This day in the war in Europe 65 years ago

[Njaco]

WESTERN FRONT: A major new offensive by US First and Ninth Armies begins with heavy attacks along the Roer, especially in the Julich and Duren areas. The river is crossed in several places. The attacks are opposed by the German 5th Panzer and 15th Armies (both part of German Army Group B). Farther south, there are also attacks by units of US 3rd and 7th Armies.

The 9th Bombardment Division hits communications centers E of the Roer River as the US Ninth Army crosses the river and begins an assault (Operation GRENADE) toward the Rhine River; fighters fly armed reconnaissance, patrols, and alerts and support the US 104th and 8th Infantry Divisions near Duren, Germany, the XIII and XIX Corps' attack across the Roer at Linnich and Rurdorf, Germany, and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps at the Prum River, E of the Our River, and E of the Saar River.

The 527th Fighter Squadron, 86th Fighter Group moves from Pisa, Italy to Tantonville, France with P-47s.

Germans abandon the V-2 rocket research site of Peenemünde.

German Ju 88 bombers sink the SS 'Henry Bacon' from the convoy RA-64. This is the last Allied merchant ship to be sunk by German aircraft during the war. The 'Henry Bacon' was one of the thirty-eight merchant ships in convoy RA-64, which departed Kola Inlet, Murmansk, North Russia bound for Loch Ewe, Gourock, Scotland. Around 1500 GCT, the 'Henry Bacon' was some 50 to 60 nautical miles astern of the main convoy when she was attacked by twenty-three Junkers Ju 88 and Ju 188's torpedo bombers of KG 26, out of Bardufoss, Norway, some 250 miles (400 km) away. The survivors were rescued by crew members from three British destroyers, HMS Zambesi, HMS Oppotune and HMS Zelast. By this time the men in the water were so cold they were unable to help themselves, so the British sailors had to jump into the freezing sea with ropes tied around their waists to help them. When it was over, all of the Norwegian civilians had survived, nine Naval Armed Guard gunners, and two Navy signalmen were lost at sea. Captain Carini and fifteen fellow Merchant Marine crewmen were also lost. In 1946, Captain Carini was posthumously awarded the Krigskorset med Sverd or Norwegian War Cross with Sword. This is Norway's highest military award for gallantry and he is one of only two Americans, and 126 foreigners to have received this award.

EASTERN FRONT: Poznan falls to the Red Army after a 28-day siege. In Silesia, troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front have largely completed their advance from the Oder River north of Breslau to the Neisse River. Meanwhile, in Breslau, the fighting continues. The German garrison of the city will not surrender until the end of the war despite repeated Soviet attacks.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 843: As a follow-up to the yesterday's attacks on transportation facilities as part of Operation CLARION, 1,274 bombers and 705 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards in Germany; they claim 15-0-16 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-24 and 6 P-51s are lost: 1. 446 B-17s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Treuchtlingen (61), Crailsheim (52), Neumarkt (74), Ansbach (109) and Kitzingen (95); targets of opportunity are Nordlingen (2), Schwabisch Hall (24), Winterhausen (7) and other (2); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 34 damaged; 1 airman is WIA. Escorting are 194 of 203 P-51s; they claim 5-0-2 aircraft on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 460 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Plauen (110); targets of opportunity are Meiningen (49), Adelsberg (12), Hildburghausen (12), Kitzingen (88), Lichtenfels (13), Schweinfurt (12), Ellingen (25), Ottingen (48), Wurzburg (37), Crailsheim (38), and Zwolle (1); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 16 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. 193 of 208 P-51s escort and claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air; 3 P-51s are lost; 1 pilot is KIA and 3 MIA. 3. 368 B-24s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Weimar (57), Fulda (10) and Gera (46); targets of opportunity are Paderborn (104), Osnabruck (50), Jena (25), Schluchtern (20), Fritzlar (9), Reichenbach (9), Steinau (9), and other (1); 1 B-24 is lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 6 damaged; 21 airmen are KIA and 4 WIA. The escort is 105 of 110 P-51s. 4. 141 P-47s and P-51s make a sweep of Neuburg, Landsberg and Leipheim Airfields claiming 9-0-14 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 5. 4 P-51s escort 10 F-5s on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany. 6. 30 P-51s fly a scouting mission. Mission 844: 24 of 27 B-24s make a PFF attack on the Neuss marshalling yard during the night without loss.

342 RAF aircraft - 297 Halifaxes, 27 Lancasters, 18 Mosquitos - of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups to Essen. 1 Halifax crashed in Holland. The target area was cloud-covered and all of the bombs were dropped on skymarkers. The marking must have been extremely accurate; a German report states that 300 high-explosive and 11,000 incendiary bombs fell on the Krupps works.

133 RAF Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the Alma Pluto benzol plant at Gelsenkirchen but no results were seen. No aircraft lost.

367 RAF Lancasters and 13 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 6 and 8 Groups and a Film Unit Lancaster carried out the first, and only, area-bombing raid of the war on Pforzheim. 10 Lancasters were lost and 2 more crashed in France. The marking and bombing, from only 8,000 ft, were particularly accurate and damage of a most severe nature was inflicted on Pforzheim. 1,825 tons of bombs were it dropped in 22 minutes. The post-war British Bombing Survey Unit estimated that 83 per cent of the town's built-up area was destroyed, probably the greatest proportion in one raid during the war.

Bomber Command's last Victoria Cross of the war was won on this night. The Master Bomber was Captain Edwin Swales, DFC, a South African serving with No 582 Squadron. His Lancaster was twice attacked over the target by a German fighter. Captain Swales could not hear the evasion directions given by his gunners because he was broadcasting his own instructions to the Main Force. 2 engines and the rear turret of the Lancaster were put out of action. Captain Swales continued to control the bombing until the end of the raid and must take some credit for the accuracy of the attack. He set out on the return flight but encountered turbulent cloud and ordered his crew to bale out. This they all did successfully but Captain Swales had no opportunity to leave the aircraft and was killed when it crashed. He is buried at the Leopold War Cemetery at Limburg in Belgium.

73 RAF Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos carried out an accurate attack on a possible U-boat base at Horten on the Oslo Fjord. 1 Lancaster was lost.

70 RAF Mosquitos to Berlin, 6 to Worms and 4 each to Darmstadt, Essen and Frankfurt, 54 RCM sorties, 25 Mosquito patrols, 22 Lancasters minelaying in Norwegian waters, 13 aircraft on Resistance operations. 4 aircraft lost - 2 RCM Halifaxes, 1 Resistance operation Stirling and 1 Mosquito from the Berlin raid.

MEDITTERANEAN: (US Fifteenth Air Force): About 380 B-17s and B-24s hit the marshalling yards at Villach, Worgl, Knittelfeld, and Klagenfurt, Austria and Udine, Italy, plus Kitzbuhel, Austria railroad junction; 140+ P-38s and P-51s provide escort; some of the fighters strafe areas NW of Linz, Austria and N of Munich, Germany; 35 other P-38s dive-bomb the Worgl marshalling yard and afterwards 30 of them strafe the rail line from Rosenheim, Germany- Innsbruck, Austria-Landeck, Austria; other P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and escort missions.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, A-20s on intruder missions during the night of 22/23 Feb, hit marshalling yards and airfields throughout N Italy; medium bombers concentrate on the N end of the Brenner Pass, damaging bridges at Campo San Pietro and a railroad fill at San Felice del Benaco and hitting bridges at Dogna; fighter-bombers pound airfields, and enemy movement in the C and N Po Valley, and damage 5 bridges and cut rail lines at numerous points.

 

[Njaco]

EASTERN FRONT: The Soviet 2nd Belorussian Front (Rokossovsky) begins a new offensive in the morning with a 30-minute artillery barrage. 1st Ukrainian Front's campaign in Lower Silesia comes to an end after crossing Neisse river. A German counter attack wipes out the Russian Hron bridgehead over the Danube to the northwest of Budapest. VI SS Panzer Army forces Soviets back across the Hron river in Hungary.

Colonel Ivan Kojedub, the top scoring Soviet (and Allied) fighter ace (with 62 victories), shoots down a German Me262 over Berlin.

WESTERN FRONT: To the north, attacks by British and Canadian continue to drive southeast toward Udem and Weeze. Julich is captured by units of the US 19th Corps as the US 9th Army begins to extend its advance over the Roer River. To the south, the US 1st and 3rd Armies also push forward.

German submarine 'U-1208' sunk in the English Channel south-east of Isles of Scilly, in position 49.51.783N, 06.06.750W, by depth charges from the British frigates HMS 'Duckworth' and HMS 'Rowley'. On the same day "U-327" was detected by a USN liberator and sunk by HMS "Loch Fada",working with HMS "Labuan" and HMS "Wild Goose".

German submarine 'U-927' sunk in the Channel, south-east of Falmouth, in position 49.45N, 04.45W, by depth charges from a British Warwick aircraft (Sqdn. 179/V). 47 dead (all hands lost).

German submarine 'U-3007' sunk near Bremen, by bombs. Wreck broken up. 1 dead, unknown number of survivors.

Off the northern coast of Norway, German U-boats sink 8 ships and 2 destroyers of a convoy bound for the Soviet port of Murmansk.

74 RAF training aircraft on a diversionary sweep over Northern France to draw German fighters into the air, 63 Mosquitos to Berlin, 18 to Neuss and 3 on 'siren tours' of Dessau, Erfurt and Halle, 37 RCM sorties, 23 Mosquito patrols, 35 Lancasters minelaying in the Kattegat and off Norwegian ports. 5 RCM aircraft - 4 Halifaxes and 1 Fortress - lost; these aircraft were operating in association with the diversionary sweep of training aircraft and were probably victims of German fighters drawn up by that sweep. The 4 lost Halifaxes were all from No 462 (Australian) Squadron, based at Foulsham; they had been sent ahead of the diversionary force to drop Window, bombs and incendiaries in a 'spoof' raid on the Ruhr.

MEDITTERANEAN: Egypt declares war on Germany and Japan. Maher Pasha, the Prime Minister of Egypt, is assassinated.

(US Fifteenth Air Force): 500+ B-17s and B-24s (with fighter escorts) attack the Udine, Padua, Verona, and Ferrara marshalling yards and Ferrara railroad bridge in Italy; marshalling yards at Graz and Klagenfurt, Austria; and several targets of opportunity. During the previous night 20 B-24s continue supply drops in N Italy.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy during the night of 23/24 Feb, A-20s bomb marshalling yards, including those at Castelfranco Veneto, Rovereto, Villafranca di Verona, and Legnago, and airfields at Villafranca di Verona, Ghedi, and Bergamo; medium bombers bomb rail lines, bridges, bridge approaches, and fills at Bozzolo, Santa Margherita d'Adige, San Michele all'Adige, Pizzighetone, and Lavis, and severely damage the Sesto Calende industrial complex; fighter-bombers hit communications, mainly airfields, railroad bridges, lines, and marshalling yards at several points including Villafranca, Calliano, N of Nervesa della Battaglia, N of Santa Margherita d'Adige, Bergamo, Pavullo nel Frigano, Isola della Scala, and Motta di Livenza; fighters and fighter-bombers support US Fifth Army forces, hitting gun positions in advance of the battlefront, at Montese and E of Modena, and blast targets in the battle area as the 10th Mountain Division reaches the summit of Monte Torraccia.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 845: 1,114 bombers and 592 fighters are dispatched to hit oil refineries and rail targets using H2X radar; they claim 1-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 2 bombers and 11 fighters are lost: 1. 362 B-17s are sent to hit the Albrecht (278) and Harburg (70) oil refineries at Hamburg; 6 others hit a target of opportunity; 26 B-17s are damaged; 2 airmen are WIA. 181 of 195 P-51s escort; 4 are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 280 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Misburg oil refinery (104) and the marshalling yard at Lehrte (61); 76 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Bielefeld; targets of opportunity are Hannover (11), Lingen (2) and other (5); 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 16 damaged; 4 airmen are KIA, 3 WIA and 12 MIA. Escorting are 166 of 179 P-51s; 5 are lost (pilots MIA). 3. 383 B-17s are sent to hit the Deschimag U-boat yards at Bremen (200) and the Bremen W rail bridge (134); targets of opportunity are Minden (12), Osnabruck (8), Quackenbruck (5) and Brinkum (1); 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 162 damaged; 7 airmen are WIA and 9 MIA. The escort is 93 of 98 P-51s; they claim 1-0-3 aircraft on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 70 of 76 B-17s hit the Wesel rail bridge using Micro H; 22 B-17s are damaged. 29 P-51s escort without loss. 5. 12 of 13 B-17s fly a screening mission. 6. 43 of 46 P-51s fly a freelance mission for the bombers without loss. 7. 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 8. 17 P-51s escort 19 F-5s and 4 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. Mission 846: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night.

