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SUNDAY, 22 OCTOBER 1944
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ 492d Bombardment Group
(Heavy)
and the 856th, 857th, 858th and 859th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy),
i.e.,
the CARPETBAGGER group assigned to HQ VIII Fighter Command, is
transferred to
the 1st Bombardment Division to operate as a night bombing group;
only the
856th Squadron remains on CARPETBAGGER operations over the
Netherlands,
Norway and Denmark under operational control of HQ Eighth AF; this
reduction
of supply dropping forces results from the recapture of major
portions of
France. The 859th Squadron is sent to Italy in Dec 44 and did not
return;
the 857th and 858th started night bombing sorties on a limited scale
in Dec
44.
Mission 685: 1,131 bombers and 785 fighters are dispatched on PFF
attacks
on targets in W Germany; 2 bombers and 1 fighter are lost:
1. 379 B-17s are dispatched to hit military vehicle plants at
Hannover/
Hanomag (171) and Brunswick/Bussing (148); targets of opportunity
are
Bielefeld (35) and other (6); 2 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond
repair and
15 damaged; 20 airmen are KIA, 3 WIA and 16 MIA. Escort is provided
by 379
P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond
repair.
2. 353 of 373 B-24s hit the Hamm marshalling yard; 29 B-24s are
damaged.
Escort is provided by 196 of 212 P-51s; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond
repair.
3. 352 of 379 B-17s hit the Munster marshalling yard; 8 others hit
targets
of opportunity; 13 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 147 of
157 P-51s.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Advance HQ XXIX Tactical Air
Command
(Provisional) and HQ 84th and 303d Fighter Wings move from Arlon,
Belgium to
Maastricht, the Netherlands to maintain close association with the
US Ninth
Army. Weather forbids bomber operations; fighter sweeps and armed
reconnaissance support US Third and Seventh Army elements in E
France and W
Germany. In Belgium, HQ 373d Fighter Group moves from Reims, France
to Le
Culot.
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