message, but told Mumford: (1) the message had the wrong salutation codes at the beginning, and (2) the signal was too strong and clear to have originated in England and was therefore a fake message sent by the Germans. Mumford elected to continue the mission, and the 95th BG, accompanied by elements of the 100th BG proceeded on to Berlin. They were met by P-51s of the 357th FG. Although the first US bomber over Berlin, "I'll Be Around" however was not the first to bomb the German capital. That distinction went to 2 pathfinder B-17s because the bomb bay doors of "I'll Be Around" had frozen shut.

15 B-17s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 120 damaged; casualties are 3 KIA, 11 WIA and 141 MIA. Targets: 100 hit Bonn, 35 hit Cologne, 33 hit Dusseldorf, 30 hit Berlin/Klein Machnow, 7 hit Frankfurt and 33 hit other targets of opportunity. B-24s were also dispatched but abort because of the weather. Escort is provided by 86 P-38s, 563 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 121 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; 24 fighters were lost. Details are: 4 P-38s lost, 2 damaged beyond repair, 1 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 4 MIA. P-47s claim 3-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground; 4 P-47s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged; casualties are 3 MIA. P-51s claim 5-2-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 16 P-51s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 16 MIA. Göring later said,

"When I saw the American fighters over Berlin I knew the jig was up."

RAF Mosquito operations: 15 to Berlin, 6 to Duisburg, 1 to Aachen and 1 to Sottevaast, 10 Halifaxes minelaying off Brest, 76 aircraft on Resistance operations. 15 Lancasters of No 617 Squadron were unable to locate their target, the La Ricamerie needle-bearing factory near Lyons, because of cloud, and returned without bombing. No aircraft lost.

Erich Hartmann and Walter Krupinski of 7./JG 52 were recieved in Berlin for awards. As Krupinski remembered;

"Erich Hartmann and I had partied heavily the night before and were drunk as heck, despite the fact that we were to recieve our awards from der Fuhrer. Hartmann knew him from before, because as you know he was decorated 3 times by Hitler with the Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. I was getting the Oak Leaves along with Hartmann.... Hartmann was making some funny comments about him, mimicking him and he tried to stand still without falling over. I was not in much better shape. We only started to sober up as Hitler, after handing us our awards, began describing his plan for "Panzerfest", which was a way to immunize the army divisions against enemy tank attacks. He asked us about Lemberg, where we had come from and where our brave soldiers were fighting those Russian tanks and were dying terribly. He told us about the war in Russia and you had the feeling that you were listening to a complete madman. I thought he was a raving lunatic, and by the time the meeting was over, Hartmann and I needed another drink and Hartmann kept saying, 'I told you so!'"

WESTERN FRONT: In France, 251 US Ninth Air Force 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. 219 B-24's are dispatched to hit French airfields; 62 hit Bergerac Airfield, 60 hit the Chateau-Bernard Airfied at Cognac; 41 hit Landes de Bussac Airfield and 1 hits La Roche Airfield. The groups participating were the 44th, 93d, 389th, 392d, 445th, 446th 448th, 453d and 458th Bombardment Groups (Heavy). Fighter support consisted of 34 P-38's, 185 P-47's and 88 P-51's.

'U-703' attacked Convoy RA-57 near Kola Inlet with a spread of FAT torpedoes and sank SS 'Empire Tourist'. At 1545 hours, 'U-703' fired a Gnat and heard a detonation after 3 minutes 10 seconds, which was observed by destroyer HMS 'Milne'. This destroyer then attacked the U-boat with depth charges for several hours. The master, 41 crewmembers, 23 gunners, two signalmen and one naval personnel from the 'Empire Tourist' were picked up by minesweeper HMS 'Gleaner' and landed at Aultbea, Loch Ewe.

'U-472' was sunk SE of Bear Island, Norway, by gunfire and rockets from destroyer HMS 'Onslaught' and 816 Sqn Swordfish aircraft from escort carrier HMS 'Chaser'. 23 dead and 30 survivors.

MEDITERRANEAN : German forces in Italy give up counterattacks on the Anzio front. There is a lull in the fighting giving the Germans time to rally their forces for defence.

In Italy, weather cancels most air operations; P-40s fly a few sorties against gun emplacements in the battle area, and others uneventfully patrol the Anzio area.

EASTERN FRONT: The Red Army pushes German forces back across the river Bug, except for a pocket at Uman. The 1st Ukrainian Front launches a new set of attacks driving toward Tarnopol.

UNITED KINGDOM: A Spitfire fighter operating from Milfield airfield, in Northumberland crashed at Yeavering Farm, Kirknewton, Northumberland at about 11.50, owing to engine trouble. The pilot, a member of the Free French Air Force, was injured.

 

[Njaco]

5 MARCH 1944

WESTERN FRONT: 219 B-24's are dispatched to hit French airfields; 62 hit Bergerac Airfield, 60 hit the Chateau-Bernard Airfield at Cognac; 41 hit Landes de Bussac Airfield and 1 hits La Roche Airfield. The group participating were the 44th, 93d, 389th, 392d, 445th, 446th 448th, 453d and 458th Bombardment Groups (Heavy). Fighter support consisted of 34 P-38's, 185 P-47's and 88 P-51's. 2 P-38s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 1 pilot is killed and another MIA; 1 P-47 is damaged and 1 pilot is KIA; the P-51s claim 14-0-6 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 0-0-6 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 1 pilot is WIA and 4 MIA.

217 US Ninth Air Force B-26s attack NOBALL (V-weapon) targets in the Saint-Omer-Abbeville, France area.

'U-366' sunk NW of Hammerfest, by rockets from an RN 816 Sqn Swordfish off escort carrier HMS 'Chaser'. 50 dead (all hands lost).

The unescorted SS 'John Holt' was torpedoed and sunk by 'U-66' 60 miles south of the Opobo River in the Gulf of Guinea. The master and one passenger were taken prisoner and were later lost with the U-boat. 41 crewmembers, nine gunners, three passengers and 40 Krooboys were picked up by the British tanker 'Empire Ruby' and landed at Port Harcourt.

9 RAF Mosquitos went to Duisburg and 1 to Aachen, 4 RCM sorties, 4 Serrate patrols, 49 Stirlings and 17 Halifaxes on Resistance operations. 1 aircraft, believed to be a Halifax, was lost on one of the Resistance flights.

EASTERN FRONT: In a new Ukrainian offensive Soviet troops advance 31 miles and retake Izyaslav, Ostropol and Yampol. Zhukov's 1st Ukrainian Front offensive shatters the lines of Heeresgruppe Sud driving deep into the German rear. Meanwhile, Koniev's 2nd Ukrainian Front opens its attacks further south toward Uman.

MEDITERRANEAN : US Twelfth Air Force Troop Carrier Command (Provisional) is disbanded at Palermo. Weather again severely hampers operations in Italy, but P-40s hit Pontecorvo and A-36s attack Formia.

 

[Njaco]

6 MARCH 1944

GERMANY: US Eighth Air Force Mission 250: 504 B-17s and 226 B-24s are dispatched to hit industrial areas in the suburbs of Berlin; fierce fighter opposition claims 69 bombers (the highest number lost by the Eighth Air Force in a single day) and 11 fighters; the bombers claim 97-28-60 Luftwaffe fighters; details are: 248 B-17s hit secondary targets in the Berlin area; 18 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 172 damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 8 WIA and 184 MIA. 226 B-17s hit targets of opportunity at Templin, Verden, Kalkeberge, Potsdam, Oranienburg and Wittenberg; 35 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 121 damaged; casualties are 15 WIA and 354 MIA. 198 B-24s hit the primary target (Genshagen industrial area), secondary targets in the Berlin area and targets of opportunity at Potsdam; 16 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 54 damaged; casualties are 15 KIA, 8 WIA and 148 MIA.

Escort is provided by 86 P-38s, 615 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and100 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; results are: P-38s claim 3-0-1Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38 is lost, the pilot is MIA. P-47s claim 36-7-12 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 P-47s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 4 damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 5 MIA. P-51s claim 43-1-20 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 P-51s are lost and 2 damaged; casualties are 5 MIA. The fighters also claim 1-0-12 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground.

Luftwaffe fighter Gruppen recieved the Green flare and Hptm. Rudolf Sinner, Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 54, led his 20 Bf 109s from their base at Luneberg and headed for an assembly point near Hanover. The fighter force, under the command of Hptm. Rolf Hermichen, included Stab and I./JG 11, III./JG 11, II./JG 11, III./JG 54, I./JG 1 and II./JG 1. In all there were 107 Bf 109s and Fw 190s - one of the largest Luftwaffe Gefechtsverbands ever vectored as a unit toward a bomber stream. I./JG 1 attacked first followed by III./JG 54. In less than a minute, 10 bombers went down. Hardest hit was the 100th BG - the "Bloody 100th" - who lost 9 B-17s.

Soon no fewer than 19 Jagdgruppen, 3 Zerstorergruppen and 4 Nachtjagdgruppen, together with some miscellaneaous units were taking on the bombers. Seven Fw 190s from Sturmstaffel 1 joined with the Bf 109s of IV./JG 3 and headed towards Magdeburg where they were to form another Gefechtsverband. Once assembled, this large formation comprised a total of 41 Bf 110s and Me 410s from II. and III./ZG 26 along with I. and II./ZG 76. Behind this formation flew 72 Bf 109s and Fw 190s from Stab./JG 3, II./JG 3, IV./JG 3, Sturmstaffel 1, I./JG 302 and the Jasta Erla works defense flight led by Hptm. Laube. The Zerstorers went in first, firing off their mortars. Asthey did so, P-51s from the Us 4th FG dived out of the sun onto them and caused the defenders to break off their attacks early. The result was that many of the mortars were ineffective. Following behind, the Bf 109s of IV./JG 3 attacked head-on out of the sun. 12 bombers would be shot down including 1 P-51.

