70 Years Ago Today: Saturday, September 18, 1943 Washington, D.C.: The Joint War Plans Committee recommends the retrenchment (reduction of forces) of the North Pacific Force. The 11th Air Force has already been cut to one heavy and one medium bomb squadron, a fighter group of four squadrons and one troop carrier squadron. Atlantic Theater: The 12th Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy), flying B-24s, ceases flying ASW patrols from Langley Field, Virginia, and begins a movement to Blythe Army Air Field, California. Later, the squadron will be redesignated the 859th Bomb Squadron (Heavy) and transfer to England. European Theater, Strategic (Pointblank): VIII Air Support Command Missions 61 and 62 – 162 B-26s are sent to attack the Beauvais/Tille Airfield, the Rouen marshalling yard and the Beaumont le Roger Airfield, in France. The Rouen and Beaumont le Roger formations are recalled because of failure to rendezvous with their fighter escort and bad weather, respectively. The 93rd Bomb Group (Heavy), based at Hardwick, England, with four squadrons of B-24s, begins temporary operations from Tunisia. During the night, five RAF Mosquitos attack Cologne, and 49 other aircraft lay mines in the Frisians and off Biscay ports. Russian Front: The railroad junction of Pavlograd, south of Lozovaya, falls to the Red Army. Eastern Mediterranean: 9th Air Force B-24s hit the marshalling yard at Pescara, Italy. Western Mediterranean: 12th Air Force B-17s bomb the Viterbo Airfield and Salerno-Avellino road, while B-25s and B-26s bomb the airfields at Ciampino and Pratica di Mare. More B-25s fire 75mm shells at small vessels and a lighthouse near Capraia and between Pianosa and Corsica. Meanwhile, P-38s strafe four satellite airfields at Foggia and bomb roads, railroads, bridges and towns in the battle area. On the ground in Italy, the 82nd Air Borne, accompanied by tanks of 191st Tank Battalion, enter Altavilla without opposition. The 45th Division, discovering that the enemy has withdrawn, patrols northward to regain contact, reaching the heights between Battipaglia and Eboli and entering Persano without opposition. With German forces having completed withdrawal from Sardinia and neighboring islands, Sardinia surrenders without a shot to a small Allied party arriving on two British Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs). The 27th Fighter Bomb Group transfers from Sicily to Italy. The detachments of the 27th, 71st and 94th Fighter Squadrons, flying P-38s from Sicily, return to their base in Tunisia. The 65th Fighter Squadron, flying P-40s, along with the 522nd, 523rd and 524th Fighter Bomb Squadrons, flying A-36s, transfer from Sicily to Italy. The 1st Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy), flying B-24s from Tunisia, ceases operations and returns to its base in French Morocco. The 93rd Bomb Group (Heavy), based at Hardwick, England, with four squadrons of B-24s, begins temporary operations from Tunisia. China – Burma – India Theater (China): 14th Air Force sends four B-25s and seven P-40s to attack rail yards and blast furnaces at Shihhweiyao, China. Pacific Ocean Area: 7th Air Force dispatches 24 B-24s to bomb Betio Island in the Tarawa Atoll, and the Maiana and Abemama Islands in the Gilbert chain during the night. This action is part of a coordinated Army Air Force-Navy attack on Tarawa, aimed at preventing Japanese attacks on US installations at Baker Island and in the Ellice Islands. South Pacific Area: 13th Air Force B-24s bomb the airfield and attack a phosphate plant and radio station on Nauru Island in the Gilbert Islands. On Vella Lavella, Major General Barrowclough, Commanding General of the New Zealand 3rd Division, takes command, replacing General McClure. The New Zealand 14th Brigade Group lands to round up retreating enemy forces, but the Japanese eventually succeed in withdrawing from the island. Southwest Pacific Theater: 5th Air Force A-20s hit Tami Island in the Lae area, while B-26s and RAAF airplanes bomb and strafe Finschhafen.
Posted on: Wed, 18 Sep 2013 13:21:36 +0000
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