Subject: WWII-L Digest - 4 Aug 1993 to 5 Aug 1993

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1993 00:00:26 -0400

There is one message totalling 110 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. USAAF 5 AUG 43

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Date:    Thu, 5 Aug 1993 06:57:15 -0400
From:    [email-masked]
Subject: USAAF 5 AUG 43

COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
THURSDAY, 5 AUGUST 1943
FTP SITES
  1. ftp.rutgers.edu in directory pub/wwii/usaf
  2. byrd.mu.wvnet.edu (129.71.32.152) in pub/history/military/airforce/
     wwii_chronology

AIRCRAFT MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT:
  B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
  B-24, Consolidated Liberator
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  P-39, Bell Airacobra
  P-47, Republic Thunderbolt
  Spitfire, Vickers Supermarine

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  ANTISUBMARINE WARFARE (AAF Antisubmarine Command)
    The air echelon of the 23d Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy), 26th Anti-
submarine Wing, transfers from Drew Field, Tampa, Florida to Edinburgh
Field, Trinidad with B-25's. The ground echelon remains at Drew Field until
15 Oct 43 then moves to Smoky Hill Army Airfield, Kansas where it is
disbanded on 6 Nov 43.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
    The 351st Fighter Squadron, 353d Fighter Group, transfers from Goxhill
to Metfield, England with P-47's. The squadron will fly it's first mission
on Monday and remain at this station until Apr 44.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force)
    In Sicily, B-25's bomb the town, roads, and road junctions of Franca-
villa and shipping in the Straits of Messina.

  WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Northwest African Air Force)
    In Sicily, Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) fighters and
light and medium bombers attack troops, roads, and gun positions at Adrano
and Troina and surrounding areas in support of Allied ground forces, hit
motor transport behind enemy lines in Sicily and on the toe of Italy, and
sink or damage over 20 small vessels and barges at Milazzo and in the
Straits of Messina; and Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF)
B-17's, operating in 2 forces, hit the docks and railroad yards at Messina.
B-25's bomb a switching station at Guspini, Sardinia, and P-40's, after
escorting the B-25's, attack and probably sink a U-boat off SW Sardinia.
    On the ground in Sicily, US forces open an assault on the San Fratello
ridge, and further inland gain positions overlooking Troina. The enemy
withdraws from the town during the night. The British 13 Corps overruns
Paterno, Misterbianco, and Catania; the British 30 Corps continues toward
Adrano.
    HQ 310th Bombardment Group (Medium) and it's 379th, 380th, 381st and
428th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) transfer with B-25's from Dar el
Koudia to Menzel Temime, Tunisia.
    The 91st Fighter Squadron, 81st Fighter Group, transfers with P-39's
from Sfax to Sidi Ahmed, Tunisia.
    The 309th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, transfers with Spit-
fires from Agrigento to Termini, Sicily.
    The 346th and 416th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 99th Bombardment
Group (Heavy), transfer from Navarin, Algeria to Oudna, Tunisia with
B-17's.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force)
  On Santa Isabel Island in the Solomon Islands, B-24's bomb the shore of
Rekata Bay W of the Borokeiello Point area. B-25's and US Navy fighters
strafe barges on the NE coast of Gizo Island. Munda Airfield on New Georgia
Island, principal objective of C Solomons campaign, is taken by XIV Corps
forces after 12 continuous days of fierce fighting in the jungle area.
  The 372d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy),
based on Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides Islands, begins operating from
Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands with B-24's. The squadron will
fly it's first mission on Saturday.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force)
  In New Guinea, 30+ B-25's pound barges near Madang and at Alexishafen,
and hit the Nuru River bridge and towns of Bogadjim and Saidor; a single
B-24 bombs Finschhafen while another hits Vitu Island in the Bismarck
Archipelago. Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm A Moore takes command of the newly
formed Second Air Task Force based at the recently constructed advance
airfield at Tsili Tsili, New Guinea; strikes from here will facilitate
operations against Lae, New Guinea.

SOURCES:
AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History,
  Headquarters USAF, 1961, ISBN 0-912799-02-1
COMBAT SQUADRONS OF THE AIR FORCE, WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force
  History, Headquarters USAF 1982
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by the
  Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1973
THE MIGHTY EIGHTH WAR DIARY by Roger A. Freeman, ISBN 1-85409-071-2

Jack McKillop
USAF (Airways and Air Communications Service)
1955-59

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|  Jack McKillop      |  Those who have long enjoyed such privileges |
|  Bellcore           |  as we enjoy forget in time that men have    |
|  Piscataway, NJ     |  died to win them.     FDR                   |
|  USA                |  [email-masked]                        |
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End of WWII-L Digest - 4 Aug 1993 to 5 Aug 1993
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