More Luftwaffe fighters joined the battle including all three Gruppen of JG 26, II./JG 2, I./JG 1 and all 3 Gruppen of NJG 5. By the end, the Allies lost a total of 53 B-17s, 16 B-24s, 5 P-51s, 5 P-47s and 1 P-38 to fighters. But the Luftwaffe lost also. Of the 7 Bf 110s from III./ZG 26 involved, 5 were destroyed and 2 damaged. II./ZG 26 lost 5 Me 410s and I./ZG 76 lost 3 Bf 110s. NJG 5 lost 5 aircraft.

15 RAF Mosquitos flew to Hannover, 6 to Kiel and 1 to Krefeld, 1 RCM sortie, 30 aircraft on Resistance operations. No losses.

WESTERN FRONT: In France, 260 US Ninth Air Force 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.

261 RAF Halifaxes and 6 Mosquitos of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups on the first of a series of raids on railway targets in France and Belgium in preparation for the invasion. Enormous damage is inflicted, with no loss of planes. This is the first attack of the Allied Transportation Plan, to disrupt German reinforcement routes prior to an amphibious landing.

A detachment of 22d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), ceases operating from Attlebridge and returns to base at Mount Farm, England with F-5s.

RAF bombers devastate Trappes railway yard as part of the plan to disable communications in Europe in the build-up to the invasion of Europe.

'U-744' (type VIIC) is sunk after being torpedoed by the British destroyer HMS 'Icarus', then after unsuccessful attempts at towing the boat to port, by depth charges from 'Icarus', the Canadian frigate HMCS 'St. Catherines', corvettes 'Fennel' and 'Chilliwack' and destroyers 'Chaudiere' and 'Gatineau' and the British corvette HMS 'Kenilworth Castle'. 12 dead and 40 survivors. After 32 hours of attack 'U-744' (OLtzS Heinz Blischke, CO), was forced to surface in the North Atlantic. Of the crew of 51, 4 senior ratings, 33 junior ratings survived. Members of 'Chilliwack' boarded 'U-744' prior to her sinking, OLtzS Blischke, was among those lost in this action. 'U-744' was considered to be one of the classic U-boat hunts of the war. The C2 support group was searching 4 miles ahead of the 63-ship convoy HX 280, en route from New York City for Liverpool. 'Icarus' obtained an HF/DF bearing and Gatineau obtained a sonar contact at 1000. 'U-744' was a captained by a highly competent commander who proved to be a very wily opponent. Blischke repeatedly avoided attacks and evaded effectively in the disturbed water caused by depth charge explosions. The attackers expended every weapon in their inventory, including over 290 depth charges and there seemed to be no solution other than waiting for the U-boat to surface. After 32 hours of depth charge attacks, the German crew was at the extreme limit of their endurance and the submarine was seriously damaged. 'U-744' surfaced and the crew unsuccessfully attempted to scuttle her. Members of 'Chilliwack' boarded the boat and gathered papers and documents. 'Icarus' torpedoed 'U-744' but she did not sink. Then, after unsuccessful attempts at towing the boat to port, 'U-744' was sunk by shallow-set depth charges.

'U-973' was sunk NNW of Narvik, by rockets from an RN 816 Sqn Swordfish from escort carrier HMS 'Chaser'. 51 dead and 2 survivors.

'U-737' damaged an RAF 120 Sqn Liberator that was destroyed when forced to crash land.

MEDITERRANEAN: General Truscott of the US 6th Corps at Anzio, Italy, launches a major offensive on German forces.

In Italy, US Twelfth Air Force P-40s pound gun positions N of the Anzio beachhead (mostly NE of Ardea), and bomb Frosinone and hit guns near Littoria; A-36s fly armed reconnaissance of roads and railroad NE of Rome, hitting several vehicles and bombing railroad cars at Capranica.

Convoy UGS 33, bound from New York to Alexandria, Egypt, strays into Allied minefield off Tunis. US freighter 'Daniel Chester French' is sunk by mines; four Armed Guard sailors (of the 28- man detachment), nine of the merchant crew (of 44 men) and 24 of the 86 Army passengers perish with the ship. British rescue tug 'Charon', steamer 'Thelma', and tug 'Rescue' pick up the surviving crew and passengers. Freighter 'Virginia Dare' is irreparably damaged. There are no casualties (including among the 28-man Armed Guard).

EASTERN FRONT: Malinovski's 3rd Ukrainian Front opens. 1st Ukrainian Front continues to make impressive gains cutting the Odessa-Lvov rail line and capturing Volvchisk.

 

[Njaco]

7 MARCH 1944

EASTERN FRONT: The Finnish government informs the Soviet government (via Kollontay in Sweden) that it is interested in continuing the peace probes.

In a routine gassing, 3,823 Czech Jews from the ghetto at Theresienstadt are killed at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

WESTERN FRONT: The unescorted 'Valera' (Master Henry J. Turner) was torpedoed and sunk by 'U-518' off Barranquilla, Columbia. One crew member was lost. The survivors drifted several days before being picked up by a US Coast Guard vessel and taken to Panama.

304 RAF aircraft - 242 Halifaxes, 56 Lancasters, 6 Mosquitos - of Nos 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups flew to Le Mans. No aircraft lost. The target was cloud-covered but heavy damage to the railway yards was believed to have been caused. Approximately 300 bombs fell in the railway yards; 250 wagons were destroyed, many railway lines were cut, a turntable was put out of action and 6 locomotives were hit.

In France, 112 US Ninth Air Force 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.

GERMANY: 15 RAF Mosquitos to 4 German targets, 6 RCM sorties, 1 Serrate patrol, 51 aircraft on Resistance operations, 6 OTU sorties. No losses.

UNITED KINGDOM: 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).

MEDITERRANEAN: Around 300 US Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s hit targets in France and Italy; the B-17s bomb the Toulon, France submarine base; in Italy, B-24s hit marshalling yards at Poggibonsi, Pontassieve and Prato and air depots at Orvieto, Rome and Viterbo. P-47s and P-38s fly about 150 sorties in support of the bombers.

In Italy, US Twelfth Air Force B-25s bomb the Rome/Ostiense marshalling yard while other B-25s hit the Littoria marshalling yard; A-20s strike the Zagarolo railroad station; P-40s attack enemy positions in the Anzio beachhead area with good results, while A-36s hit communication at Montebello, railroad station near Civitavecchia, gun emplacements near Littoria Airfield, and a train at Monterotondo; P-40s over the Anzio beachhead encounter no air opposition.

 

[Njaco]

8 MARCH 1944

UNITED KINGDOM: A new mark of Spitfire, the XIV, is coming into RAF service. The Merlin engine of earlier marks has been replaced by a two-stage Griffon. This and the re-designed airframe enable the Mark XIV to reach speeds of almost 450mph, as well as markedly improving the rate of climb. For some time the Spitfire has been struggling against the Focke-Wulf Fw190. These improvements will enable it to match its rival on much better terms.

MEDITERRANEAN: More than a million Italian workers have marched out of the factories to strike against "German pillaging" in occupied northern Italy. German tanks and SS infantrymen are being used in an attempt to force the workers back. The Germans have also threatened to impose a quisling Gauleiter and martial law, with the death penalty for strike leaders.

US freighter 'Virginia Dare', irreparably damaged by Allied mine on 6 March off Tunis, breaks up after encountering heavy weather; she is subsequently written off as a total loss.

In Italy, B-25s strike at the Orte marshalling yard and Orte-Fabrica di Roma railroad; B-26s hit the Rome/ Tiburtina marshalling yard and dock area at Porto Santo Stefano; P-40 fighter-bombers hit gun positions and a road junction near Rome while A-36s attack a road junction near Montalto di Castro, also hitting a bridge and a train, and guns and a castle SW of Celano; P-47s hit gun emplacements; P-40s strafe vehicles near Rome/Via Appia.

EASTERN FRONT: Adolf Hitler issues Führer Order 11, defining two classes of fortresses on the Eastern front. Fortified Areas are to hold down enemy forces, and counter-attack. Local Strong-points are to defend against enemy penetrations past Fortified Areas.

GERMANY: US Eighth Air Force Mission 252: The primary target is the ball bearing plant at Erkner, a suburb of Berlin; enemy opposition is fierce and 37 bombers and 16 fighters are lost; 320 of 414 B-17s and 150 of 209 B-24s dispatched hit the primary; 36 B-17s hit Wildau and targets of opportunity; 33 B-24s hit Berlin and targets of opportunity; the bombers claim 63-17-19 Luftwaffe aircraft; 28 B-17s and 9 B-24s are lost, 1 B-17 and 2 B-24s are damaged beyond repair; casualties are 4 KIA, 14 WIA and 364 MIA. Escort is provided by 104 P-38s, 613 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 174 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; claims/losses are: P-38s claim 9-2-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 P-38s are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 4 MIA. P-47s claim 49-6-18 Luftwaffe aircraft; 10 P-47s are lost, 13 damaged beyond repair and 4 damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 2 WIA and 10 MIA. P-51s claim 29-4-9 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 P-51s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; casualties are 4 MIA. An additional 8-4-7 Luftwaffe aircraft are claimed on the ground.

