USAAF in WW II - 22 October

THURSDAY, 22 OCTOBER 1942

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Weather reconnaissance aircraft reports a submarine at 52-08N 177-21 W; a US Navy (US) aircraft later makes contact and drops depth bomb; the result is unknown.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

  Eighth Air Force: The 330th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 93d Bombardment Group (Heavy), based at Alconbury, England with B-24s, begins operating from Holmsley, England.

  Twelfth Air Force: HQ Twelfth AF, the 307th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, and the 437th and 439th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 319th Bombardment Group (Medium), begin the move from the UK to N Africa.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS [MTO, US Army, Middle East Air Force

(USAMEAF)]: Advance US Air HQ, previously attached to the RAF Advanced Air HQ, Western Desert, to gain field experience, becomes HQ of Desert Air Task Force (DATF), located at Burg el Arab, Egypt, with Lieutenant General Lewis H Brereton as Commanding General and Major General Elmer E Adler attached with advance HQ of Air Service Command; the Chief of Staff of the DATF is Brigadier General Auby C Strickland.

  B-25s bomb dispersed aircraft. In Egypt, P-40s escort bombers, attack tent areas and motor transport along the coastal road near El Hammam, fly reconnaissance and fighter sweeps W of El Daba, and bomb artillery positions; P-40s claim 2 fighters destroyed.  B-17s sent to hit Candia, Crete abort because of weather.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Joint Chiefs of Staff): Henderson Field on Guadalcanal Island is out of operation again as result of enemy action.

FRIDAY, 22 OCTOBER 1943

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force): The 819th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 30th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives at Barking Sands, Territory of Hawaii with B-24's. The squadron, the ex-3d Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy), will fly sea searches and supply the 30th Group with replacement crews and planes until May 44.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS

 

  BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, a B-25 strike against a railroad bridge on the Ye-u branch line over the Mu River between Ywataung and Monywa fails to damage the structure. This raid marks the final assault of the year on this bridge.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): About 60 B-26's bomb Evreux/Fauville Airfield in France; 140+ others abort missions against other airfields because of bad weather.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) approve the plan, submitted by General Henry H "Hap"

Arnold and the US Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), to create a new Air Force (the Fifteenth) in Italy from part of the Twelfth Air Force to be used in strategic bombing against Germany as well as in support of ground operations.

  In Italy, XII Bomber Command B-26's bomb railroad bridges N and SE of Omvieto; B-25's hit a railroad bridge S of Grosseto and Eleusis Airfield, Greece; The XII Air Support Command, along with other elements of the NATAF, hit town areas, highways, vehicles, gun positions, railroad communications, strongpoints, and targets of opportunity at or near San Salvo Teano, Venafro, Cantalupo el Sannio, Isernia, Cassino, Montenero, and Boiano. Aquino Airfield is also bombed.

  The 12th Troop Carrier Squadron, 60th Troop Carrier Group, based at Gela, Sicily, begins operating from Comiso, Sicily with C-47's.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): In the Solomon Islands, Kahili Airfield on Bougainville Island and the surrounding areas are pounded by 22 B-24's, 30+ P-39's and P-40's and about 160 USN fighters and dive bombers. 18 B-24's and USN airplanes hit targets in the Choiseul Island area. Other USN aircraft hit Kara Airfield on Bougainville Island. A single B-24 claims hits on a carrier NW of Buka Island.

  HQ 42d Bombardment Group (Medium) and it's 390th Bombardment Squadron

(Medium) transfer from Guadalcanal Island to the Russell Islands with B-25's.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea,

20+ B-25's carry out a low-level attack on the Wewak area, sinking 2

20+ small

freighters, and strafing barges and airplanes; Madang is strafed by 4 P-39's and 2 Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boomerangs. 50+ P-40's hit Gasmata Island off New Britain Island. 11 B-24's bomb Pombelaa nickel mines on Celebes Island.

SUNDAY, 22 OCTOBER 1944

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS

 

  BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 40+ P-47s hit a variety of targets including bridges at Panghkam, and at 2 other points along the N Burma rail corridor, the towns of Manna and Kyaungle, a bivouac in the Indaw area, and various targets of opportunity.

