WEDNESDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 1942
SOUTHWEST
PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, 5th Air Force): Detachment of the 22d Bombardment Squadron
(Heavy), 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), departs Nandi Airport, Fiji Islands
from Australia with B-17's. The squadron is based at Jogjakarta, Java.
Air
echelon of 91st Bombardment Squadron (Light), 27th Bombardment Group (Light),
begins operating from Malang, Java with A-24's; ground echelon is on Bataan,
Luzon, Philippine Islands.
THURSDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 1943
AIRCRAFT
MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT:
B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
B-24, Consolidated Liberator
B-25, North American Mitchell
C-47, Douglas Skytrain
LB-30, Consolidated Liberator
P-40, Curtiss
Spitfire, Vickers Supermarine
AMERICAN
THEATER OF OPERATIONS
ALASKA
(Eleventh Air Force)
In the
Aleutians, a weather reconnaissance determines that 3 ships at Attu Island to
be friendly. P-40s on local patrol over
Amchitka Island encounter and shoot down 2 enemy fighters.
The 21st
Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 30th Bombardment Group (Heavy) operating under
control of the 28th Composite Group with B-24s from Umnak Islands begins
operating from Amchitka Island.
CARIBBEAN
(Sixth Air Force)
The 45th
Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 40th Bombardment Group (Heavy) with LB-30s
transfers from David, Panama to the Galapagos Islands.
EUROPEAN
THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Spitfire
Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 26 uneventful sorties during the day on
shipping and defensive patrols.
MEDITERRANEAN
THEATER OF OPERATIONS
WESTERN
MEDITERRANEAN (North African Air Force)
HQ North
African Air Force (NAAF) is set up under General Carl Spaatz, USAAF, and the
Twelfth Air Force becomes a paper outfit.
Six principalsubordinate commands are specified, i.e.:
North
African Air Support Command (NAASC)
North
African Coastal Air Force (NACAF)
North
African Photographic Reconnaissance Wing (NAPRW)
North
African Strategic Air Force (NASAF)
North
African Training Command (NATC)
Twelfth
Air Force Units assigned to NAAF described above are:
NAASC:
XII Air Support Command [33d and 81st Fighter Groups and 47th Bombardment Group
(Light)]
NACAF:
XII Fighter Command (31st, 52d and 350th Fighter Groups)
NAPRW: 3d
Photographic Group
NASAF:
XII Bomber Command [97th and 301st Bombardment Groups (Heavy); 17th, 310th and
319th Bombardment Groups (Medium); 1st, 14th and 82d Fighter Groups; and the
68th Observation Group]
NATC:
15th Bombardment Squadron (Light)
In
Algeria, weather cancels heavy and medium bomber operations.
In
Tunisia, fighters provide direct support for the British First Army in the
Sbeitla-Kasserine-Feriana areas.
HQ 1st
Fighter Group and it's 27th Fighter Squadron P-38s transfers from Biskra,
Algeria to Chateaudun-du-Rhumel, Algeria.
The 342d
Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy) with B-17s
transfers from Biskra, Algeria to Chateaudun-du-Rhumel, Algeria.
SOUTH
PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force)
In the
Solomons, B-24s pound the airfield at Munda on New Georgia Island. B-17s attack
the Kahili, Bougainville area and shipping nearby.
SOUTHWEST
PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force)
In the
Bismarck Archipelago, B-24s unsuccessfully attack shipping off Cape Gloucester
and Cape Orford.
In New
Guinea, B-25s bomb the Barar area.
Individual B-24s bomb the Finschhafen landing ground and the Madang
area.
In
Portugese Timor, B-25s unsuccessfully attack shipping off Dili.
The 21st
Troop Carrier Squadron, 374th Troop Carrier Group with C-47s transfers from
Archerfield Airdrome near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia to Port Moresby, New
Guinea.
FRIDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 1944
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA
(CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS
BURMA-INDIA
(Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 40+ B-25s, A-36s and P-51s attack the town of Ye-u
and nearby bridge, bivouacs N of Laban, bridges in the Pyingaing area and along
the Mu River, supply and troop concentrations at
Waingmaw
radio station and a supply area near Kamaing and gun emplacements SE of Taihpa
Ga; the strikes are generally successful.
58th
Fighter Squadron, 33d Fighter Group, arrives at Karachi, India from Italy; they
will be equipped with P-47Ds.
CHINA
(Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 4 B-25s on a sweep of the Gulf of
Tonkin damage 2 large boats N of Bakli Bay on Hainan Island, destroy an
ammunition dump at Phu Ly and knock out a nearby railroad bridge.
EUROPEAN
THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
STRATEGIC
OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): HQ Eighth Air Force issues orders to establish a
photographic reconnaissance wing [8th Reconnaissance Wing (Provisional)] in
Cheddington. The purpose is to make the Eighth independent in aerial
reconnaissance and to consolidate the efforts of units presently engaged in
this and related activities. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt, the President's son and
currently Director of Reconnaissance for the Ninth Air
Force, is
named Commanding Officer.
TACTICAL
OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): HQ 61st Troop Carrier Group arrives at Barkston,
England from Sicily.
MEDITERRANEAN
THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)
STRATEGIC
OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Operations are restricted to photographic and
weather reconnaissance. 764th, 765th, 766th and 767th Bombardment Squadrons
(Heavy), 461st Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Venosa, Italy from the US
with B-24s; first mission is 2 Apr.
