January 1945

The Mighty Eighth -Wednesday 3 January 1945

WEDNESDAY, 3 JANUARY 1945

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 778: 1,168 bombers and 589
fighters are dispatched to attack rail and communications targets in W
Germany; all are PFF attacks using H2X, Gee-H and Micro H; they claim 4-0-0
Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 fighters are lost:
1. 417 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Fulda (141) and
Aschaffenburg (124) and communications centers at Gemund (38) and Schleiden
(36); the Mosel marshalling yard at Koblenz, a secondary target, is hit by 36
bombers; targets of opportunity are the Pforzheim marshalling yard (25) and
other (3); 1 B-17 is damaged; 2 airmen are WIA. Escort is provided by 219 of
227 P-51s; they claim 4-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 4
damaged beyond repair.
2. 325 B-24s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Altstadt (31),
Homburg (41), Zweibrucken (55), Neunkirchen (84), Landau (59) and the
Pirmasens railhead (41); 2 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged.
Escorting are 143 of 148 P-51s.
3. 421 B-17s are sent to hit the Hermulheim W (72) and E (36) marshalling
yards, a communications center at St Vith, Belgium (98), and rail junctions
at Mondrath (36) and Horrem (1); 100 B-24s hit the secondary target, Cologne;
targets of opportunity are Rheydt (10) and other (3); 11 B-17s are damaged.
The escort is 145 of 150 P-51s; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
4. 32 of 32 P-51s fly a scouting mission.
5. 32 of 32 P-51s escort 5 F-5s on a photo reconnaissance over Germany.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): All combat operations are cancelled
because of weather.