24 January 1944

MONDAY, 24 JANUARY 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 191: 857 B-17's and B-24's
are put into the air with intentions of bombing transportation and
industrial targets at Frankfurt-Heddernheim, Frankfurt/Main and Russelsheim.
Most bombers had trouble forming up in bad weather and only 563 of the 857
airborne were dispatched; all of the B-24's were recalled. Because of
worsening weather all groups were recalled at 1020 hours but 58 B-17's bombed
the Zukunft Power Station near Eschweiler; they claimed 1-0-3 Luftwaffe
aircraft; 2 B-17's were lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged;
casualties were 5 KIA and 21 MIA.
Escorting were 101 P-38's, 535 P-47's and 42 Ninth Air Force P-51's; the
fighters were assigned area patrol, protecting all bombers as they passed
through their designated area but this was abandoned when the bombers were
recalled; they claim 19-4-9 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 P-38's, 3 P-47's and 2
P-51's were lost and 6 P-47's were damaged; casualties are 9 MIA.
The RAF and USAAF in the United Kingdom, agree to place most of the
available P-51's in the Eighth Air Force for long range escort of heavy
bomber's. Eventually the Eighth is to be equipped almost exclusively with
P-51's, with the P-38's and P-47's to be transferred to the Ninth Air Force.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 175+ B-26's attack V-weapon sites
in the coastal area of France.