Subject: WWII-L Digest - 12 Aug 1993 to 13 Aug 1993

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1993 00:00:39 -0400

There are 16 messages totalling 786 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. INF: Shipyard stats.
  2. USAAF 13 AUG 43
  3. meeting Tibbets
  4. USAAF 12 AUG 43 (2)
  5. MISC:Patton Museum, Aberdeen Museum (6)
  6. GEN: B-17 and B-24 visit
  7. Nagasaki miscellanea
  8. Nagasaki miscellanea ... outstanding! (2)
  9. USAAF 14-15 AUG 43

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:    Thu, 12 Aug 1993 22:36:35 MDT
From:    Steve Alvin <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: INF: Shipyard stats.

On Thursday, 12 August, Larry & Kim challenged: (speaking of
> which, anyone know the names of the U.S. battleships sunk by the
> Luftwaffe [yes, this is a trick question ;-]).
>
I guess the answer depends on your definition of "battleship" :-)
The last two american pre-dreadnoughts (I think they were launched
after both the Dreadnought & Michigan) were sold to Greece and the
Luftwaffe "took care" of them in 1941.  I've just packed up my
reference books, and I can't remember their names (one, I think, was
the  Salamis).

Steve Alvin
Dickinson State University
[email-masked]
**********************************************************************
*Those who fail to remember history are doomed to repeat it.--Proverb*
*Those who fail to remember history are doomed to repeat my class.-SA*
**********************************************************************

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 07:10:24 -0400
From:    [email-masked]
Subject: USAAF 13 AUG 43

COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCE
FRIDAY, 13 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:
  A-20, Douglas Havoc
  A-24, Douglas Dauntless
  B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
  B-24, Consolidated Liberator
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  B-26, Martin Marauder
  P-38, Lockheed Lightning
  P-40, Curtiss

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force)
    In the Aleutian Islands, 7 B-25's from Adak Island bomb targets at Main
Camp and North Head on Kiska and Little Kiska Islands. A B-24 flies a
special reconnaissance mission. From Amchitka Island B-24's, B-25's,
A-24's, and P-38's fly 8 more bombing missions against Kiska Island pound-
ing the Camp area, gun emplacements, buildings, shipping, and airstrip
revetments.
    The 406th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 41st Bombardment Group (Medi-
um), ceases operating from Adak Island with B-25's and returns to it's base
at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage.
    During the latter part of Aug 43, the 515th and 516th Fighter-Bomber
Squadrons, 407th Fighter-Bomber Group, cease operating from Amchitka Island
with A-24's and return to their base at Drew Field, Tampa, Florida.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force)
    4 P-40's bomb and strafe enemy installations at Lungling, China.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force)
    61 B-24's hit an aircraft factory at Wiener-Neustadt in the first Ninth
Air Force raid on Austria. 80+ B-25's hit Piedimonte, Italy, Falcone,
Sicily, and shipping at Messina, Sicily. 200+ P-40's attack shipping and
bridges along the SW Italian coast, hit shipping in the Straits of Messina,
and fly armored reconnaissance and fighter-bomber operations in NE Sicily.
    The 67th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy),
ceases operating from Benina, Libya with B-24's and returns to it's base at
Shipdham, England.

  WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Northwest African Air Force)
    In Italy, Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) B-17's bomb a
marshalling yard at Lorenzi, and B-25's and B-26's hit a marshalling yard
at Littoria; other B-25's hit a vessel off Pizzo. P-40's fly a sweep over S
Sardinia, strafing small boats, a power station, and railroad junction.
Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) light and medium bombers bomb
Piedimonte, Italy, Falcone, Sicily, and bridges N of Scaletta, Sicily.
A-36's and fighters hit targets in NE Sicily, the Straits of Messina and on
the toe of Italy, including Gioia Tauro, Italy and in Sicily, the Barcel-
lona road junction E of Randazzo, the marshalling yard and trucks at Spada-
fora, trucks between Taormina and Baracca, and barges, ferries, and small
vessels in the Strait of Messina.
    On the ground in Sicily, the US Seventh Army enters Randazzo without
opposition. Coastal forces continue E toward Patti.
    The 86th Bombardment Squadron (Light), 47th Bombardment Group (Light),
transfers from Malta to Torrente Comunelli, Sicily with A-20's.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force)
  On New Georgia Island in the Solomon Islands, 4 P-40's become the first
Allied aircraft to land on the reconstructed Munda Airfield; after refuel-
ing, they are sent on a sweep of the Kolombangara Island coast; 9 B-17's,
with fighter cover, bomb a Kape Harbor depot; and 2 others on armored
reconnaissance bomb Vila on Kolombangara Island. On Santa Isabel Island, 12
B-25's bomb supply areas in the Rekata Bay area; 2 B-24's on armored
reconnaissance hit Suavanau Point, 8 bomb the airfield on Ballale Island,
and 13 bomb Kahili Airfield on Bougainville Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force)
  59 B-24's, B-17's, and B-26's drop 175 tons of bombs in the Salamaua, New
Guinea area in the heaviest single day strike by the Fifth Air Force to
date. 9 other B-24's bomb the oil center at Balikpapan, Borneo during a
late night raid; the round trip covers 1,200 miles (1,920 km).