Lt Rademacher of JG 7 destroys a B-17 and a B-24 during attacks on Halle and Leipzig.

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, nearly 500 B-26s, A-20s and A-26s hit 5 communications centers, 2 marshalling yards, 3 rail bridges, 6 town areas, and a target of opportunity as part of interdiction operations against troops during the Rhineland campaign; fighters support the 8th and 104th Infantry Divisions in the Duren area, the XIII and XIX Corps at the Roer River bridgehead area, and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps E of and along the Prum River and in the Saarlautern area.

Kamen: 340 RAF aircraft - 290 Halifaxes, 26 Lancasters, 24 Mosquitos - of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 1 Halifax lost. The target was a synthetic-oil plant which was actually in Bergkamen, just north of Kamen. The target area was covered by cloud and the raid was based on Oboe and H2S markers.

166 RAF Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos of No 5 Group were ordered to abandon a raid on the Dortmund-Ems Canal without bombing because of cloud which covered the target area. All aircraft landed safely.

 

[Njaco]

WESTERN FRONT: Duren is taken by the US 7th Corps (part of US 1st Army). Other bridgeheads over the Roer River have been captured to north and south of Duren and they are rapidly being extended. To the south, on the right flank of US 3rd Army, crossings over the Saar have also been made near Saarburg.

EASTERN FRONT: German 1st Battalion of the 26th Parachute Regiment lands in Breslau, to help defend the city.

MEDITTERANEAN: North of Florence, Italy, Canadian participation in fighting in Italy ends. Over 90,000 soldiers participated, with nearly 6,000 killed.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy during the night of 24/25 Feb, A-20s attack marshalling yards at Villafranca di Verona, Cittadella, Castelfranco Veneto, Trento, and Turin, and airfields at Villafranca di Verona and Bergamo; medium bombers cut or damage bridges at Vipiteno, Dogna, Ala, and Campo San Pietro, and a railroad fill at San Felice del Benaco; XXII Tactical Air Command fighters and fighter-bombers are restricted by ground haze in the Po Valley but attack rail lines, marshalling yards, rolling stock, motor transport, and dumps.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 847: 1,197 bombers and 755 fighters are dispatched to hit tank factories, airfields associated with jet aircraft, oil depots and rail targets visually; they claim 34-0-21 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 bombers and 8 fighters are lost: 1. 377 B-17s are sent to hit the Maybach tank factory at Friedrichshaffen (63) using Gee-H, and the station and marshalling yard (73) and oil storage tanks and marshalling yard (174) at Munich; 51 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Ulm; 1 other hit Kenzingen, a target of opportunity; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 135 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 2 WIA and 18 MIA. Escorting are 136 of 149 P-51s; they claim 1-0-2 aircraft on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 452 B-17s are dispatched to hit the marshalling yard at Munich (315) and Neuburg (88); targets of opportunity are Kaufbeuren (13), Ludwigsfeldt marshalling yard (12), Kempten (1), Durladingen (2), Rortwell (1) and other (5); 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 197 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 3 WIA and 27 MIA. 140 of 145 P-51s escort and claim 2-0-3 aircraft on the ground. 3. 368 B-24s are sent to hit the marshalling yard (115) and tank factory (54) at Aschaffenburg and the airfields at Giebelstadt (96) and Schwabishch Hall (93); 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 31 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA and 6 WIA. The escort is 126 of 135 P-51s. 4. 262 P-47s and P-51s fly close escort and area patrols claiming 21-0-4 aircraft in the air and 10-0-12 on the ground; 6 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair. 5. 8 P-51s escort 4 F-5s on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany. 6. 32 of 34 P-51s fly a scouting mission. Mission 848: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night.

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, the 9th Bombardment Division strikes 4 rail bridges, 4 communications centers, a marshalling yard and 9 targets of opportunity as part of the interdiction campaign against Germany; fighters escort the bombers, attack assigned ground targets, fly armed reconnaissance, and support the 8th and 104th Infantry Divisions in the Duren area, the XIII and XlX Corps E of the Roer River, and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps along the Prum and Saar Rivers.

(US Fifteenth Air Force): In Austria, 600+ B-17s and B-24s bomb marshalling yards in Amstetten, 2 in Linz, 2 in Villach, and Salzburg, plus the Linz benzol plant and ordnance depot and several targets of opportunity. Fighters escort and some afterwards strafe targets of opportunity in Austria, SE Germany, and W Czechoslovakia. In Germany, 37 P-51s strafe railroad targets in the Rosenheim-Muhldorf-Landshut-Augsburg areas. Routine reconnaissance and supply missions continue.

153 RAF Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the synthetic-oil refinery at Kamen. 1 Lancaster lost.

63 RAF Mosquitos to Erfurt, 10 each to Berlin and Mainz and 6 to Bremen, 8 RCM sorties, 23 Mosquito patrols, 10 Halifaxes of No 6 Group minelaying in Oslo Fjord, 20 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Halifax minelayer lost.

 

[Njaco]

WESTERN FRONT: In Holland, Operation Blockbuster begins with an artillery barrage by the Canadian 1st Army on northern frontline in Germany. 2nd and 3rd Canadian Infantry Divisions and 4th Armoured Division begin attacking German defences in the Hochwald Forest and Balberger heights. There are renewed attacks, by British and Canadian elements of British 21st Army Group, near Udem and Calcar. The US 1st and 9th Army units are moving rapidly from their bridgeheads over the Our River. The attacks by the US Ninth Army into the Hürtgen Forest make little progress.

German submarine 'U-1051' sunk in the Irish Sea south of the Isle of Man, in position 53.39N, 05.23W, by ramming and depth charges from the British frigates HMS 'Aylmer', HMS 'Calder', HMS 'Bentinck' and HMS 'Manners'. 47 dead (all hands lost). After 'U-1051' torpedoed HMS 'Manners', she was located by HMS 'Bentinck' and attacked with depth charges, soon thereafter joined by HMS 'Aylmer' and HMS 'Calder'. The boat was forced to surface, came under fire by the frigates and sank after being rammed by HMS 'Aylmer'.

General Anders is appointed commander-in-chief of Polish troops.

HQ 436th Troop Carrier Group and the 80th, 81st and 82d Troop Carrier Squadrons move from Membury, England to Melun, France with C-47s.

EASTERN FRONT: The Germans begin evacuations of wounded and refugees from Kolberg and other ports along the Baltic coast. These operations continue until the ports are captured during March. Soviet forces launch attacks into East Pomerania. Near Stettin, Soviet forces continue hold the positions despite German counterattacks. Heeresgruppe Kurland repulses heavy Soviet attacks in the area of Prekuln.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 849: 1,207 bombers and 726 fighters are dispatched to make H2X radar attacks on three Berlin rail stations; they claim 6-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-17s and 3 P-51s are lost: 1. 377 B-17s are sent to hit the Schlesischer rail station (363); 1 hits Osnabruck, a target of opportunity; 2 B-17s are lost and 21 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 18 MIA. 214 of 244 P-51s escort claiming 4-0-0 aircraft in the air. 2. 446 B-17s set out to hit the Alexanderplatz rail station (418); 4 others hit a target of opportunity; 1 B-17s is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 43 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 9 MIA. Escorting are 232 of 240 P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (2 pilots MIA). 3. 361 B-24s are dispatched to hit the North rail station (285); 37 hit Eberswalde, the secondary target; 4 hit a target of opportunity; 2 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 26 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 3 MIA. The escort is 20 P-47s and 190 P-51s. 4. 17 B-17s and 6 B-24s fly screening missions. 5. 31 of 32 P-51 fly a scouting mission. Mission 850: During the night, 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany; and 5 B-24s fly a CARPETBAGGER mission.

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 235 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s attack the communications center at Wickrath, rail and road junctions at Zieverich and Gladbach, a supply and ammunition depot (casual target), the towns of Kapellen, Viersen, and Munstereifel, and targets of opportunity; weather limits fighter operations to armed reconnaissance flights in the Aschaffenburg-Wurzburg area by the XIX Tactical Air Command.

(US Fifteenth Air Force): During the night of 25/26 Feb, supply drops to N Italy continue. In Austria during the day 32 P-38s dive- bomb and strafe the Graz-Bruck an der Mur-Wiener Neustadt rail lines and 12 others fly top cover. Other P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and escort missions. 102 B-24s, with fighter escort, dispatched against tactical targets in Yugoslavia, are recalled when clouds completely cover the objectives.

149 RAF Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the Hoesch benzol-oil plant at Dortmund through cloud. No results were seen but the bombing appeared to be concentrated. No aircraft lost.

38 RAF Mosquitos each to Berlin and Nuremberg, 3 Mosquitos on 'siren tours' of Northern Germany, 1 RCM sortie, 6 Mosquito patrols, 18 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Stirling lost on a Resistance flight

MEDITTERANEAN: (US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy during the night of 25/26 Feb, A-20s considerably damage marshalling yards at Castelfranco Veneto and Bazzano; medium bombers bomb railroad bridges at Legnago, Ala, Pontetidone, and San Michele all'Adige; fighters and fighter-bombers hit bridges, marshalling yards, rail lines, and transport targets at numerous points including Nervesa della Battaglia, Ora, Bologna, Trento, Vicenza, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, and Avisio, and bomb airfields at Ghedi and Bergamo; XXII Tactical Air Command aircraft also support US Fifth Army forces in the battle area S of Bologna.

 

[Njaco]

WESTERN FRONT: Udem and Calcar both fall to attacks by British and Canadian elements of the British 21st Army Group. The Rhine River is reached to the northeast of Calcar. Units of US 7th Corps (part of US 1st Army) cross the Erth River at Modrath, about 10 km from Cologne. Farther south, two corps of US 3rd Army are converging on Trier.

German submarine 'U-1018' sunk in the Channel south of Penzance, in position 49.56N, 05.20W, by depth charges from the British frigate HMS 'Loch Fada'. 51 dead and 2 survivors.

82 RAF training aircraft on a sweep over the North Sea to draw up German fighters, 96 Mosquitos to Berlin and 6 to Bremen, 62 RCM sorties, 32 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.

EASTERN FRONT: Elements of the Soviet 2nd Belorussian Front enter Pomerania, in Germany.

Under Soviet pressure, Rumanian King Michael I is forced to appoint a Communist government.

MEDITTERANEAN: Lebanon declares war on Germany and Japan.

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt hosts a gathering aboard his cruiser. Those on hand include Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, King Faruk of Egypt, and King Ibn Saud of Arabia. General de Gaulle refuses to attend.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy during the night of 26/27 Feb, A-20s bomb enemy movement at 14 different places in the Po Valley, marshalling yards at Villafranca di Verona and Isola della Scala, the town of Bazzano, and airfields at Villafranca di Verona and Ghedi; XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers concentrate on railroad cutting in the Brenner area and NE Italy, claiming 36 cuts, and attack rolling stock in the Villach, Austria area; medium bombers destroy a railroad diversion bridge at San Michele all'Adige and cut approaches on the Ala and Lavis bridges and effectively blast the Spilimbergo and Pagnocco dumps.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 851: 1,107 bombers and 745 fighters are dispatched to hit road and rail communications at Halle and Leipzig using H2X radar; they claim 83-0-19 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-24s and 2 P-51s are lost: 1. 314 of 351 B-24s hit the marshalling yard at Halle; targets of opportunity are Bitterfeld (21) and other (3); 2 B-24s are lost and 4 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 18 MIA. Escorting are 196 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 45-0-3 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 2. 717 of 756 B-17s hit the rail center at Leipzig; 7 others hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA. The escort is 453 of 489 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 36-0-16 on the ground without loss. 3. 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission without loss. 4. 13 P-51s escort 2 F-5s and 2 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over C and E Germany. Mission 852: During the night of 27/28 Feb, 23 of 26 B-24s bomb Wilhelmshafen oil storage by PFF without loss and 1 B-17 and 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany.

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 118 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s attack the Ahrweiler rail bridge, communications centers at Glessen, Munstereifel, and Monheim, and a target of opportunity; fighters fly leaflet missions, attack Frankfurt/Main oil storage tanks, fly alerts, and strafe from W of Duisburg to Worringen; the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) also flies support for the XIII and XIX Corps SW and S of Monchen-Gladbach.

(US Fifteenth Air Force): 540+ B-24s and B-17s, with fighter escort, bomb marshalling yards at Augsburg, Germany and Salzburg, Lienz, and Jenbach, Austria plus several targets of opportunity; escorting fighters strafe targets of opportunity during the return flight. Routine reconnaissance and supply missions continue.

