January 1945

The Mighty Eighth - Thursday, 15 February, 1945

THURSDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 1945

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 832: 1,131 bombers and 510
fighters are dispatched to hit oil targets in Germany; with some exceptions,
all attacks are made using H2X radar; they claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2
bombers and 1 P-51 are lost
1. 459 B-17s are sent to hit oil targets at Bohlen; 435 hit the secondary,
the marshalling yard at Cottbus; targets of opportunity are Dresden (1),
Quackenbruck (1) and other (2); 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and
34 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 9 MIA. 153 of 173 P-51s escort; they claim
2-0-0 aircraft; 3 P-51s are damaged beyond repair.
2. 224 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil targets at Ruhland; 210 hit the
secondary, Dresden; targets of opportunity are Lingen (1) and the Ems-Weser
Canal (1); 4 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 8 damaged; 7 airmen are KIA
and 8 WIA. Escorting are 141 of 158 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA).
3. 353 of 372 B-24s hit the Magdeburg synthetic oil plant; 1 B-24 is lost,
3 damaged beyond repair and 32 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA and 3 MIA. The
escort is 110 of 120 P-51s.
4. 58 of 76 B-17s hit a target of last resort, the Rheine marshalling yard;
13 others hit Munster, a target of opportunity. Escorting are 27 P-47s.
5. 4 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany.
6. 25 of 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In Germany, around 90 B-26s bomb
Sinzig and Mayen rail bridges and 4 targets of opportunity in the area;
fighters patrol points along the battlefront, attack railroads and other
special targets, fly armed reconnaissance and support the US VII, VIII, XII,
and XX Corps along the Roer and Prum Rivers and in the Saar River bridgehead
area. In France, HQ 371st Fighter Group and the 404th and 406th Fighter
Squadrons move from Tantonville to Metz with P-47s; and the 671st Bombardment
Squadron (Light), 416th Bombardment Group (Light), moves from Melun to Athies
Airfield, Laon with A-26s.