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Jack McKillop         |  Those who have long enjoyed such      |
|  Bellcore              |  privileges as we enjoy forget in      |
|  Piscataway, NJ USA    |  time that men have died to win them.  |
|  [email-masked]  |                       FDR              |
-------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 07:23:15 EDT
From:    Alan Wild <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: meeting Tibbets

?Error? struck me as well. But I got to thinking (smoke, steam, all that sort
of stuff) and I vaguely recall reading that the mission went off course from
their intended target of the industrial side of the area, and zeroed on the
residential.

What is the Real story?

... Alan

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alan Wild, LAN Mgr.   Nemo me impune lacessit.  Voice:          (401) 792-2611
ACC - Lippitt - URI   Father of one.            FAX:            (401) 792-5479
Kingston, RI  02881   U.S. Army Abn Inf 80-82   Internet: [email-masked]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 07:50:03 -0400
From:    [email-masked]
Subject: Re: USAAF 12 AUG 43

        >     1. 183 B-17's are dispatched to synthetic oil installations at Bochum,
        > Gelsenkirchen and Recklinghausen; some B-17's become separated on the bomb
        > run and bomb various targets of opportunity; 133 B-17's hit the targets at
        > 0845-0925 hours; they claim 25-5-11 Luftwaffe aircraft; 23 B-17's are lost,
        > 2 are damaged beyond repair and 103 are damaged; casualties are 5 KIA, 49
        > WIA and 232 MIA.

                I thought the crew for a B-17 was 10 men.  If true, where did the
        2 extra MIAs come from.  I've noticed many of the reported MIAs don't
        total the crew compliments for the lost planes.  Are these MIAs from
        other damaged planes (such as ball-turret gunners) or did B-17s carry
        extra personnel at times?

                Anyway, 23 lost B-17s is a staggering amount of men and machines!
        --
        Joe Barone
        [email-masked]
        That's BigbooTAY!

The casualty figures I list were the actual numbers of PEOPLE and not
necessarily air crew.  There were always a few "extra crewmen" around;
photographers, brass getting their tickets punched, specialists trying
something, etc.

One little known fact is that 10% of the US Army KIAs in WWII were
assigned to the Eighth Air Force; that is a lot of people for such
a small outfit.

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 09:42:44 -0400
From:    James E Irwin <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MISC:Patton Museum, Aberdeen Museum

In respnse to your question about the Ordnance Museum at
Aberdeen MD---

There is a very large outdoor display of armored vehicles from
various combatants, i.e. American, Japanese, German and Russian,
along with various other vehicles.  The display is quite
extensive.  In addition, the main road on the post leading to
the museum is a divided highway with the center median filled
with various American armored vehicles.

The museum building has an interesting display of small arms,
mainly machine guns from everywhere.

An interesting place!!!

Hope this is of use.

Jim Irwin
[email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 09:16:33 CDT
From:    Lou Coatney <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MISC:Patton Museum, Aberdeen Museum

'Saw things there I haven't even seen in books!  Watch out for the wasps,
  though.  They love to nest on/around the AFVs.  (When we were there, one
  of the Tiger tanks was missing.  I believe we were told it was back over
  in Germany getting reconditioned to running order.  Hmmm.  A lot of pieces
  in that kit!)