Luftwaffe opposition was fierce. III./JG 26 attacked the bombers and Oblt. Mietusch, Geschwaderkommodore, gained his 60th victory. But when he attempted to attack the withdrawing bombers he was shot down by escorting P-47s. He baled out and landed but sustained injuries that kept him out of action for several weeks. Major Muller of the new IV(Sturm)./JG 3 destroyed 3 bombers to reach 122 victories. The fighters of II./JG 1 lost their Gruppenkommandeur when Hptm. Segatz (40 kills) was killed. Major Heinz Bar took over as acting Gruppenkommandeur.

A B-17, "Phyllis Marie" went down in Occupied Europe with battle damage and was captured intact. Using a large stock of spare B-17 parts, "Phyllis Marie" was made flyable and transferred to KG 200. US forces re-captured the plane on a runway at Altenburg on 4 May 1945.

WESTERN FRONT: In the Netherlands, 225+ US Ninth Air Force B-26s attack Volkel Airfield once and Soesterberg Airfield twice in morning and afternoon missions.

 

[Njaco]

9 MARCH 1944

GERMANY: US Eighth Air Force Mission 253: 8 bombers and 1 fighter are lost on missions to Germany; the bombers claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 221 bombers are damaged; details are: 339 of 361 B-17s dispatched hit Berlin; 6 B-17s are lost and 1 is damaged beyond repair; casualties are 10 KIA, 6 WIA and 43 MIA. 150 of 165 B-24s hit secondary targets at Hannover, Brunswick and Nienburg; 2 B-24s are lost and 1 damaged beyond repair; casualties are 12 WIA and 20 MIA. Escort is provided by 83 P-38s, 572 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 153 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; no claims are made; 1 P-38 is lost, 2 P-38s and 1 P-51 are damaged beyond repair; casualties are 1 KIA, 1 WIA and 1 MIA.

8 RAF Mosquitos to Düsseldorf, 2 Serrate patrols. No losses.

MEDITERRANEAN:I n Italy, B-25s strike the dock area of Porto Stefano, some bombs falling in the Port'oErcole area; B-25s bomb a bridge at Montalto di Castro; A-20s hit a tank repair depot N of Tivoli; P-40s blast gun positions W of Campoleone, W of Pratica di Mare, and S of Ciampino; A-36s bomb Capranica railroad station and targets nearby; and fighters fly uneventful patrols over Anzio.

Destroyer 'Edison' (DD-439) sinks German submarine 'U-450' off Anzio. The 'Edison' was assisted by depth charges from the British escort destroyers HMS 'Blankney', HMS 'Blencathra', HMS 'Brecon' and HMS 'Exmoor' and the US destroyer USS 'Madison'. 42 survivors (No casualties).

US freighter 'Clark Mills' is damaged by mine off North African coast and beached off Bizerte,the ship is later written off as a total loss. There are no casualties to either the merchant crew, passengers, or the 42-man Armed Guard.

WESTERN FRONT: Flower class corvette HMS 'Asphodel' is torpedoed and sunk by 'U-575' (Oberleutnant zur See Rudolf Boehme) WNW of Cape Finisterre. There are 92 casualties, but only 5 survivors.

USCG-manned destroyer escort USS 'Leopold', was on her second voyage and escorting Convoy CU-16, when she got an acoustic contact about 400 miles south of Iceland and turned to investigate it. But before the destroyer escort reached the U-boat, she was hit at 2200 by a Gnat from 'U-255' and abandoned. The vessel remained afloat but sank early the next morning. Only 28 survivors were picked up by sister ship USS 'Joyce'.

44 RAF Lancasters of No 5 Group attacked an aircraft factory at Marignane near Marseilles and carried out an accurate raid in bright moonlight. No aircraft lost.

EASTERN FRONT: Zhukov's 1st Ukrainian Front continues to drive west capturing Starokonstantinov near Shepetovka and reaching the city of Tarnopol.

 

[Njaco]

10 MARCH 1944

UNITED KINGDOM: Convoy RA-57, returning from Russia, arrives safely in Loch Ewe having lost one ship, sunk three U-boats and damaged two others.

'U-275' sunk in the English Channel south of Newhaven, by a mine. 48 dead (all hands lost).

'U-681' sunk at 0930hrs in the English Channel west of Isles of Scilly by depth charges from a US Liberator aircraft (VPB-103). 11 dead and 38 survivors. The boat struck a rock while submerged near the Bishop Rock and was forced to surface and was then attacked by the Liberator aircraft. It sank roughly 4 miles to the north-east of the Isles of Scilly.

SS 'Svava' (1,216t) a Ministry of Transport coal ship was bound for the Thames from Warkworth. When off Blyth she collided with the 'Fort Beausjour' and sank in 35 metres of water. She was built in 1904.

EASTERN FRONT: The Red Army has made another breakthrough, the third in a week, in the Ukraine. On the whole 500-mile front, from the approaches to the Dnieper estuary north to Tarnopol, von Manstein's Army Group South is in flight, desperately trying to avoid being encircled. The Wehrmacht, bogged down in the black Ukrainian mud, is abandoning arms and equipment in its flight. The Russians claim to have captured 200 Tiger and Panther tanks among the booty. Konev's 2nd Ukrainian Front opens a fresh offensive utterly destroying the German defensive positions along a front of 100 miles. The German airbase at Uman falls in the attacks and some of the mobile formations drive 40 miles into the German rear. Meanwhile, Zhukov's 1st Ukrainian Front captures Proskurov to the north. A Pravda report says that;

"it seems incredible that the army could advance one step in this flooded terrain, but it has reached that superlative point at which all obstacles are powerless to halt it."

MEDITERRANEAN: In Italy, B-26s bomb the Rome/Tiburtina marshalling yard and unsuccessfully attack the Orvieto railroad bridge, while B-25s hit the Littoria marshalling yard; P-40s and A-36s strike at enemy positions on the coast at San Felice Circeo, gun positions E of Littoria, guns and tanks at Cisterna di Roma, railroad at Montalto di Castro, train at Monte Libretti station and railway buildings at Zagarolo; and fighters patrol the Anzio area without incident.

'U-343' is sunk in the Mediterranean south of Sardinia, by depth charges from ASW trawler HMS 'Mull'. 51 dead (all hands lost).

'U-450' is sunk in the western Mediterranean south of Ostia, by depth charges from escort destroyers HMS 'Blankney', 'Blencathra', 'Brecon' and 'Exmoor' and destroyer USS 'Madison'. 42 survivors (No casualties).

The US freighter 'William B. Woods' (Master Edward Ames Clark), escorted by 'Aretusa', was hit on the port side by a Gnat torpedo from 'U-952' about 47 miles northeast of Palermo, Sicily. The torpedo struck in the #5 hold, opening a hole twelve feet wide, breaking the shaft, blowing off the hatch cover and beams and throwing cargo over the deck, but did not ignite the bombs stowed in that hold. The master tried to save the ship, but the engines had to be secured as she settled by the stern and most of the nine officers, 34 crewmen, 28 armed guards (the ship was armed with two 3in and eight 20mm guns) and 407 US Army troops began to abandon ship after 25 minutes in four lifeboats, one raft and 14 Army rafts. 70 men had to remain behind and constructed makeshift rafts before they jumped overboard when the ship sank by the stern at 19.40 hours. One armed guard and 51 troops were lost. The survivors were picked up by the escort and two small British motor boats and taken to Palermo. Escorting Italian destroyer escort 'Aretusa' provides no help. Complaints were made about the actions of the Italian escort due to her deplorable rescue efforts.

WESTERN FRONT: 'U-845' (type IXC/40) is sunk by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS 'Forester', the Canadian destroyer HMCS 'St Laurent', the corvette HMCS 'Owensound' and the frigate HMCS 'Swansea'. 10 dead and 45 survivors. KKpt Weber was among those lost in the action. The attacking ships were part of Escort Groups C-1 and EG-9, which had been sent to support Convoy SC-154. 'U-845', who had conducted one unsuccessful attack, surfaced astern of the convoy to recharge batteries and to reposition for further attacks. 'St Laurent' sighted her at 1647, who closed at high speed and forced the U-boat to submerge. 'U-845's' batteries had been depleted to 60-percent, which placed her at a major disadvantage. A prolonged series of attacks lasted until 22 -34 when the submarine re-surfaced and attempted to disengage. Weber made many innovative attempts to evade but was thwarted by ideal acoustic conditions and bright moonlight. A running gun battle ensued that resulted in the sinking of the submarine at 23 -38. 'St Laurent' expended 119 rounds of 4.7-inch and 1,440 rounds of 20-mm ammunition. KKpt Weber was killed by gunfire.

'U-625' (type VIIC) is sunk west of Ireland, by depth charges from a Canadian 422 Sqn Sunderland aircraft (RCAF Sqdn. 422/U). 53 dead (all hands lost). 'U-625' was engaged in operations against the 30-ship Halifax to Liverpool convoy SC-154 when she was attacked on the surface in the late afternoon. The submarine dove as she was attacked but resurfaced three minutes later and the crew abandoned the boat. A signal was sent by lamp to the aircraft from the survivors in their life raft that read "Nice bombing." SC-154 arrived in Liverpool on 15 Mar 44 with all of its ships intact.

