9 February 1945

FRIDAY, 9 FEBRUARY 1945

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 824: 1,296 bombers and
871 fighters in 6 forces hit oil targets in Germany; except where noted,
attacks were made with PFF; they claim 61-4-22 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 bombers
and 5 fighters are lost:
1. 313 B-24s are sent to hit the Rothensee oil plant at Magdeburg (10); 268
hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Magdeburg; targets of
opportunity are Tarchen (9) and Quackenbruck Airfield (1); the Magdeburg
attacks are made using H2X; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft; 3 B-24s are lost, 1
damaged beyond repair and 51 damaged; 14 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 20 MIA.
Escorting are 151 of 173 P-51s; they claim 9-0-5 aircraft in the air and
1-0-0 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
2. 198 of 311 B-17s hit the secondary target, the munitions industry at
Weimar; targets of opportunity are the marshalling yards at Giessen (25)
and Gottingen (15), the munitions industry at Eisenach (11), Jena (11) and
Fulda (24) and other (4); attacks are made using H2X and visually; they claim
0-0-1 aircraft; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 7 damaged; 1
airman is WIA and 28 MIA. The escort is 271 of 274 P-51s; they claim 8-1-3
aircraft in the air and 2-0-9 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1
damaged beyond repair.
3. 304 B-17s are dispatched to the oil plants at Lutzkendorf (233); 12 hit
the secondary target, Erfurt; targets of opportunity are Eisenach (13, using
H2X radar), Eisleben (13), Montesada (11) and other (3); all attacks except 1
were visual; 1 B-17 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 64 damaged; 6 airmen
are KIA, 3 WIA and 26 MIA. 193 of 215 P-51s escort and claim 2-1-0 aircraft
in the air and 34-0-3 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1
damaged beyond repair.
4. 64 of 65 B-24s hit the Schildesche rail viaduct at Bielefeld using Gee-H
without loss. 39 of 40 P-47s escort without loss.
5. 151 B-17s are sent to hit the Altenbeken rail viaduct at Paderborn
(72) and the Arnsberg rail viaduct (75) using Gee-H; 1 B-17 is lost and 1
damaged. 47 of 53 P-51s escort without loss.
6. 107 of 152 B-17s hit the secondary target, oil plants at Dulmen using
Micro H; 21 hit a target of opportunity, the marshalling yard at Munster with
H2X radar; 10 B-17s are damaged. Escorting are 55 of 60 P-51s without loss.
7. 33 of 35 P-51s fly a scouting mission; they claim 5-1-0 aircraft in
the air without loss.
8 20 of 21 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 347 A-20s, A-26s, and
B-26s bomb communications centers at Viersen and Kempen, marshalling yards at
Rheydt, Grevenbroich, and Viersen, and rail bridges at Neuwied-Irlich and
Sinzig. Fighters fly armed reconnaissance over the E and W of the Rhine
River, attack rail bridges, and support US XII Corps bridgeheads across the
Our and Sauer Rivers. In France, HQ 323d Bombardment Group (Medium) and the
453d, 454th, 455th and 456th Bombardment Squadrons move from Athies Airfield,
Laon to Prouvy Airfield, Denain and Valenciennes (454th) with B-26s; HQ 410th
Bombardment Group (Light) and the 644th, 645th, 646th and 647th Bombardment
Squadrons (Light) move from Coulommiers to Juvincourt with A-20s; and the
669th Bombardment Squadron (Light), 416th Bombardment Group (Light) moves
from Melun to Athies Airfield, Laon with A-26s. HQ 405th Fighter Group and
the 511th Fighter Squadron move from St Dizier, France to Ophoven, Belgium
with P-47s.