20 January 1945

SATURDAY, 20 JANUARY 1945

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 801: 772 bombers and 455
fighters are dispatched to hit synthetic oil plants at Sterkrade and rail
targets and bridges in W Germany using H2X radar; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe
aircraft; 4 bombers and 3 fighters are lost:
1. 36 of 309 B-17s hit the Holten oil plant at Sterkrade; 225 hit the
secondary target, the marshalling yard at Rheine; 1 B-17 is lost, 2 damaged
beyond repair and 68 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA, 33 WIA and 61 MIA. Escorting
are 189 of 199 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
2. 187 of 223 B-17s hit the Heilbronn marshalling yard; 8 hit the
secondary, the Pforzheim marshalling yard and 2 hit a target of opportunity;
2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 18 damaged. Escort is provided
by 39 of 48 P-51s without loss.
3. 170 of 230 B-17s hit the Mannheim marshalling yard and rail bridge;
targets of opportunity are Stuttgart (24), Mannheim (21) and other (1); 1
B-17 is lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 29 damaged. The escort is 130 of
137 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
4. 36 of 39 P-51s fly a fighter sweep in the Frankfurt area; 1 P-51 is lost
(pilot MIA).
5. 16 of 16 P-51s fly a sweep in the St Vith/Duren area without loss.
6. 16 of 16 P-51s fly a scouting mission without loss.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Bomber operations are cancelled due
to weather; fighters fly armed reconnaissance, alerts, and night patrol; the
IX Tactical Air Command also supports the 7th Armored Division on the Dutch-
German boundary.