'U-575' attacked the convoy SL-150, which was combined with convoy MKS-41 and sank HMS 'Asphodel' (K 56) (Lt M.A. Halliday, RNZNR) with a Gnat west-northwest of Cape Finisterre. The commander, four officers and 87 ratings were lost. Only five survivors were picked up by HMS 'Clover' (K 134) (Lt T.E. Fanshawe, RNR). After the attack the U-boat was hunted by escorts for 18 hours but managed to escape.

102 RAF Lancasters of No 5 Group carried out moonlight raids on 4 factories in France -33 aircraft to the Michelin works at Clermont-Ferrand, 30 to an aircraft factory at Châteauroux, 23 to Ossun and 16 (from 617 Squadron) to the La Ricamerie factory. All targets were successfully bombed. 1 Lancaster lost from the Clermont-Ferrand raid.

Obstlt. Lothat von Janson, Geschwaderkommodore of ZG 1, was posted as missing in action over the Bay of Biscay. His Ju 88C-6 was shot down - a victim of RAF No. 157 Sqdrn. Oblt. Erich von Selle was appointed Geschwaderkommodore in his place.

GERMANY: The first 'B' series prototype of the Arado 234 V-9 was test flown, piloted by Joachim Carl. This ninth prototype, designated V-9 or Ar 234B-0 was the first Ar 234B with abuilt-in undercarriage. By this time, production lines were being set up to build the aircraft in quanity and the first 20 'B' series came off the line in June.

 

[Njaco]

11 MARCH 1944

WESTERN FRONT: 34 of 51 US Eighth Air Force B-24s hit V-weapon sites at Wizernes, France; 1 B-24 is damaged. Escort is provided by 40 P-38s and 213 P-47s; 2 P-47s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 2 MIA. 61 US Ninth Air Force B-26s bomb V-weapon sites in N France; 53 abort because of weather and navigational difficulties.

About 100 US Fifteenth Air Force B-24s, escorted by 30+ P-38s, bomb the harbor at Toulon, France.'U-380' was destroyed during the air raid on Toulon. One man from its crew was killed. [Maschinenmaat Jonny Christoph]. USAAF aircraft also sink the 'U-410'.

'UIT-22' is sunk south of the Cape of Good Hope, by a South African aircraft. 43 dead (all hands lost). Launched as the Italian submarine Alpino Bagnolini on 28 October 1939, she was taken over by the Germans, following the Italian capitulation, at her Bordeaux, France base on 9 September, 1943. These boats were roughly 1166tons on the surface, in many ways they were similar in measurements to the German type IXC, they had 8 torpedo tubes and carried 14 torpedoes and had a complement of roughly 57 in Italian service.

EASTERN FRONT: Malinovski's 3rd Ukrainian Front opens a fresh offensive capturing Berislav and Kherson in the southern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Zhukov's forces drive to the Bug River.

NORTH AMERICA : A production order for 100 Bell P-59 Airacomet jets is placed.

GERMANY: 47 RAF Mosquitos flew to 6 German cities, with the largest raid being by 20 aircraft to Hamburg, 4 Serrate patrols, 43 aircraft minelaying in the Frisians and off Brest and Biscay ports, 22 aircraft on Resistance operations, 21 OTU sorties. 1 Stirling minelayer lost.

120 of 124 US Eighth Air Force B-17s dispatched hit the marshalling yard at Munster; 1 B-17 drops on Bentheim as a target of opportunity and 3 drop on Burgsteinfurt accidentally; 1 B-17 is lost and 24 damaged; casualties are 10 MIA. Escort is provided by 90 P-47s and 50 P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost and 2 P-47s are damaged; casualties are 2 MIA.

Major Walther Dahl of JG 3 and JG 300 was awarded the Ritterkreuz for achieving 67 victories.

MEDITERRANEAN: In Italy, 100+ US Fifteenth Air Force B-17s, escorted by 50+ P-47s, hit the marshalling yard at Padua; other B-24s bomb the marshalling yards at Pontassieve and Prato and hit the airfield at Iesi. The bombers and fighters claim destruction of 30+ enemy aircraft in the air. US Twelfth Air Force medium bombers strike at Florence, Orvieto and Fabriano marshalling yards with good results; P-40, A-36, and P-47 fighter-bombers attack a supply depot, railroad station, and factory in areas NE of Monterotondo, and numerous other targets, including gun positions in the battle areas, railroad facilities, and 2 supply trains.

 

[Njaco]

12 MARCH 1944

UNITED KINGDOM: With an invasion attempt of occupied Europe imminent the Allies have almost sealed off Eire from the rest of the world, following Dublin's refusal to expel Axis diplomats. For the time being 250,000 Irish citizens working in Britain cannot return home, nor can any of the 164,000 serving with the British armed forces. Mr Churchill recognizes that this decision is "painful" in view of the contribution of so many Irishmen to the war effort. There were tears at Liverpool as some Irish girls were refused permission to sail home yesterday, but 1,000 others did leave.

A FAA Supermarine Seafire lost its way during a search for missing aircraft and landed at Gormanstown Aerodrome, Ireland. It was refueled and returned the same day.

An RCAF Armstrong Whitworth landed at Dublin Airport, Colinstown, while lost on a training mission but returned the next day.

EASTERN FRONT: Konev's forces reach the River Bug at Gayvoron.

WESTERN FRONT: 'U-311' shot down an RAF 58 Sqn Halifax.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 256: 46 of 52 B-24s dispatched hit a V-weapon site at St Pol/Siracourt, France and 6 hit targets of opportunity, all using blind-bombing techniques; 1 B-24 is lost and 26 damaged; casualties are 1 WIA.

MEDITERRANEAN: Light cruisers 'Philadelphia' (CL-41) and 'Brooklyn' (CL-40) provide gunfire support off Anzio; they repeat the missions on the 13th. On both occasions they encounter shore battery fire without damage.

Submarine chaser PC-624 is damaged when she runs aground three miles east of Palermo, Sicily.

345th Fighter Squadron, 350th Fighter Group, ceases operating form Corsica with P-39s and returns to base on Sardinia.

GERMANY: 14 RAF Mosquitos were sent out, 11 to Aachen and 3 to Duisburg; none lost.

 

[Njaco]

13 MARCH 1944

EASTERN FRONT: Malinovski's 3rd Ukrainian Front captures Kherson.

The USSR and Italy re-establish diplomatic links.

WESTERN FRONT: 'U-575' (type VIIC) is sunk north of the Azores, by depth charges from the Canadian frigate HMCS 'Prince Rupert', the US destroyer USS 'Hobson', destroyer escort 'Haverfield', and by depth charges from a British Wellington and Fortress aircraft (Sqdns. 172/B and 206/R and 220/J) and Avenger aircraft of the US escort carrier USS 'Bogue'. 18 dead and 37 survivors. 'U-575' was located by 'Bogue's' a/c and was soon joined by 'Haverfield'. 'Prince Rupert' was detached from the passing convoy ON 227 to join the action. Both ships attacked with depth charges and hedgehog but with no result. They were joined by USS 'Hobson', which began slow creeping attack that forced the submarine to the surface. Amidst a hail of fire from all three ships and an 'Avenger' a/c from 'Bogue', the submarine crew abandoned ship as she sank. OLtzS Bohmer was among the survivors.

The unescorted 'Peleus' was hit by two torpedoes from 'U-852' and sank rapidly about 500 miles north of Ascension Island. The U-boat tried to destroy all evidences of the sinking by shooting at debris and rafts from the ship. During this action some survivors were killed and only four men were alive when the U-boat left the area. One of them later died, the remaining three survivors were picked up by the Portuguese SS 'Alexandre Silva' on 20 April and taken to Lobito, Angola.

213 RAF Halifaxes and 9 Mosquitos of Nos 4,6 and 8 Groups on a repeat raid to Le Mans. 1 Halifax lost. The local report shows that the Maroc Station and two nearby factories were severely damaged, with many lines being cut and 15 locomotives and 800 wagons being destroyed. 39 RAF Mosquitos flew to 5 German targets, with the largest raid being by 26 aircraft to Frankfurt, 4 RCM sorties, 4 Serrate patrols, 25 Stirlings and 10 Halifaxes minelaying off French Channel ports, 19 aircraft on Resistance operations, 21 OTU sorties. 1 Stirling minelayer lost.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 257: 127 B-17s and 144 B-24s are dispatched to bomb V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais, France area but the strike is cancelled due to bad weather; 7 B-17s bomb Poix Airfield as a target of opportunity; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 61 B-17s and 13 B-24s are damaged; casualties are 6 KIA, 1 WIA and 20 MIA. Escort is provided by 213 P-47s; 1 P-47 is damaged.

40 US Ninth Air Force B-26s attack a V-weapon site at Lottinghen/Les Grands Bois, France; 37 abort due to bad weather.

MEDITERRANEAN: In Italy, B-26s bomb railway bridges NW and W of Sarzana and at Viareggio. hit tracks S of the latter, and, along with South African Air Force (SAAF) light bombers, bomb Fabriano marshalling yard; B-25s bomb Spoleto marshalling yard, hitting E and W chokepoints and line to Terni, and also attack Perugia marshalling yard with less successful results; and A-36s bomb a railroad station between Orte and Orvieto while P-40s hit a supply dump near Velletri and gun positions along a beachhead line directly S of Rome.

The 24 A-36s of the 86th FBG attacking the railroad station between Orte and Orvieto were intercepted by 25 Bf 109s and Fw 190s. Five pilots from 2., 3. and 4./JG 2 each claimed a victory within a span of 9 minutes but actual US losses were 3 aircraft lost while a 4th was lost on the return home.

