Action This Day

[warshipbuilder]

10-12-44
66 Sqn (B.60 Grimberghen – Spitfire XVI)

One show today. Mission DD93- Armed reace in the Enscede-Munster-Dorsten area. 12 aircraft with long-range tanks took off at 1510 hrs. Two aircraft, however, were non-effective, one with R/T trouble and the other due to a late take-off.

A bridge S of Nordhorn was attacked and 20 bombs dropped, but no hits were observed. A 1ocomotive with 10 minus goods waggons was strafed between Nordhorn and Schuttdorf and many strikes were seen; the loco being claimed damaged and emitting steam. Moderate accurate light flak was encountered from Burgsteinfurt and one aircraft is believed to have been hit, but landed safely at B80, while another pilot landed at the same airfield due to lack of fuel. Two aircraft force-landed North of base and both pilots (F/O Skudder and W/O Brydson) were taken to hospital with slight injuries. The rest of the squadron landed at base at 1714 hrs.

BOMBER COMMAND
1 Hudson flew a Resistance operation.

2nd TAF
401 Squadron set out to attack rail targets during the early afternoon, but spotted German fighters, Flg Off Don Church attacking a Bf 109 which went down in flames, while Flg Off Greg Cameron claimed an Fw 190 as a probable and a second damaged. During the day Flg Off Doug Husband led a section of the Squadron to destroy a bridge over the Twente Canal which 126 Wing had been bombing without success for some days.

Otherwise the day was marked by the first loss to be suffered by 610 Squadron when Flg Off W.A.Nicholls baled out of his Spitfire XIV after it was hit by Flak in the Münster-Hamm area; he became a PoW.

USAAF
GERMANY: One hundred seventy-three 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Bingen, and 277 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Koblenz. One of 535 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts is downed.

Nearly 130 9th Bombardment Division B-26s attack two defended towns, and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack numerous ground targets and support U.S. Army ground forces.

More than 550 Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers on their way to attack oil-industry targets in Germany are recalled in the face of bad weather.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack rail targets and a barracks, as well as defended positions in support of the British Eighth Army. Also, XXII TAC P-47s attack communications targets in the battle area.

During the night of December 10–11, XXII TAC A-20s attack rail lines, roads, and pontoon bridges in the Po River valley.

BASE CHANGES
38 Sqn (Wellington XIII) moves to Grottaglie
55 Sqn (Boston IV) moves to Falconara
129 Sqn (Mustang III) moves to Bentwater

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
454 Sqn RAAF (Cesenatico) flies its last OM in the Baltimore IV
500 Sqn (Cesenatico) flies its last OM’s in the Baltimore IV&V

[warshipbuilder]

11-12-44
57 Sqn (East Kirby – Lancaster I/III)
Operations Day: Fifteen aircraft detailed to attack URFT DAM at HEIMBACH. All took off and returned safely one which was reported missing. Take off 12.20 hours.

ADDENDUM – Lancaster I PD263 DX-G. Crew: F/O JL Searl KIA, Sgt VN Taylor KIA, F/S B Smith KIA, F/S BE Moreau RCAF KIA, W/O OJ Pawsey, Sgt J Dalby KIA, Sgt RJ Dunston KIA. T/o 1233 East Kirby. All rest in Rheinberg War Cemetery. Cause of loss unknown.

BOMBER COMMAND
11 December 1944
URFT DAM
233 Lancasters of 5 Group and 5 Mosquitoes of 8 Group. Hits were scored on the dam but no breach was made. 1 Lancaster lost.

OSTERFELD
150 Lancasters of 3 Group on G-H raids through cloud on the railway yards (98 aircraft) and on the benzol plant (52 aircraft). The bombing appeared to be accurate, 1 Lancaster lost.

DUISBURG
80 Mosquitoes of 8 Group on Oboe-leader raids to a coking plant (48 aircraft) and to the Meiderich benzol plant. Most of the bombing on the benzol plant and approximately half on the coking plant appeared to be accurate. No aircraft lost.

Total effort for the day: 468 sorties, 2 aircraft (0.4 percent) lost.
________________________________________
11/12 December 1944
MOSQUITO OPERATIONS
38 Mosquitoes to Hannover, 28 to Hamburg, 9 to Schwerte, 8 to Bielefeld and 6 to Duisburg. 1 aircraft lost from the Hamburg raid.

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2nd TAF
Flak brought down three Typhoons and a Spitfire on this date. It also probably caused the demise of a 274 Squadron Tempest when aircraft from this unit undertook an armed reconnaissance; Flg Off F.W.Trench was captured after baling out east of Arnhem. However, the unit's Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr Baird, claimed an Me 410 damaged on the ground at Bohmte.

Engaged on a similar operation during the afternoon, pilots of 56 Squadron spotted three Bf 109s apparently providing cover for a train near Rheine, and these were attacked, Sqn Ldr Perry St Quintin (a supernumary with the unit) and Plt Off Arty' Shaw each claiming one destroyed; one of these was being flown by Hptm Hans Neumeyer (15 victories) of I./JG 27, who was killed. The train was also claimed destroyed.

Whilst attacking gun positions, 12 Typhoons of 247 Squadron were twice attacked by four P-47s, but none of the Squadron's aircraft were hit. "All pilots were greatly disappointed when their formation leader refused to let them shoot down the Thunderbolts..." recorded the unit ORB. The general opinion was that the US pilots were "pretty clueless", as they blazed away, hitting nothing, and then pulled away directly across the Typhoons' gunsights. "It is hoped the Huns are learning similar tactics!" the record concluded.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack oil-industry targets and a goods depot near Vienna.

GERMANY: Three hundred nineteen 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Frankfurt am Main; 171 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack bridges in the Mannheim area; 297 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Hanau; 154 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a bridge; 353 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Giessen (primary); 135 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Giessen (secondary); and 38 heavy bombers attack secondary targets and targets of opportunity. Five heavy bombers and two of 777 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

More than 200 9th Bombardment Division bombers on their way to Germany are recalled because of bad weather.

Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack several German cities and support U.S. Army ground forces.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack a bridge, and XXII TAC P-47s attack rail targets, defensive positions, towns, and gun emplacements.

BASE CHANGES
197 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.70 Deurne
332 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Fairwood Common

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
222 Sqn (B.65 Maldeghem) flies its last OM in the Spitfire LFIXE

[warshipbuilder]

I will try and get some 2nd TAF in.

December 12, 1944
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack Moravska-Ostrava.

GERMANY: Three hundred thirty-seven 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack the Leuna synthetic-oil plant at Merseburg; 270 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Hanau; 69 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Aschaffenburg; 461 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Darmstadt; and 60 heavy bombers attack various secondary targets and targets of last resort. Four heavy bombers and seven of 831 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Ninety 9th Bombardment Division B-26s and A-20s attack nine defended villages and towns, and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers support U.S. Army ground forces.

Ninth Air Force fighter pilots down 13 GAF fighters over western Germany between 1445 and 1600 hours.

Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack oil-industry targets around Blechham-mer.

ITALY: The Twelfth Air Force is grounded by bad weather.

December 13, 1944
ENGLAND: The day’s Eighth Air Force heavy-bomber mission is canceled when all the escort fighters are grounded by bad weather.

GERMANY: Two hundred fifty 9th Bombardment Division bombers attack villages and towns, a dump, and a marshalling yard. Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack targets around Cologne and support U.S. Army ground forces.

ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force is grounded by bad weather, and Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded or abort because of bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s are able to attack flak batteries and coastal batteries near La Spezia, communications targets in the Po River valley, and buildings in the battle area.

December 14, 1944
GERMANY: The 9th Bombardment Division is grounded by bad weather, but Ninth Air Force fighters are able to support U.S. Army ground forces.

ITALY: The Fifteenth Air Force is grounded by bad weather, but Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack rail bridges, and XXII TAC P-47s attack rail lines and gun emplacements.

December 15, 1944
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack various marshalling yards around the country.

FRANCE: On approximately this date, the 9th Bombardment Division’s 409th Light Bombardment Group reenters combat after being withdrawn for a month to transition from A-20s to A-26s.

GERMANY: Three hundred eighteen 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard and a tank factory at Kassel, and 327 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshaling yard at Hannover. One B-17 and two of 528 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

More than 300 9th Bombardment Division bombers attack oil stores, a military camp, and six defended areas; and Ninth Air Force fighters support U.S. Army ground forces and attack ammunition and supply dumps.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack rail bridges and fuel and ammunition dumps, and XXII TAC P-47s support the U.S. Fifth Army and attack lines of communication.

December 16, 1944
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack a benzol plant at Linz and marshalling yards at Innsbruck and Villach.

BELGIUM: Operation GREIF, the German Army’s Ardennes counteroffensive (Battle of the Bulge) begins with an assault on the U.S. First Army’s winter line by 18 divisions incorporating at least 500 tanks, 350 assault guns, and 1,300 artillery pieces—all supported by 1,350 GAF fighters and bombers. From the outset, Operation GREIF is amply protected from Allied air power by a virtually impenetrable wall of bad weather that effectively obviates air support for U.S. ground forces throughout the battle area. Deep breakthroughs are achieved all along the U.S. First Army front.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack an armaments factory at Pilsen and a synthetic-oil plant at Brux.

ETO: The 9th Bombardment Division is grounded by bad weather, but Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers support the U.S. First Army in the Ardennes region along the German-Belgian frontier.

During the night of December 16–17, despite horrendous weather conditions, P-61 crews of the IX TAC’s 422d Night Fighter Squadron down five GAF air- craft over eastern Belgium and western Germany.

GERMANY: Of 236 3d Bombardment Division B-17s dispatched, 81 attack a marshalling yard at Stuttgart and 33 attack the town of Bietingheim. The rest abort in the face of bad weather. One B-17 is lost, but there are no losses among the 116 VIII Fighter Command escort and scouts.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s are able to attack rail lines in Brenner Pass, gun emplacements, defended buildings, three vessels at La Spezia, and several rail bridges.

December 17, 1944
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack marshalling yards at Saak, Salzburg, Villach, and Wels.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Moravska-Ostrava.

ENGLAND: The 492d Heavy Bombardment Group’s 857th Heavy Bombardment Squadron is transferred to Italy to conduct special-operations missions in support of Italian and Yugoslav partisan groups operating behind Axis lines. (The squadron will be formally transferred to the Fifteenth Air Force on January 23, 1945.)

ETO: The 9th Bombardment Division is grounded by bad weather.

IX and XIX TAC fighters and fighter-bombers mount 647 effective sorties, but few of them are over the weathered-in Ardennes battle area.

GERMANY: While completing a total of 647 effective sorties throughout the day—as against an estimated 650 GAF combat sorties—Ninth Air Force day-fighter pilots down 80 GAF aircraft between 0900 and 1555 hours. Capt John H. Hoefker, a F-6 pilot with the 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group’s 15th Reconnaissance Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs an FW-190 near Kirch Gons Airdrome at 1535 hours. The Ninth Air Force day fighters also account for several hundred German Army motor vehicles damaged or destroyed. Sixteen Ninth Air Force fighters are lost.

Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack oil-industry targets at Blechhammer and Odertal, and a marshalling yard in southeastern Germany; and Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack several oil refineries at Blechhammer.

In the most active day for Fifteenth Air Force fighters during the entire month, 23 GAF fighters are downed on both sides of the German-Polish frontier between 1145 and 1230 hours by pilots of the 14th, 31st, and 52d Fighter groups. Capt Robert A. Karr, a P-51 pilot with the 52d Fighter Group’s 5th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs three Bf-109s over Biata, Poland, at 1210 hours; and Capt Jack R. Smith, a P-51 pilot with the 31st Fighter Group’s 308th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status with he downs an FW-190 near Blechhammer at 1210 hours.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack a marshalling yard at Trento and communications targets in the Po River valley.

December 18, 1944
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack Graz Airdrome, an oil refinery near Vienna, a marshalling yard, and an industrial area.

BELGIUM: Despite total cloud cover and an extremely low ceiling, two 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group F-6 pilots locate a key German Army combat column on a road near Stavelot, with the result that four-plane flights from the IX TAC’s 365th and 368th Fighter groups continuously attack the German column until it is too dark to continue. In the course of seven four-plane missions flown between high hills and through heavy gunfire and flak, it is estimated that 32 of 60 tanks are destroyed along with at least 56 of 200 trucks.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack an oil refinery at Moravska-Ostrava.

GERMANY: Thirty-two 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Cologne (primary); 102 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack targets at Koblenz (secondary); 74 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack Kaiserlautern (secondary); 11 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack Bonn (target of last resort); 198 1st Bombardment Division B-17s abort in the face of bad weather; all 358 2d Bombardment Division B-24s dispatched abort in the face of bad weather; 157 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Mainz (primary); and 13 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack targets of opportunity. There are no heavy-bomber losses, but two of 392 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Two hundred fifty-five VIII Fighter Command fighters sweep western Germany.

One hundred sixty-five 9th Bombardment Division bombers attack five defended towns in western Germany, and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers complete approximately 500 sorties in support U.S. Army ground forces in the Ardennes region straddling the German-Belgian frontier.

In the face of a GAF aerial offensive amounting to more than 500 effective sorties, Ninth Air Force fighter pilots down 40 GAF fighters and VIII Fighter Command fighter pilots down ten GAF fighters over western Germany between 0930 and 1530 hours.

Two P-38 pilots with the 474th Fighter Group’s 429th Fighter Squadron achieve ace status near Cologne at noon: 1stLt Lenton F. Kirkland, Jr., when he downs two Bf-109s; and 1stLt Robert C. Milliken, when he downs one Bf-109. Two P-51 pilots with the 359th Fighter Group’s 368th Fighter Squadron—1stLt David B. Archibald and 1stLt Paul E. Olson—achieve “ace-in-a-day” status when they each down five FW-190s over Wahn at about 1445 hours. Unfortunately, Olson is himself shot down and taken prisoner.

Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack oil-industry targets at Blechhammer, and Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack oil-industry targets at Odertal.

HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Sopron.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s support the U.S. Fifth Army south of Bologna and attack lines of communication in the Po River valley.

POLAND: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack oil-industry targets at Oswiecim (Auschwitz).

December 19, 1944
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s and B-17s attack various marshalling yards throughout the country.

BELGIUM: In anticipation of a possible emergency in the face of the German Army’s Ardennes offensive, most of the XXIX TAC headquarters component is withdrawn from Maastricht, Netherlands, to St.-Trond.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack an oil refinery at Moravska-Ostrava.

