Subject: WWII-L Digest - 31 Mar 1994 to 1 Apr 1994

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 2 Apr 1994 00:00:24 -0500

There are 10 messages totalling 451 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. Hs-293
  2. INF: USAAF 1-3 APR 44
  3. INF: Environmental effects of WWII (3)
  4. WEAP: Early Jets
  5. ?:changing pmail address
  6. When Hollywood Ruled the Skies
  7. INF: USAAF 30 MAR 44
  8. Weap: B-17 vs B-24

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Date:    Thu, 31 Mar 1994 21:39:21 -0500
From:    Christopher Morton <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Hs-293

> BTW, after all this talk about German guided weapons... Few people are
> aware that the USA also had a guided weapon program at that time. At least
> two were used operationally; GB-4 entered service in July 1944 and the
> 'Azon' bomb destroyed the Pyinmana bridge in Burma, in December 1944.

A Navy B24 dropped a Bat radio guided glide bomb with destroyed a Japanese
destroyer at some prodigious (for the time) range, 20mi. I think.

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

Date:    Fri, 1 Apr 1994 07:36:00 EST
From:    mc killop <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: USAAF 1-3 APR 44

COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
1 - 3 APRIL 1944
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-36, North American Apache
  B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
  B-24, Consolidated Liberator
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  B-26, Martin Marauder
  C-47, Douglas Skytrain
  F-4, Lockheed Lightning
  F-5, Lockheed Lightning
  P-38, Lockheed Lightning
  P-39, Bell Airacobra
  P-40, Curtiss
  P-47, Republic Thunderbolt
  P-51, North American Mustang

SATURDAY, 1 APRIL 1944

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 14 P-38s hit a freight train and
damage a factory in the vicinity of Mandalay; near Rangoon, 16 B-24s hit a
railroad station and bomb Akyab while 6 B-25s damage a railroad bridge near
Nattalin.

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): A flight of the 21st Photographic
Reconnaissance Squadron, Fourteenth Air Force, based at Kunming, China begins
operating from Liangshan, China with F-4s and F-5s.
  Moves in China during Apr: HQ 69th Composite Wing from Tsuyung to Kunming;
16th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, based at Chengkung sends the
detachment at Tsuyung to Szemao with P-40s.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 287: 440 bombers are
dispatched to bomb the chemical industry at Ludwigshafen, Germany (the
largest in Europe).
  1. The 245 B-17s dispatched of the lead force abandon the mission over the
French coast due to heavy clouds; 7 B-17s are damaged.
  2. The 195 B-24s in the second force became widely dispersed and bomb
targets of opportunity; 101 hit Pforzheim; 38 hit Schaffhausen, Switzerland;
17 hit Strasbourg, France; and 9 hit Grafenhausen; Schaffhausen and
Strasbourg were mistaken as German towns; they claim 1-1-0 Luftwaffe aircraft;
12 B-24s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 42 damaged; casualties are 9
KIA, 12 WIA and 113 MIA.
  Escort is provided by 280 P-47s and 195 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s:
  1. P-47s claim 13-1-19 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 2 P-47s are lost
and 12 damaged; 2 pilots are MIA.
  2. P-51s claim 5-2-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-51s are lost and 2 damaged; 2
pilots are MIA.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Moves in Italy during Apr: HQ
49th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) arrives from the US; HQ 68th Tactical
Reconnaissance Group from Manduria to Blida, Algeria.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, B-25s attack Leghorn
harbor, bridges at Orvieto, and railway track S of Poggibonsi; B-26s hit Arno
River railroad bridges at Signa, Riva-Trigoso, and Valdarno, while A-20s hit
ammunition dumps; P-40s hit targets in the vicinity of Gaeta, Formia tunnel,
several fuel dumps, bridges, and guns in the battle areas; P-47s bomb
Poggibonsi bridge and strafe a train; and fighters patrol the Anzio battle
area without incident.
  During Apr, XII Bomber Command moves from Trocchia, Italy to Corsica; 4th
Troop Carrier Squadron, 62d Troop Carrier Group, and 16th, 17th, 18th and
35th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 64th Troop Carrier Group begin operating from
bases in India until Jun 44 with C-47s.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-25s from Abemama Island,
Gilbert Islands, strike Ponape Island, Caroline Islands; B-24s from Makin
Island, Gilbert Islands and Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands hit Truk
Atoll, Caroline Islands; and B-25s from Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands bomb
Maloelap and Jaluit Atolls, Marshall Islands.
  78th Fighter Squadron, 15th Fighter Group, moves from Stanley Field to
Mokuleia Field, Territory of Hawaii with P-47s.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island,
Bismarck Archipelago, 24 B-25s bomb supply areas at Wunapope and Ratawul; 28
P-39s and P-40s hit the Toboi wharf area at Simpson Harbor; 3 P-40s follow
with a strike on oil and coal storage in same general area; fighters maintain
sweeps over Rabaul and New Ireland Island, Bismarck Archipelago throughout
the day and B-25s harass Rabaul during the night of 1/2 Apr. On Bougainville
Island, Solomon Islands, 12 P-38s bomb the mission at Monoitu and 12 P-40s
hit Numa Numa supply dumps.
  The detachment of the 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 4th
Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), operating from Munda, New Georgia
Island, Solomon Islands, with F-5s returns to base on Guadalcanal Island,
Solomon Islands.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): B-25s and A-20s hit the Tadji
and Hansa Bay areas in New Guinea; B-24s bomb Boela, Ceram Island, Moluccas
Islands; and B-25s attack Penfoei, Timor Island, Lesser Sunda Islands.
  Moves in New Guinea during Apr: 33d Troop Carrier Squadron, 374th Troop
Carrier Group, from Garbutt Field, Townsville, Australia to Port
Moresby with C-47s; 63d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 43d Bombardment
Group (Heavy), from Dobodura to Nadzab with B-24s.