 

[Njaco]

14 MARCH 1944

GERMANY: Werner von Braun and two assistants are arrested, accused of diverting resources from military rocket projects to peaceful ones, such as the movement of mail by rocket.

30 RAF Mosquitos to Düsseldorf, 2 Mosquitos on RCM sorties, 3 Halifaxes on Resistance operations. No losses.

WESTERN FRONT: The unescorted Greek SS 'Peleus' was hit by two torpedoes from 'U-852' and sank rapidly about 500 miles north of Ascension Island. The U-boat tried to destroy all evidences of the sinking by shooting at debris and rafts from the ship. During this action some survivors were killed and only four men were alive when the U-boat left the area. One of them later died, the remaining three survivors were picked up by the Portuguese steam merchant 'Alexandre Silva' on 20 April and taken to Lobito, Angola.

MEDITERRANEAN: In Italy, B-26s bomb Prenestina marshalling yard and nearby chemical plant; B-25s strike Terni and Orte marshalling yards, causing considerable damage, while A-20s attack tank repair facilities unsuccessfully; P-40s attack guns in the Anzio beachhead area and also hit a supply dump; and A-36s and P-47s hit railway stations and the town of Ortia. 3./JG 2 lost its Staffelkapitaen, Hptm. Adalbert Sommer (who was killed) and Lt. Wolf Esche (baled out, wounded) when they attacked the B-26 raid on Prenestina and were bounced by 64 Spitfires from US 31st FG and RAF No. 244 Sqdrn. 4 Fw 190s were claimed by the Allies for the loss of one B-26 of the 42d BW claimed by Ofw. Seigfried Lemke of 1./JG 2.

UNITED KINGDOM: A Halifax bomber returning on three engines from a raid on Le Mans railway yard, made it back to its destination, Burn airfield near Selby, but it attempted to overshoot and crashed near Stainer Hall. The crew escaped unhurt.

RAF No. 350 (Belgian) Sqdrn has a tough day flying, mostly dusk landings, bombing, formation flying and night flying. F/O Lavigne lost its port wing on take off (MN-Z , MK192). J. Morel has to bail out after his engine cut. Flying just above the sea, he successfully ditched near fishing boats and was rescued. F/O Siroux and F/Sgt Laloux cut each others wings on landing.

EASTERN FRONT: 3rd Ukrainian Front traps about 20,000 German soldiers north of Kherson.

 

[Njaco]

15 MARCH 1944

MEDITERRANEAN: Fresh attacks are launched against Cassino. The attacks are preceded by a massive aerial and artillery bombardment as 14,000 tons of bombs and 190,000 artillery shells are targeted on the German 1st Fallshirmjager (Paratroop) Division. 300+ B-24s and B-17s bomb Cassino, the area S of Cassino and areas near Venafro in support of the US Fifth Army; 250+ other heavy bombers return to base without bombing because of complete cloud cover of their target areas; extensive fighter cover over the Cassino area is provided by P-38s, and P-47s fly 2 sweeps over the Viterbo-Canino area; there is no fighter opposition. Medium and fighter-bombers, together with Mediterranean Allied Strategic Air Force (MASAF) heavy bombers and other aircraft of the Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force (MATAF) in the greatest air effort yet made in the MTO, rain bombs upon enemy concentrations in Cassino and surrounding areas. The 2nd New Zealand Division spearheads the attack with the 4th Indian Division ready to follow up. Tank support is unable to negotiate the newly formed rubble. German resistance proved to be quite strong despite the massive bombardment. 140 civilians and 96 Allied soldiers are killed. In four hours, 775 Allied bombers have flattened this pleasant valley town. The attack represented more than two aircraft for every one of the German defenders - five tons of bombs for each soldier - such is the Allied determination to break the deadlock. The Allies reckoned that no one could have survived the bombing - let alone the 195,969 shells that followed. Yet the New Zealand 6th Infantry Brigade came under intense defensive fire when it clambered over the debris into the town. Nonetheless, the Allied forces were able to gain footholds on Monte Cassino at Castle and "Hangman's Hill". Gurkhas have climbed to Point 435 on the army maps, known as "Hangman's Hill", 440 yards from the monastery.

Coastal tug 'Empire Ace' is sunk and US freighter 'China Mail' is damaged by bomb fragments during German air raid on Naples, Italy. There are no casualties among 'China Mail' ship's complement, which includes 13 Armed Guard sailors.

EASTERN FRONT: The headlong advance in the Ukraine continues as Zhukov's 1st Ukrainian Front captures Kalinkova and approaches Vinnitsa. Konev's 2nd Ukrainian Front crosses the Bug River (the starting point in 1941 for Operation 'Barbarossa') and captures Vapnyarka cutting the main rail line to Odessa.

German forces mass on the Hungarian border.

UNITED KINGDOM: The first production Supermarine Spitfire F. 21 (LA 187) makes its first flight today. Unlike earlier marks, the F. 21 has lost the characteristic elliptical wing, the change in plan-form accompanying major structural alterations including higher tensile spar booms. The wing area is slightly increased and the tail unit re-designed. The undercarriage is strengthened and the range extended by fitting 18-gallon fuel tanks in the wings.

A Halifax bomber crashed near Selby Brickworks at 03.20 on returning to Burn Airfield near Selby, from operations near Stuttgart. The crew were all killed.

WESTERN FRONT: 'U-653' (type VIIC) is sunk, by depth charges from a Swordfish aircraft of the British escort carrier HMS 'Vindex', and by depth charges from the British sloops HMS 'Starling' and 'Wild Goose'. 51 dead (all hands lost).

Destroyer escort 'McAnn' (DE-179), coordinating her operations with USN and USAAF planes, rescues survivors of a crashed B-17 off coast of Brazil.

140 RAF aircraft - 94 Halifaxes, 38 Stirlings, 8 Mosquitos - attacked railway yards at Amiens. 2 Halifaxes and 1 Stirling lost. 22 Lancasters of RAF No 5 Group to an aero-engine factory at Woippy, near Metz. 10/10ths cloud caused the attack to be abandoned before any bombs were dropped. No aircraft lost. 17 RAF Mosquitos to 5 German targets and 10 Mosquitos to airfields in Holland, 2 RCM sorties, 11 Serrate patrols, 2 Stirlings minelaying off Texel, 31 aircraft on Resistance operations, 18 OTU sorties. 1 Serrate Mosquito lost.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 260: 8 P-47s are dispatched, 2 with 2x1,000 pound (454 kg) bombs, against an enemy barge in the Zuider Zee, The Netherlands to test the feasibility of this type of operation; near misses are scored.

In France, 118 US Ninth Air Force 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.

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.

GERMANY: 863 RAF aircraft - 617 Lancasters, 230 Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitos - are ordered to attack Stuttgart. The German fighter controller split his forces into 2 parts. The bomber force flew over France nearly as far as the Swiss frontier before turning north-east to approach Stuttgart. This delayed the German fighters contacting the bomber stream but, when the German fighters did arrive, just before the target was reached, the usual fierce combats ensued. 37 aircraft - 27 Lancasters, 10 Halifaxes - were lost, 4.3 per cent of the force. 2 of the Lancasters force-landed in Switzerland. Adverse winds delayed the opening of the attack and the same winds may have been the cause of the Pathfinder marking falling back well short of the target, despite the clear weather conditions. Some of the early bombing fell in the centre of Stuttgart but most of it fell in open country south-west of the city. The Akademie was damaged in the centre of Stuttgart and some housing was destroyed in the south-western suburbs. Martin Becker of 2./NJG 6 took off and shot down a Lancaster over Bad Berka bd 6 minutes later claimed another near Weimar-Naumberg. Still over Naumberg, Becker destroyed 3 more Lancasters between 22:03 hours and 22:06 hours. Nine minutes later he downed another Lancaster over Jenna. Another Lancaster was downed northeast of Swabisch with his rear gunner Johanssen using his guns. Fifteen minutes later while attacking another Lancaster near Unterschlauersbach, his radio caught fire from return fire. Again, Johanssen assisted with bringing the Lancaster down. At 23:37 hours he attacked a B-17 near Crailsheim and again Johanssen succeeded in bringing the bomber down. Their score for the night was 9 bombers shot down. But Major Heinrich Wohlers of Stab I./NJG 6 (29 kills) was killed over Echterdingen. Total effort for the RAF for the night: 1,116 sorties, 41 aircraft (3.7 per cent) lost. The number of sorties flown on this night was a new record.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 259: 185 of 187 B-17s and 145 of 157 B-24s hit the industrial area at Brunswick, Germany and targets of opportunity; they claim 0-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 and 2 B-24s are a lost and 31 B-17s and 15 B-24s are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 4 WIA and 30 MIA. Escort is provided by 121 P-38s and 467 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s; 4 P-38s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 4 pilots MIA; P-47s claim 39-3-13 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground, 1 P-47 is lost and 5 damaged, casualties are 1 MIA.

Otto von Below (86), a German commandant (WW I), died.

Oblt. Georg-Peter Eder (33 kills) recovered from his wounds and was assigned as Staffelkapitaen of 6./JG 1.