ETO: The 9th Bombardment Division and most Ninth Air Force fighter units are grounded by bad weather, but a small number of Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers are able to support U.S. Army ground forces in Belgium, France, and Germany.

GERMANY: Unable to their attack assigned targets in Luxembourg, 24 1st Bombardment Division B-17s divert against a marshalling yard at Koblenz, and 82 2d Bombardment Division B-24s divert against a marshalling yard at Ehrgang.

Eighth and Ninth air force fighter pilots down 15 GAF fighters over western Germany and eastern Belgium between 1508 and 1535 hours.

Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack various marshalling yards throughout the country, and B-17s attack oil-industry targets at Blechhammer.

HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Sopron.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack communications targets near the battle area and gun emplacements around La Spezia.

During the night of December 19–20, XXII TAC A-20s attack light sources in the Po River valley.

LUXEMBOURG: One hundred forty-four 1st Bombardment Division B-17s and 62 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack tactical targets using GH blind-bombing equipment. These attacks are in support of U.S. Army ground forces involved in the Battle of the Bulge.

December 20, 1944
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack marshalling yards at Salzburg and Villach, and Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack marshalling yards at Salzburg and Linz.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack the Skoda arms complex at Pilsen, and Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack oil-industry targets at Brux.

ETO: The Ninth Air Force is grounded by bad weather.

GERMANY: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack oil-industry targets at Regensburg.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s mount limited attacks against targets of opportunity in the Po River valley and rail lines in Brenner Pass and around Trento.

During the night of December 20–21, XXII TAC A-20s attack roads and targets of opportunity in the Po River valley.

December 21, 1944
ETO: The entire Ninth Air Force is grounded by bad weather.

IX TAC and XXIX TAC are transferred to the operational control of the British Second Tactical Air Force for the duration of the Ardennes emergency. Along with RAF tactical units, they will operate against German Army forces in the northern Bulge.

GERMANY: Eighty-four Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack marshalling yards at Rosenheim.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s are able to mount a limited number of effective sorties against rail targets, Ghedi Airdrome, gun emplacements, and defended buildings.

During the night of December 21–22, XXII TAC A-20s attack targets in the Po River valley.

December 22, 1944
ETO: The 9th Bombardment Division is grounded by bad weather, and only a few Ninth Air Force fighters are able to undertake strafing missions in support of U.S. Army ground forces.

Three IX TAC fighter groups are temporarily transferred to XXIX TAC control to help support a counteroffensive by the U.S. Third Army against the southern Bulge.

GERMANY: 1stLt Eugene P. McGlauflin and 2dLt Roy L. Scales, P-51 pilots with the 31st Fighter Group’s 308th Fighter Squadron, share in the downing of a Me-262 jet interceptor near Passau at about 1230 hours. This is the first GAF jet downed by Fifteenth Air Force fighter pilots.

ITALY: The Fifteenth Air Force is grounded by bad weather, but Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack bridges at three locations, and XXII TAC P-47s attack numerous bridges and other rail targets as well as gun emplacements and road traffic.

During the night of December 22–23, XXII TAC A-20s attack crossing points and targets of opportunity in the Po River valley.

December 23, 1944
BELGIUM: Two hundred sixty IX Troop Carrier Command C-47s, escorted by three XIX TAC fighter groups, drop critically needed supplies to the U.S. 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne. Eight C-47s are downed by flak.

The 352d Fighter Group, a veteran VIII Fighter Command P-51 unit, moves from Bodney, England, to Advance Landing Ground A-84, at Chievres, Belgium, to temporarily bolster Ninth Air Force units waging the Battle of the Bulge.

1stLt Lenton F. Kirkland, Jr., a P-38 ace with the 474th Fighter Group’s 429th Fighter Squadron, is downed by flak and killed near Liege.

ETO: On the first reasonably good weather day in a week, Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers mount 696 effective combat sorties, the bulk of them in support U.S. Army ground forces in and around the Bulge battle areas. Nineteen Ninth Air Force fighters are lost.

Eighth and Ninth air force fighter pilots down 133 GAF fighters and one Ju-88—of an estimated 800 GAF sorties—over western Germany and eastern Belgium between 0915 and 1600 hours. Col David C. Schilling, the commander of the P-47-equipped 56th Fighter Group, downs three Bf-109s and two FW-190s during a fighter sweep over Euskirchen Airdrome, between Bonn and Koblenz, at about 1145. These victories bring Schilling’s final personal tally to 22.5 and cap a legendary fighting career that began for Schilling with the first wartime mission of the 56th Fighter Group in April 1943. Also on this group fighter sweep, Maj Harold E. Comstock, an original member of the 56th Fighter Group and now the commanding officer of the 63d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two FW-190s near Bonn between 1145 and 1215 hours; and Capt Felix D. Williamson, a P-47 pilot with the 56th Fighter Group’s 62d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs a Bf-109 and an FW-190 over Euskirchen Airdrome between 1230 and 1245 hours.

1stLt James M. Fowle, a P-51 pilot with the 364th Fighter Group’s 384th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs four Bf-109s near Trier between 1210 and 1230 hours; Maj George F. Ceuleers, the commanding officer of the 364th Fighter Group’s 383d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs four Bf-109s near Trier at about 1220 hours; and 1stLt David L. King, a P-47 pilot with the 373d Fighter Group’s 412th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two Bf-109s near Euskirchen between 1500 and 1530 hours.

GERMANY: Despite bad weather, 148 1st Bombardment Division B-17s, 106 2d Bombardment Division B-24s, and 143 3d Bombardment Division B-17s are able to attack communications centers, rail junctions, marshalling yards, and other transportation targets in western Germany; and 163 VIII Fighter Command fighters sweep the Bonn area. One heavy bomber and seven of 592 VIII Fighter Command fighters dispatched are lost.

During the morning, nearly 400 9th Bombardment Division B-26s, A-26s, and A-20s attack communications targets and villages in western Germany, directly to the rear of German Army forces engaged in the Ardennes offensive. Also, during the afternoon, approximately 200 9th Bombardment Division bombers return to the area to attack many of the same or similar targets. Thirty-five bombers are lost, the highest one-day bomber loss sustained by the Ninth Air Force in the entire war. Of the aircraft lost, 16 391st Medium Bombardment Group B-26s are downed by GAF fighters during a bombing run against a rail viaduct at Ahrweiler. (Despite these losses, however, the 391st is able to mount a 21-plane afternoon mission.)

ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force and all Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack rail targets in the Po River valley and an airfield near Milan.

December 24, 1944
ETO: As the weather continues to clear, Ninth Air Force fighters support U.S. Army ground forces throughout the Bulge battle areas of Luxembourg and eastern Belgium. 1,157 effective Ninth Air Force fighter and fighter-bomber sorties through the day result in the destruction of 736 motor vehicles, 167 rail cars, numerous tanks and artillery pieces, and the deaths of uncounted German Army soldiers.

Eighth and Ninth Air Force fighter pilots down 95 GAF aircraft over western Germany and eastern Belgium between 0148 and 1935 hours. 1stLt William J. Sykes, a P-51 pilot with the 364th Fighter Group’s 376th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs a Bf-109 and probably downs another Bf-109 near Wengerohr between 1350 and 1400 hours. Unfortunately, Sykes is himself shot down and captured during this engagement. 1stLt Russell C. Haworth, a P-51 pilot with the 55th Fighter Group’s 338th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs a Bf-109 over Vogelsburg at 1415 hours; 2dLt Otto D. Jenkins, a P-51 pilot with the 357th Fighter Group’s 362d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status, with a tally of 8.5 confirmed victories, when he downs four FW-190s near Fulda at 1425 hours; 1stLt John A. Kirla, also a P-51 pilot with the 357th Fighter Group’s 362d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs three FW-190s near Fulda at 1425 hours; and Capt William R. Hodges, a P-51 pilot with the 359th Fighter Group’s 370th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he down an FW-190 near Bonn at about 1530 hours.