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 2 B-25s knock out 2 railroad bridges at Pingnam while 8 P-51s pound the town area; 54 P-40s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance attack town areas and general targets of opportunity at Nampang, Kuanyang, Shekpo, Pingnam, Kweiping, near Menghsu and Wanling, Burma.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ 492d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and the 856th, 857th, 858th and 859th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), i.e., the CARPETBAGGER group assigned to HQ VIII Fighter Command, is transferred to the 1st Bombardment Division to operate as a night bombing group; only the 856th Squadron remains on CARPETBAGGER operations over the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark under operational control of HQ Eighth AF; this reduction of supply dropping forces results from the recapture of major portions of France. The 859th Squadron is sent to Italy in Dec 44 and did not return; the 857th and 858th started night bombing sorties on a limited scale in Dec 44.

  Mission 685: 1,131 bombers and 785 fighters are dispatched on PFF attacks on targets in W Germany; 2 bombers and 1 fighter are lost:

  1. 379 B-17s are dispatched to hit military vehicle plants at Hannover/ Hanomag (171) and Brunswick/Bussing (148); targets of opportunity are Bielefeld (35) and other (6); 2 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and

15 damaged; 20 airmen are KIA, 3 WIA and 16 MIA. Escort is provided by 379 P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair.

  2. 353 of 373 B-24s hit the Hamm marshalling yard; 29 B-24s are damaged.

Escort is provided by 196 of 212 P-51s; 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair.

  3. 352 of 379 B-17s hit the Munster marshalling yard; 8 others hit targets of opportunity; 13 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 147 of 157 P-51s.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Advance HQ XXIX Tactical Air Command

(Provisional) and HQ 84th and 303d Fighter Wings move from Arlon, Belgium to Maastricht, the Netherlands to maintain close association with the US Ninth Army. Weather forbids bomber operations; fighter sweeps and armed reconnaissance support US Third and Seventh Army elements in E France and W Germany. In Belgium, HQ 373d Fighter Group moves from Reims, France to Le Culot.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Bad weather limits operations to reconnaissance flights.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, bad weather grounds all medium bombers and A-20s; fighters and fighter-bombers, flying less than 20 sorties, hit rail lines and trains in N Italy; the 7th Troop Carrier Squadron, 62d Troop Carrier Group, moves from Galera Airfield to Brindisi with C-47s.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA)

  AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Guam Island-based B-24s hit Yap Island with harassment raids during the day, operating singly or in groups of 2 or 3.

Makin Island-based B-25s bomb Nauru Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In the Philippine Islands, B-25s and P-38s attack shipping in the Sulu Archipelago and Jolo harbor on Jolo Island and Zamboanga harbor on Mindanano Island while B-24s hit Opon and Lahug Airfields on Cebu Island; B-25s hit Ternate on Samar Island and B-24s pound Matina Airfield in the Cagayan Islands, and Likanan on Mindanao Island; and HQ 308th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) moves from Hollandia, New Guinea to Leyte Island. B-25s hit Piroe Bay supply dumps in the Moluccas Islands and gun positions and fighter-bombers hit Kairatoe Airfield on Celebes Island and Amahai Airfield on Ceram Island and targets of opportunity in Binnen Bay. A-20s blast pillboxes and occupied areas in the Metimedan-Sawar Rivers sector of New Guinea.

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USAAF in WW II - 2 October

FRIDAY, 2 OCTOBER 1942

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): On Kiska Island, 11 B-24s and 6 P-39s bomb 2 cargo ships in the harbor (no hits observed), drop demolition charges throughout the Main Camp area, and hit a hangar S of the seaplane ramp; 4 floatplanes and 1 biplane are shot down.  Enemy aircraft bomb the Adak Island airfield without inflicting damage.

  CARIBBEAN (Sixth Air Force): German sub, U-512, is sunk off French Guiana, 06-50N, 52-25W, by aircraft of the 99th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 9th Bombardment Group (Heavy), based at Zandery Field, Surinam.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

  Eighth Air Force: Mission 13: 61 bombers and 54 fighters are dispatched to attack 3 targets in France; 1 fighter is lost:

  1. 32 of 43 B-17s dispatched hit the Avions Potez aircraft factory at Meaulte; they claim 4-9-5 aircraft; 6 B-17s are damaged; 3 airmen are WIA.