458 RAF aircraft - 311 Halifaxes, 131 Lancasters, 16 Mosquitos - of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups to Mainz. 1 Halifax and 1 Mosquito lost. The target area Mainz was covered by cloud and the bombing was aimed at skymarkers dropped on Oboe. No results were seen by the bomber crews but the bombing caused severe destruction in the central and eastern districts of Mainz; this was the city's worst raid of the war. 1,545 tons of bombs were dropped. 5,670 buildings were destroyed, including most of the historic buildings in the Altstadt, but the industrial district was also badly hit. This was the last heavy raid on Mainz.

149 RAF Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack through thick cloud on the Alma Pluto benzol plant, Gelsenkirchen but no results were seen. 1 Lancaster lost.

 

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MEDITTERANEAN: British troops land on Piscopi Island, close to Rhodes.

(US Fifteenth Air Force): About 680 B-17s and B-24s bomb marshalling yards at Lienz, Austria; Ora, Bolzano, Vipiteno, Vicenza, Fortezza, Bressanone, Brunico, Brescia, and Conegliano, Italy, and bridges at Albes and Verona-Parona di Valpolicella, Italy; 109 P-51s provide escort; 75 P-38s divebomb the Sankt Veit an der Glan marshalling yard in Austria and strafe rail lines in the Sankt Veit, Austria-Klagenfurt, Austria-Villach, Austria-Ljubljana, Yugoslavia areas; other P-38s and P-51s (about 25) strafe rail traffic around Bruck an der Mur, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, and Worgl, Austria and Passau, Germany, and attack Bjelovar Airfield in Yugoslavia, destroying an enemy-held B-24 and P-38; reconnaissance and supply flights are maintained.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy during the night of 27/28 Feb, A-20s attack a few marshalling yards, bridges, rail lines, and general movement but because of bad weather are recalled by midnight; XII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers continue to pound communications and other targets, including Ghedi and Vicenza Airfields, ammunition dumps near Codroipo and W of Villafranca di Verona, and shell loading plant SW of Piacenza; medium bombers bomb bridges at Ala, Santa Margherita d'Adige, San Michele all'Adige, Ponte di Piave, and Pordenone, and a railway embankment at Salorno.

EASTERN FRONT: Soviet troops capture Neustettin and Prechlau. The Red Army suspends all offensive operations against the lines of Heeresgruppe Kurland.

Major Walther Dahl, recently transferred to the Russian Front, scores his 100th victory.

WESTERN FRONT: The US Ninth Army achieves a breakthrough near Erkelenz 30 miles W of Cologne, but losing 100 tanks in the process.

Units moving from England to France: HQ 313th Troop Carrier Group from Folkingham to Achiet; HQ 314th Troop Carrier Group and the 32d and 61st Troop Carrier Squadrons from Saltby to Poix with C-47s.

The 36th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 1st Air Division [attached to 482d Bombardment Group (Heavy)], moves from Cheddington to Alconbury, England with B-24s (the 36th is engaged in radio countermeasures operations).

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force):: 3 missions are flown. Mission 854: 1,104 bombers and 737 fighters are dispatched to make PFF attacks on rail targets in Germany; they calim 18-0-11 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 and 5 P-51s are lost: 1. 378 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Soest (143), Hagen (151) and Schwerte (74) using Gee-H; 1 other hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-17s is lost; 3 airmen are MIA. 106 of 112 P-51s escort without loss. 2. 346 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Arnsberg (95) and Bielefeld (81) viaducts, the Siegen marshalling yard (77) and the Henschel tank plant at Meschede (79); 1 other hits the Neustadt road junction, a target of opportunity; all attacks are made using Gee-H; no casualties. Escorting are 117 of 123 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 364 of 380 B-17s hit the marshalling yard at Kassel, the secondary target; 6 others hit 6 targets of opportunity; the attacks are made using H2X radar; no casualties. The escort is 113 of 118 P-51s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft in the air and 10-0-4 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 308 of 318 P-51s fly a strafing run in the Wurzburg-Munich area; they calim 8-0-6 aircraft on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 5. 18 of 20 P-47s fly a figher-bomber mission against Ablar, Offenbach and Werdorf marshalling yards and factory buildings without loss. 6. 16 P-51s escort 4 F-5s and 1 Spitfire on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany. Mission 855: 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss. 1 Mosquito flies a SKYWAVE mission over Germany. (SKYWAVE is a special navigational mission to calibrate LORAN equipment.) Mission 856: 22 of 24 B-24s bomb the Freiburg rail depot during the night using PFF methods; no losses.

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 340+ A-20s, B-26s and A-26s bomb rail bridges at Mayen, Niederscheld, and Colbe, the Unna ordnance depot, Kamp road junction, Siegen and Sankt Wendel marshalling yards, the town of Rheinburg, and targets of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, fly sweeps, patrols and armed reconnaissance, attack special targets, and support the US 3d Armored Division at the Paffendorf bridgehead, US Ninth Army elements near Monchen-Gladbach and Neuss [the 2d Armored Division reaches a point within 6 miles (9.7 km) of the Rhine River], and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps between the Prum and Kyll Rivers and near Trier.

156 RAF Lancasters of No 3 Group in a G-H raid on the Nordstern synthetic-oil plant at Gelsenkirchen. No aircraft lost.

98 RAF training aircraft on a sweep over the North Sea, 74 Mosquitos to Berlin, 8 to Nuremberg and 4 to Munich, 44 RCM sorties, 31 Mosquito patrols, 5 Mosquitos of No 5 Group minelaying in the Kiel Canal, 20 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Mosquito lost from the Berlin raid.

On this date one of Germany's more unusual aircraft becomes operational and takes to the skies. A Bachem Ba 349 "Natter"(Viper), a manned rocket, flown by Oblt. Lothar Siebert is launched. At about five seconds after lift-off, the canopy comes off, the rocket spins over and crashes.

Kurt Welter's Me 262 night-fighting unit, 'Kommando Welter', is redesignated 10./NJG 11 and is supplied with two radar-equipped two-seat Me 262B 'Bertas' for night fighting, the jets being converted at the Messerschmitt assembly lines from half-completed trainers.

 

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WESTERN FRONT: Canadian forces lead an assault on the northern end of the Schlieffen line, in Hochwald Forest. Munchen-Gladbach and Neuss fall to the US 9th Army, which is now advancing rapidly toward the Rhine. The attacks of US 1st Army toward Cologne are continuing as are the efforts of US 3rd Army near the River Kyll and south of Trier.

EASTERN FRONT: In Pomerania, the northward attacks of 1st Belorussian Front (Zhukov) forces achieve a breakthrough north of Arnswalde and move on in the Kolberg direction. Units of Heeresgruppe Mitte (Schörner) recapture Lauban in Lower Silesia.

MEDITTERANEAN: Persia declares war on Japan and Saudi Arabia declares war on Japan and Germany.

US Army Forces in the Middle East (USAFIME) takes over NW Africa from MTO US Army and is redesignated the Africa-Middle East Theater (AMET).

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy during the night of 28 Feb/1 Mar, A-20s fly intruder missions against targets at Lecco and in the Parma area, starting large fires and causing several explosions during a strike on the Casarsa delta Delizia temporary railroad bridge, and hit bridges at Nervesa delta Battaglia and Sacile; weather cancels all daytime operations except for reconnaissance and supply runs.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 857: 1,228 bombers and 488 fighters are dispatched to attack marshalling yards in C and S Germany; 3 plants suspected of manufacturing Me 262 jet engine parts could not be attack due to clouds; most attacks are made using H2X radar; the fighters claim 12-0-8 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 P-51s are lost: 1. 452 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Bruchsal (115), Reutlingen (69), Neckarsulm (85), Heilbronn (107) and Gottingen (36); 25 hit Heidelberg, the secondary target; some visual attacks are made; 27 B-17s are damaged. Escorting are 92 of 100 P-51s; 2 are lost (pilots MIA) and 2 damaged beyond repair. 2. 253 of 321 B-24s bomb the Ingolstadt marshalling yard; 62 others hit the secondary target, Augsburg; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair. 181 of 194 P-51s escort claiming 1-0-0 aircraft in the air; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 3. 420 of 449 B-17s hit the marshalling yard at Ulm; 2 others hit a target of opportunity; some attacks are visual; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged; 16 airmen are KIA and 2 WIA. The escort is 147 of 152 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 9-0-7 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 6 B-24s fly a screening mission without loss. 5. 31 of 32 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 6. 9 of 10 P-51s escort 8 F-5s on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany. Mission 858: 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany.

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 340+ B-26s, A-20s and A-26s attack the ordnance depot at Giessen, communications centers at Pulheim, Rheinbach, Rommergkirchen, and Stommeln, the rail bridge at Pracht, a road bridge, and 8 targets of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, fly alerts, scheduled patrols, and armed reconnaissance, hit assigned ground targets and support the US 3d Armored Division at the Erft River bridgehead near Paffendorf, the 9th Armored Division between Neffelbach and Rotbach Creeks, the XIX Corps in the Monchen-Gladbach area, the VIII Corps astride the Prum River, the XII Corps between the Prum and Nims Rivers and along the Kyll River, and the XX Corps in the Trier area; and in the Netherlands, the XVI and XIII Corps in the Venlo area and along the Niers River. During Mar 45, HQ IX Fighter Command moves from Verviers, Belgium to Bruhl, Germany.

(Fifteenth Air Force): In Austria, 630+ B-24s and B-17s bomb the Moosbierbaum oil refinery and alternate targets and targets of opportunity including marshalling yards at Sankt Polten, Amstetten, Villach, Klagenfurt, Knittelfeld, Feldbach, and the marshalling yards at Jesenice and Maribor, Yugoslavia, plus several scattered targets of opportunity; 220+ fighters provide escort; 22 P-38s bomb the Moosbierbaum refinery and Tulln marshalling yard (afterward 12 of them strafe the Wiener-Neustadt-Gloggnitz) rail lines); 47 other P-38s strafe rail traffic around Graz and W of Vienna.

478 RAF aircraft - 372 Lancasters, 90 Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitos - of Nos 1, 6 and 8 Groups to Mannheim in Bomber Command's last large-scale raid on the city. 3 Lancasters lost. This was a general attack on the city area. Skymarking was used because of the complete cloud cover. No details of the raid are available.

151 RAF Lancasters of No 3 Group attacked an oil plant at Kamen through cloud.

55 RAF Mosquitos to Berlin, 40 to Erfurt and 3 on nuisance raids over Northern Germany, 32 RCM sorties, 13 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.

Kommodore Wolfgang Falck is given an assignment, commanding fighters in the Rhineland. Falck sets out to find his Headquarters or his staff. From this date to the time he is captured he drives around southern Germany but he never does find his HQ or personnel.

Oberst Werner Baumbach is appointed to the post of plenipotentiary for preventing Allied crossings of the Oder and surrounding rivers. At his disposal are Mistels and Hs 293 guided bombs.

 

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WESTERN FRONT: Trier is captured by units of US 20th Corps, part of US 3rd Army. The US 1st Army, to the north, is extending its advance beyond the Erft River toward Cologne and to the south. US 9th Army captures Roermond and Venlo on the Maas on the left flank of its advance while on the right, the Rhine River is reached opposite Dusseldorg.

German submarine 'U-3519' sunk off Warnemunde after hitting a mine.

69 RAF training aircraft on a sweep, 67 Mosquitos to Kassel and 3 to Berlin, 48 RCM sorties, 31 Mosquito patrols, 10 Halifaxes and Lancasters minelaying off Norway and 6 Mosquitos in the Kiel Canal, 21 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.