FRANCE: Ten 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack coastal batteries at La Pallice.

The VIII Fighter Command’s 361st Fighter Group, in P-51s, is temporarily reassigned to the XIX TAC to help with the Bulge emergency; it moves from its base in England to Advance Landing Ground A-64, at St.-Dizier/Robinson Airdrome.

GERMANY: Thanks to the arrival of a solid high-pressure system that finally clears the skies over northern Europe, a maximum effort by 1,874 Eighth Air Force heavy bombers and 800 RAF heavy bombers—the largest single heavy-bomber strike of World War II— results in attacks on a wide range of airfields and lines-of-communications centers throughout western Germany. USAAF losses are 12 heavy bombers and ten of 813 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts.

While filling in as co-pilot of the lead B-17 of the vanguard 3d Bombardment Division, BriGen Frederick W. Castle, commander of the 4th Combat Bombardment Wing, remains at the controls of the aircraft, fatally damaged by German fighters, until all the other crewmen except the pilot have bailed out. Unable to bail out himself, the wing commander perishes when the bomber explodes in flames at 12,000 feet. For this utterly selfless act, General Castle is awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor.

Three hundred seventy-six 9th Bombardment Division bombers attack communications centers and rail bridges in western Germany. Thanks to the disruption of GAF bases by Eighth Air Force and RAF heavy bombers, not a single 9th Bombardment Division bomber is lost.
ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force and all Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack Thiene Airdrome and road and rail traffic.

December 25, 1944
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack flak concentrations at Innsbruck and marshalling yards at Graz, Hall, Innsbruck, Villach, and Wels.

BELGIUM: At 1233 hours, moments after shooting down two Bf-109s, Maj George E. Preddy, the commanding officer of the 352d Fighter Group’s 328th Fighter Squadron and the Eighth Air Force’s highest-scoring ace still flying in combat, is shot down and killed by friendly antiaircraft fire while chasing a GAF fighter at low level. Preddy’s final tally is 26.833 confirmed victories, leaving him second only to LtCol Francis S. Gabreski.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack a synthetic-oil plant at Brux.

ETO: Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers mounting 1,095 effective sorties in support of U.S. Army ground forces throughout the Bulge battle area are credited with destroying 813 motor vehicles and 99 armored vehicles. Twenty-four Ninth Air Force fighters are lost.

Eighth and Ninth Air Force fighter pilots down 80 GAF aircraft over western Germany and eastern Belgium between 0115 and 2300 hours. Capt William J. Stangel, a P-51 pilot with the 352d Fighter Group’s 328th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status near Koblenz during a morning mission; 1stLt Robert E. Welch, a P-51 pilot with the 55th Fighter Group’s 343d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two Bf-109s near Koblenz at noon; Maj Pierce W. McKennon, a P-51 ace with the 4th Fighter Group’s 335th Fighter Squadron, brings his final personal tally to 12 confirmed victories when he shares in the downing of an FW-190 near Bonn at 1215 hours; LtCol Donald A. Baccus, the executive officer of the 359th Fighter Group, in P-51s, achieves ace status when he downs a Bf-109 near Bonn at 1225 hours; and Maj Frederick W. Glover, a P-51 ace with the 4th Fighter Group’s 336th Fighter Squadron, brings his final personal tally to 10.333 confirmed victories when he downs an FW-190 near Koblenz at 1230 hours.

Three IX TAC fighter groups on loan to the XIX TAC are returned to IX TAC control.

GERMANY: Two hundred thirty-two 2d Bombardment Division B-24s and 156 3d Bombardment Division B-24s attack numerous road and rail targets west of the Rhine River. Five heavy bombers and nine of 432 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Six hundred twenty-nine 9th Bombardment Division B-26s, A-26s, and A-20s attack communications centers and road and rail bridges over a wide area of western Germany. Three bombers are lost.

Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack marshalling yards at Plattling and Rosswein.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s are very active against rail lines in the Po River valley and leading to Brenner Pass.

During the night of December 25–26, XXII TAC A-20s attack Vicenza Airdrome and light sources, motor vehicles, and railroads in the Po River valley.

December 26, 1944
BELGIUM: As the German Army’s Ardennes offensive runs out of steam west of the Maas River, 9th Bombardment Division bombers attack bridges and other communications and lines-of-supply targets along the Belgian-German frontier. Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers support U.S. Army ground forces throughout the Bulge battle area.

Gliders filled with supplies for surrounded elements of the U.S. 101st Airborne Divisionare are released over Bastogne, in the southern Bulge, by IX Troop Carrier Command C-47s.

Seventy VIII Fighter Command P-51s temporarily assigned to the Ninth Air Force attack tactical targets in eastern Belgium. Two of the P-51s are lost.

1stLt Duerr “H” Schuh, a P-51 pilot with the 352d Fighter Group’s 487th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs three Bf-109s over Belgium at 1515 hours; and 1stLt Paul A. Smith, a P-61 pilot with the Ninth Air Force’s 422d Night-Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two Ju-188s near St. Vith between 2210 and 2253 hours.

GERMANY: Despite bad weather, 71 2d Bombardment Division B-24s and 67 3d Bombardment Division B-17s, escorted by 249 VIII Fighter Command escorts, attack various rail targets in western Germany.

Eighth and Ninth Air Force fighter pilots down 63 GAF aircraft over western Germany and eastern Belgium between 0135 and 2253 hours. 1stLt George R. Vanden Heuval, a P-51 pilot with the 361st Fighter Group’s 376th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs an FW-190 and shares in the downing of another FW-190 near Merzig between 1140 hours and noon.

Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack oil-industry targets at Blechhammer and Odertal.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s and Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack lines of communication running through and south from Brenner Pass; Twelfth Air Force medium bombers also attack two dumps near Bologna; Fifteenth Air Force P-38s bomb a rail bridge at Latisana; and XXII TAC P-47s attack rail lines, shipping at Genoa and La Spezia, and numerous tactical targets in the U.S. Fifth Army battle area.

During the night of December 26–27, XXII TAC A-20s attack Turin Airdrome, pontoon bridges, road bridges at three locations, and roads in the Po River valley.

POLAND: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack oil-industry targets at Oswiecim (Auschwitz).

December 27, 1944
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack marshalling yards at Bruck, Graz, Klagenfurt, Villach and Wiener-Neustadt; an oil refinery near Vienna; a rail junction at Feldbach; and an ordnance depot at Linz. Also, 29 Fifteenth Air Force P-51s strafe rail targets between Vienna and Linz.

ETO: 9th Bombardment Division bombers attack communication centers, bridges, and targets of opportunity in western Germany and eastern Belgium; and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers support U.S. Army ground forces in the Bulge battle areas.

