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The Mighty Eighth -Thursday 18 January 1945 |
THURSDAY, 18 JANUARY 1945 EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 799: Bad weather limits operations; 114 of 114 B-17s attack the marshalling yard at Kaiserslautern without loss; most are diverted to bases on the Continent after the raid because of heavy clouds; escort is provided by 105 of 113 P-51s with the loss of 3 aircraft and pilots. 6 of 6 B-17s fly a screening mission and 4 of 4 P-51s fly a scouting mission. TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ IX Tactical Air Command returns to operational control of the Ninth AF (from the RAF Second Tactical AF) as the US First Army returns from the Twenty First Army Group to the Twelfth Army Group. In Belgium, HQ IX Tactical Air Command (Rear) returns to Verviers from Charleroi. Weather prevents all Ninth AF operations except for alert flights by 11 fighters of the IX and XXIX Tactical Air Commands. The 153d Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group), moves from Rutten to Spa, Belgium with L-5s. |