As an Arado 234 jet bomber is lining up an attack on the Nijmegen Bridge, the bomber is jumped by a patrolling Spitfire of RAF No. 41 Squadron. Pushing the Spitfire to its structural limits, the British pilot keeps his finger on the firing button, finally breaking off the pursuit at about 100 yards from the ground. The Arado crashes in flames near Enschede on the Dutch border as the German pilot bales out.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 859: 1,232 bombers and 774 fighters are dispatched to hit synthetic oil plants and a tank factory in Germany; most attacks are made using H2X radar; they claim 110.5-9-60 Luftwaffe aircraft; 14 bombers and 13 P-51s are lost: 1. 450 B-17s are sent to hit an oil plant at Bohlen (60), oil refinery at Rositz (36) and gun batteries at Bohlen (36); 255 hit the secondary target, Chemnitz; targets of opportunity are Penig (12), Saalfeld (13), Jocketa (12), Cologne (1) and other (12); some attacks are made visually; they claim 2-0-1 aircraft; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 52 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 4 WIA and 29 MIA. Escorting are 254 of 272 P-51s; they claim 7.5-1-4 aircraft in the air and 0-0-6 on the ground without loss. 2. 321 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Rothensee oil plant (38) and Buckau tank factory (257) at Magdeburg; 4 others hit a target of opportunity; some attacks are made visually; 3 B-24s are lost and 61 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 28 MIA. The escort is 187 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 5-2-0 aircraft in the air; 2 P-51s are damaged beyond repair. 3. 455 B-17s are sent to hit the oil plant at Ruhland (24); 406 hit the secondary, Dresden; 1 other hits a target of opportunity; they claim 6-3-10 aircraft; 8 B-17s are lost and 53 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 2 WIA and 72 MIA. 225 of 249 P-51s escort; they claim 54-3-16 aircraft in the air and 36-0-23 on the ground; 13 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 4. 6 B-24s fly a screening mission. 5. 25 of 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission without loss. 6. 22 of 23 P-51s escort 14 F-5s and 4 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany without loss. Mission 860: 11 of 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany without loss and 4 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, the 9th Bombardment Division hits 5 bridges, 2 communications centers, 3 ordnance and motor transport depots, several city areas, and 6 targets of opportunity; the objectives are to hinder movement of enemy troops trying to help the German army caught in front of the US Third Army, to obstruct movement in general, and to damage enemy repair and refitting capabilities; 1,700+ fighters escort the bombers, hit special targets, fly armed reconnaissance and patrols, and support the US 3d Armored Division at expanding the bridgehead on the Erft River, the XVI and XIX Corps in the Sevelen, Monchen-Gladbach, and the Neuss area, and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps E of the Prum River, astride the Kyll River, and in the Trier-Saarburg area.

(US Fifteenth Air Force): In Austria, 470 B-24s and B-17s, with fighters flying escort, bomb marshalling yards at Linz, Sankt Polten, Amstetten, Graz, and Knittelfeld, and Brescia, Italy; 31 P-51s on a strafing mission attack rail and river communications from Linz to Regensburg, Germany, while 18 others fly top cover; F-5s fly reconnaissance missions. During the night of 1/2 Mar, B-24s drop supplies in N Italy and C Yugoslavia.

858 RAF aircraft - 531 Lancasters, 303 Halifaxes, 24 Mosquitos - raided Cologne in 2 waves. 6 Lancasters and 2 Halifaxes were lost and 1 Halifax crashed in Belgium. The first raid was carried out by 703 aircraft and the second by 155 Lancasters of No 3 Group. In the second raid, however, only 15 aircraft bombed, because the G-H station in England was not working correctly. The main raid was highly destructive, with the Pathfinders marking in clear weather conditions. This was the last RAF raid on Cologne, which was captured by American troops 4 days later.

MEDITTERANEAN: (US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, weather again grounds the medium bombers; fighter-bombers and fighters hit communications, ammunition and stores dumps, 2 sugar refineries, guns, vehicles, and buildings S of Bologna and in the Po Valley, and the airfield at Aviano and Lonate Pozzolo.

 

[Njaco]

EASTERN FRONT: Breslau's district leader, Karl Hanke, makes a speech that is transmitted throughout Germany. He vows that the city would never surrender to the Russians under any conditions. The city does finally surrender two months later, following the surrender of Berlin.

WESTERN FRONT: 57 British Mitchell and Boston bomber planes of the Second Tactical Air Force make a heavy attack on the Haagsche Bosch area near The Hague, Netherlands, attempting to destroy German V-2 rocket storage sites. The attack is a disaster, with 69 tons of bombs falling on nearby Bezuidenhout, creating major fires which the Germans refuse to put out. 800 Dutch civilians are killed, with up to 100,000 homes destroyed.

Units of the Canadian First Army (Crerar) capture Xanten on the lower Rhine in the battle of the Reichswald. Troops of Canadian 1st and US 9th Armies link up near Geldern. Farther south, units of the US 12th Corps from US 3rd Army capture a crossing over the KyllRiver. Meanwhile, elements of the US 7th Army take Forbach.

Allied troops liberate the POW camp at Forbach.

ENGLAND: The Luftwaffe raid Britain for the first time in seven months. The Luftwaffe mounted Unternehmen Gisella on this night, sending approximately 200 night fighters to follow the various bomber forces to England. This move took the British defences partly by surprise and the Germans shot down 20 bombers - 8 Halifaxes of No 4 Group, 2 Lancasters of No 5 Group, 3 Halifaxes, 1 Fortress and 1 Mosquito of No 100 Group and 3 Lancasters and 2 Halifaxes from the Heavy Conversion Units which had been taking part in the diversionary sweep. 3 of the German fighters crashed, through flying too low; the German fighter which crashed near Elvington airfield was the last Luftwaffe aircraft to crash on English soil during the war.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 861: 1,102 bombers and 743 fighters are dispatched to bomb oil refineries, oil plant equipment works, motor transport factory, tank plant, and rail bridge in NC and E Germany; they claim 25-2-37 Luftwaffe aircraft; 9 bombers and 8 P-51s are lost: 1. 114 B-17s are sent to hit the oil refinery at Misburg (23); 82 hit the secondary target, the Hanomag tank factory at Hannover; and 2 hit Lemford, a target of opportunity; bombing is by H2X radar; 11 B-17s are damaged; 9 airmen are KIA and 5 WIA. Escorting are 44 of 46 P-51s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft in the air; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 2. 222 B-17s are sent to bomb the oil plant at Ruhland (24) and bomb visually; 166 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Chemnitz using H2X; targets of opportunity are Plauen (11) and other (16); 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 63 damaged. 193 of 214 P-51s escort claiming 3-0-0 aircraft in the air and 10-0-23 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 3. 94 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Nienburg Bridge (41); 48 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Bielefeld and 1 hits a target of opportunity; attacks are visual; 3 B-24s are damaged. The escort is 19 of 21 P-51s without loss. 4. All 219 B-24s dispatched hit the Rothensee oil refinery at Magdeburg visually; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft; 4 B-24s are lost and 77 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 39 MIA. The escort is 129 of 144 P-51s; they claim 0-0-2 aircraft in the air; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA). 5. The primary targets for 453 B-17s are the Wilke (53) and Brussing (77) oil plants and the MIAG munitions plant (61) at Brunswick and oil refineries at Dollbergen (37), Dedenhausen (53) and Nienhagen (56); 38 hit the secondary, Hildesheim (38); targets of opportunity are the marshalling yard at Bielefeld (36), Herford (23) and other (2); most attacks are visual; they claim 1-2-4 aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost and 53 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 41 MIA. Escorting are 169 of 180 P-51s; they claim 0-0-4 aircraft in the air and 9-0-2 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 6. 100 of 107 P-51s fly a fighter sweep in the Leipzig-Magdeburg area; they claim 1-0-3 aircraft in the air; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 7. 30 of 31 P-51s fly a scouting mission. Mission 862: 18 of 24 B-24s bomb the marshalling yard at Emden using PFF.

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, the 9th Bombardment Division hits Wiesbaden, Giessen, Bergisch Born, and Nahbollenbach ordnance and storage depots, rail bridges at Remagen and Simmern, a communications center at Heimersheim, motor transport concentration at Schwelm, the Rheinbach ammunition dump, Kirn marshalling yard and town, and several targets of opportunity; fighters fly bomber escort, hit special targets, fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, and support the US 9th Infantry Division, 3d Armored Division, and VII Corps astride the Erft River W of Euskirchen and the area near Roggendorf W of the Rhine River, the XIII, XVI, and XIX Corps E of Sevelen, NE of Krefeld, and W of the Rhine in the Dusseldorf area, and the VIII, XII, and XX Corps in the area between the Prum and Kyll Rivers and along the Mosel River in the Trier area.

234 RAF aircraft - 201 Halifaxes of No 4 Group and 21 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitos of No 8 Group repeated the attack on Kamen. No aircraft lost over Germany. The synthetic-oil refinery at Bergkamen was severely damaged in this accurate raid and no further production of oil took place.

212 RAF Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos of No 5 Group attacked the Ladbergen aqueduct on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, breached it in 2 places and put it completely out of action. 7 Lancasters lost. The gunners in the No 619 Squadron Lancaster of Wing Commander SG Birch claimed to have shot down a V-1 flying bomb near the target area; the V-1 was probably aimed at the port of Antwerp.

95 RAF training aircraft on a diversionary sweep, 64 Mosquitos to Berlin and 32 to Würzburg, 61 RCM sorties, 29 Mosquito patrols, 31 Lancasters minelaying in the Kattegat and in Oslo Fjord, 17 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Lancaster lost - from the minelaying operation. Total RAF effort for the night: 785 sorties, 8 aircraft lost over Germany and the sea, 20 aircraft shot down by Intruders over England, a total casualty rate of 3.6 per cent.

The strategy of the jet fighters of the Luftwaffe is changed. Instead of sending up small forces to attack the Allies, today all available Me 262s are ordered aloft. A total of twenty-nine jet fighters from Geschwaderstab and III./JG 7 take off from Oranienburg, Brandenburg and Parchim to engage large formations of bombers sent to bomb Magdeburg. Most of the jet Experten claim victories including Lt. Buchner, Hptm. Gutmann, Lt. Schnorrer and Oblt. Wegmenn. Major Sinner and Helmut Lennartz each also claim a victory. But the defensive fire from the bombers is heavy and Hptm Gutmann is killed when his cockpit is hit and he crashes to the ground.

MEDITTERANEAN: (US Fifteenth Air Force): Rapidly deteriorating weather cancels bombing operations. In Austria, P-51s strafe rail traffic between Leibnitz and SW of Spittal an der Drau and attack the airfield S of Graz; P-38s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort. 1 B-24, of 6 dispatched, drops supplies in N Yugoslavia. HQ 31st Fighter Group and the 307th and 308th Fighter Squadrons move from San Severo to Mondolfo, Italy with P-51s.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, overcast skies and turbulent winds hamper medium bomber missions against communications in the Brenner area, allowing only limited success against targets; the Crema and Fidenza Bridges in the Po Valley are damaged; XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers, destroy a sugar refinery at Verona and achieve good results against communications and dumps in the C Po Valley and Brenner area; other fighters and fighter-bombers support the US Fifth Army S of Bologna; A-20s during the night of 2/3 Mar, hit roads, ammunition supplies, and vehicles at several points in the Po Valley, particularly in the Bologna-Modena regions, and bomb the Legnano marshalling yard.

 

[Njaco]

EASTERN FRONT: The Soviet offensive in Pomerania continues to make gains especially toward the west near Stettin. Units of the Soviet 1st Belorussian Front (Zhukov) establish a new bridgehead across the Oder south of Frankfurt. German Pomeranian armies are split. There is renewed fighting in East Prussia.

WESTERN FRONT: Geldern is captured by the British 30th Corps, part of Canadian 1st Army. British and Canadian troops liberate Vynen and Apeldoorn. US 1st and 9th Armies continue their advance to the Rhine River. US 1st Army advances on the Erft. The US 7th Corps from US 1st Army reaches the Rhine just north of Cologne. US 3rd Army establishes bridgeheads across the River Kyll.

Finland declares that a state of war with Germany has been in existence since 15 September 1944.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 863: 1,028 bombers and 522 fighters are dispatched to bomb targets in SW Germany; bad weather causes 300+ aborts; 1 B-24 and 1 P-51 are lost: 1. 373 B-17s are sent to hit the jet aircraft plant at Schwabmunchen (69) and military vehicle plant and ordnance depot at Ulm (223); 59 hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Ulm; targets of opportunity are Reutlingen (12) and other (1); bombing is by Gee-H; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 9 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. Escorting are 150 of 156 P-51s; 1 is damaged beyond repair. 2. 274 B-24s are dispatched but weather prevents them hitting the primaries; targets of opportunity are Aschaffenburg (18), Tuttlingen (11), Astadtaach (10), Pforzheim (8), the marshalling yard at Stuttgart (11), the railroad at Sonaueschingen (10), Stuttgart (50) and other (36); bombing is by H2X radar with some visual bombing; 1 B-24 is lost and 19 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA. 139 P-47s and P-51s escort without loss. 3. 376 B-17s are dispatched but weather prevents them attacking the primaries; secondary targets hit are the marshalling yards at Ingolstadt (69) and Ulm (75); targets of opportunity are Ausbuch (1) and other (3); H2X radar is used for bombing; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 7 damaged; 17 airmen are KIA. The escort is 172 of 186 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 4. 5 B-17s fly a scouting mission. 5. 21 of 22 P-51s fly a scouting mission. Mission 864: 1 B-17 and 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss.

