21 January 1943

THURSDAY, 21 JANUARY 1943

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
At the Casablanca Conference between Prime Minister Churchill, President
Roosevelt and the Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS), the CCS issue the
"Casablanca Directive." It broadly outlines the operations of the USAAF
VIII Bomber Command and the RAF Bomber Command located in the UK as having
the primary object of the destruction of the German military, economic and
industrial systems and undermining of morale of the German people. Primary
targets listed in order of priority are submarine construction yards, the
aircraft industry, transportation, oil plants and other war industries. It
largely relieves the VIII Bomber Command of supporting North African
operations.
Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker, Commanding General Eighth Air Force,
completes a paper called "The Case For Day Bombing" which he presents to
General Henry "Hap" Arnold, Commanding General Army Air Forces at the
Casablanca Conference. Eaker then discusses these ideas on the merits of
daylight bombing with Churchill in an attempt to convince him of its
effectiveness. Churchill later concurs. This paper leads to development
of the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) program.
Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 49 sorties during the day.
Early in the day, 26 escort RAF Venturas attacking Caen/Carpiquet, France.
Later in the day, 23 support a Circus (heavy fighter escort of a small
force of bombers in an attempt to provoke a Luftwaffe fighter response) to
Caen, France.
A 93d Bombardment Group (Heavy) B-24 attempts a Moling mission, i.e., bad
weather operation by single aircraft designed to alert the Luftwaffe.