18 January 1945THURSDAY, 18 JANUARY 1945
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):
Mission 799: Bad weather limits
operations; 114 of 114 B-17s attack the marshalling yard at
Kaiserslautern
without loss; most are diverted to bases on the Continent after
the raid
because of heavy clouds; escort is provided by 105 of 113 P-51s
with the loss
of 3 aircraft and pilots. 6 of 6 B-17s fly a screening mission
and 4 of 4
P-51s fly a scouting mission.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ IX Tactical Air
Command returns
to operational control of the Ninth AF (from the RAF Second
Tactical AF) as
the US First Army returns from the Twenty First Army Group to
the Twelfth
Army Group. In Belgium, HQ IX Tactical Air Command (Rear)
returns to Verviers
from Charleroi. Weather prevents all Ninth AF operations except
for alert
flights by 11 fighters of the IX and XXIX Tactical Air Commands.
The 153d
Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth
Army Group),
moves from Rutten to Spa, Belgium with L-5s.
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