Eighth and Ninth air force fighter pilots down 73 GAF aircraft over western Germany and eastern Belgium between 0003 and 2115 hours. Capt Ernest E. Bankey, Jr., a flying staff officer with the 364th Fighter Group, in P-51s, achieves ace status with a tally of 7.5 confirmed victories when he downs four FW-190s and a Bf-109 and shares in the downing of a second Bf-109 near Bonn between 1055 and 1210 hours; 1stLt Earl R. Lazear, Jr., a P-51 pilot with the 352d Fighter Group’s 486th Fighter Squadron achieves ace status when he downs a Bf-109 near Bonn at 1105 hours; 1stLt Raymond H. Littge, a P-51 pilot with the 352d Fighter Group’s 487th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs three FW-190s near Mauer at 1115 hours; Maj William T. Halton, the commanding officer of the 352d Fighter Group’s 487th Fighter Squadron, in P-51s, also achieves ace status with a tally of 7.5 confirmed victories when he downs three Bf-109s and shares in the downing of a fourth near Bonn between 1100 and 1130 hours; and Capt Gilbert L. Jamison, a P-51 pilot with the 364th Fighter Group’s 385th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status with a tally of seven confirmed victories when he downs three FW-190s near Bonn at 1130 hours.

FRANCE: To balance fighter forces committed to the northern and southern Bulge areas in the wake of the wholesale transfer on December 21 of the IX and XXIX TACs to the British Second Tactical Air Force, the Ninth Air Force’s 365th, 367th, and 368th Fighter groups are placed under the operational control of the XIX TAC (in the south). Two of the effected units must complete a physical move in order to comply with the transfer: the 365th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground Y-34, at Metz/Frescati Airdrome; and the 368th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-68, at Juvincourt. Also, to balance reconnaissance assets available to the various Ninth Air Force tactical air commands, the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group’s 160th and 161st Tactical Reconnaissance squadrons are placed under IX TAC control, and must displace to Advance Landing Ground A-94, at Conflans.

GERMANY: Despite freezing fog in England that grounds many Eighth Air Force heavy bombers, 201 1st Bombardment Division B-17s, 172 2d Bombardment Division B-24s, and 202 3d Bombard- ment Division B-17s attack numerous rail targets in western Germany. Two heavy bombers and five of 193 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

One hundred sixty-three VIII Fighter Command fighters mount a sweeping operation over western Germany.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack lines of communication in Brenner Pass and rail bridges in northern Italy; Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack lines of communication in and around Brenner Pass and two supply dumps near Bologna; 44 Fifteenth Air Force P-38s bomb bridges; and XXII TAC P-47s help stem German Army counterattacks on the U.S. Fifth Army front and attack lines of communication in the Po River valley.

Twelfth Air Force C-47s drop supplies to Italian partisans in northern Italy.

During the night of December 27–28, XXII TAC A-20s attack motor vehicles and light sources in the Po River valley and Brenner Pass area.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack marshalling yards at Maribor.

December 28, 1944
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack marshalling yards at Salzburg and four other locations.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack oil refineries at Pardubice and two other locations, and an oil storage depot.

ETO: The entire Ninth Air Force is grounded by bad weather.

GERMANY: Three hundred thirty 1st Bombardment Division B-17s, 284 2d Bombardment Division B-24s, and 510 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack rail bridges and marshalling yards throughout western Germany. Two B-24s are lost, but there are no losses among 568 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts.

Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack an oil depot and freight yard at Regensburg.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack lines of communication around Brenner Pass; Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack a supply dump and a troop concentration; and XXII TAC P-47s support the U.S. Fifth Army and attack roads, bridges, and a motor-vehicle depot.

During the night of December 28–29, XXII TAC A-20s attack vehicles, road bridges, rail lines, ferry crossings, and targets of opportunity in the Po River valley.

December 29, 1944
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack various marshalling yards throughout Austria.

BELGIUM: Only seven of more than 100 9th Bombardment Division bombers complete a mission against targets in the Bulge; the rest are recalled in the face of bad weather.

ETO: Despite deteriorating weather conditions, Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers complete several hundred sorties in support of U.S. Army ground forces in the Bulge.

GERMANY: Two hundred ninety-three 1st Bombardment Division B-17s, 241 2d Bombardment Division B-24s, and 36 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack bridges, marshalling yards, and communications centers in western Germany and eastern Belgium. Four heavy bombers and three of 587 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

This is the first mission of the 78th Fighter Group since its transition from P-47s to P-51s. The only P-47 unit remaining in the Eighth Air Force is the 56th Fighter Group, which undertakes a sweep mission over western Germany.

Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack various marshalling yards throughout southern Germany, and 14 Fifteenth Air Force P-38s attack a road bridge near Rosenheim.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack lines of communication around Brenner Pass; Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack the locomotive repair facilities at Castelfranco and Udine; Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack bridges and viaducts; and XXII TAC P-47s attack bridges, communications targets, motor vehicles, and trains.

During the night of December 29–30, XXII TAC A-20s attack Ghedi Airdrome and targets of opportunity.

December 30, 1944
CORSICA: The Twelfth Air Force’s 319th Medium Bombardment Group, in B-26s, is ordered to cease combat operations and return to the United States. At this point, the only medium-bomber units remaining in the Twelfth Air Force are the 57th Medium Bombardment Wing’s 310th, 321st, and 340th Medium Bombardment groups, which all are equipped with B-25s.

ETO: All 9th Bombardment Division bombers and IX TAC aircraft are grounded or recalled because of bad weather, but several hundred XIX TAC and XXIX TAC fighters and fighter-bombers are able to attack ground targets and support U.S. Army ground forces in western Germany, eastern Belgium, eastern France, and Luxembourg.

GERMANY: 393 1st Bombard Division B-17s, 354 2d Bombardment Division B-24s, and 504 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack rail bridges and marshalling yards throughout western Germany. Four B-17s and two of 528 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack lines of communication in and around Brenner Pass, bridges, and an ammunition dump; and XXII TAC P-47s support the U.S. Fifth Army and attack bridges.

During the night of December 30–31, XXII TAC A-20s attack numerous targets in the Po River valley.

December 31, 1944
ETO: The 9th Bombardment Division is grounded by bad weather, but several hundred Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers are able to support U.S. Army ground forces in eastern Belgium and western Germany.

GERMANY: Four hundred ninety-two 1st Bombardment Division B-17s and 254 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack numerous rail bridges, communications centers, and marshalling yards in western Germany, and 501 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack industrial and oil- industry targets at six locations. Losses are 27 heavy bombers and ten of 721 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts.

Eighth and Ninth Air Force fighter pilots down 64 GAF fighters and one Ar-234 jet bomber over western Germany and eastern Belgium between 1045 and 2350 hours. Maj Samuel J. Wicker, the commanding officer of the 364th Fighter Group’s 383d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status with a total of seven victo- ries when he downs four FW-190s near Hamburg between 1125 hours and noon; and 1stLt Charles D. Hauver, a P-51 pilot with the 355th Fighter Group’s 354th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs an FW-190 near Hamburg at 1210 hours.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack a dump and several trains, and XXII TAC P-47s attack rail bridges, rail lines, and trains.

During the night of December 31–January 1, XXII TAC A-20s attack a marshalling yard at Milan and a motor-vehicle park at Molinella.

YUGOSLAVIA: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack a bridge at Bodrez.

January 1, 1945*
(* It may be assumed for the balance of hostilities that fighters and fighter-bombers controlled by the IX, XII, XIX, XXII, and XXIX TACs are supporting U.S. Army ground forces as a matter of course. Also, many VIII Fighter Command fighters are routinely flying sweeps and other nonescort missions over enemy territory.)

