16 February 1945

FRIDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 1945

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): The 77th Troop Carrier
Squadron, 435th Troop Carrier Group, moves from Welford Park, England to
Bretigny, France with C-47s.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 833: 1,042 bombers and 197
fighters attack benzol plants, oil refineries and marshalling yards in C
Germany; 8 bombers are lost:
1. 223 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Hamm (208); targets of
opportunity are Osnabruck (1), Meppen (1) and Rheine (1); bombing is by H2X,
Micro H and some visual; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 95
damaged; 7 airmen are WIA and 11 MIA. Escorting are 44 of 45 P-51s.
2. 375 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Harpenerweg oil refinery at Dortmund
(78) and oil refineries at Nordstern (104) and Minsterstein (112); 30 hit the
marshalling yard at Munster, a secondary target; targets of opportunity are
Langendreer (23) and other (2); bombing is by Gee-H with some visual; 5 B-17s
are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 170 damaged; 8 airmen are WIA and 46
MIA. 38 of 39 P-51s escort.
3. 362 B-24s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Osnabruck (174) and
Rheine (94) and the Salzbergen oil refinery (46); 31 hit Burgsteinfurt, a
target of opportunity; H2X and Gee-H are used; 1 B-24 is lost and 26 damaged;
10 airmen are MIA. 50 P-51s escort the B-24s.
4. 63 of 76 B-17s hit the rail bridge at Wesel visually; 13 hit the
marshalling yard at Rheine, a target of opportunity, with H2X. Escorting are
45 of 51 P-51s.
5. 6 B-24s fly a screening mission without loss.
6. 4 P-51s fly a scouting mission.
7. 4 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany.
8. 4 P-51s escort a B-17 on a "special sortie."

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 300+ B-26s and A-20s
bomb the Mayen, rail bridge, Rees communications center, Solingen turbo-jet
component works, Unna ordnance depot, and a target of opportunity; fighters
escort the bombers, fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance, attack
bridge, railroads, and other special targets; the XIX Tactical Air Command
also supports the US VIII, XII, and XX Corps W of the Prum River, E of the
Sauer River, and in the Saarlautern area. The 158th Liaison Squadron, Ninth
AF (attached to Twelfth Army Group), moves from Somme-Suippe, France to
Celles, Belgium with L-1s, L-4s and L-5s.