Escort is provided by 31 P-38s; 1 P-38 is lost.

  2. 6 of 6 B-17s fly a diversionary missions to St Omer/Longuenesse Airfield; they claim 5-4-4 aircraft. Escort is provided by 23 Spitfires; they claim 4-0-1 aircraft without loss.

  3. 11 of 12 unescorted DB-7s attack a ship in a dock at Le Havre without loss.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In the Owen Stanley Range of New Guinea, A-20s bomb and strafe Japanese campsites around Myola and hit several trails in the area, while P-400s strafe bridges at Sirorata and Wairopi and a village NE of Wairopi. B-17s bomb shipping and airfield at Rabaul on New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago.

SATURDAY, 2 OCTOBER 1943

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS

 

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 5 P-40's dive-bomb and strafe Yangtze River shipping in the Chiuchiang, China area. Strafing damages several small craft.

  HQ 51st Fighter Group transfers from Dinjan, India to Kunming, China and is reassigned from the Tenth to Fourteenth Air Force.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 106: 349 B-17's are dispatched to the industrial area of Emden, Germany; led by 2 B-17 pathfinders, 339 hit the target at 1557-1603 hours; they claim 15-6-12 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17's are lost and 34 damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 21 MIA. The B-17's are escorted by 227 P-47's who claim 5-3-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is damaged. In addition to the above, 21 B-24's are dispatched to Woensdrecht Airfield, The Netherlands; the target is obscured by clouds and the mission is aborted.

  VIII Air Support Command Mission 75: 72 B-26's are dispatched to the St Omer/Longuenesse Airfield in France; because of cloud cover, only 6 hit the target at 1715 hours; the remainder refrain from bombing because the target is in occupied territory; 12 B-26's are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and

4 WIA.

  VIII Bomber Command Mission 107: 2 B-17's join the Royal Air Force (RAF) in a night mission to Munich; no losses or casualties.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): Brigadier General Gordon P Saville becomes Commanding General, XII Fighter Command. Weather curtails operations. In Italy, fighter-bombers of the XII Air Support Command attack motor transport, roads, and bridges during armed reconnaissance missions from the Volturno Valley N to Isernia and W to Benevento.

  The 64th and 65th Fighter Squadrons, 57th Fighter Group, transfer from Rocco Bernardo to Foggia, Italy with P-40's.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force): 6 B-25's join USN dive bombers in attacking Hamberi Cove barge hideout near Vila on Kolombangara Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force): On New Britain Island, B-25's strafe villages in the Talasea area and barges off Gasmata Island; B-26's bomb Hoskins Airfield; and a B-24 bombs Cape Gloucester Airfield. Other B-24's bomb Amboina Island in the Moluccas Islands.

Australian forces take the town and harbor of Finschhafen and prepare to take nearby commanding positions still held by the Japanese.

  The 6th Troop Carrier Squadron transfers from Port Moresby, New Guinea to Garbutt Field, Townsville, Queensland, Australia with C-47's.

MONDAY, 2 OCTOBER 1944

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): In the Kurile Islands, photo reconnaissance missions, by 4 B-25s to Paramushiru Island and by 2 B-24s to Onnekotan Island, abort due to weather.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS

 

  BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 49 P-47s pound several towns and bridges in the Bhamo area and destroy buildings in Shwekyina, Kaungsin, Maingka, Kyungyi, Singan, and Kabani; 20+ P-47s hit N Burma railroad targets and troops at Man He and Manla; 7 P-47s bomb Kutkai while 8 sweep the Lungling, China-Loiwing, Burma area, destroying a warehouse at Selan; 8 B-25s slightly damage road bridges N of Lashio; 4 others bomb and damage Nambkai road bridges and their vicinity; troop carrier aircraft fly 260+ sorties, delivering men and supplies to various points in the CBI. The detachments of the 1st and 3d Combat Cargo Squadrons, 1st Combat Cargo Group, operating from Yunnani, China with C-47s return to base at Sylhet, India.