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, about 180 B-26s, A-20s, and A-26s strike marshalling yards and a rail junction at Recklinghausen, Lenkerbeck, and Herne, communications centers at Bruhl, Sechtem, and Rheinbach, and several other targets including a rail bridge and towns; weather limits fighter operations; a few fighters fly armed reconnaissance E of the Rhine River and others fly cover for the XX Corps.

128 RAF Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack through cloud on Wanne-Eickel. No results were seen. 31 Mosquitos to Berlin, 24 to Essen and 28 in small numbers to 5 ports in Northern Germany, 6 Mosquito patrols, 12 Halifaxes minelaying off Heligoland, 16 aircraft on Resistance operations. 2 Stirlings on Resistance operations were lost.

MEDITTERANEAN: (US Fifteenth Air Force): 630+ B-24s and B-17s, with fighter escort, bomb marshalling yards at Sopron (2 yards) and Szombathely, Hungary; Knittelfeld, Zeltweg, Graz, Sankt Veit an der Glan and Wiener- Neustadt, Austria; Zagreb (2 yards) and Lbubljana, Yugoslavia; and several scattered targets of opportunity; other B-24s, with P-51 escort, drop supplies in Yugoslavia; F-5s, P-38s and P-51s fly reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort operations. The 309th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, moves from San Severo to Mondolfo, Italy with P-51s.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, good flying weather permits a full-scale effort; medium bombers hit 7 railroad bridges on the Brenner line and in NE Italy; the Salorno railroad fill receives a particularly good concentration of bombs; XXII Tactical Air Command P-47s concentrate on communications targets in the Po Valley, knocking out a span of the Cittadella railway bridge; Brazilian P-47s blast an ammunition dump at Villafranca di Verona; during the night of 3/4 Mar, A-20s bomb the bridge and bridge approaches at Casarsa della Delizia, Ostiglia, and Nervesa della Battaglia, the radar station at Vignola, and lights, motor transport, roads, and other targets of opportunity at over 30 places in the C Po Valley.

 

[Njaco]

EASTERN FRONT: The fortress city of Graudenz on the Vistula surrenders to troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front (Rokossovsky), while Königsberg, Breslau, Küstrin, Frankfurt/Oder and Kolberg are still holding out. A German battalion lands in Breslau to help defend the city. Soviet troops approach Stettin.

WESTERN FRONT: Units of the US 8th Corps (part of US 1st Army) enter Cologne from the south and the east. The Allied advance continues along the entire line. German troops blow the Rhine bridges as the US 1st and 9th Armies close on the river

GERMANY: Fifteen- and sixteen-year-old boys from the class of 1949 are called up to serve in the German army.

(US Eighth Air Force): 3 missions are flown. Mission 865: 429 bombers and 689 fighters are dispatched to hit oil targets in Germany; the primary target for the B-17s is the synthetic oil plant at Ruhland but weather forces them to hit the secondary target; all bombing is with H2X radar; 1 B-17 is lost: 1. 233 of 303 B-17s hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Chemnitz; targets of opportunity are Plauen (34) and Fulda (9); 1 B-17 is lost and 15 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. Escorting are 369 of 420 P-51s; 3 P-51s are damaged beyond repair and 1 pilot is KIA. 2. 120 of 126 B-24s hit the Harburg oil refinery at Hamburg without loss. The escort is 186 P-47s and P-51s without loss. 3. 27 P-51s attack the marshalling yard at Kreuztal; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair. 4. 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 5. 14 P-51s escort 4 F-5s on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany. Mission 866: 21 of 24 B-24s bomb the Wiesbaden rail station by PFF markers during the night. Mission 867: 9 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during the night.

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 565 B-26s, A-20s and A-26s attack 6 marshalling yards, a communications center, an ordnance depot, a city area and targets of opportunity with the aim of obstructing reinforcements and supplies to German forces being pushed back across the Rhine River; fighters escort the bombers, drop leaflets in the Cologne-Bonn area, and fly armed reconnaissance over the Ruhr and Hamm-Duisburg area.

170 RAF Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the Consolidation benzol plant at Gelsenkirchen. No results were seen. 1 Lancaster lost.

Chemnitz; 760 RAF aircraft - 498 Lancasters, 256 Halifaxes, 6 Mosquitos - to continue Operation Thunderclap. The operation started badly when 9 aircraft of No 6 Group crashed near their bases soon after taking off in icy conditions. No 426 Squadron, at Linton-on-Ouse, lost 3 out of their 14 Halifaxes taking part in the raid in this way, with only 1 man surviving. 1 of the Halifaxes crashed in York, killing some civilians. 22 further aircraft were lost in the main operation - 14 Lancasters and 8 Halifaxes.

248 RAF Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos of No 5 Group attacked the synthetic-oil refinery at Böhlen. The target area was covered by cloud but some damage was caused to the refinery. 4 Lancasters lost.

75 RAF Mosquitos to Berlin, 15 to Gelsenkirchen and 36 in small numbers to 6 other targets, 52 RCM sorties, 27 Mosquito patrols. 5 aircraft lost - 2 Mosquito bombers from the Berlin raid, 1 Mosquito lost from a small raid to Hallendorf, 2 RCM aircraft (1 Halifax and 1 Stirling, of which the latter was believed to have been shot down over France by an American artillery unit). Total effort for the night: 1,223 sorties, 31 aircraft (2.5 per cent) lost and 10 more crashed in England.

Walter Borchers, a forty-eight victory night-fighter with NJG 1 whose victories include three four-engined Allied bombers on the Western Front, is killed in action over Leipzig.

MEDITTERANEAN: (US Fifteenth Air Force): Bad weather limits operations to supply, escort, and reconnaissance missions. HQ 306th Fighter Wing moves from Lesina to Fano, Italy; HQ 325th Fighter Group and the 317th and 319th Fighter Squadrons move from Lesina to Rimini, Italy with P-51s.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, A-20s hit lines of communications in the N Po Valley during the night of 4/5 Mar; results are generally good; bad daytime weather grounds the medium bombers; XXII Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers and fighters operate on a greatly reduced scale, mostly in the C Po Valley, hitting bridges at Casarsa della Delizia, Nervesa della Battaglia, Ostiglia, and Ostellato, and attacking the town of Vignola.

 

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EASTERN FRONT: About 1200 Soviet aircraft bomb Breslau throughout the day. Soviet troops advance towards Danzig. An Hs 293 guided bomb is launched against the Oder bridge at Göritz.

The German forces in Hungary launch a major counteroffensive in the area just north of Lake Balaton. The 6th SS Panzer Army, which was withdrawn from the Ardennes battle early in January, has been moved here to spearhead the attack. Other units from Army Group South (Wohler) also take part in the offensive. The operation is code named Fruhlingserwachen or 'Spring Awakening'. The German aim is to retake all the territory between Lake Balaton and the Danube. The Soviet 27th Army, defending along the targeted line of advance, is forced to give ground initially. However, 3rd Ukrainian Front (Tolbukhin) responds with the allotment of reserves to slow the advance down. Meanwhile, in the fighting in Poland, forces of 2nd Belorussian Front complete the capture of the fortress town of Grudiaz after a lengthy siege.

King Michael appoints a new government dominated by the Romanian Communist Party. In the west, this move is viewed as a sign the Stalin and the Soviet Union will not hold to the assurances given at Yalta about doing nothing to hinder the process of democracy in eastern Europe.

WESTERN FRONT: Units of the Canadian 1st Army are preparing to clear the final German pocket west of the Rhine around Xanten. The US 9th Army has reached the Rhine all along its front. To the south, US 1st Army is fighting in Cologne and driving toward Remagen farther south -- the US 9th Armored Division leads the advance. Farther south, units of US 3rd Army are making a rapid advance toward the Rhine at Koblenz.

(US Eighth Air Force): Mission 868: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night. 5 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.

GERMANY: (US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 260+ A-26s, and B-26s hit Recklinghausen, Siegburg, and Opladen marshalling yards, Siegburg storage depot, and the town of Bochum as a target of opportunity; weather grounds the IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands; the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) flies alerts and covers the US XVI Corps as it completes a drive to the Rhine River in the Rheinburg area.

119 RAF Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack through cloud on the Wintershall oil refinery at Salzbergen. 1 lost.

48 RAF Mosquitos of No 8 Group attacked Wesel, which was believed to contain many German troops and vehicles. The target had been cloud-covered for several days. Oboe Mosquitos provided the marking. 1 aircraft lost.

191 RAF Lancasters and 7 Mosquitos of No 5 Group attacked the port of Sassnitz on the island of Rügen, in the Baltic. Considerable damage was caused to the northern part of the town and 3 ships were sunk in the harbour. 1 Lancaster lost.

87 RAF Lancasters of No 3 Group and 51 Mosquitos of No 8 Group continued the attack on Wesel with two separate raids. No aircraft lost.

42 RAF Mosquitos to Berlin, 2 RCM sorties, 5 Mosquito patrols, 15 Lancasters minelaying off Sassnitz.

Major Adolf von Hernier is appointed Kommodore of KG 200 in place of Obst. Baumbach.

MEDITTERANEAN: (US Fifteenth Air Force): Bad weather restricts all operations except reconnaissance and a supply mission, with escort, to Yugoslavia. The 302d Fighter Squadron, 332d Fighter Group, is inactivated at Ramitelli Airfield, Italy.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, medium bombers pound communications in the Brenner Pass and hit bridges at Pordenone, Ossenigo, Enego, Ora, Pizzighetone, and San Ambrogio di Valpolicella; fighters and fighter-bombers concentrate on close support of the US Fifth Army S and SW of Bologna; during the night of 5/6 Mar, a few A-20s bomb targets of opportunity in the Po Valley.

 

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WESTERN FRONT: In the Irish Sea, Canadian frigates 'La Hulloise', 'Strathadam', and 'Thetford Mines' sink German submarine 'U-1302'. 'U-1302' had successfully attacked Halifax/UK convoy SC167 in St George's Channel.

US 1st Army seizes the intact Ludendorff railroad bridge at Remagen, near Bonn, and establishes a bridgehead on the east bank of the Rhine. The leading tanks of US 3rd Corps (part of US 1st Army) reach the Rhine River opposite Remagen and find the Ludendorff Bridge there damaged but still standing. Troops are immediately rushed across and a bridgehead is firmly established during the day. Eisenhower's reaction to the bridge's capture: 'That bridge is worth its weight in gold.' Other elements of the US 1st Army complete the capture of Cologne. Units US 12th Corps from US 3rd Army continue to advance rapidly. The US 3rd Army breaks through the Schnee Eifel Mountains.

Hitler relieves Field Marshal Rundstedt from his post as Commander in Chief of the German armies in the west because of the American capture of the bridge at Remagen. Field Marshal Kesselring is appointed to replace him.

(US Ninth Air Force): Weather cancels combat operations except for the XXIX Tactical Air Commands support of the US XVI Corps along the Rhine River in the Wesel area. The 39th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), moves from St Amand to Jarny, France with F-5s (flights are operating from Gosselies and Le Culot, Belgium).

EASTERN FRONT: In Hungary, the German offensive by Army Group South continues and achieves more gains. To the north of Lake Balaton, attacks are by 6th SS Panzer Army while to the south of the lake, there are attacks by units of the German 2nd Panzer Army toward Kaposvar. Farther south, in occupied Yugoslavia, elements of German Army Group E (Lohr) attack northeast of the Drava River against allied forces of 3rd Ukrainian Front. Meanwhile, on the Baltic, German evacuations begin from around the city of Danzig which continue until mid-April.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 3 missions are flown. Mission 869: 946 bombers and 322 fighters are dispatched to hit oil and communication targets using PFF; 1 P-51 is lost: 1. 246 B-24s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Soest (144) and the Schildesche water viaduct at Bielefeld (80); Gee-H and H2X radar are used for bombing; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA. Escorting are 77 P-47s and P-51s. 2. 344 B-17s are dispatched to bomb the Horderverein (24) and Harpenerweg (62) oil refineries at Dortmund; secondary targets hit are the marshalling yards at Paderborn (11), Siegen (113) and Giessen (87); Gee-H and H2X radar are used; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 20 damaged; 1 airman is KIA. The escort is 74 of 85 P-51s. 3. 340 B-17s are sent to hit the Emscherlippe benzol plant at Datteln (173) and the Rauxel benzol plant at Castrop (77); secondary targets hit are the marshalling yards at Siegen (43) and Giessen (28); 1 other hits a target of opportunity; Micro H and H2X radar are used; 56 B-17s are damaged. 75 of 76 P-51s escort the bombers. 4. 6 B-17s and 6 B-24s fly a screening mission. 5. 4 B-17s fly a scouting mission. 6. 37 of 38 P-51s fly a sweep of the Dummer Lake-Kassel-Koblenz area. 7. 23 P-51s escort 5 F-5s and a Spitfire on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 8. 24 P-51s fly a scouting mission. Mission 870: 11 of 12 B-24s drop leaflets in Germany and the Netherlands. Mission 871: 19 of 20 B-24s bomb Dortmund during the night using PFF; 1 B-24 is lost.