 

[Njaco]

16 MARCH 1944

GERMANY: US Eighth Air Force Mission 262: 2 primary targets and targets of opportunity in Germany are attacked; fighter opposition is heavy against the first force of bombers over France and Germany; the bombers claim 68-32-43 Luftwaffe aircraft; 23 bombers and 10 fighters are lost and 179 damaged: 401 of 501 B-17s hit Augsburg, 46 bomb Gessertshausen and 18 hit Ulm; 18 B-17s are lost; casualties are 1 KIA, 10 WIA and 171 MIA. 197 of 213 B-24s bomb Friedrichshafen and 13 hit targets of opportunity; 5 B-24s are lost and 1 damaged beyond repair; casualties are 6 KIA, 7 WIA and 46 MIA. Escort is provided by 125 P-38s, 608 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 135 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; claims and losses are: 1 P-38 is lost, P-47s claim 25-3-17 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 P-47s are lost and 5 damaged; 3 pilots are MIA. P-51s claim 53-4-16 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 P-51s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged; 6 pilots are MIA. The fighters also claim 1-0-13 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground.

8 RAF Mosquitos flew to Cologne and 1 to Duisburg (only Cologne was bombed), 2 RCM sorties, 2 Serrate patrols, 3 Stirlings minelaying off the Dutch coast. No losses.

Because if the new Lichtenstein SN 2 airbourne radar's ability to counteract RAF 'window', the 'Wilde Sau's' Fliegerdivision was ordered to disband. Parts of JG 301 joined in the defensive battles for Ploesti in Rumania, JG 302 started to fly combat missions over Hungary and Austria and JG 300 stayed in the Reich on Reichsverieidigung duties.

MEDITERRANEAN: Fighting continues at Cassino but the New Zealand troops are unable to move the German Paratroops. In Italy, light, medium and fighter-bombers blast gun positions in the Cassino-Piedimonte area as the battle of Cassino rages on; fighter-bombers also hit gun positions along the Anzio beachhead front.

'U-392' (type VIIC) is sunk by depth charges from the British frigate HMS 'Affleck', the destroyer HMS 'Vanoc' and depth charges from 3 US Catalina aircraft (VP 63). 52 dead (all hands lost). PBY-5As (VP 63) employed MAD gear to detect the German submarine as the enemy boat attempted to transit the Straits of Gibraltar; the PBYs bombed the U-boat, and HMS 'Affleck' and destroyer HMS 'Vanoc' depth charge her. 'Affleck' delivered the coup de grace.

WESTERN FRONT: 130 RAF aircraft - 81 Halifaxes, 41 Stirlings, 8 Mosquitos - repeated the previous night's attack on Amiens. No aircraft lost. The Bomber Command report again reported successful bombing. 21 Lancasters of RAF No 5 Group, mostly from 617 Squadron, carried out a successful precision attack on the Michelin tyre factory at Clermont-Ferrand. No aircraft lost.

 

[Njaco]

17 MARCH 1944

GERMANY: 28 RAF Mosquitos flew to Cologne and 2 to Aachen, 1 Mosquito on RCM sortie. No losses.

A US plane named "God Bless Our Ship" was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Berlin and crash-landed outside the city. Lt. George Lymburn (1924-2005) was captured and sent to Stalag Luft 1, where he was liberated by Russian soldiers in April, 1945.

'U-28' a type VIIA, was sunk at the U-Boat pier at Neustadt after an operational accident. It was raised later the same month, but struck 4/Aug/44.

MEDITERRANEAN: The battle for Cassino rages on as New Zealand and Indian troops attack southwest of the town along Snake's Head Ridge capturing the railway station. The Germans meanwhile launch counterattacks against Castle and Hangman's Hill. In Italy, B-25s bomb Montepescali marshalling yard, Cecina, Roccasecca and Castrocielo, while A-20s hit troop concentrations in the Cassino area; and fighter-bombers hit guns in the Cassino area and attack a nearby railroad bridge and underpass with good results.

American B-24s, escorted by P-47s and P-38s, today opened the Allied bombing assault on Austria with a raid by more than 200 planes on industrial targets in Vienna. The planes of the US 15th Army Air Force, flew from airfields in Italy. Some 100 B-17s aborted the raid because of bad weather. Though many Austrians are serving in the German armed forces, the country has until now been largely untouched by war. The Allies appear to be in two minds about it; the Moscow declaration by Allied foreign ministers last November spoke of Austria as;

"the first country to fall victim to Nazi aggression",

but then warned Austrians that they have;

"a responsibility for participation in the war at the side of Hitlerite Germany."

'U-371' fired a Gnat at Convoy SNF-17 about 30 miles MME of Bougie and observed a hit on a ship, which settled by the stern after the hit. At 0942, a spread of three torpedoes was fired and two hits were heard. After another Gnat at 0948, a further detonation on another ship was heard. The first torpedo struck 'Maiden Creek' in station #52 and the second US troop transport 'Dempo'. The first ship was sunk at 1350 by a coup de grâce. A torpedo hit 'Dempo' on the starboard side. Against orders, the crew immediately began to abandon ship, while the master tried to beach his ship, but she settled slowly and sank around 1055. 'Maiden Creek' was hit by a torpedo forward of the #4 hatch. The explosion broke the shaft, the back of the ship and filled the #4 hold and the engine room with water. The eight officers, 40 crewmen, 29 armed guards (the ship was armed with two 3in and eight 20mm guns) and one passenger abandoned ship in two lifeboats and a raft as the ship slowly settled by the stern. The boats waited two hours near the vessel until an escort appeared and ordered the men back on the vessel to prepare her to be towed by a tug. They tied up the boats at the stern and reboarded the ship. At 1350, the U-boat fired a coup de grâce, which struck on the port side in the stern. The explosion lifted the ship out of the water, destroyed the lifeboats and killed one officer, two armed guards and five crewmen. The survivors jumped overboard and swam to a single raft near the ship. They were rescued after 30 minutes by motor launches from a British destroyer and brought to Bougie. The badly damaged 'Maiden Creek' was towed by a British escort vessel to 'Bougie' on the morning of 18 March and beached, but broke in two forward of the #4 hold and was declared a total loss. 498 servicemen died.

During a German air raid on the port of Naples, Italy, US freighter 'James Guthrie' is damaged by bomb; there are no casualties among the ship's company. Tank landing craft LCT-277 is damaged in air raid.

EASTERN FRONT: Zhukov's 1st Ukrainian Front takes Dubno and continues to drive south and west. The swift advance of the Red Army in the Ukraine has brought it close to the Romanian border. Dubno, the old fortress where the legendary Cossack warrior Taras Bulba fought, fell to Zhukov today and Konev crossed the river Dniester and wheeled north to encircle the 1.PanzerArmee. With the Lvov to Odessa railway line cut, the key supply route to the southern sector of von Manstein's Army group has been broken, and as the Russians advance they threaten to split the German forces in Poland from those in southern Russia.

The Finns are procrastinating in their peace negotiations with the USSR despite being offered what seem to observers to be reasonable terms to end their ill-fated alliance with Germany. The Finns' reply today is being described by the Russians as "negative". The sticking-point now seems to be not the proposed occupation of Hango base, but the fate of German forces in northern Finland. Commanded by General Dietl, they are 100,000 strong and well-equipped. Russia wants then interned, but Finland wants to repatriate them to Germany "with full military honours." From the contemporary Finnish point of view the greatest problems with the Soviet terms presented in Spring 1944 were twofold: 1) The Soviet demand of 600 million (uninflated 1938) USD as war reparations. The economic experts deemed it impossible to pay in the time frame demanded by the Soviets. In the peace concluded in September 1944 the sum was halved to 300 million USD and more time was given. 2) The internment of Germans. Again the time given by the Soviets to accomplish the internment was deemed to be impossibly short, and the Germans were thought still to be strong enough to attempt to occupy Finland.

'U-1013' type VIIC/41 is sunk east of Rügen after colliding with 'U-286'. There are "26 survivors and 25 crew are lost", however, as the same figure of 26 survivors is also noted against 'U-286', it may be an aggregated count. 'U-286' type VIIC sank after the collision with 'U-1013'; raised, repaired and returned to service, finally being sunk 29/April/1945.

The USSR issues four postage stamps honoring defenders of Stalingrad, Leningrad, Odessa, and Sevastopol.

WESTERN FRONT: 'U-801' (type IXC/40) is sunk near the Cape Verde Islands, by a Fido homing torpedo from 2 Avenger aircraft (VC-9) of the US escort carrier USS 'Block Island' and depth charges and gunfire from the US destroyer USS 'Corry' and the destroyer escort 'Bronstein'. 10 dead and 47 survivors. The boat was attacked by an Avenger aircraft from the escort carrier USS 'Block Island' in the Mid Atlantic on 16 Mar, 1944. One man died and 9 men were wounded. The U-boat was sunk the next day.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 263: 135 P-47s are dispatched on low level strafing attacks against airfields in France; 25 attack Soesterburg Airfield, The Netherlands and 25 attack Chartres, France; they claim 3-2-8 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground, 2 P-47s are lost, the pilots are MIA. 70 US Ninth Air Force B-26s bomb the marshalling yard at Criel-sur-Mer, France.

 

[Njaco]

18 MARCH 1944

EASTERN FRONT: Hitler detains Hungary's regent, Admiral Horthy, in Salzburg and orders the German army to occupy Hungary.

The Russians reached the Rumanian border in the Balkans. Zhukov's 1st Ukrainian Front captures Zhmerinka.

MEDITERRANEAN: Fighting continues at Cassino with heavy losses and little gains.