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 11 B-25s attack the town of Pingnam while 16 bomb Tien Ho and White Cloud Airfields in Canton and the town of Samshui; 70+ P-40s and P-51s on armed reconnaissance over S China attack various targets of opportunity, chiefly river traffic and troop areas around Chuanhsien, Taochuan, Takbing, Wuchou, Dosing, and the Wenchow peninsula, and attack shipping in the Campba Port-Hongay area of French Indochina.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

  AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): In France, HQ 441st Troop Carrier Group and the 100th and 302d Troop Carrier Squadrons move from Villeneuve/Vetrus to St Marceau with C-47s.

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): 4 missions are flown:

  Mission 658: 887 B-17s and 549 fighters are dispatched to make PFF attacks on industrial targets at Cologne and Kassel, Germany; 2 B-17s are lost:

  1. 305 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Bettenhausen ordnance depot at Kassel (129); targets of opportunity are Kassel (143), Fritzlar Airfield (12) and other (1); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 89 damaged; 5 airmen are WIA. Escort is provided by 228 P-47s and P-51s without loss.

  2. 458 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Henschel motor vehicle plant at Kassel (384); targets of opportunity are Wiesbaden (31), Gesecke (9) and other (17); 2 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 144 damaged; 16 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 20 MIA. Escort is provided by 219 P-47s and P-51s without loss.

  3. 110 of 124 B-17s hit the Ford motor vehicle plant at Cologne; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 36 damaged. Escort is provided by 53 P-47s and P-51s without loss.

  Mission 659: 308 B-24s are dispatched to make a PFF attack on the marshalling yard at Hamm (266); targets of opportunity are Handorf Airfield

(29) and Munster (1); 2 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 144 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 18 MIA. Escort is provided by 212 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA), 2 damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged;

1 pilot is KIA.

  Mission 660: 2 B-17s, escorted by 15 P-51s, drop leaflets on Dutch islands during the day.

  Mission 661: 5 B-24s and 3 B-17s drop leaflets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during the night.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force):  HQ XXIX Tactical Air Command

(Provisional) goes into operation along with the US Ninth Army (this new Tactical Air Command is formed from elements of the IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands); in Germany, the 9th Bombardment Division strikes the industrial area of Ubach and defended positions at Herbach; fighters fly armed reconnaissance (and later night patrol) over Belgium, E France, and W Germany and support the US First, Third, and Seventh Armies in E France and W Germany. In Belgium, HQ IX Tactical Air Command moves advanced HQ from Janoulx to to Verviers maintaining the close association with the US First Army; HQ 368th Fighter Group and the 395th, 396th and 397th Fighter Squadrons move from Laon, France to Chievres with P-47s; the 428th, 429th and 430th Fighter Squadrons, 474th Fighter Group, move from Peronne, France to Florennes. In France, HQ 386th Bombardment Group (Medium) and the 552d, 554th and 555th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) move from Great Dunmow, England to Beaumont-sur-Oise with B-26s. In Luxembourg, the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group, moves from Montrevil, France to Sandwieler with F-6s.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Unfavorable weather again cancels bombing missions and limits operations to weather reconnaissance. The 885th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), Fifteenth AF (attached to Mediterranean Allied Air Forces), begins a movement from Maison Blanche, Algeria to Brindisi, Italy with B-24s (the squadron transports supplies to partisans and drops leaflets in the MTO).

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, weather grounds medium bombers and restricts fighters to reconnaissance and patrols; during the night of 1/2 Oct A-20s bomb targets of opportunity in the Po Valley; HQ 27th Fighter Group and the 522d, 523d and 524th Fighter Squadrons move from Loyettes, France to Tarquinia with P-47s.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA)

  AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Saipan Island-based B-24s hit Marcus Island in the North Pacific and shipping W of Chichi Jima Island, Bonin Islands.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-25s pound Laha Airfield on Ambon Island while B-24s hit Haroekoe Island; P-38s cover the Laha raid, attack shipping in Seri and Amboina Bays and hit Amahai on Ceram Island and Kairatoe Airfield on Celebes Island. Off Halmahera Island B-25s fly a barge sweep, bomb Laboehan, and attack the coastal villages on Weda and Boeli Bays. In New Guinea, P-40s attack vessels off Tamoelol village and Misool Island and bomb Otawiri and Ransiki Airfields; the 64th Troop Carrier Squadron, 403d Troop Carrier Group, based on Biak Island begins operating from Wake Island with C-47s.