526 RAF Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups raided Dessau. 18 Lancasters lost, 3.4 per cent of the force. This was another devastating raid on a new target in Eastern Germany with the usual town centre, residential, industrial and railway areas all being hit. The night bombing raid on Dressau destroyed the first two special 'Mosquito destroyers', Ju 88 G-7 high performance night-fighters, before they have a chance to become operational.

256 RAF Halifaxes and 25 Lancasters of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups attempted to attack the Deutsche Erdoel refinery at Hemmingstedt, near Heide, with little success. 4 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster lost.

234 RAF Lancasters and 7 Mosquitos of No 5 Group carried out an accurate attack on the oil refinery at Harburg. 14 Lancasters lost. No 189 Squadron, from Fulbeck, lost 4 of its 16 Lancasters on the raid. One local report states that a rubber factory was seriously damaged as well as the oil targets.

80 RAF Mosquitos to Berlin, 10 to Frankfurt, 9 to Münster and 5 to Hannover, 56 RCM sorties, 43 Mosquito patrols, 15 Halifaxes and 5 Lancasters minelaying off Eckemforde and Flensburg. 4 aircraft were lost - 2 Halifaxes and 1 Fortress of No 100 Group and 1 Mosquito from the Berlin raid.

MEDITTERANEAN: (US Fifteenth Air Force): Continued bad weather limits operations to a supply drop in Yugoslavia and routine reconnaissance and escort missions; all bombing operations are cancelled and 42 P-51s sent on a strafing mission against railroad communications in Austria are recalled. The 318th Fighter Squadron, 325th Fighter Group, moves from Lesina to Rimini, Italy with P-51s.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s continue interdiction of enemy communications, damaging a railroad bridge at Longarone and railroad fills at Peri and Ossenigo; the XXII Tactical Air Command concentrates on communications in the NE, Po Valley and fuel and ammunition dumps in the C part of the Valley with generally good results; during the night of 6/7 Mar, A-20s hit the Ostiglia crossing and bridges at Nervesa della Battaglia and Casarsa della Delizia, and bomb targets of opportunity in the Brenner area.

Major Erich Leie, Kommodore of JG 77 is killed in action. Major Siegfried Freytag is again named acting Kommodore of the Geschwader.

 

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WESTERN FRONT: American efforts to reinforce the Remagen bridgehead continue. To the north, units of the Canadian 2nd Corps (part of Canadian 1st Army) capture Xanten.

300 German Luftwaffe planes fail to destroy the Ludendorff railroad bridge across the Rhine River.

During the night, German forces from the garrisons in the occupied Channel Islands mount a raid on Granville on the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula. One small US warship and 4 merchant ships are sunk. The raiders also free 67 German prisoners of war.

(US Ninth Air Force): 328 B-26s, A-20s and A-26s hit 7 communications centers, 2 marshalling yards, a road overpass, and a military transport depot in the furtherance of the interdiction program; weather prevents fighter operations except for a small alert mission by the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional). Operational HQ of the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional), HQ 84th Fighter Wing and HQ 303d Fighter Wing move from Maastricht, the Netherlands to Monchen-Gladbach, Germany; the detachments of the 39th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) operating from Gosselies and Le Culot, Belgium with F-5s, return to base at Jarny, France.

ENGLAND: A German V-2 rocket hits Smithfield Market on Farringdon Road in the borough of Finsbury, near London, England, killing 110, seriously injuring 123, with 243 suffering lesser injuries.

EASTERN FRONT: Soviet troops capture Laubau (Silesia). The Red Army penetrates into the southern suburbs of Breslau. Five Mistels escorted by Ju 188 bombers attack the Oder Bridge at Göritz. As the Ju 188s scatter the Allied air defenses, the Mistels launch and two of the flying bomb contraptions hit the bridge.

MEDITTERANEAN: Beginning of secret negotiations at Bern, Switzerland, between representatives of the American OSS (Allan Dulles) and the German High Command in Italy (General von Vietinghoff and SS General Wolff) for an early surrender of German forces in Italy.

(US Fifteenth Air Force): 550+ B-17s and B-24s hit marshalling yards at Hegyeshalom and Komarom, Hungary, and Verona, Italy, the locomotive depot at Maribor, Yugoslavia, and the steel works at Kapfenberg, Austria; P-51s and P-38s fly escort and reconnaissance missions.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, medium bombers are hampered by heavy clouds but hit the Novara marshalling yard, Longarone and Mori rail fills, and Rovereto bridge; fighters and fighter-bombers pound communications and supplies, destroy a road bridge SW of Bologna, severely damage an ammunition plant and surrounding complex NW of Milan, and hit several other targets, including a bridge near Montebello which Brazilian P-47s operating with the XXII Tactical Air Command cut in half; A-20s, operating during the night of 7/8 Mar, attack river crossings at Borgoforte, Cremona, Ostiglia, San Benetto Po, Viadana, and Ora, and numerous vehicles, lights, and general movement in the C Po Valley and along the Brenner line.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 3 missions are flown. Mission 872: 1,353 bombers and 326 fighters are dispatched to hit benzol plants, an oil plant and rail targets in Germany using PFF; NO AIRCRAFT ARE LOST AND THERE ARE NO CASUALTIES! 1. 360 B-24s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Betzdorf (70), Siegen (114) and Dillenburg (73); targets of opportunity are Limburg (10) and Frankfurt (10); bombing is by H2X radar; 3 B-24s are damaged. Escorting are 99 of 102 P-51s. 2. 526 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Robert Muser (99) and Bruchstrasse (63) benzol plants at Langendreer, the Gneisenau benzol plant at Dortmund (110) and Heddernheim chemical factory at Frankfurt (122); secondary targets are the marshalling yards at Giessen (69) and Frankfurt (18); 13 others hit Wetzlar, a target of opportunity; bombing is with H2X radar; 26 B-17s are damaged. The escort is 95 of 99 P-51s. 3. 458 B-17s are sent to hit the Emil benzol plant at Essen (114), the Mathies Stinnes benzol plant at Bottrop (37), the August Viktoria benzol plant at Huls (111) and the synthetic oil plant at Buer Scholren (75); 109 hit the marshalling yard at Essen, a target of opportunity; bombing is by Micro-H; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair. 93 of 98 P-51s escort. 4. 9 B-17s fly a screening mission. 5. 27 P-51s fly a scouting mission. Mission 873: 11 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss. Mission 874: 15 B-24s attack the marshalling yard at Dortmund during the night without loss and 4 of 7 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.

312 RAF aircraft - 241 Halifaxes, 62 Lancasters, 9 Mosquitos - of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups attacked Hamburg. 1 Halifax lost. The purpose of this raid was to hit the shipyards which were now assembling the new Type XXI U-boats, whose parts were prefabricated in many parts of inland Germany. Thanks to the Schnorkel breathing tube and a new type of battery-driven electric engine, the Type XXI could cruise under water for long periods and was capable of bursts of high speed. Its development in numbers would have posed great problems for Allied convoy defence if the war had lasted longer. The Hamburg area was found to be cloud-covered and the bombing was not expected to be accurate enough to cause much damage to the shipyards.

262 RAF Lancasters and 14 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups carried out the first large raid on Kassel since October 1943; it was also the last large RAF raid on this target. 1 Mosquito lost. This target was also covered by cloud.

39 RAF Mosquitos to Berlin, 33 to Hannover, 7 to Hagen and 5 each to Bremen and Osnabrück, 50 RCM sorties, 36 Mosquito patrols, 23 Halifaxes and 14 Lancasters minelaying in the Rivers Elbe and Weser, 5 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 RCM Halifax lost. The 5 Stirlings of No 161 Squadron, which were carrying supplies to Resistance units at unrecorded destinations, but probably in Denmark and Norway, were the last Resistance operations flights of the war.

 

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EASTERN FRONT: General der Infantrie Herman Niehoff officially replaces von Ahlfen as fortress commander of Breslau, Germany. On the Oder front in the East, troops of the Soviet 1st Belorussian Front are fighting inside the fortress of Küstrin.

WESTERN FRONT: Bonn and Godesberg are captured by units of US 1st Army while others continue to expand the bridgehead over the Rhine River, at Remagen, where Erpel is captured. Farther south, toward Koblenz, US 3rd Army units reach the Rhine at Andernach.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 875: 1,045 bombers and 443 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards and industrial plants in Germany; they claim 0-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 bombers are lost: 1. 423 B-17s are sent to hit the Ost (150) and Main (222) marshalling yards and a casting plant (38) at Frankfurt visually and using Micro H, H2X radar and smoke markers; 6 B-17s also fly a screening mission; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 182 damaged; 7 airmen are WIA and 28 MIA. Escorting are 94 of 101 P-51s; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft in the air. 2. 318 of 336 B-17s attack the marshalling yard and a large tank factory at Kassel visually; 6 other B-17s fly a screening mission; 3 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 188 damaged; 4 airmen are WIA and 28 MIA. The escort is 97 of 99 P-51s; 1 is damaged beyond repair. 3. 282 B-24s are sent to bomb marshalling yards at Munster (97), Rheine (93) and Osnabruck (87) using Gee-H and H2X; 1 B-24 is lost and 52 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 12 MIA. 47 of 51 P-51s escort. 4. 4 B-17s fly a scouting mission. 5. 141 P-47s and P-51s fly a freelance sweep in support of the bombers; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair. 6. 27 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 7. 15 P-51s escort 12 F-5s and 3 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft in the air. Mission 876: 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during the night; and 2 of 9 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 600+ A-20s, A-26s and B-26s hit 6 marshalling yards, storage and vehicle depots, ammunition-filling plants, and 12 targets of opportunity as part of the interdiction campaign; fighters fly armed reconnaissance, hit special targets, cover the Remagen bridgehead and support the US 9th Infantry and 9th Armored Divisions committed there, support the 4th Armored Division at the Mosel River bridge at Treis, the XX Corps along the Mosel and Saar Rivers, and the XVI Corps along the Rhine River near Wesel. The 125th Liaison Squadron, IX Fighter Command [attached to the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional)], moves from Maastricht, the Netherlands to Monchen-Gladbach, Germany with L-5s; and the 153d Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), moves from Spa, Belgium to Duren, Germany with L-5s.

159 RAF Lancasters of No 3 Group bombed the North and South plants of the Emscher Lippe benzol plant near Datteln. The target area was cloud-covered and G-H was used. The bombing appeared to be accurate but no results were seen. 1 Lancaster lost.

21 RAF Lancasters and 2 Mosquitos of No 5 Group set out to bomb the Bielefeld Viaduct but the raid was abandoned because of low cloud.

92 RAF Mosquitos to Berlin and 16 Mosquitos on nuisance flights over Bremen, Hannover, Osnabrück and Wilhelmshaven, 29 RCM sorties, 12 Mosquito patrols, 21 Halifaxes minelaying in the Kattegat and off Oslo. No aircraft lost.

MEDITTERANEAN: (US Fifteenth Air Force): 372 B-17s and B-24s, with fighter escorts, bomb marshalling yards at Graz (2 yards), Klagenfurt, Sankt Stefan, and Sankt Paul, Austria, and Ljubljana, Yugoslavia; river bridges at Sankt Paul are also bombed; 27 P-38s bomb the Knittelfeld, Austria marshalling yard and 13 others strafe the Graz, Austria-Maribor, Yugoslavia railroad lines. Routine supply, reconnaissance, and escort missions continue.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s hit bridges at San Ambrogio di Valpolicella, San Michele all'Adige, Bozzolo, Santa Margherita d'Adige, Ora, and Montebello, the marshalling yard at Ora, and the bridge approach at Ala; fighters and fighter-bombers attack bridges, railroads, vehicles, trains, supply dumps, parked airplanes, buildings, and other targets over wide areas, including Milan, Cittadella, Ala, Santa Margherita d'Adige, La Spezia, Ghedi, Lecco, and the battle area in the N Apennines. A-20s, on intruder missions during the night of 8/9 Mar, bomb river crossings in the Po Valley at several locations, among them Ostiglia, San Benedetto Po, and Borgoforte.

