70 Years Ago Today: Wednesday, February 23, 1944 European Theater, Strategic (POINTBLANK) 8th Air Force Mission 232 – During the night, five B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Rennes, Le Mans, Chartres, Lille and Orleans, France. During the night, the RAF sends 17 Mosquitos to Düsseldorf, while two others fly Serrate patrols. A Mosquito on the Düsseldorf raid was the first Mosquito to drop a 4,000 pound bomb. The Mosquitos of the Light Night Striking Force regularly carried such heavy bombs during the remaining months of the war to targets as far distant as Berlin. Three RAF aircraft fly nighttime training sorties. Russian Front On northern front, southwest of Lake Ilmen, Soviet forces break into the outskirts of Dno. Mediterranean Theater, Tactical 12th Air Force P-40s hit a gun position north of Campoleone and patrol the Anzio area. Weather prevents other operations. Mediterranean Theater, Strategic 15th Air Force B-24s bomb the industrial complex at Steyr, Austria, while other heavy bombers are forced to abort because of bad weather. Combined, the bombers and escorting fighters shoot down over 30 enemy aircraft. Italian Campaign Continuing limited actions, the enemy wipes out those elements of the British 56th Division that have replaced the US 45th Division in the region west of the Albano road. The US VI Corps is placed under command of General Truscott. China – Burma – India Theater (China) Four B-25s, from the 14th Air Force, attack two ships in the Gulf of Tonkin, and hit railroad cars and engine shed at the Van Trai Station, in French Indochina. Meanwhile, four P-40s strafe the Lashio Airfield, in Burma. China – Burma – India Theater (Burma) The 10th Air Force sends 14 B-24s to bomb airfields and other targets at Akyab and Dabaing, in Burma. Meanwhile, three B-25s and 12 P-51s hit a radio station at Man Pang, and four other P-51s hit warehouses at Chantha. In Burma, the 65th and 66th Regiments, of the Chinese 22nd Division, jointly occupy Yawngbang, but too late to block the retreat of enemy forces. Elsewhere, after determined, but fruitless efforts, to overrun the Indian 7th Division at Sinzweya, Japanese forces begin to withdraw. Southwest Pacific Area The 5th Air Force sends a group of about 50 A-20s and B-24s to attack the airfield, buildings, and anti-aircraft positions in the Wewak area, of New Guinea. Low-level aerial reconnaissance of the Admiralty Islands evokes no Japanese reaction. The 5th Air Force moves the 80th Fighter Squadron from New Guinea to New Britain Island. South Pacific Area Air Command North Solomons Four B-24s, from the 13th Air Force, on armed reconnaissance, strafe the Cape Saint George area, on New Ireland Island, and bomb buildings and the pier at Labur Bay, while four other B-24s attack bivouacs in the upper Saua River area. Elsewhere, on New Britain Island, nine B-25s, with US Navy fighter support, bomb the Vunakanau Airfield, 10 other B-25s hit the Keravat Airfield, and 16 P-38s dive-bomb the Wunapope supply area and attack the town of Rabaul. This is the first P-38 bombing raid on the Rabaul area. P-38s, now free from the constant responsibility of guarding bombers against interceptors, will continue to dive-bomb the Rabaul area through April. During the latter part of this campaign against the famed Japanese garrison, which is to be bypassed by Allied ground forces, P-39s will add their strength due to the completion of an airstrip on Nissan Island, in the Green Islands. By April 20 only 120 of 1,400 buildings in Rabaul will still be standing. Central Pacific Area 7th Air Force P-40s bomb Mille Atoll, and destroy two small boats by strafing. Meanwhile, B-25s hit Taroa Island, in the Maloelap Atoll., and B-24s bomb Kusaie and Ponape islands and the Jaluit Atoll. Carrier planes of Task Force 58 attack enemy positions, in the Marianas, as planned, damaging shipping and destroying a number of aircraft on the ground and aloft.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Feb 2014 12:33:37 +0000
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