In Italy, 950+ US Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s bomb aviation targets; B-17s hit Villaorba Landing Ground and Udine aviation depot; B-24s bomb Lavariano and Maniago Landing Grounds and Gorizia aviation depot; 126 P-38s and P-47s carry out sweeps in the Udine-Maniago area and strafe aircraft at Udine Airfield, a tanker S of Marano Lagoon and a hangar, 2 trains, 2 radar stations, and a seaplane anchorage (destroying 6 seaplanes) at Belvedere; the bombers and escorts claim 48 enemy fighters destroyed, 9 US aircraft are downed.

US Twelfth Air Force B-25s, B-26s, and A-20s bomb Foligno marshalling yard, Orvieto marshalling yard and railroad bridge, Poggibonsi railroad bridge, Piombino dock area, Colleferro railroad tracks and assembly area N of Anzio; P-40s, A-36s, and P-47s attack gun positions in the Anzio beachhead area, a factory at Carroceto, motor transport concentrations in the Cassino area, fuel dump, tank repair depot, and bivouac in the beachhead area, motor transport around Ladispoli, railroad bridge N of Rome, and railroad tracks and cars at other points.

WESTERN FRONT: US tanker 'Seakay', in Avonmouth, England-bound convoy CU 17, is torpedoed by German submarine 'U-311' and abandoned. One Armed Guard sailor perishes in the abandonment; destroyer escort 'Reeves' (DE-156) rescues survivors. Escort ships scuttle the irreparably damaged tanker with shells and depth charges.

17 RAF Mosquitos to airfields in Holland, Belgium and France, 98 aircraft on minelaying diversion in the Heligoland area, 11 Mosquitos on a diversion raid to Kassel, 4 RCM sorties, 13 Serrate patrols. No aircraft were lost and the Serrate Mosquitos claimed 3 Ju 88s destroyed. 19 Lancasters of RAF No 5 Group (including 13 aircraft from No 617 Squadron) on an accurate raid of an explosives factory at Bergerac in France, 12 Mosquitos to Aachen, Dortmund and Duisburg, 8 aircraft on Resistance operations, 18 OTU sorties. No aircraft lost.

GERMANY: 846 RAF aircraft - 620 Lancasters, 209 Halifaxes, 17 Mosquitos - to Frankfurt. The German fighter force was again split. One part was lured north by the Heligoland mining operation but the second part waited in Germany and met the bomber stream just before the target was reached, although cloud made it difficult for these fighters to achieve much success. 22 aircraft - 12 Halifaxes, 10 Lancasters - were lost, 2.6 per cent of the force. The Pathfinders marked the target accurately and this led to heavy bombing of eastern, central and western districts of Frankfurt. The later phases of the bombing were scattered but this was almost inevitable with such a large force; new crews were usually allocated to the final waves.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 264: Aircraft plants and airfields in Germany are targetted; enemy fighters attack in force and AA fire is heavy; the bombers claim 45-10-17 Luftwaffe aircraft; 43 bombers and 13 fighters are lost; 284 of 290 B-17s dispatched bomb the aviation industry at Oberpfaffenhofen, air depots at Lechfeld and Landsberg, Memmingen Airfield and targets of opportunity; 8 B-17s are lost and 102 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 9 WIA and 80 MIA. 196 of 221 B-17s dispatched bomb Munich, the aviation industry at Oberpfaffenhofen, Lechfeld air depot and targets of opportunity; 7 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 80 damaged; casualties are 3 KIA, 4 WIA and 70 MIA. 227 B-24s are dispatched to aviation industry targets at Friedrichshafen/Lowenthal (77 bomb), Friedrichshafen/Manzell (38 bomb) and Friedrichshafen/Zeppelin (52 bomb), the city of Friedrichshafen (22 bomb) and 9 hit targets of opportunity; 28 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 60 damaged; casualties are 6 KIA, 9 WIA and 286 MIA. Escort is provided by 113 P-38s, 598 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 214 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s. Details are: P-38s claim 11-2-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 are lost and 1 damaged; 4 pilots are MIA. P-47s claim 2-1-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 6 damaged; 2 pilots are MIA. P-51s claim 26-2-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 6 are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged; 1 pilot is WIA and 6 MIA. The fighters also claim 3-2-2 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground.

 

[Njaco]

19 MARCH 1944

EASTERN FRONT: German forces launch Unternehmen Margaret, the military occupation of Hungary. With Stalin's armies now thrusting towards Germany's flank in south-eastern Europe, Hitler has sent in troops to occupy Hungary and seize vital communications for the defence of the Danube plain - the highway into the Reich. This forces Hungary to stay in the field fighting for the Axis as well as securing oil for the Reich. Edmund Veesenmayer, the German ambassador plenipotentiary with "special powers" in Hungary, is mobilizing "all resources for final victory", and Hungary's 767,000 Jews, hitherto unharmed through four years of war, are to be sent on their way to Auschwitz.

The advance of the Red Army continues unabated as Konev's 2nd Ukrainian Front crosses the Dneipr River west of Yampol and captures Soroki. To the north and west, Zhukov's 1st Ukrainian Front takes Krzemienic.

WESTERN FRONT: 'U-1059' (type VIIF) is sunk, south-west of Cape Verde Island by depth charges dropped from American Avenger aircraft of Squadron VC-6, operating from USS 'Block Island'. Eight of the U-boat crew survive, but 47 are lost. Even as 'U-1059' was sinking, it succeeded in bringing down one of the attacking Avengers by gunfire. The boat was sunk in this attack but it brought down one of the attackers even as the boat was slipping beneath the waves.

The 'Seakay' (Master Alfred Kristian Jorgensen) in station #51 of convoy CU-17 was hit by one FAT torpedo from 'U-311' about 375 miles west of Fastnet, just when the convoy made an emergency turn to port. The torpedo struck the starboard bow at the after bulkhead of the forward dry cargo hold and set the kerosene, the deck cargo and the forward pump room on fire. The flames shot 25 feet above the deck and the crew immediately tried to extinguish the fire, but the ship sank rapidly and the ten officers, 46 crewmen, 28 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) and one passenger (US Army security officer) abandoned ship five minutes after the hit in four lifeboats and a raft. One boat overturned during the launch and caused the loss of one armed guard. The tanker capsized within 18 minutes, but remained afloat with the stern out of the water at a 45° angle and was scuttled by escort vessels with 45 shells and three depth charges.

'U-256' shot down an RAF 224 Sqn Liberator. The aircraft smashed into the sea 500m away from the boat and exploded.

The German 352nd Infantry Division is deployed along the coast of France.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 266: V-weapon sites in France are hit. 117 of 129 B-17s hit sites at Wizernes and Watten; 1 B-17 is lost and 74 damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 10 MIA. 56 of 64 B-17s hit Marquise/Mimoyecques; 14 B-17s are damaged; 1 crewman is WIA. Escort is provided by 82 P-47s; 1 is damaged and the pilot is WIA.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 267: 6 of 6 B-17s drop 300 bundles of leaflets on The Hague, Rotterdam, Leeuwarden, Utrecht and Amsterdam, The Netherlands at 2114-2140 hours without loss.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 268: 35 P-47s [25 with 500-pound (227 kg) bombs] are dispatched to Gilze-Rijen Airfield, The Netherlands; 20 of the 25 bomb without loss; 39 P-51s fly a supporting sweep.

152 US Ninth Air Force 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.

GERMANY: 21 RAF Mosquitos - 9 to Berlin, 8 to Düsseldorf and 4 to Aachen, 4 RCM sorties, 3 Serrate patrols, 19 Stirlings minelaying off Dutch and French coasts, 6 OTU sorties. 1 RCM Wellington lost.

MEDITERRANEAN: Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force (MATAF) issues a directive for Operation STRANGLE, to interdict supply movements in Italy by destroying marshalling yards and attacking rail lines and ports in a concentrated campaign.

234 US Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s, escorted by 100+ fighters, bomb the air depot at Klagenfurt, Austria; 150+ B-24s also hit the air depot at Graz, Austria and the marshalling yards at Knin and Metkovic, Yugoslavia; Luftwaffe fighters provide fierce opposition and along with AA fire, shoot down 17 bombers and 1 fighter; US aircraft claim 30 enemy fighters destroyed in combat.

US Twelfth Air Force B-26s attack a road bridge W of Arezzo and port installations at San Stefano al Mare; B-25s hit a bridge approach in S Orvieto, marshalling yards at Avezzano and Orte and a bridge at Orte; tank repair shops near Tivoli are bombed by A-20s; and P-47s and P-40s strike at enemy concentrations, dumps and guns in the US Fifth Army main battle area and in the area N of the Anzio beachhead.

460th Bombardment Group (Heavy) with B-24s is declared operational making a total of 14 bomb groups operational in the Fifteenth Air Force.

Yugoslav partisans attack Trieste, on the border of Italy and Croatia.

UNITED KINGDOM: In an attack that was part reprisal for the devastation of German cities by the RAF and USAAF Hull was selected for 131 bomber sorties by the Luftwaffe. Something like 92 tonnes of bombs were dropped, but mainly because of late and inaccurate target marking, none of them fell on Hull as intended. This was probably due to poor estimation of wind velocity, flares were dropped too far to the south and almost all of the bombs intended for Hull, fell S of the Humber, in Lincolnshire and Norfolk. One of the aircraft participating, a Junkers Ju 88 was shot down near the Humber Lightship.

 

[Njaco]

20 MARCH 1944

UNITED KINGDOM: The Ninth Air Force's 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group completes a series of 83 missions begun on 23 February during which photographs were made of 160 miles (260 km) of the French coastline and two inshore strips, all in preparation for the Normandy invasion. A total over 9,500 prints are produced; no aircraft were lost during this operation.

