17 January 1945

WEDNESDAY, 17 JANUARY 1945

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 798: 700 bombers and 362
fighters are dispatched to make visual attacks on oil refineries at Hamburg
and Harburg and Gee-H and H2X attacks on rail targets; 9 bombers and 7
fighters are lost:
1. 158 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Rhenania (40) and Albrecht (34) oil
refineries at Hamburg and the U-boat base at Hamburg (73); 1 other hits a
target of opportunity; 4 B-17s are lost and 88 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and
39 MIA. Escorting are 61 P-47s and P-51s; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 1
P-47 is damaged beyond repair.
2. 78 of 84 B-24s hit the Rhenania oil refinery at Harburg; 1 other hits
Borkum Airfield as a target of opportunity; 4 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged
beyond repair and 57 damaged; 7 airmen are WIA and 44 MIA. Escort is provided
by 46 of 55 P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
3. 458 B-17s are sent to hit the Paderborn marshalling yard (397) and the
Schildesche rail viaduct at Bielefeld (37); 4 others hit a target of
opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 6 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. The escort is
108 of 118 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
4. 80 of 87 P-51s fly a fighter sweep against a rail target without loss.
5. 25 of 28 P-51s fly a scouting mission; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Weather cancels all bomber
operations and limits the fighters; the XIX Tactical Air Command flies a
night patrol while the IX Tactical Air Command flies a leaflet mission and
patrols the XIX Corps area around the Hurtgen Forest, Germany.