TACTICAL
OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, A-20s hit a troop concentration near
Piedimonte; XII Air Support Command P-40s and A-36s fly 17 missions in support
of US Fifth Army troops resisting the German counteroffensive which reaches its
deepest penetration into the Anzio
beachhead
on this day; objectives include tanks, vehicles, gun positions, troop
concentrations, and a railroad underpass along the Anzio-Albano Laziale axis;
fighters over Anzio successfully intercept air strikes on the
beachhead;
New Zealand troops capture Cassino Station.
HQ 321st
Bombardment Group (Medium) and 445th, 446th, 447th and 448th Bombardment
Squadrons (Medium) move from Vincenzo Airfield to Gaudo Airfield, Italy with
B-25s.
PACIFIC
OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): P-40s from Makin Island bomb and strafe
Jaluit and Mille Atolls. US forces land on Engebi Island in Eniwetok Atoll.
SOUTH
PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, 34 B-25s and
18 B-24s, both forces with fighter escorts, pound Vunakanau Airfield; 2 B-25s
and 4 P-38s hit Tobera.
SOUTHWEST
PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-25s and RAAF Beaufighters hit Koepang,
Timor Island. P-39s strafe targets of opportunity at Madang, New Guinea and
Cape Raoult, New Britain Island.
499th
Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 345th Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from
Dobodura to Nadzab, New Guinea with B-25s.
SUNDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 1945
AMERICAN
THEATER OF OPERATIONS
ALASKA
(Eleventh Air Force): 7 B-24s fly cover sorties for a naval force during its
approach to Kurabu Cape, Paramushiru Island.
CHINA-BURMA-INDIA
THEATER
CHINA
THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 25 fighter-bombers attack the Sinyang
railroad yards and airfield and targets of opportunity along the Pinghan
railroad, at Chiuchiang, in the Nanking area, E of Lohochai, and SE
of
Hsuchang; 4 B-24s over the S China Sea claim damage on 2 vessels; the 374th,
375th and 425th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy),
move from Chengkung and Kunming to Kwanghan with B-24s.
INDIA-BURMA
THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 12 B-25s demolish bridges at Namsang and
Ke-hsi Mansam; 30+ fighter-bombers support ground forces in the
Mongmit-Myitson-Nabu area; 100+ fighter-bombers pound troop concentrations,
supplies, vehicles, and other targets immediately in advance of the southward
moving battleline. Transports fly 602 sorties to the forward areas.
EUROPEAN
THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
TACTICAL
OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 60+ B-26s bomb the Dottesfeld rail
bridge, a target of opportunity at Daun, and 5 other targets of opportunity as
the 9th Bombardment Division starts a campaign to isolate
the Ruhr;
the XIX Tactical Air Command escorts the B-26s and flies weather reconnaissance
and armed reconnaissance; the IX and XXIX Tactical Air Commands are grounded
because of weather.
MEDITERRANEAN
THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)
STRATEGIC
OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): During the night of 17/18 Feb, 24 B-24s drop
supplies in N Italy; during the day 160 B-17s bomb a benzol plant, main
marshalling yard and station at Linz, Austria; 20 P-38s provide escort; almost
290 B-24s, with fighter escorts, are recalled because of weather from missions
dispatched against targets in Austria; weather also causes the recall of 52
P-51s on a strafing mission. A few P-38s complete
reconnaissance
missions but most are recalled as weather worsens. In Italy, the detachments of
the 71st and 94th Fighter Squadrons, 1st Fighter Group, operating from Vincenzo
Airfield with P-38s, return to base at Salsola
Airfield.
TACTICAL
OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy during the night of 17/18 Feb, A-20s
bomb targets in the Po Valley, including the towns of Nogara, Castelfranco
Veneto, Modena, Cremona, Bovolone, and Isola della Scala, bridges at Cittadella
and Villafranca in Lunigiana, and airfields at Ghedi and Villafranca in
Lunigiana; all B-25 missions abort due to weather except an attack on the Ala
rail bridge; fighters and fighter-bombers fly less than 100 sorties, hitting
ammunition dumps and railroad bridges and lines, mainly in the Po Valley.
PACIFIC
OCEAN AREA (POA)
AAFPOA
(Seventh Air Force): 36 Guam Island-based B-24s dispatched against Iwo Jima
Island are recalled because of complete cloud cover over the target. 3 others
on armed reconnaissance bomb Marcus Island. During the night of
18/19
Feb, 9 B-24s from Guam individually strike Chichi Jima Island.
HQ AAF
(Twentieth Air Force): Mission 36: 36 Mariana Islands-based B-29s bomb 2
airfields on Moen Island in Truk Atoll without loss. HQ 39th and 330th
Bombardment Groups (Very Heavy) and the 457th, 458th and 459th Bombardment
Squadrons
(Very Heavy) arrive at North Field, Guam Island from the US with B-29s (first
mission is 12 Apr).
SOUTHWEST
PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s bomb Takao,
Okayama, and Toshien Airfields and P-38s provide support while B-25s and
fighters pound communications targets and targets of opportunity throughout
Formosa. B-25s and fighters continue to fly numerous missions in support of the
ground forces on Luzon Island. B-24s bomb Labuan Airfield in Borneo.
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