11 January 1944

TUESDAY, 11 JANUARY 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 182. Three aviation
industry targets in Germany are hit; fierce opposition estimated at 500
Luftwaffe fighters is encountered and 60 bombers and 5 fighters are lost.
1. 177 B-17's are dispatched to Oschersleben; 139 hit the primary and 20
hit targets of opportunity; they claim 174-32-63 Luftwaffe aircraft; 34
B-17's are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 83 damaged; casualties are 9
KIA, 11 WIA and 349 MIA.
2. 114 B-17's are dispatched to Halberstadt; 52 hit the primary and 55 hit
targets of opportunity; they claim 35-11-19 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-17's are
lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 42 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 18 WIA
and 81 MIA.
177 P-47's and 44 Ninth Air Force P-51's escort; they claim 29-11-14
Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-47's are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 4 P-47's
and 1 P-51 are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA and 2 MIA. Major James H Howard,
a P-51 pilot of the 354th Fighter Group, shot down an Me 110 and then found
himself the lone escort for a B-17 group being attacked by 30 Luftwaffe
aircraft. For the next 30 minutes, he kept turning into the enemy fighters
and firing until only one gun was firing; by this time, he was credited with
2-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft and saved the B-17's. Major Howard was awarded the
Medal of Honor.
3. 234 B-17's and 138 B-24's are dispatched to Brunswick; 47 B-17's hit the
primary, 114 hit Osnabruck, 25 hit Bielefeld, 22 hit Peine, 10 hit Herford
and 1 hit Nienburg; no B-24's hit the primary, 58 hit Meppen, 1 hits Lingen
and 7 hit other targets; they claim 19-17-16 Luftwaffe aircraft; 16 B-17's
and 2 B-24's are lost, 1 each damaged beyond repair and 47 B-17's and 7
B-24's damaged; casualties are 5 WIA and 176 MIA. This mission is escorted by
49 P-38's and 322 P-47's; they claim 2-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38 and 2
P-47's are lost and 1 P-47 is damaged; casualties are 1 MIA. Among the PFF
aircraft are 4 B-24's, this being the first time B-24's are used in this
capacity.
HQ 96th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) is activated at Horsham St Faith,
England.