January 1945

The Mighty Eighth - Saturday, 17 February, 1945

SATURDAY, 17 FEBRUARY 1945

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command):

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 834: 895 bombers and 183
fighters are dispatched to hit synthetic oil plants in Germany and the
Frankfurt marshalling yard; deteriorating weather forces the recall of 261
B-17s and 288 B-24s; the weather was so bad that some aircraft controls froze
and several had to jettison their bombs during assembly; 3 B-17s and 2 of the
recalled B-24 force are lost in addition to 1 P-51. 346 B-17s are sent to hit
the marshalling yard at Frankfurt (260); targets of opportunity are the
Giessen marshalling yard (45), Aschaffenburg (12), Hanau (10) and other (4);
3 B-17s and 2 B-24s are lost, 1 B-17 and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair and
106 B-17s damaged; 17 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 38 MIA. The escort is 151 of
167 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 12 P-51s fly a
scouting mission and 4 escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany.
The 862d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 493d Bombardment Group (Heavy)
(attached to 3d Air Division), moves from Debach to Wormingford, England and
begins flying weather reconnaissance missions with B-17s and P-51s.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 31 B-26s strike the
Mayen rail bridge and a target of opportunity at Reinfeld; fighters of the IX
and XIX Tactical Air Commands fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance;
the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) cancels operations due to bad
weather.