 

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MEDITTERANEAN: Field Marshal Albert Kesselring ceases to be Commander-in-Chief Armed Forces South (Mediterranean).

(US Fifteenth Air Force): In Italy, 191 heavy bombers hit the Verona-Parona di Valpolicella railroad bridge; 1 other bombs the Voghera marshalling yard. Supply missions to Yugoslavia and reconnaissance operations continue.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, A-20s bomb bridges and other communications targets in the E Po Valley during the night of 9/10 Mar; B-25s bomb bridges at Ora, Bozzolo, and San Michele all'Adige, and a railroad fill at the Ceraino railroad station; fighters and fighter-bombers hit communications and targets of opportunity at various locations in the E Po Valley, including several bridges, and numerous ammunition dumps and vehicles.

WESTERN FRONT: The last German forces are withdrawn from the pocket west of the Rhine between Wesel and Xanten. They have lost heavily to the British and Canadian attacks. The US 1st and 3rd Armies link up near Andernach completing the Allied hold on the west bank of the Rhine everywhere north of Koblenz. Field Marshal Kesselring arrives from Italy to take command of the German armies in the west. The US Third Army captures Bonn.

German submarine 'U-275' sunk with all hands after hitting a mine off Newhaven.

EASTERN FRONT: The German forces of Army Group South advancing around Lake Balaton encounter heavy resistance from Soviet air and ground forces of 3rd Ukrainian Front and make limited progress. German progress is also hindered by muddy conditions and a lack of fuel for the tanks and other vehicles. General of Panzer Troops Hasso von Manteuffel takes command of Third Panzer Army. The Kriegsmarine evacuates 25,000 civilian refugees from the besieged Baltic fortress of Kolberg in Pommerania. In the battle for Danzig, the Soviet 2nd Belorussian Front captures Zoppot.

Stalin returns Transylvania to Romania.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 3 missions are flown. Mission 877: 1,374 bombers and 670 fighters attack rail targets in Germany by PFF methods; they claim 2-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost: 1. 376 B-24s are dispatched to hit the rail viaducts at Arnsberg (115) and Bielefeld (114) and the marshalling yard at Paderborn; 10 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Bielefeld; 1 B-24 is damaged. The escort is 146 of 155 P-51s. 2. 526 B-17s are sent to hit the Sud (109), Erfeld (111) and Eving (153) marshalling yards at Dortmund and the Soest marshalling yard (138); 3 other B-17s fly a scouting mission; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 44 damaged; 2 airmen are WIA. Escorting are 152 of 158 P-51s; 1 is damaged beyond repair. 3. 457 B-17s are sent to hit the Sinsen (89) and Coesfeld (38) rail crossings and the marshalling yards at Schwerte (116) and Hagen (41); 136 hit the secondary, a marshalling yard at Dortmund; 33 others hit Hamm, a target of opportunity; 26 B-17s are damaged; 1 airman is WIA. 98 of 100 P-51s escort; 2 P-51s are lost. 4. 12 B-17s fly a screening mission. 5. 144 P-47s and P-51s fly a freelance support mission for the bombers; they claim 2-0-1 aircraft in the air. 6. 72 of 74 P-51s escort Ninth AF bombers on their strikes. 7. 27 of 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 8. 5 P-51s escort 7 F-5s and 4 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over the Ruhr. Mission 879: 13 B-24s attack the marshalling yard at Munster during the night without loss. Mission 880: 12 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss. The 857th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 492d Bombardment Group (Heavy) (attached to 1st Air Division) moves from Harrington to Bassingbourne, England with B-24s (the 857th begins flying weather reconnaissance missions today).

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 383 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s strike 5 marshalling yards, a communications center, 2 city areas, miscellaneous targets in the Koblenz-Braubach area, and a target of opportunity; Eighth and Ninth AF fighters escort the bombers, attack ground targets, fly patrols, armed reconnaissance, and provide cover and ground support over the Remagen bridge area where the US 9th Infantry Division expands it's bridgehead against fierce opposition, support the 4th Armored Division in the Koblenz area and the XX Corps in the Saarburg area, and cooperate with the XVI Corps near Wesel. The 33d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, moves from Le Culot, Belgium to Venlo, the Netherlands with F-5s.

155 RAF Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the oil refinery at Scholven/Buer. Photographs taken later showed this to have been a very accurate and effective raid. No aircraft lost.

60 RAF Mosquitos to Berlin, 4 each to Gotha, Jena and Weimar, 35 RCM sorties, 10 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.

 

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ENGLAND: The first unexploded V-2 rocket to hit England lands in a field at Paglesham in Essex. The warhead is later extracted from a depth of 37 feet below ground.

Some 70 German prisoners of war stage a mass escape from the POW camp at Bridgend, Glamorgan (South Wales). All are recaptured by March 17.

WESTERN FRONT: German submarine 'U-682' sunk at Hamburg.

The US third Army captures Kochem on the lower Moselle river.

EASTERN FRONT: The Red Army approaches Gotenhafen, closing a vital port of embarkation for tens of thousands of refugees from East Prussia who are now heading for the Hela peninsula.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 881: 1,256 bombers and 814 fighters are dispatched to make H2X radar attacks on U-boat yards at Kiel and Bremen and the shipyard and refinery area at Hamburg, Germany; 1 B-17 and 4 P-51s are lost: 1. 344 of 352 B-24s attack the Krupp Germania U-boat yard at Kiel; 2 B-24s are damaged. 232 P-47s and P-51s escort; 1 P-51 is lost. 2. 469 of 485 B-17s hit the Wilhelmsburg oil refinery at Hamburg; 1 other hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 41 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 10 MIA. Escorting are 252 of 265 P-51s; 2 are lost. 3. 406 of 413 B-17s hit the Deschimag U-boat yard at Bremen; 9 B-17s are damaged. 237 of 255 P-51s escort; 1 is lost. 4. 6 B-17s fly a screening mission. 5. 18 P-51s escort 6 F-5s and a Spitfire on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 6. 27 of 29 P-51s fly a scouting mission. Mission 882: 11 of 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss.

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 696 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s, hit 4 airfields, 3 communications centers, 2 ammunition filling plants, and several city areas and other casual targets; these attacks are to obstruct air operations and supply and troop movements in general; fighters fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, escort the bombers, support the US 9th Infantry Division push at the Remagen bridgehead and fly cover over the area, and support the XX Corps E of Trier and Saarburg. HQ 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group and the 160th and 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons (with F-6s) and HQ 373d Fighter Group move from Le Culot, Belgium to Venlo, the Netherlands; the 72d Liaison Squadron, Ninth AF (attached to Sixth Army Group), moves from Epinal to Buhl, France with L-5s.

1,079 RAF aircraft - 750 Lancasters, 293 Halifaxes, 36 Mosquitos - of all bomber groups attacked Essen. This was the largest number of aircraft sent to a target so far in the war. 3 Lancasters lost. 4,661 tons of bombs were dropped on Oboe-directed skymarkers through complete cloud cover. The attack was accurate and this great blow virtually paralysed Essen until the American troops entered the city some time later. This was the last RAF raid on Essen, which had been attacked so many times, though often in the early years of the war with such disappointing and costly results. Most of the city was now in ruins. 7,000 people had died in air raids. The pre-war population of 648,000 had fallen to 310,000 by the end of April 1945; the rest had left for quieter places in Germany.

90 RAF Mosquitos to Berlin and 6 each to Brunswick, Hannover and Magdeburg, 4 Mosquito patrols, 22 Lancasters minelaying in the Kattegat and off Oslo. No aircraft lost.

MEDITTERANEAN: (US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s of the 57th Bombardment Wing score damaging hits on a bridge and fills at San Michele all'Adige, Volargne, and Ossenigo, and, attacking a target in Austria for first time, bomb a bridge at Drauburg; fighters and fighter-bombers of the XXII Tactical Air Command hit rail lines and dumps in the C Po Valley and in the Brenner area; during the night of 10/11 Mar A-20s hit several Po River crossings, Ghedi and Pavia Airfields, road junctions, and other targets in the Po Valley.

 

[Njaco]

WESTERN FRONT: There is heavy fighting in the Remagen bridgehead where elements of the German 7th Army are counterattacking.

German submarine 'U-260' scuttled off Ireland after hitting a mine.

Hans Adams, a twelve victory experte of EJG 1, is killed in action as is Oblt. Hans Schneider the Staffelkapitän of 13./JG 5 with eleven victories. In a strange twist of fate Oblt. Schneider's place as Staffelkapitän is taken by Lt. August Schneider, who is no relation to Hans.

EASTERN FRONT: Kustrin falls to forces of the Soviet 1st Belorussian Front, after a bitter struggle. Apart from a small area in the north near Stettin, the Soviets now hold the whole of the Oder-Neisse river line as far south as Gorlitz. To the north, forces of 2nd Belorussian Front continue to push forward toward the Gulf of Danzig. In the Polish Corridor, they capture Tczew.

GERMANY: (US Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 883: 1,355 bombers and 797 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards in Germany by PFF; they claim 4-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 and 4 fighters are lost: 1. 220 of 227 B-24s and 441 of 450 B-17s attack the marshalling yard at Swinemunde; 1 other hit the marshalling yard at Husum, a target of opportunity; all attacks are made with H2X radar; 1 B-17 is lost, 6 B-17s are damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 10 MIA. Escorting are 412 of 452 P-51s; they claim 4-0-1 aircraft in the air; 4 P-51s are lost (3 pilots MIA). 2. 154 B-24s are sent to hit the marshalling yards at Friedberg (75) and Wetzlar (74) using Gee-H; 2 airmen are WIA. 3. 298 B-17s are dispatched to attack the marshalling yards at Siegen (141) and Marburg (113); 24 hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Frankfurt using Micro H; 4 B-17s are damaged. 4. 226 B-17s are sent to bomb the marshalling yards at Betzdorf (116) and Dillenburg (110) using Gee-H without loss. 5. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th forces above are escorted by 192 P-47s and P-51s without loss. 6. 97 of 108 P-51s fly a sweep to support the bombers without loss. 7. 10 P-51s escort 5 F-5s and 2 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany. 8. 23 of 24 P-51s fly a scouting mission. Mission 884: 11 of 12 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night and 4 of 10 B-24s fly a CARPETBAGGER mission.

(US Ninth Air Force): 9th Bombardment Division A-20s, A-26s and B-26s attack 8 marshalling yards, an ammunition-filling plant, city areas and targets of opportunity; the attacks on the marshalling yards are aimed at blocking troop movements by rail into the Ruhr and Remagen areas; fighters escort the bombers, bomb special targets, fly armed reconnaissance, cover the Remagen area, and support the US 9th Infantry Division in the Kalenborn and Hargarten areas and the XX Corps in the Saarburg bridgehead area. The 387th and 388th Fighter Squadrons, 365th Fighter Group, move from Juzaine Airfield, Florennes, Belgium to Aachen, Germany with P-47s; and the 412th Fighter Squadron, 373d Fighter Group, moves from Le Culot, Belgium to Venlo, the Netherlands with P-47s.

(US Fifteenth Air Force): In Austria, 790 B-24s and B-17s bomb the Floridsdorf oil refinery at Vienna and alternate targets, the marshalling yards at Graz, Zeltweg, and Wiener-Neustadt; 98 P-38s bomb the Knittelfeld railroad bridge (2 others hit nearby targets of opportunity) and strafe communications in the Wiener-Neustadt-Graz-Klagenfurt areas. 12 P-38s sweep the Zagreb, Yugoslavia area. Bad weather forces 60 P-51s sent against Austrian communications to abort; a supply mission to Yugoslavia and reconnaissance operations are successful.

1,108 RAF aircraft - 748 Lancasters, 292 Halifaxes, 68 Mosquitos attacked Dortmund. This was another new record to a single target, a record which would stand to the end of the war. 2 Lancasters lost. Another record tonnage of bombs - 4,851 - was dropped through cloud on to this unfortunate city. The only details available from Dortmund state that the attack fell mainly in the centre and south of the city. A British team which investigated the effects of bombing in Dortmund after the war says that, 'The final raid … stopped production so effectively that it would have been many months before any substantial recovery could have occurred'.

81 RAF Mosquitos to Berlin and 3 each to Halle, Magdeburg and Stendal, 2 RCM sorties, 16 Lancasters and 3 Halifaxes minelaying in the Kattegat. 3 Lancaster minelayers lost.

MEDITTERANEAN: (US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s hit 7 railroad bridges, cutting two, and fills--severely damaging one and a train--in the Brenner area and in NE Italy as far E as the Yugoslav border area; fighter- bombers blast communications in N Italy, making 36 rail cuts, 19 of them on the Brenner line; P-47s also bomb and severely damage a munitions factory NW of Zagreb, Yugoslavia; during the night of 11/12 Mar, A-20s on intruder missions hit Po River crossings, a sugar refinery, vehicles, and trains.