Lou Coatney, WIU

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 09:23:53 -0500
From:    "Sidney W. Kitchel" <[email-masked]>
Subject: GEN: B-17 and B-24 visit

        I got busy and didn't post about this earlier.
        There is more than the Mt. Comfort Airshow to see in Indiana
this year. Currently, the Monroe County Airport in Bloomington has
four guests -- two of them of interest to this group.
        B-24 "All-American" and B-17 "Nine-O-Nine" are on display
until Saturday afternoon. There is a charge of $7 per adult and $3 per
child to tour the bombers. All proceeds go to keeping the two ladies
in the air.
        For the more modern minded, the two other visitors are F-16s
of the Indiana Air National Guard.

                                                        --Sid
--
Sidney W. Kitchel           [email-masked], [email-masked]
Data Parallel Systems, Inc.  ============||  DPSI  ||===============
4617 E. Morningside Drive                             (812) 334-8100
Bloomington, Indiana,  47408  USA               FAX:  (812) 334-8121

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 10:19:20 CDT
From:    "Robert J. Granvin" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: USAAF 12 AUG 43

>         >     1. 183 B-17's are dispatched to synthetic oil installations at Boc
> hum,
>         > Gelsenkirchen and Recklinghausen; some B-17's become separated on the
> bomb
>         > run and bomb various targets of opportunity; 133 B-17's hit the target
> s at
>         > 0845-0925 hours; they claim 25-5-11 Luftwaffe aircraft; 23 B-17's are
> lost,
>         > 2 are damaged beyond repair and 103 are damaged; casualties are 5 KIA,
>  49
>         > WIA and 232 MIA.
>
>                 I thought the crew for a B-17 was 10 men.  If true, where did th
> e
>         2 extra MIAs come from.  I've noticed many of the reported MIAs don't
>         total the crew compliments for the lost planes.  Are these MIAs from
>         other damaged planes (such as ball-turret gunners) or did B-17s carry
>         extra personnel at times?
>
>                 Anyway, 23 lost B-17s is a staggering amount of men and machines
> !
> The casualty figures I list were the actual numbers of PEOPLE and not
> necessarily air crew.  There were always a few "extra crewmen" around;
> photographers, brass getting their tickets punched, specialists trying
> something, etc.
>
> One little known fact is that 10% of the US Army KIAs in WWII were
> assigned to the Eighth Air Force; that is a lot of people for such
> a small outfit.

Also keep in mind that aircraft returning to base will also bring with
them KIA and WIA.  Some will even list MIA (shell rips through the nose
doing severe damage to aircraft -- bombardier found to be missing).

Aircraft returning home rarely came home without some sort of casualty.

--
Robert J. Granvin                                    Southern Minnesota Wing
[email-masked]                                       Confederate Air Force
  You know you've made a gear-up landing when it takes full power to taxi.

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 11:46:29 -0400
From:    "Dennis E. Sparks" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Nagasaki miscellanea

WARNING:  This is a long one......

Various facts about the two atomic bomb missions, exerpted from
William Craig's "The Fall of Japan" (Dial Press, 1967):

Three B-29s from Tibbets' 509th Composite Group were dispatched
ahead of the "Enola Gay", to report the weather conditions at
each of the three potential targets of Hiroshima, Kokora, and
Nagasaki.  Leaving from Tinian beginning at 1:37 AM on 6 August,
the weather planes were "Straight Flush", "Full House" and
"Jabbit III".  Claude Eatherly, pilot of "Straight Flush",
flew to the primary target of Hiroshima.  His report back to
Tibbets, flying an hour behind, resulted in the decision to bomb
the primary.

"Enola Gay", piloted by Tibbets, departed Tinian at 2:45 AM, and
was accompanied to the target by the B-29s "The Great Artiste",
flown by Charles Sweeney, and a/c #91 (unnamed), flown by Geaorge
Marquadt.  Sweeney's aircraft had been outfitted as a data
collector, and dropped three parachute-equipped cannisters of
instruments into the blast, which radioed their data back to the
aircraft.  The bomb was released from 31,000 feet and exploded
43 seconds later at about 1800 feet.  "Enola Gay" and "Great Artiste"
had each executed a diving 155 degree turn (in opposite directions)
at the instant the bomb and data cannisters were released, and were
about twelve miles from the target when the bomb exploded.  A/C #91
was a photo plane and had orbited at a safer distance.  According
to an interview with Tibbets upon his return to Tinian, the entire
mission had taken place with a degree of perfection not approched
in the practices.