MEDITERRANEAN: Canadian Lieutenant-General Harry Crerar leaves Canadian 1st Corps in Italy to lead the Canadian 1st Army in England. He is replaced by Lieutenant-General E. Burns. The new commander of the Canadian 1 Corps, Lt-Gen Eedson Burns - better known to his troops as "Smiling Sunray" because of his dour, unchanging manner - is a formidable intellectual and the complete antithesis of his predecessor, Lt-Gen Henry Crerar. The outgoing, dynamic Crerar has left for Britain where he will join General Montgomery in D-Day planning. Burns, who is inexperienced in tank warfare, commanded the 5th Canadian Armoured Division, part of Canadian I Corps.

310th Bombardment Group (Medium) is transferred from the XII Fighter Command to the 57th Bombardment Wing, thus consolidating all B-25 units of the Twelfth Air Force under 1 wing.

In Italy, B-25s strike the harbor and shipping at Piombino, the Poggibonsi railroad bridge, Port' Ercole and the area around the Orvieto railroad bridge; B-25s hit Orvieto marshalling yard and underpass and road bridge nearby, Terni marshalling yard and dock at San Stefano al Mare; a factory at Fontana Liri is accurately bombed by A-20s; P-40s hit troop concentrations, guns and fuel dump in the Cassino-Fontana Liri area while A-36s blast the railway station at Frosinone and also drop food for troops in the Cassino area; and P-47s hit a fuel dump at Fontana Liri.

414th Night Fighter Squadron, 63d Fighter Wing, based at Elmas, Sardinia with Beaufighters sends a detachment to operate from Ghisonaccia, Corsica until Jul 44.

EASTERN FRONT: Another Russian advance in the Ukraine gives the Germans little chance for concentrating for a defence. Soviet forces of the 1st Ukrainian Front capture Mogilev-Podolski and Vinnitsa, key bases in the Ukraine.

WESTERN FRONT: 20 Lancasters of RAF No 5 Group - 14 from No 617 Squadron - bombed an explosives factory at Angoulême; 25 Mosquitos attacked 5 targets in Germany, the largest raid being by 12 aircraft to Munich, and 9 aircraft flew on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.

Operation Anvil is cancelled. The plan was for a landing in south France simultaneously with the landing in north France.

Adolf Hitler tells his principal commanders in the West that keeping the Allies from a successful landing would decide the war.

In France, 200+ US Ninth Air Force 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.

GERMANY: US Eighth Air Force Mission 269: 353 B-17s and 92 B-24s are dispatched to targets in Germany but high clouds and the malfunction of blind-bombing equipment cause nearly 300 bombers to abort the mission; 7 bombers and 8 fighters are lost; the bombers claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; the bombers also drop 900,000 leaflets; details are: 54 B-17s hit Mannheim, 51 hit Frankfurt, 19 hit Bingen and 22 hit targets of opportunity; 5 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 150 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 8 WIA and 40 MIA. 1 of 92 B-24s hit Bretuit Airfield; 2 B-24s are lost and 15 damaged; casualties are 3 WIA and 21 MIA. Escort is provided by 44 P-38s, 345 P-47s and 205 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; claims and losses are: P-47s claim 1-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 6 P-47s are lost and 9 damaged; 6 pilots are MIA. P-51s claim 4-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost and 3 damaged; 2 pilots are MIA.

 

[Njaco]

21 MARCH 1944

EASTERN FRONT: As Konev's forces press the attack against Hube's 1.PanzerArmee from the east. Zhukov turns his forces south ripping a massive hole between the 4. and 1. PanzerArmee and driving behind 1. PanzerArmee in an attempt to force them to withdraw into Rumania.

GERMANY: 27 RAF Mosquitos flew to Cologne, 6 to Aachen and 3 to Oberhausen, 1 RCM sortie, 3 Serrate patrols, 18 aircraft minelaying off Channel and Biscay coasts, 4 OTU sorties. No losses.

At a meeting of the Luftwaffe General Staff, General Koller, chief of the Luftwaffe Operations Staff, stated that in order for interceptions to be successful, the Luftwaffe needed a fighetr with a flight duration capability of a minimum of 4 hours. In his view, flight duration was the key.

"The only weapon that is strongest in attack is air power!"

he added, rather sarcastically - his comment was directed to Erhard Milch -

'the Americans are giving us evidence of this fact every day!"

WESTERN FRONT: US Eighth Air Force Mission 270: 56 of 65 B-24s hit V-weapon sites at Watten, France; 7 B-24s are damaged; escort is provided by48 P-47s without loss.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 271: 41 P-51s carry out a sweep of the Bordeaux, France area; they claim 12-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 9-0-4 on the ground; 7 P-51s are lost and 2 damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 7 MIA.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 272: 6 of 6 B-17s drop 300 bundles of leaflets on The Hague, Amsterdam, Leeuwarden, Rotterdam and Utrecht, The Netherlands at 2102-2133 hours without loss.

MEDITERRANEAN: In Italy, B-25s make an unsuccessful attempt to bomb the Poggibonsi bridge; weather cancels other B-25 missions and all A-20 operations; B-26s attack Arezzo and Bucine viaducts and Poggibonsi and Cecina railroad bridges; P-47s hit railroad bridges N of Rome while P-40s bomb targets in the Anzio area; and A-36s drop food in the Cassino area.

 

[Njaco]

22 MARCH 1944

MEDITERRANEAN: After days of fruitless and costly attacks at Cassino, the New Zealanders call off further offensive operations and withdraw from the more exposed gains that were made. Freyburg finally calls off the attack.

In Italy, around 100 US Fifteenth Air Force B-17s bomb the marshalling yards at Verona while about 100 B-24s hit marshalling yards at Bologna and Rimini; P-38s and P-47s provide cover for all the missions; 2 bombers are lost to flak and another has to ditch. US Twelfth Air Force B-26s attack the Poggibonsi railroad bridge and viaduct W of Arezzo; B-25s hit a road bridge near Poggibonsi; P-40s bomb guns in the Avezzano and Pico areas; P-40s on patrols over Anzio and Cassino claim 2 fighters destroyed.

EASTERN FRONT: The 2nd Ukrainian Front offensive continues as Pervomaysk is captured.

WESTERN FRONT: Admiral Doenitz orders that all U-boats are to operate independently ending the era of the "wolf pack". This signaled the ultimate victory of the Allied convoy system over the German submarines.

In the Atlantic ocean, south-west of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, German submarine 'U-802' torpedoes and sinks Canadian merchant ship 'Watuka'. 'U-802' fired a spread of three torpedoes at overlapping ships in convoy SH-125 and at 09.49 hours a Gnat at a freighter. They heard three detonations and claimed the sinking of three ships with 5000 grt. However, only 'Watuka' was hit and sank southeast of Halifax. One crew member was lost. The master, 22 crew members and two gunners were picked up by HMCS 'Anticosti' (T 274).

GERMANY: 816 RAF aircraft - 620 Lancasters, 184 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitos - attack Frankfurt. Again, an indirect route was employed, this time crossing the Dutch coast north of the Zuider Zee and then flying almost due south to Frankfurt. This, and the Kiel minelaying diversion, confused the Germans for some time; Hannover was forecast as the main target. Only a few fighters eventually found the bomber stream. 33 aircraft - 26 Lancasters, 7 Halifaxes - were lost, 4.0 per cent of the force. Martin Becker, Staffelkapitaen of 2./NJG 6 destroyed 6 of the bombers and Obstlt. Helmut Lent of Stab./NJG 3 downed 3 Lancasters using just 22 rounds of ammunition. The marking and bombing were accurate and Frankfurt suffered another heavy blow; the city's records show that the damage was even more severe than in the raid carried out 4 nights earlier. Half of the city was without gas, water and electricity 'for a long period'. All parts of the city were hit but the greatest weight of the attack fell in the western districts. The report particularly mentions severe damage to the industrial areas along the main road to Mainz. 162 B-17s of the Eighth Air Force used Frankfurt as a secondary target when they could not reach Schweinfurt 36 hours after this RAF raid and caused further damage.

20 RAF Mosquitos were sent bombing night-fighter airfields, 128 Halifaxes and 18 Stirlings minelaying in Kiel Bay and off Denmark, 22 Mosquitos on diversion and harassing raids to Berlin, Dortmund, Hannover and Oberhausen, 16 RCM sorties and 16 Serrate patrols. 1 Halifax minelayer lost.

US Eighth Air Force Mission 273: 474 B-17s and 214 B-24s are dispatched to bomb aviation industry plants at Oranienburg and Basdorf, Germany but 8/10 to 10/10 cloud cover prevents an attack; the bombers hit the secondary target, Berlin, and targets of opportunity; the bombers also drop 6.368 million leaflets; 1 bomber is damaged beyond repair and 347 bombers are damaged; casualties are 20 WIA and 135 MIA. Details are: 460 of 474 B-17s bomb Berlin; 7 B-17s are lost. 196 of 214 B-24s bomb Berlin and 1 bombs Heide; 5 B-24s are lost. Escort is provided by 125 P-38s, 496 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 196 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s. There is no air combat and the only claim is for 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground by P-47s. Details are: 3 P-38s are lost and 7 damaged; 3 pilots are MIA. 5 P-47s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 9 damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 5 MIA. 4 P-51s are lost and 2 damaged beyond repair; 4 pilots are MIA.