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MONDAY, 24 JANUARY 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 191: 857 B-17's and
B-24's
are put into the air with intentions of bombing transportation and
industrial targets at Frankfurt-Heddernheim, Frankfurt/Main and
Russelsheim.
Most bombers had trouble forming up in bad weather and only 563 of
the 857
airborne were dispatched; all of the B-24's were recalled. Because
of
worsening weather all groups were recalled at 1020 hours but 58
B-17's bombed
the Zukunft Power Station near Eschweiler; they claimed 1-0-3
Luftwaffe
aircraft; 2 B-17's were lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged;
casualties were 5 KIA and 21 MIA.
Escorting were 101 P-38's, 535 P-47's and 42 Ninth Air Force P-51's;
the
fighters were assigned area patrol, protecting all bombers as they
passed
through their designated area but this was abandoned when the
bombers were
recalled; they claim 19-4-9 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 P-38's, 3 P-47's
and 2
P-51's were lost and 6 P-47's were damaged; casualties are 9 MIA.
The RAF and USAAF in the United Kingdom, agree to place most of the
available P-51's in the Eighth Air Force for long range escort of
heavy
bomber's. Eventually the Eighth is to be equipped almost exclusively
with
P-51's, with the P-38's and P-47's to be transferred to the Ninth
Air Force.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 175+ B-26's attack V-weapon
sites
in the coastal area of France.
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