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The Mighty Eighth -Tuesday 16 January 1945 |
TUESDAY, 16 JANUARY 1945 EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 796: A planned major strike at oil and industrial targets in Germany is cancelled by weather; 627 bombers and 693 fighters are dispatched to hit oil targets; 2 B-24s and 1 P-51 are lost; due to heavy fog a large percentage of the bombers are diverted to various landing fields in the UK and on the Continent: 1. 364 B-24s are sent to hit the Rothensee synthetic oil plant at Magdeburg (61) and the oil plant at Ruhland (67); secondary targets hit are the marshalling yard at Dresden (138) and a tank factory at Magdeburg (61); 5 others hit a target of opportunity; targets are bombed visually and using H2X radar; 2 B-24s are lost and 8 damaged beyond repair; 3 airmen are KIA, 20 WIA and 22 MIA. Escorting are 368 of 392 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 7 damaged beyond repair. 2. 263 B-17s dispatched hit secondary targets, the marshalling yard at Dessau (146) and 2 aircraft engine plants at Bitterfeld (96); 4 others hit targets of opportunity; all attacks are made using H2X radar; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair; 1 airman is KIA and 3 WIA. The escort is 194 of 203 P-51s. 3. 68 P-47s and P-51s fly a sweep. 4. 19 of 20 P-51s fly a scouting mission. 5. 5 of 7 P-51s escort a Spitfire on a photo reconnaissance mission on Berlin and Misburg. Mission 797: 1 B-24 drop leaflets on Belgium during the night. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 311 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s hit road and rail bridges, communications centers, motor transport repair center, and other targets in Germany; fighters escort 9th Bombardment Division and Eighth AF bombers, fly armed reconnaissance and defensive patrols, and support US First Army elements along the battleline NE of Houffalize, Belgium, and the III Corps along the battleline SE of Houffalize. |