13 April 1945

FRIDAY, 13 APRIL 1945

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): 3 missions are flown.
Mission 945: The AAF claims 284-0-220 Luftwaffe aircraft.
1. 212 B-17s, escorted by 256 of 278 P-51s, attack the marshalling yard at
Neumunster visually; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged;
8 airmen are KIA, 3 WIA and 17 MIA. The escort claims 137-0-83 Luftwaffe
aircraft in the air; 6 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
2. 97 P-47s and P-51s fly a freelance mission in support of the bombers;
they claim 147-0-137 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost; both
pilots are MIA.
3. 8 P-51s fly a scouting mission.
4. 11 of 13 P-51s escort 10 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over
Germany.
Mission 946: 10 of 12 B-24s bomb the Beizenburg rail junction during the
night without loss.
Mission 947: During the night, 10 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in France and
Germany and 1 of 4 B-24s completes a CARPETBAGGER mission to Denmark.
The 328th Fighter Squadron, 352d Fighter Group, moves from Chievres,
Belgium to Bodney, England with P-51s.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In Germany, a special mission is
flown by IX Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers against the HQ of Field
Marshall Walter Model's Army Group B at Haus Waldesruh in the Ruhr pocket;
the air attack is followed by an artillery barrage; as a result the HQ is
moved to Haan; IX Tactical Air Command pilots sight Soviet fighters in the
air for the first time; weather grounds the 9th Bombardment Division;
fighters fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, and support the US XVIII Corps
in the Huckeswagen and Hagen areas, the III Corps between the Ruhr and Honne
Rivers, the 3d Armored Division on the Saale River in the Alsleben, Nelben
and Friedeburg area, the XX Corps astride and between the Weisse Eister and
Zwickauer Mulde Rivers N of Gera, the XVI Corps NW of Hagen, the 2d Armored
Division in the Elbenau-Grunwalde area, and the 5th Armored Division along
the Elbe River in the Tangermunde area. P-47 units moving to Fritzlar
Germany: HQ 365th Fighter Group and 387th Fighter Squadron from Aachen; the
507th Fighter Squadron, 404th Fighter Group, from Keltz.