Which brings us to the second mission, three days later.  It had
already been decided at the highest levels that a second bomb would
be dropped within three days, in order to convince the Japanese
that the US had a ready supply of the bombs.  (It did not; there
would have been no more available until late September at the
earliest, after the scheduled invasion date.)  The decision *not*
to drop the second bomb was to have come from Truman himself, who
would have had to send an order cancelling or delaying the second
mission.

Tibbets selected Charles Sweeney to lead the second mission.  Since
his aircraft was outfitted as a data plane, he swapped aircraft
with Fred Bock.  Bock flew "The Great Artiste" and Sweeney flew
"Bock's Car", loaded with the plutonium bomb, nicknamed "Fat Man".

Moments before takeoff, it was discovered that the fuel pump in the
lower of the two large fuel tanks occupying the rear bomb bay was
inoperative.  600 gallons of fuel already loaded couldn't be
accessed.  Discussing the situation with Tibbets, Sweeney elected
to continue the mission.  (The two weather planes, bound for
Kokura and Nagaski, had already left.)  If the the need arose,
the aircraft could return to Iwo Jima, located 750 miles from Japan,
instead of trying for Tinian, 1500 miles away.

Making his takeoff roll, Sweeney used almost all of the runway,
as had "Enola Gay" three nights previously.  A bright spotlight
normally used to mark the end of the runway was unaccountably
turned off that night.  Shortly after, the two accompanying B-29s
took off.  An hour later, Dr. Robert Serber, last seen taxying
off in the photo plane, turned up at the headquarters building.
Because he had forgotten his parachute, the pilot, Maj. Hopkins,
booted him off the plane at the far end of the runway, where he
had to walk 1.5 miles in the darkness to report in.  He was the
only person who had been on board the plane who had been trained
to use the special high speed camera to be used to film the
explosion.  Breaking radio silence, experts on Tinian radioed
instructions to Hopkins for a half hour on the use of the camera.

Halfway to Japan, a warning light on the bomb's monitoring panel
glowed red, indicating that all of the firing circuits had
somehow closed, and the bomb was ready to detonate.  After a
tense half hour, Lt. Barnes was able to determine that the
problem was only a faulty switch in the monitoring panel, which
he repaired.

Arriving over the rendezvous point over the southern tip of the
island of Yakoshima, Sweeney received coded messages from the
two weather planes that both targets had 2/10 cloud cover.  This
was important, since they were under strict orders to bomb
visually, rather than by radar, which was less accurate.

Meeting up with the data plane, the two aircraft continued to
orbit, waiting for the arrival of the photo plane.  Unknown to
them, the photo plane was also orbiting, but at the wrong end
of the island, and at the wrong altitude.  After 43 minutes,
Sweeney elected to continue without Hopkins.  Fuel was already
running low.

Arriving at Kokura, they found that while parts of the city were
cloud free, the aiming point was obscured by haze and smoke from
a nearby fire.  After making three passes from different directions
at Kokura, Sweeney's bombardier still could not see well enough
to make a drop.  By now anti-aircraft guns were beginning to fire,
and fighter aircraft were rising to attack.  The decision was
made to continue to the secondary target of Nagasaki.

As the two bombers left Kokura, Sweeney lost sight of the data
plane.  He spoke into the intercom, asking "Where's Bock?"
Unfortunately, he had thrown the radio master switch also, and
so transmitted the question, breaking radio silence.  Hopkins,
in the photo plane, heard the transmission and also broke
radio silence, asking "Chuck, where the hell are you?"  When
he had failed to make the rendezvous, Hopkins had continued
on to Kokura, hoping to catch sight of the other two aircraft.
Sweeney chose not to break radio silence again, leaving Hopkins
wondering.

Because of the fuel shortage, Sweeney was forced to fly directly
toward Nagasaki, flying directly over the fighter airfields at
Kyushu.  He couldn't afford the fuel to divert around the area.
Returning even to Iwo Jima after dropping the bomb was no longer
possible.  There was possibly enough fuel for one pass at
Nagasaki with enough fuel left to get to the recently captured
Okinawa, 300 miles from Japan.  There wasn't enough fuel to fly
to Okinawa with the bomb; if unable to bomb Nagasaki, Sweeney
would have to drop the bomb in the ocean.