SUNDAY, 2 APRIL 1944

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 12 P-40s bomb Kamaing while 6
P-51s over the Katha area hit trucks near Bhamo and a storage area at Indaw.

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): 2 B-24s on a sea sweep from Hong Kong to
Formosa bomb a 215-ft (66 m) ship (reported sunk) and damage a large motor
launch.

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (XX Bomber Command): First operational B-29, piloted
by Colonel Leonard F Harman, lands at Chakulia, India.
  HQ 40th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) arrives at Chakulia, India from
the US.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): 461st Bombardment Group (Heavy)
with B-24s becomes operational, making 16 heavy bomber groups now
operational.
  530+ B-24s and B-17s (largest mission to date) attack targets in Austria
and Yugoslavia; the B-17s hit the ball bearing plant at Steyr, Austria and
marshalling yard at Brod, Yugoslavia; the B-24s hit an aircraft factory and
depot and ball bearing factory at Steyr, and in Yugoslavia, an air depot at
Mostar and marshalling yard at Bihac; fighters fly 150+ sorties in support of
the bombers; hundreds of enemy fighters oppose the missions and fierce air
battles result in 19 bombers shot down and several missing; the AAF claims
150+ enemy fighters.
  HQ 31st Fighter Group and 307th and 308th Fighter Squadrons move from
Castel Volturno to San Severo, Italy with P-51s.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, medium bombers attack
railroad bridges at Arezzo, Fano, Ficulle, Magra, N of Orvieto, and S of
Poggibonsi, scoring some direct hits, hits on approaches, and several near
misses; fighter-bombers hit trucks and the railroad station at Fara in Sabina
and E and N of Anzio, attack the Formia tunnel, fly armed reconnaissance over
the Atina and Arce areas, bomb a factory and buildings N of Cassino, the town
of Pignataro Interamna and numerous bridges, dumps, gun positions and targets
of opportunity in or around the battle areas.
  99th Fighter Squadron, XII Air Support Command, attached to 324th Fighter
Group, moves from Capodichino to Cercola, Italy with P-40s.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s from Eniwetok Atoll,
Marshall Islands hit Truk Atoll during the night of 1/2 Apr. During the day
B-25s bomb Jaluit and Maloelap Atolls.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): 31 B-24s fly a strike
against Dublon Island, Truk Atoll, causing considerable damage to the
warehouse and dock areas; the bombers claim 30+ fighters downed; 4 B-24s are
lost. On New Britain Island, 40+ fighter-bombers over Rabaul hit the SE part
of town, the Toboi wharf area, and N section of town along the Malaguna road;
and 7 B-25s hit Raluana Point while 23 pound Lakunai.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 120+ bombers
and fighters continue to hit targets in areas around Wewak, Hansa Bay,
Madang, Bogadjim, and other points along the NE coastline. B-25s also hit
Dili and Penfoei on Timor Island and Rambutyo Island, Bismarck Archipelago.
  310th Fighter Squadron, 58th Fighter Group, moves from Dobodura to Saidor,
New Guinea with P-47s.