 

[Njaco]

WESTERN FRONT: Eisenhower orders Bradley to limit the expansion of the Remagen bridgehead to a maximum width of twenty-five miles and a depth of ten miles, lest it detract from the main effort by the 21 Army Group.

SS 'Taber Park' (2,878t) on a voyage from the Tyne to London was lost near Great Yarmouth and was probably one of the very last ships to be sunk on that route during the war.

HQ 61st Troop Carrier Group and the 14th and 15th Troop Carrier Squadrons move from Barkston, England to Abbeville, France with C-47s.

16 P-51s based at Chievres, Belgium fly an uneventful aircraft sweep in the Remagen-Koblenz, Germany area; 17 F-5s fly photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

EASTERN FRONT: The German offensive to the north and south of Lake Balaton, in Hungary, begins to lose momentum. The Soviet 1st Belorussian Front (Zhukov) captures the Oder fortress of Küstrin, 70 miles east of Berlin, while the 2nd Belorussian Front (Rokossovsky) launches an offensive against the Braunsberg pocket south of Königsberg.

GERMANY: (US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 450+ A-26s, A-20s, and B-26s, bomb 3 marshalling yards, 2 airfields, rail sidings, and several targets of opportunity in the continuing interdiction campaign; fighters fly escort, patrols, and armed reconnaissance, attack assigned targets, cover the US First Army area in general along the Rhine River from Dusseldorf to Linz/Rhine, support the US 9th Infantry Division around Hargarten, cover the Remagen bridgehead, and support the XX Corps as it opens an offensive SE from the Saarburg bridgehead.

(US Fifteenth Air Force): In Germany, 569 B-24s and B-17s bomb the marshalling yard at Regensburg; 3 other bombers bomb the Landshut marshalling yard and targets of opportunity; 280+ P-38s and P-51s provide escort and several strafe rail traffic in Germany and Austria during the return flight; 41 P-51s on a strafing mission attack rail traffic in the Munich-Landshut-Regensburg and Ingolstadt, Germany areas and between Vienna and Wiener-Neustadt, Austria. Photo reconnaissance is particularly extensive, with 18 F-5s covering areas of Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and N Italy; 41 fighters escort the photo missions.

354 RAF aircraft - 319 Halifaxes, 24 Lancasters, 20 Mosquitos - of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups to Wuppertal and Barmen. No aircraft lost. This attack also took place over a cloud-covered target and the bombs fell slightly east of the area intended, covering the eastern half of the Barmen district and extending into Schwelm. Bomber Command had now dispatched 2,541 sorties by daylight to Ruhr targets in a 3-day period. Approximately 10,650 tons of bombs had been dropped through cloud with sufficient accuracy to cripple 2 cities and 1 town. The bomber losses were only 5 aircraft, a casualty rate of 0.2 per cent. These results show the great power now wielded by Bomber Command, its technical efficiency and the weakness of the German defences.

38 RAF Lancasters of No 5 Group to bomb the Arnsberg and Bielefeld viaducts encountered bad weather. 1 aircraft bombed at Arnsberg and 2 further aircraft bombed alternative targets. No aircraft lost.

195 RAF Lancasters and 32 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups attacked benzol plants at Herne and Gelsenkirchen. The Gelsenkirchen attack was successful but not the Herne raid, 1 Lancaster lost from the Gelsenkirchen raid.

50 RAF Mosquitos to Berlin, 26 to Bremen and 6 to Erfurt, 58 RCM sorties, 37 Mosquito patrols. 1 Mosquito from the Berlin raid crashed in Belgium and 1 Halifax RCM aircraft in France.

MEDITERRANEAN: (US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s bomb railroad bridges and fills at Perca, Vo Sinistro, Pizzighetone, Salorno, and Sacile; fighters and fighter-bombers attack bridges, flak positions, ammunition and a supply dump, rail lines, various other targets, and fly close support to the US Fifth Army force as the XXII Tactical Air Command operates over wide areas of N Italy from the N Apennines through the Po Valley, and into NE Italy; on the night of 12/13 Mar, A-20s hit railroads, Po River crossings, dumps, and movement, mainly in the Po Valley.

 

[Njaco]

WESTERN FRONT: SS 'Magne' (1,226t), a Danish merchantman, was sunk by 'U 714' off St Abbs Head. After the attack on the 'Magne', 'U 714' was on patrol off St Abbs Head, when she was depth charged and sunk at 55°57'00"N - 01°57'00"W, by the 'Natal', a frigate of the South African Navy, on her maiden voyage from the Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson yard on the Tyne to Scapa Flow and hence to Tobermory, Isle of Mull. The 'Natal' was offering assistance to the destroyer HMS 'Wivern', which was standing by the survivors of the 'Magne', when her ASDIC (Sonar) detected the submarine. 'Natal' made two depth-charge runs on this contact after which wreckage and light oil came to the surface and the ASDIC contact vanished. It was assumed and later confirmed that the U-boat had gone straight to the bottom.

The US 12th Corps (part of US 3rd Army) launches attacks southeast over the Moselle River, near Koblenz, and US 20th Corps expands its attacks from between Trier and Saarburg. To the north, US 1st Army continues to expand the Remagen bridgehead despite German counterattacks.

HQ 367th Fighter Group moves from St Dizier to Conflans, France. The 410th Fighter Squadron, 373d Fighter Group, moves from Le Culot, Belgium to Venlo, the Netherlands with P-47s.

GERMANY: 169 RAF Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out G-H attacks through cloud on oil plants at Datteln and Hattingen (near Bochum). Both attacks appeared to be accurate but no results were seen. 1 Lancaster lost from the Hattingen raid.

32 RAF Lancasters and 1 Mosquito of No 5 Group, with 4 Oboe Mosquitos of No 8 Group, to attack the Bielefeld and Arnsberg viaducts. 28 Lancasters dropped Tallboy bombs and the No 617 Squadron Lancaster of Squadron Leader CC Calder dropped the first 22,000lb 'Grand Slam' bomb at Bielefeld. The Arnsberg viaduct, No 9 Squadron's target, was later found to be undamaged but more than 100 yards of the Bielefeld viaduct collapsed through the 'earthquake effect' of the Grand Slam and 'Tallboys' of No 617 Squadron. No aircraft lost.

244 RAF Lancasters and 11 Mosquitos of No 5 Group attacked the Wintershall synthetic-oil refinery at Lützkendorf. Photographic reconnaissance showed that 'moderate damage' was caused. 18 Lancasters were lost, 7.4 per cent of the Lancaster force.

230 RAF aircraft - 121 Lancasters, 98 Halifaxes, 11 Mosquitos - of Nos 6 and 8 Groups to Zweibrücken. No aircraft lost. This attack was directed on to the town area to block the passage through it of German troops and stores to the nearby front line, The raid took place in good visibility and was very effective. The local report shows that every public building and inn and 80 per cent of the houses in the town were destroyed or damaged. Most of the civilian population had been evacuated; those remaining took shelter in 2 large caves in the north and south of the town or in the normal basement shelters of their houses.

161 RAF aircraft - 127 Halifaxes, 23 Lancasters, 11 Mosquitos - of 4 and 8 Groups on the same task as the Zweibrücken raid proceeded to Homburg. No local report is available but it is believed that this attack was equally successful. 2 Halifaxes lost.

75 RAF Mosquitos to Berlin and 6 each to Bremen and Brunswick, 52 RCM sorties, 27 Mosquito patrols. No 100 Group lost 2 Mosquitos and 1 Fortress.

The last Stirling operation of Bomber Command was flown on this night when Stirling LJ516, from No 199 Squadron at North Creake, flew a Mandrel screen operation; Squadron Leader JJM Button, the Australian pilot, and his crew landed safely.

(US Eighth Air Force):: 3 missions are flown. Mission 886: 1,262 bombers and 804 fighters are dispatched to hit oil, rail and industrial targets in Germany; they claim 17-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air; 3 B-17s and 2 fighters are lost: 1. 526 B-17s are sent to hit oil refineries at Nienhagen (58) and Misburg (56), the Gebruder munitions plant (75) and Maschnbau (61) and Eisenwerke (74) factories at Hannover and the Seelze marshalling yard (80); secondary targets hit are Osnabruck (29) and the marshalling yard at Hannover; attacks were made visually and with H2X radar; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 188 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 6 WIA and 19 MIA. 192 of 204 P-51s escort; 2 are damaged. 2. 449 B-17s are dispatched to hit the bridges at Vlotho (72) and Bad Ostenhausen (114), the marshalling yard and road junction at Lohne (144) and industrial plants at Hildesheim (60); 39 hit Osnabruck, a secondary target; targets of opportunity are the marshalling yards at Hameln (12) and Wetzlar (1) and Diemonde (1); all but one target is bombed visually; 1 B-17 is lost and 56 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 9 MIA. Escorting are 182 of 194 P-51s; they claim 1-0-1 aircraft. 3. 272 B-24s are sent to hit the marshalling yards at Holzwickede (31) and Gutersloh (126); 110 others hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Giessen; attacks are made visually and with H2X radar; 4 B-24s are damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 5 WIA. The escort is 185 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 3-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 6 B-17s fly a screening mission without loss. 5. 29 of 33 P-41s escort Ninth AF bombers. 6. 50 P-51s fly a sweep of the Stein-Huder-Kassel area claiming 11-0-0 aircraft without loss. 7. 82 P-51s fly a sweep over the Remagen bridgehead; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 8. 20 P-51s escort 33 F-5s and 3 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany and Czechoslovakia. 9. 26 of 27 P-51s fly a scouting mission claiming 1-0-0 aircraft. Mission 887: 9 B-17s use DISNEY rockets weapons on the Ijmuiden submarine pens without loss. Mission 888: 7 B-24s bomb the marshalling yard at Wiesbaden by PFF during the night without loss.

(US Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 350+ A-20s, A-26s and B-26s hit 3 airfields, 4 rail bridges, a junction, 5 towns, and 3 targets of opportunity as the interdiction operations continue; fighters escort the bombers, attack railroads and other special targets, fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance, cover the Remagen area, and support the US XII Corps as it begins a drive from the Mosel River to the Rhine River, and the XX Corps operations W of Trier and Saarburg.

Lt Alfred Ambs, Lt Weber and Uffz Giefing of JG 7 take off in their Me 262s from Brandenburg to intercept an Allied reconnaissance aircraft. Finding a pair of P-51s the three jets open fire too soon, allowing the Mustangs to evade the attack. Breaking away in a deliberate attempt to trick the Allied fighters that the attack is over, the jet fighters make a second pass from head-on. One Mustang falls under the guns of Lt Ambs while the other goes down from Lt Weber's gunfire.

EASTERN FRONT: Soviets forces capture Zvolen in western Czechoslovakia. Meanwhile, in Hungary, German Army Group South (Wohler) commits its remaining reserves to battle. The force is based on the 6th Panzer Division and consists of a mixed grouping of 200 tanks and assault guns which engage the Soviet 27th Army (Trofimenko). In East Prussia, the Red Army cuts all communications between Königsberg and the German forces fighting in the Braunsberg pocket. German counterattacks to recapture the oilfields near Lake Balaton come to an end.

(US Fifteenth Air Force): 634 B-17s and B-24s, with fighter escorts, hit the Szony and Almasfuzito oil refineries and marshalling yards at Komarom, Hungary; Nove Zamky, Czechoslovakia; Zagreb, Yugoslavia; and Wiener-Neustadt, Graz, and Knittelfeld, Austria. 90 P-38s dive-bomb bridges at Ptuj, Yugoslavia, 42 of them afterwards strafing rail traffic in Yugoslavia and Austria. 21 P-51s also strafe rail traffic in Austria. B-17s and B-24s drop supplies in N Italy and in Yugoslavia. F-5s continue reconnaissance missions, including a larger than usual number of photo reconnaissance flights (most of them heavily escorted) over Italy, Germany, Austria, and Yugoslavia.

MEDITERRANEAN: The 71st Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, moves from Sallsola Airfield to Lesina, Italy with P-38s.

(US Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s damage bridges at Casarsa della Delizia, Cittadella, Vipiteno, and Campo; fighters and fighter- bombers attack communications, ammunition and supply dumps, motor transport, trains, buildings, and other targets, escort medium bombers, and support ground forces, operating over much of N Italy from the Apennine battle area N and NE. A-20s hit river crossings and targets of opportunity in the Po Valley during the night of 13/14 Mar.