Conferring with Navy Commander Ashworth, the person in command
of the bomb itself, the two decided that if Nagasaki was also
cloud covered, they would drop the bomb by radar, in violation
of their orders.

On Tinian, officials were deeply worried.  There had been no word
from "Bock's Car", and it was well past the time they should
have dropped the bomb.  Returning from lunch, Gen. Tom Farrell
(Gen. Groves' representative on Tinian) was handed a copy of a
radioed message from the wandering photo plane, asking "Has #77
(Bock's Car) aborted?"  Farrell threw up on the floor.

The city of Nagasaki was distinctively X-shaped, due to the
surrounding hills.  The bomb was intended to be dropped just to
the southeast of the center of the X, in the heart of the
downtown area.  Only thirty seconds from the drop, the area
was still to cloud covered to allow a visual sighting of the
aiming point.  Five seconds later, the bombardier called out on
the intercom, "I'll take it."  He had seen a hole in the cloud
cover and was able to direct the aircraft to the aiming point
visually.

Fat Man detonated at 1540 feet over the northwest leg of the X
and 26,000 people died.

Down to 300 gallons of fuel, Sweeny headed to Okinawa.  While
an hour out, he radioed ahead to state his emergency.  There
was no response.  The rescue ships, submarines, and aircraft
assumed that the aircraft had already bombed Kokura, and had
returned to their bases.  Within sight of Okinawa, they still
were unable to contact the tower.  Sweeney ordered flares to
be shot off, but still they were not noticed.  Finally, they
fired off every flare onboard, 24 in all, which attracted
attention.  Making a straight in approach, Sweeney touched
down at 120 mph, scattering air traffic.  Bouncing once, the
two outer engines ran out of fuel and quit.  Sweeney reversed
the pitch on the two remaining engines and brought the
aircraft to a stop, narrowly missing a row of parked B-24s.

"Bock's Car" stayed on Okinawa less than two hours.  Within
a few minutes of landing, they were joined by Bock's crew
in "The Great Artiste".  An hour later, the missing camera
plane landed.  Making their way on to Nagasaki also, they
witnessed and filmed the explosion, albeit from a much greater
than planned distance.

"Bock's Car" is on display at the USAF museum at Wright Patterson
AFB in Ohio.  "Enola Gay" is slowly being restored at the
Smithsonian's Garber restoration facility at Suitland, Maryland.

Dennis E. Sparks
[email-masked]
Lexington, Kentucky

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 11:47:52 CDT
From:    Lou Coatney <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Nagasaki miscellanea ... outstanding!

Dennis,

     THANK you for the riveting narrative of the Nagasaki bomb.  I trust
the people were/are rather religious, knowing how close Death passed them
by.  With hindsight (and the surrender), it is just as well that Sweeney
bombed off the mark.

     I can't believe Hopkins would have compromised a strategic mission by
bouncing somebody off his plane for an infraction of regulations, no matter
how basic.

     If you know off the top of your head, was he reprimanded in any way?

Lou

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 12:56:27 EDT
From:    "William B. Thacker" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MISC:Patton Museum, Aberdeen Museum

>         Can someone please tell me where the George S. Patton Jr Museum is?

Fort Knox, KY.  It's co-located with the tank museum there.  Just takes up
a couple of rooms in the museum, as I recall.

The tank museum at Knox is a pale shadow of Aberdeen, BTW, except that
they've got a few oddballs, most notably the T28 tank (T95 GMC) which is
quite impressive.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bill Thacker             AT&T Network Systems       attmail!att!cbemf!wbt
(614) 860-5294           Columbus, Ohio              [email-masked]
          "Giving money and power to government is like giving
         whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." - P.J. O'Rourke

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 13:26:29 EDT
From:    Kurt Luginbyhl <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MISC:Patton Museum, Aberdeen Museum

Kurt Luginbyhl   MNHAD007@SIVM__202-357-1955
ADP,National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution, Wash D.C._20560
Is Knox still a Tank school? And is it just for Officers?  Curious about the
Army... My dad was Air Force.

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 13:33:30 EDT
From:    Lowe Barrett MAJ <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MISC:Patton Museum, Aberdeen Museum

Donald,

>        Can someone please tell me where the George S. Patton Jr Museum is?