MONDAY, 3 APRIL 1944

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  BURMA-INDIA (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 4 B-25s damage the Tangon bridge
while 6 P-51s hit Anisakan airstrip in the Mandalay area; 20+ fighter-bombers
and 6 B-25s hit targets of opportunity S of Mupaw Ga and W of Mogaung, troops
near Bhamo, and knock out a bridge near Mogaung; during the night of 3/4 Apr
16 B-24s bomb oil and power facilities at Yenangyaung, Chauk, and Lanywa
while 8 P-38s hit Meiktila Airfield.

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 4 rocket-firing P-40s, with 8 other
as top cover, damage 2 large river boats between Hengyang and Ichang. In
French Indochina, 4 P-40s flying a Red River sweep from Vinh Yen to Dong
Cuong sink 4 small boats, damage 3 more, and strafe 50-100 persons at a
loading point on the river; and 3 B-24s lay mines in the Haiphong area.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): Because of a combat crew shortage
which has caused abolition of the 50-mission limit tour of duty and resulted
in fatigue and morale problems, IX Bomber Command establishes a new
operational leave policy. Maximum leaves for bomber crews are set at 1 week
between the 25th and 30th missions and 2 weeks between the 40th and 50th
missions.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): 450+ B-17s and B-24s bomb
targets in Hungary and Yugoslavia; the B-17s hit an aircraft factory in
Budapest, Hungary and a marshalling yard at Brod, Yugoslavia; the B-24s hit a
marshalling yard at Budapest; 137 fighters escort the B-17s (B-24s miss the
rendezvous) to Budapest; the bombers and escorting fighters claim 24 enemy
aircraft shot down.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, medium bombers attack
railway bridges at Orvieto, cutting approaches to a bridge to the N of town;
other medium bomber attacks on bridges abort because of weather but light
bombers successfully bomb an ammunition dump; A-36s attack the railway at
Attigliano and bomb an underpass in the area, while P-40s hit Sesti Bagni
railroad station, a supply dump SE of Frosinone, the town of Itri, a bivouac
area NW of Velletri and several trucks; and P-47s successfully bomb Pignataro
Interamna and nearby road junction.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA, Seventh Air Force): B-24s, staging through Eniwetok
Atoll during the night of 2/3 Apr, bomb Truk Atoll. B-25s from Abemama Island
follow with a daytime attack on Ponape Island; other B-25s from Abemama and
Tarawa Atoll hit Maloelap and Jaluit Atolls.
  98th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 11th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves
from Tarawa Atoll to Eniwetok Atoll with B-24s.

SOUTH PACIFIC AREA (SOPAC, Thirteenth Air Force): On New Britain Island, 23
B-25s pound the NE section of Rabaul; this strike follows larger than usual
(6 B-25s) heckling raids during the night of 2/3 Apr; and 50+ fighter-bombers
blast fuel stores at Keravia Bay. On Bougainville Island, AAF and US Navy
(USN) fighters strafe the Numa Numa trail area and maintain patrols.
  67th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group, based in the Russell Islands,
Solomon Islands, ceases operating from Bougainville Island with P-38s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA (SWPA, Fifth Air Force): In New Guinea, 300+ B-24s,
B-25s, A-20s, and P-38s blast airfields at Hollandia; most of the remaining
Japanese airplanes there are destroyed; of 60 intercepting Japanese fighters,
26 are claimed shot down; air opposition from Hollandia is very light
hereafter; 50+ P-40s, P-47s, and P-39s hit villages, communications, AA
positions, and other targets in areas around Wewak, Hansa Bay, Bogia and
Madang; and B-24s hit Langgoer and B-25s bomb the Babo area and Penfoei on
Timor Island.
  HQ 58th Fighter Group and 69th Fighter Squadron move from Dobodura to
Saidor, New Guinea with P-47s.

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   |
|  [email-masked]  |  them.                     FDR    |
-------------------------------------------------------------------

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Date:    Fri, 1 Apr 1994 06:14:03 PST
From:    "Jones, Scott T." <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: Environmental effects of WWII

     Is anybody aware of any sources of information about the environmental
     effects of WWII? I always wondered what happened to the fish which
     were near a depth charge run or the wildlife in the European forests
     during the combat that took place. What were the effects of the errant
     bombs during the bombing raids in Europe or artillery that landed
     somewhere besides the target? I know these questions seem silly to
     some, but the only stupid question is the one not asked...