ENGLAND: The Eighth Air Force’s independent 406th Heavy Bombardment Squadron (night leaflets) is administratively assigned to the 482d Heavy Bombardment Group (radar and pathfinding). Operationally, the 406th Squadron is transferred from VIII Fighter Command to the 1st Air Division.

ETO: At midnight, New Year’s Eve, the 1st, 2d, 3d, and 9th Bombardment divisions are redesignated as air divisions.

More than 800 GAF tactical aircraft mount aggressive attacks against Allied airfields in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands (Operation HERMANN) between 0800 and 1000 hours. At least 30 USAAF aircraft are destroyed on the ground, and 62 are damaged. The British Second Tactical Air Force loses 162 aircraft destroyed and 62 damaged.

In all, USAAF fighters are credited with downing 69 GAF aircraft over Belgium and Germany between 0320 and 1230 hours, and RAF fighter pilots are credited with downing approximately 100 GAF aircraft—all at a cost of six Allied fighters downed.

One hundred ninety 9th Air Division bombers attack lines-of-communication targets and a German Army command post in Belgium and Germany.

BELGIUM: At approximately 0930 hours, as 12 P-51s of the 352d Fighter Group’s 487th Fighter Squadron are taking off from their temporary base near Liege for an area patrol, the airdrome comes under attack and the P-51s are jumped by approximately 50 FW-190s and Bf-109s. Within minutes, the squadron routs the attack force and accounts for 20 of the GAF fighters destroyed without loss to itself. 1stLt Sanford K. Moats achieves ace status in this battle when he downs four FW-90s; 1stLt Alexander F. Sears achieves ace status when he downs a Bf-109; Capt William T. Whisner brings his final personal World War II tally to 14.5 confirmed victories when he downs two Bf-109s and two FW-190s; and the 487th Fighter Squadron commander, LtCol John C. Meyer, brings his final World War II tally to 24 confirmed victories when he downs two FW-190s.

GERMANY: Only 11 of 428 1st Air Division B-17s dispatched against an oil-industry target at Magdeburg attack the primary; 292 1st Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Kassel (secondary); 26 1st Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Gottingen; 99 1st Air Division B-17s attack numerous targets of opportunity; 86 2d Air Division B-24s attack two rail bridges at Koblenz; 57 2d Air Division B-24s attack a rail bridge at Irlich; six 2d Air Division B-24s attack the rail bridge at Remagen; 42 2d Air Division B-24s attack several targets of opportunity; 54 3d Air Division B-17s attack an oil-industry target at Dollbergen; 24 3d Air Division B-17s attack an oil-industry target at Ehmen; and 21 3d Air Division B-17s attack several targets of opportunity. Eight Eighth Air Force heavy bombers (including five screening aircraft) and two of 626 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

1stLt Robert M. York, a P-51 pilot with the 359th Fighter Group’s 370th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs an FW-190 near Luneberg at 1131 hours; and 1stLt Van E. Chandler, a P-51 pilot with the 4th Fighter Group’s 336th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs a Bf-109 over Uelzen at 1230 hours.

ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force is grounded by bad weather, but Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack bridges at three locations, and XXII TAC P-47s attack a fuel dump at Parma and lines of communication.

January 2, 1945
BELGIUM: The VIII Air Force Service Command advance headquarters is established in Brussels.

ETO: One hundred thirty-five 9th Air Division bombers attack communications targets and rail bridges in Germany and Belgium.

GERMANY: Two hundred eighty-three 1st Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard and five communications centers in western Germany; 282 2d Air Division B-24s attack five rail bridges; 240 3d Air Division B-17s attack marshalling yards, rail bridges, and rail junctions; 128 3d Air Division B-17s attack German Army tank concentrations; and 23 heavy bombers attack targets of opportunity. Four heavy bombers and three of 492 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Eighth and Ninth air force fighter pilots down 14 GAF fighters over Germany between 0910 and 1615 hours.

ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force and all Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack rail lines and road and rail targets in the Po River valley and Brenner Pass as well as a marshalling yard at Milan.

During the night of January 2–3, XXII TAC A-20s attack Ghedi Airdrome, vehicles and pontoon bridges in the Po River valley.

January 3, 1945
BELGIUM: Ninety-eight 1st Air Division B-17s attack the German-held communications center at St.-Vith.

ETO: The 9th Air Division is grounded by bad weather.

GERMANY: One hundred forty-five 1st Air Division B-17s attack two marshalling yards and two rail junctions; 129 1st Air Division B-17s attack the city of Cologne (secondary); 311 2d Air Division B-24s attack five marshalling yards and a railhead; and 377 3d Air Division B-17s attack four marshalling yards and two communications centers. Four of 571 VIII Fighter Command scouts and escorts are lost.

ITALY: The Fifteenth Air Force is grounded by bad weather; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack rail bridges at four locations; and XXII TAC P-47s attack numerous rail targets.

During the night of January 3–4, XXII TAC A-20s attack a bridge and a supply dump near Mestre and vehicles throughout northern Italy.

January 4, 1945
BELGIUM: VIII Fighter Command headquarters begins moving from Bushey Park, England, to Charleroi.

ETO: The Eighth and Ninth air forces are grounded by bad weather.

ITALY: More than 370 Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack rail sidings and marshalling yards at seven locations; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack two bridges; and XXII TAC P-47s attack communications targets in the Po River valley, and an ammunition dump.

During the night of January 4–5, XXII TAC A-20s attack targets of opportunity around Modena.

YUGOSLAVIA: Nine Fifteenth Air Force B-24s drop supplies to Yugoslav partisans.

January 5, 1945
BELGIUM: 9th Air Division bombers attack three communications centers, and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack road traffic and other communications targets.

FRANCE: The Ninth Air Force’s 368th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground Y-34, at Metz/Frescati Airdrome.

GERMANY: Eight hundred ninety-three Eighth Air Force heavy bombers attack several airfields and numerous rail and other communications targets throughout western Germany. One B-17 and one of 537 VIII Fighter Command scouts and escorts are lost.

9th Air Division bombers attack rail bridges at three locations, and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack airfields, road traffic, and other communications targets.

ITALY: The Twelfth Air Force and most of the Fifteenth Air Force are grounded by bad weather.

LUXEMBOURG: 9th Air Division bombers attack the communications center at Massen.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s are recalled while on their way to attack Zagreb, but 33 Fifteenth Air Force P-38s bomb a rail bridge.

January 6, 1945
GERMANY: Seven hundred seventy-eight Eighth Air Force heavy bombers attack rail and other communications targets in western Germany, and one fighter-bomber group attacks a marshalling yard. One B-17 and two of 531 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Nearly the entire Ninth Air Force is grounded by bad weather, but 26 9th Air Division bombers are able to attack Prum.

ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force and all Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack rail lines and bridges between Genoa and La Spezia and ships in the harbors at Imperia and Genoa.