It is located at Ft. Knox, Kentucky (near Elizabethtown, KY, soutwest of
Louisville)

>I don't even know if it is in this country.  I was also wondering if someone
>could tell me a little about the Aberdeen proving grounds and Ordinance
>Museum.

Co-located with Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland, south of Baltimore, along the
Chesapeake Bay
>                                                        Thank you
>Donald J. Rumignani
>[email-masked]

Hope this helps,

Barry

Barrett F. Lowe                    RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!
MAJ, IN
Dept of Physics, US Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 12:48:13 CDT
From:    Lou Coatney <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Nagasaki miscellanea ... outstanding!

... the people of Kokora were/are rather religious, ...   that is

LRC

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 13:57:00 EST
From:    Han Solo <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MISC:Patton Museum, Aberdeen Museum

        Thank you very much for your info on the Ordinance Museum at Aberdeen.
I have to get down there some time soon.  However, my other question has not
yet been answered.  Does anyone know about the Patton Museum???

Donald Rumignani
[email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 13 Aug 1993 15:31:26 -0400
From:    [email-masked]
Subject: USAAF 14-15 AUG 43

COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCE
SATURDAY, 14 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:
  A-20, Douglas Havoc
  B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
  B-24, Consolidated Liberator
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  Bf 109, Messerschmitt (Luftwaffe)
  P-38, Lockheed Lightning
  P-40, Curtiss

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force)
    In the Aleutian Islands, 2 B-24's fly a special radar ferret and
reconnaissance mission; 1 B-25, 8 B-24's, and 10 P-38's then fly 2 attack
missions to Kiska Island, bombing with unobserved results.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force)
    61 B-24's, on loan from the Eighth Air Force, bomb the Bf 109 factory
at Wiener-Neustadt, Austria. B-25's attack road junctions and vehicle
concentrations along the NE coast of Sicily and bomb a crossroads N of
Palmi, Italy. P-40's hit shipping in the Milazzo and Messina, Sicily areas
and along the Italian coast in the Palmi area.

  WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Northwest African Air Force)
    Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) P-38's sweep the toe of
Italy but find little enemy movement. Northwest African Tactical Air Force
(NATAF) fighters, and medium and light bombers hit a refueling depot at
Nicola and near Gesso, Sicily, a road junction N of Palmi, Italy, shipping
in the straits and along the W coast of Italy N to Gioia, and numerous
targets of opportunity in NE Sicily and S Italy as the enemy continues an
orderly evacuation from Sicily to mainland Italy across the Straits of
Messina.
    On the ground in Sicily, US troops speed E along the coast to the
Barcellona area and also continue pursuit of the enemy E of Randazzo.
    The 340th, 341st and 342d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 97th Bombard-
ment Group (Heavy), transfer from Pont-du-Fahs to Depienne, Tunisia with
B-17's.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force)
  In the Solomon Islands, 9 B-17's bomb the Rekata Bay area of Santa Isabel
Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force)
  In New Guinea, 50+ B-24's, B-17's, and B-25's pound the Salamaua area
battle zone; with close air and artillery support, US forces push to the
crest of Roosevelt Ridge; the enemy retains several ridges along Dot Inlet;
and A-20's strafe barges near Finschhafen. On New Britain Island in the
Bismarck Archipelago, B-25's hit barges at Talasea and Rein Bay, and other
B-25's bomb Koepang on Timor Island.
  HQ 475th Fighter Group and it's 431st, 432d and 433d Fighter Squadrons
transfer from Amberley Field near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia to
Dobodura, New Guinea with P-38's. The 431st and 432d are operating from
Port Moresby, the 431st until Oct 43 and the 432d until Sep 43; the 433d
will fly it's first mission tomorrow.

SUNDAY, 15 AUGUST 1943

AIRCRAFT MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT:
  A-24, Douglas Dauntless
  B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  B-26, Martin Marauder
  F4U, Vought Corsair (USN)
  P-38, Lockheed Lightning
  P-39, Bell Airacobra
  P-40, Curtiss

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force)
    In the Aleutian Islands, US and Canadian troops invade Kiska Island and
discover that the Japanese, under the cover of fog, evacuated their garri-
son. A P-38 bombs and strafes Sniper Hill.
    The 635th Bombardment Squadron (Dive), 407th Fighter-Bomber Group,
based at Drew Field, Tampa, Florida but operating from Amchitka Island, is
disbanded and it's A-24's are transferred to other units.

