USAAF in WW II - 29 February

TUESDAY, 29 FEBRUARY 1944

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS

 

BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 7 B-25s knock spans out of 2 bridges N of Taungtha and damage bridges S of Myingyan and between Panaing and Mahlaing; 7 B-25s and 4 P-51s bomb a radio station at Sinkan, score near misses on a bridge below Kawlin, and knock out 2 bridges in the Ye-u area. 40+ P-51s, A-36s and P-40s hit a supply area S of Seton, camp and stores near Mogaung (at Pagoda Peak), and railroad station at Myitkyina.

CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 23 B-24s pound the warehouse area at Yoyang, causing several fires and secondary explosions; 12 B-25s bomb Yoyang railroad yards; 16 P-40s provide support; 2 B-25s on a sweep of the NE China coast sink 3 sampans and damage a merchant ship at Siachwan Tao; 6 P-40s bomb and strafe ammunition dumps at Kunlong; 12 P-38s and P-51s sink a large motor launch NE of Anking, strafe barracks and 3 tugs in the Teian

area, hit barracks NW of Nanchang and strafe railroad installations at Yangsin; 4 P-40s hit a barracks W of Nanchang; 2 B-25s sink a large river-craft on the Yangtze River near Chiuhsienchen and damage 2 more nearby.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Missions 240, 241 and 242 are

flown; 1 bomber and 5 fighters are lost.   Mission 240: 218 of 226 B-17s hit aviation industry targets at Brunswick, Germany and targets of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 54 damaged; casualties are 4 WIA and 10 MIA. Escorting are 61 P-38s, 346 Eighth and Ninth Air Force

P-47s and 147 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; 2 P-38s are lost and 1 damaged, 2 pilots are MIA; the P-47s claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft, 1 P-47 is lost and 1 damaged, 1 pilot is MIA; 1 P-51 is lost, the pilot is MIA.

Mission 241: 38 of 48 B-24s hit the V-weapon site at Lottinghen, France without loss. Escorting are 79 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s; 1 is lost and the pilot is MIA.   Mission 242: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Orleans, Lille, Reims, Cambrai and Chateauroux, France at 2025-2121 hours without loss.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): 19 B-26s bomb a coastal gun position and nearby Breck-sur-Mer Airfield, France. 216 B-26s abort a mission against 8 V-weapon sites in France because of total cloud cover over the targets. Moves in England: HQ 370th Fighter Group and 401st Fighter Squadron from Aldermaston to Andover with P-38s (first mission is 1 May); 389th Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Group, from Membury to Thruxton with P-47s.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): For the fourth consecutive day, bad weather limits operations to reconnaissance missions.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-26s bomb the main and satellite airfields at Viterbo and several targets of opportunity along the W coast; B-25s bomb troops and gun positions W of Cisterna di Roma while A-20s hit concentrations to the S; P-40s and A-36s strike at troop concentrations along the N perimeter of the Anzio beachhead; other P-40s hit

barracks and railroad yards at Littoria and a tank concentration S of Cisterna; P-47's (with British aircraft) hit Giulianova railway station and shipping off Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia; fighters maintain patrol over the Anzio beachhead.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s bomb Maloelap, Mille and Wotje Atolls; B-25s hit Jaluit and Mille Atolls; P-40s attack Mille Atoll.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, 23 B-25s, with USN fighter escort, pound the Rabaul area; later 12 P-38s hit targets in the same area. 16 AAF fighters, along with 16 USN fighters, hit targets of opportunity throughout S Bougainville and Shortland Islands. Numerous other fighters, in forces of varying sizes, attack barges and

scattered targets of opportunity throughout the N Solomons, Bismarck Archipelago, and waters in between.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): Allied amphibious forces land on Los Negros Island, temporarily taking Momote Airfield and then falling back to the beachhead on Jamandilai Point; weather prevents full air support but 7 B-24s and 8 B-25s manage to attack enemy positions and guns; Other B-24s and A-20s hit Erima, Wewak, Tadji, Awar, and Hollandia, New Guinea.