[warshipbuilder]

22-12-44
22nd proved rather a bad day for the high-performance fighters of 122 and 125 Wings. A 486 Squadron Tempest was shot down by Flak near Vreden with the loss of Flt Lt S.S.Williams, while 130 Squadron lost two Spitfire XIVs to Allied AA in the Liège area. Fortunately Flt Lt Harry Walmsley escaped unhurt when he baled out. Another mark XIV, one of 2 Squadron's fighter-reconnaissance aircraft, was also hit, Flt Lt D.S.Buckie being killed when he crashed north of Arnhem. The effectiveness of US anti-aircraft fire against 2nd TAF aircraft would become an unwelcome feature of the Ardennes battles. Spitfires, Typhoons and Tempests all fell in significant numbers, sometimes with the loss of their pilots, to the 'shoot first-questions later' gunners of their allies.

23-12-44

Soon after midnight Wg Cdr Peter Green/Flt Lt Douggie Oxby of 219 Squadron were able to claim a Ju 88 shot down over the Verviers area. With 2 Group, 613 Squadron welcomed Wg CdrP.B.Lucas, DSO, DFC, as Commanding Officer; 'Laddie' Lucas was a veteran of Malta, where he had led the very successful 249 Squadron during 1942.

Still the weather constrained the ground- attack aircraft of 2nd TAF, although on this date 247 Squadron was to lose its Commanding Officer, Battle of Britain veteran Sqn Ldr B.G. Stapme' Stapleton, whose aircraft was hit by debris which punctured the radiator, while attacking a train. He was last seen by his Squadron disappearing into a murky haze and he was fortunate to find an area of open farmland in which to make his forced-landing. However, he had come down east of Duren, two miles the wrong side of the lines and became a PoW for the duration.

411 Squadron undertook a sweep to the east of Eindhoven, where the unit's Spitfire IXs were suddenly attacked by a lone Me 262.

Reported Flt Lt J.J.Boyle: "...he was upon us before the first warning shout came out of my earphones. Luckily, his fire missed everyone and, as he sped past us, he came right into my gunsight and I fired a cannon burst instinctively. I saw a flash on his rudder that looked like an explosive strike, but it could just as easily have been a sun flash. He raced away from us and was gone in seconds. After we landed, my No 2 confirmed that he had seen an explosion on the rudder. As a result of our Ops Report, I received credit for one 'damaged' aircraft. I took quite a razzing from my squadron mates about 'seeing things' because none of us had really thought we could hit a jet. That was the first time I had seen an Me 262 and just the sight of it was exciting."
It was by night again that more success was achieved, the radar-equipped night fighters and Luftwaffe bombers being less affected by the visibility that was continuing to plague the day flyers. Early in the evening Flg Off W.B.Allison/Wt Off Milnes claimed a Ju 88 plus a Ju 188 damaged. Between 1943-2145 pilots of 488 Squadron made four claims, for a Ju 188, two Ju 88s and an Me 410. Flt Lt W.H.McPhail/Flg Off J.E.Donoghue of 409 Squadron then added another Ju 188 at 2205. Just after this 219 Squadron achieved a third success, Wg Cdr Green/Flt Lt Oxby claiming a Ju 188, while another team damaged a further Ju 88.

24-12-44
At 0250 Flt Lt P.G.Jeffs/Flt Lt A.N.Crookes of 488 Squadron added another Ju 88 damaged to the 24 Dece unit's highly successful score that night; five minutes later a 219 Squadron crew damaged another. As dawn approached Flg Off D.M.MacKenzie/Flg Off G.P.A.Bodard of 410 Squadron made claims for two more Ju 88s shot down. This brought the night's 'bag' to nine destroyed and three damaged. Mackenzie's and Bodard's victims appear to have been two Ju 888-3s of I./LG 1, L1+DL and L1+CL. This Geschwader had suffered frequently to the depredations of the RAF's night fighters ever since the Invasion, at least 50 of its aircraft having been lost to them by this date. The strangest combat of the night involved one of 69 Squadron's flare-dropping photographic Wellingtons however. Between 0130-0315 this aircraft was attacked from behind by an interceptor which Sgt G.Elston, the rear gunner, believed to have been an Me 163 rocket fighter. He claimed to have shot this down in flames, seeing it blazing on hitting the ground. What he may actually have seen has not been identified, but the possibility of an Me 163 attacking by night seems extremely unlikely.

An Me 163 did appear by day on Christmas Eve when one such aircraft attempted to attack a 16 Squadron Spitfire XI, as did a Bf 109; both were evaded by the reconnaissance pilot, as was an Fw 190D by one of his squadron mates.

The weather had at last broken as the depression which had lain over the Ardennes suddenly lifted. Even the sun broke through on occasions, 226 Squadron recording that it was "A glorious day today", allowing Allied air power to be exercised in full.

On the ground a determined American defence in the Bastogne area had upset the Wehrmacht's programme, and fuel shortages were beginning to have a significant effect upon the pace of the German advance, which in several places had ground to a halt.

Now the Typhoons were able to go out in strength to attack the enemy columns, many of which were bogged down in freezing mud on narrow Ardennes roads and tracks. During an early operation 439 Squadron's pilots set out for the area west of Cologne to seek out transport. A few isolated vehicles were found and shot up (bombs were not carried due the range of this operation) but then they themselves were attacked by P-47s south-east of Duren. Flt Lt K.F.Sage turned into the attack and though badly hit, managed to nurse his Typhoon back to Eindhoven; Flt Sgt W.A. Wright was less fortunate and went down in flames. He managed to bale out of his stricken aircraft but his parachute streamed and he was killed. At least three pilots from this squadron had died in this fashion in recent weeks and an investigation was launched into the state of parachutes. Stitches hidden within the folds were found and soon traced to a German-sympathiser working in the parachute stores; a cruel twist, with odds already stacked against the ground-attack pilots. The day continued badly for the Squadron, for Ken Sage, on his second operation, now received a direct hit from Flak near Mayen, flicked over and crashed to his death. In fact it would prove to be the worst day ever for the Canadian Typhoon Wing as a whole. Meanwhile a third Eindhoven-based pilot was killed when Flg Off H.Stevenson of 247 Squadron fell to Flak near Poteau.

84 Group's 146 Wing was also heavily engaged, both 193 and 197 Squadrons operating in the Enschede-Gronau area. Pilots of 193 Squadron saw three Bf 109s below, but when these were attacked, the RAF pilots found themselves in the middle of a formation of at least 50 hostile fighters. Plt Off N.I.Freakley was shot down and killed, and a second Typhoon was damaged. 197 Squadron, on the way back from the Lingen-Osnabruck-Nijmegen area, heard 193's calls for help, but the Typhoons were then attacked by a dozen German fighters, while medium Flak was also encountered. Flg Off H.W.Read and Plt Off D.I.McFee were both shot down, the former being killed and the latter becoming a prisoner, while a third aircraft was damaged.

The Canadian-flown Typhoons of 440 Squadron flew a number of armed reconnaissances over the Malmedy area during one of which, soon after midday, Flg Off C.F.Harwood was shot down and killed by Flak. Leading this operation was Wg Cdr F.G.Grant, who was able to claim damage to one of two Fw 190s which were encountered.

On the unit's next operation in this area Flg Offs W.T.Dunkeld and D.H.Cumming were flying top cover for six others when a lone Fw 190 flown by Hptm Wolfgang Kosse of 13./JG 3 dived on them and shot down both Typhoons in quick succession - his 27th and 28th victories. However, his success was transitory, for seven 274 Squadron Tempests were above at this moment and Sqn Ldr Evan Mackie, seeing the Typhoons being shot down, broke off and engaged Kosse's Focke-Wulf, which he then saw go down in a spin and blow up, south-east of Eindhoven; Kosse was killed. During this engagement two more pilots from IV/JG 3 also claimed Typhoons, but no other RAF losses were suffered. The remaining Canadian pilots returned to base, reporting that a Spitfire had come to their rescue, while the Luftwaffe believed that its pilot had fallen to a Typhoon!