  ANTISUBMARINE WARFARE (AAF Antisubmarine Command)
    The 17th Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy), 26th Antisubmarine Wing, based
at Miami, Florida with B-25's, ceases flying ASW missions. The squadron
will transfer to New Mexico and be redesignated 855th Bombardment Squadron
(Heavy) and transition to B-24's and then join the Eighth Air Force in
England in Jan 44.
    The air echelon of the 23d Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy), 26th Anti-
submarine Wing, based at Edinburgh Field, Trinidad begins operating from
Zandery Field, Surinam. The squadron will operate from this station with
B-25's until Dec 43.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
    VIII Bomber Command Mission 82: Luftwaffe airfields in France and the
Netherlands are targetted today.
      1. 180 B-17's are dispatched to Vlissingen Airfield in the Nether-
lands and Amiens and Poix Airfield in France; 147 aircraft hit the targets
at 1926-1931 hours; 48 B-17's are damaged; casualties are 3 WIA.
      2. 147 B-17's are dispatched to Merville, Lille/Vendeville and Vitry
en Artois Airfields in France; 143 hit the targets at 1925-1933 hours; they
claim 9-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17's are lost and 11 damaged; casualties
are 1 KIA, 3 WIA and 20 MIA.
    VIII Air Support Command Missions 19A, 19B and 20: Three Luftwaffe
airfields are targetted:
      1. 36 B-26's are dispatched against St Omer/Ft Rouge Airfield in
France; 31 hit the target at 0959 hours; 18 B-26's are damaged.
      2. 36 B-26's are dispatched against Woensdrecht Airfield, The Nether-
lands; they turn back at the Dutch coast aborted the mission.
      3. 21 B-26's are dispatched against the marshalling yard at Abbe-
ville, France; 19 hit the target at 1933 hours; 9 aircraft are damaged;
casualties are 1 WIA.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force)
    In Sicily, B-25's hit shipping along the beaches of Sant' Agata di
Militello; 180+ P-40's attack shipping at Messina and in the Straits of
Messina. Enemy forces withdrawing to mainland Italy are pounded severely by
constant air attacks.

  WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Northwest African Air Force)
    In Italy, Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) B-25's and
B-26's bomb Sibari railroad junction and marshalling yard, and P-38's hit
trains, troops, radar, and Staletti railroad tracks and tunnel. P-40's
attack a bivouac area near Monserrato, Sardinia.
    On the ground in Sicily, US Seventh Army troops land on the Sicilian N
coast NW of Barcellona during the night of 15/16 Aug to block the enemy
withdrawal. The US 3d Infantry Division heads along the N coast to Spada-
fora. British Eighth Army troops complete a drive around Mount Etna as the
Randazzo-Linguaglossa road is closed. Linguaglossa and Taormina are taken.
    HQ 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy) transfers from Pont-du-Fahs to
Depienne, Tunisia.
    The 92d Fighter Squadron, 81st Fighter Group, transfers from Warnier,
Algeria to Sidi Ahmed, Tunisia with P-39's.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force)
  In the Solomon Islands, Commander Air (COMAIR), New Georgia command post,
recently opened at Munda Point, New Georgia Island by Major General Francis
P Mulcahy, USMC, conducts its first full day of operations. Fighters are
sent to cover amphibious landings at Vella Lavella Island where elements of
the 25th Infantry Division, and supporting units, go ashore in the Barakoma
area and establish a beachhead. Allied airplanes knock down about 25
Japanese aircraft (7 by Army Air Forces fighters) attacking the landings.
F4U's also claim 10 Japanese shot down over Kahili, Bougainville Island.
B-25's bomb Papatura Fa and Ighiti Islands in the Rekata Bay area of Santa
Isabel Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force)
  In New Guinea, heavy bombers again hit the Salamaua area; 12 Japanese
bombers, escorted by 20+ fighters, attack Tsili Tsili Airfield for the
first time; intercepting P-39's claim 14 airplanes downed for the loss of 3
P-39's.
  HQ 35th Fighter Group transfers from Port Moresby to Tsili Tsili, 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      |
|  Bellcore              |  privileges as we enjoy forget in      |
|  Piscataway, NJ USA    |  time that men have died to win them.  |
|  [email-masked]  |                       FDR              |
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End of WWII-L Digest - 12 Aug 1993 to 13 Aug 1993
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