     If you are able to respond it would probably be best to do so via
     Private mail as I am not too sure as to how much the other list
     members would care about this topic. (If you are interested, I would
     be glad to pass on any information I receive.)

     Thanks!

     Scott Jones
     [email-masked]

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Date:    Fri, 1 Apr 1994 08:12:55 GMT-6
From:    Terry Moore <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: WEAP: Early Jets

Hello, Emmanuel!

One question about your update. How is it possible that the Lockheed
P-80 was first flown in Germany in 1944? Is this the design from
which our P-80 was derived and you are denoting that this design had
its origins in Germany and was flown then?

Please explain and, other than that, that information is very very
interesting and I intend to add that to my collection.

Thanks again.

Terry

Terry Moore, Professor of German and French, Amarillo College
P.O. Box 447, Amarillo, Texas 79178, voice 806-371-5077
fax 806-371-5370

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Date:    Fri, 1 Apr 1994 10:25:00 -0500
From:    DAVID WILMA 415-744-2485 <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: INF: Environmental effects of WWII

          I have always been curious about the long term effects of oil
          spills, both fuel and cargo.  Surely the amount of petroleum
          discharged during the war, just in the Atlantic, approximated
          some of the accidents seen recently.

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

Date:    Fri, 1 Apr 1994 18:19:45 MET-1
From:    Bognar Attila <[email-masked]>
Subject: ?:changing pmail address

Joe and everybody (who is interested),

Hi everybody,

Sorry for the *?* but I could not find a proper FLAG.

The server at my Faculty has been changed therefore I have a new
address now.
It is  [email-masked]   .

Everybody interested!
Use this new one from now on, please, though I have been told that
messages arriving to my former address will be forwarded to the new
server for a month. Still...

You know: never trust technology!

Thanks again,

All the best,

Attila  [email-masked]

PS.: Which FLAG would have been appropriate here?

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Date:    Thu, 31 Mar 1994 15:26:57 -0500
From:    Stan Koper <[email-masked]>
Subject: When Hollywood Ruled the Skies

The book referred to in a previous post, and in the subject
header above, is:

     When Hollywood Ruled the Skies
     Bruce W. Orliss
     Aero Associates, publisher
     distributed by Limelight Editions,
     copyright 1985

The Boston public library has it under the following call
number:

          D743.23 .077 1985

Stan Koper
[email-masked]
     plus  a change, plus c'est la m me chose
     This message brought to you by uqwk and Yarn 0.58

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Date:    Fri, 1 Apr 1994 13:12:47 LCL
From:    [email-masked]
Subject: INF: USAAF 30 MAR 44

To: [email-masked]

 Ww> COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
 Ww> THURSDAY, 30 MARCH 1944

 Ww> Germany; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-2 on

Could someone brief me as to how we read the claim counts, please?

Thanks,
-- Jim
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12

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Date:    Fri, 1 Apr 1994 16:19:00 -0500
From:    DAVID WILMA 415-744-2485 <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Weap: B-17 vs B-24

          In a way the only people who may be entitled to this discussion
          are the crews who flew the Liberator and the Fort.  A couple of
          things to remember.  The Liberator was a more modern airplane.
          It flew further, but not as high as the Fort (accounting perhaps
          for the higher Liberator losses in the Pacific).  The Fort was
          legendary in its durability, but there are lots of stories about
          crippled Liberators making it home.  Other stories go on and on.

          As for a targeting officer, I suspect that during the war he
          would not have the luxury of selecting one over the other.  You
          had what you had and threw as many against the enemy as you
          could.  The selection of the Liberator for the lion's share of
          the work in the Pacific may be instructive.  I don't recall ever
          hearing the exact reasons for this.  Performance?  Numbers?

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Date:    Fri, 1 Apr 1994 13:59:23 -0500
From:    Christopher Morton <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: INF: Environmental effects of WWII

>
>           I have always been curious about the long term effects of oil
>           spills, both fuel and cargo.  Surely the amount of petroleum
>           discharged during the war, just in the Atlantic, approximated
>           some of the accidents seen recently.

It's GOT to be MORE than that.  After all, except for the Iran-Iraq War,
you're talking about ACCIDENTS.  During WWII you had hundreds of thousands
of people on BOTH sides TRYING to create oil spills, and specifically
going after tankers to do it!

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End of WWII-L Digest - 31 Mar 1994 to 1 Apr 1994
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