At much the same time Spitfires of 412 Squadron were engaged in a sweep over the Neuss-Duren area, a large formation of Fw 190s being seen south of Julich. Flt Lts M.D.Boyd and C.W.Fox claimed one each, while three more were claimed damaged, two by Sqn Ldr Dean Dover. 127 Wing's 416 Squadron was less fortunate however, a formation of the unit's Spitfire XVIs flying into a wall of Allied anti-aircraft fire in the Malmedy area. Flg Off J.R.Beasley and Sgt J.G.M. Patus were both shot down, the former being killed, while three more of the unit's aircraft were damaged.

Typhoon casualties for the day continued to grow. In 83 Group 143 Wing continued to suffer worst, a pair of 438 Squadron aircraft being brought down by Flak with the loss of both pilots, while 168 Squadron lost Flg Off D.G.Dickson as a prisoner. In 84 Group's area 263 and 257 Squadrons each lost one aircraft and its pilot - also to Flak.

Just before midday 3 Squadron sent off eight Tempests to the Julich-Malmedy area, where at 1240 ten Bf 109s were seen. Flt Lt K.A.Thiele, DSO, DFC & Bar, a New Zealander who had flown two full tours with Bomber Command, and then hunted V-1s with 41 Squadron, fired at one of these, the starboard wing being seen to crumble as it went down. Flt Lt R.Drylland, DFC, failed to return, last being seen investigating a P-47. He would return on 26th, reporting that he had shot down an Fw 190D, but had then been hit by Flak, force-landing in German-held territory. From here he had made his way on foot to US lines.

The Malmedy area had remained a dangerous one for 2nd TAF fighters, for 350 Squadron's Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr L.Collignon, was also shot down here and was injured whilst baling out. 2 Group's medium bombers had also undertaken raids, the Mitchell crews reporting that Bf 109s which attempted to intercept were driven off by their escort. Amongst the Bostons however, one was seen to spin down and crash in the Gmund area.

The reconnaissance units had also been active. 414 Squadron reported undertaking 36 TacR sorties, all but four of which were successful. At 1530 one section was attacked in the Neuss area by 10-12 Bf 109s, but the tables were turned and Flt Lt W.Sawers was able to claim three shot down and a fourth probably so, although the other Spitfire with him was damaged. It is possible that his opponents were aircraft of IV./JG 27, which had two of its Bf 109s shot down, both pilots being wounded. One of these, Uffz Wolfgang Heumann, claimed one Spitfire destroyed.

During an earlier mission to the same area at 1155, 15 Bf 109s had been encountered, Flt Lt D.I.Hall claiming two of these shot down over the Krefeld area, whilst on another sortie a Bf 109 was seen in the Cologne area, and hits were claimed. The squadron diary was quick to add that these victories were incidental to the observations carried out of bridges, transport movements, gun positions and marshalling yards. Hall had succeeded in shooting down Hptm Erich Woitke, Kommandeur of III./JG 1, who was killed, while in the second aircraft, Lt Hubert Heckmann (five victories) had carried out a crash-landing. Woitke, who had been flying operationally almost constantly since the Spanish Civil War, had recently claimed his 29th victory.

4 Squadron undertook 29 sorties during one of which Flg Off T.A.Priddle and his Spitfire XI were shot down by a German fighter in the Nieubuik area, the pilot being killed. 400 Squadron had one of its pilots continually attacked by P-47s, but managed to escape damage.
The German units most frequently encountered seem to have been JG 1, III. Gruppe's pilots claiming a Spitfire but losing two Bf 109s, while 4./JG I reported losing an Fw 190 to a British fighter. IV./JG 3's claims had totalled four Typhoons during the midday fights, whilst during the afternoon a pilot of 13./JG 27 had claimed a Spitfire; pilots of 9. and 12./JG 77 claimed two more Spitfires on this date.

It was proving a costly period for the Jagdwaffe however, for on 17th and 18th, despite the weather, 76 fighter pilots had been killed and 36 wounded, whilst on 23rd, 98 more casualties had been recorded, two thirds of them killed. Now, on 24th losses had risen to over 100, 85 of them dead, while losses of aircraft had been even higher.
The Holy Night brought the night fighters out in force again - with almost a repeat of the previous night's level of success. At 1920 Flt Lt R.J.Foster/Flt Lt M.F.Newton of 604 Squadron, which was just returning from England to B.51, Lille/Vendeville, claimed an He 219 night fighter to the east of Nijmegen. Thirty-five minutes later Edinger and Vaessen of 410 Squadron claimed a Ju 87 night ground-attack aircraft near Wassenburg; a second of these would be claimed by the unit's Sqn Ldr I.E.McTavish/Flg Off A.M.Grant at 2328.

25-12-44

At 0040 a Ju 188 was claimed damaged by a 488 Squadron crew and then, in the early hours it was the turn of 219 Squadron. Flt Lt 'Sailor' Parker with his radar operator, Wt Off Godfrey, claimed two Ju 188s, Flt Lt Leslie Stephenson/Flt Lt G.A.Hall adding a Bf 110, while Flg Off J.A. Watt/Flt Lt E.H.Collis added a Ju 88 to 410's score, shortly before dawn. The night had netted seven more victories! 69 Squadron's vigilant rear gunners also added a claim for an Me 410 damaged. Amongst the Luftwaffe's losses were two more of LG I's Ju 88s.
Christmas Day brought no respite, although the day began well for 2nd TAF when Wg Cdr Wray led Tempests of 80 Squadron on an early morning patrol. During the previous day III./KG 76 had undertaken the first use of its Ar 234s in their bombing role. Now, a day later, the Tempest pilots caught F1+DT, Wray and Plt Off R. Verran claiming to have damaged this aircraft. Their fire had been more effective than they realised, for Lt Alfred Frank had to crash-land his damaged jet at Teuge in Holland. This had been the third jet aircraft which Wray had been able to get in his gunsight inside two months.

Shortly after this success however, a 66 Squadron Spitfire XVI was shot down by Flak near Dieren, Wt Off I.D.McLeod being killed. Again Typhoons were out in force, but when 'B' Flight of 266 Squadron undertook an armed reconnaissance looking for trains in the Duigen- Dortmund area, a strong force of Luftwaffe fighters attacked just after one of these targets had been destroyed, and in quick succession Flg Off D.S.Eadie and Flt Sgt P.C.Green were shot down. The latter was killed and the former captured, although there was some thought that Green may have fallen to Flak rather than to German fighters. 193 Squadron had provided high cover to its fellow squadron, and at once sought to come to the rescue, Flg Off Mike Bulleid claiming one Fw 190 shot down in flames, while Flt Lt Smith claimed a probable. His own aircraft was damaged during the fight, and in the event he was credited only with one damaged.

Two more Typhoons were to be lost to Flak during the day, one each from 175 and 440 Squadrons, while 439 Squadron suffered an attack by US P-51s, but sustained no damage to any of its aircraft. The Spitfire units were to be less fortunate in this respect, for a 416 Squadron aircraft was shot down by P-47s south-east of Eupen, Flg Off A.G.Borlaand losing his life.

411 Squadron set off on a sweep at 1125, returning something over an hour later as the unit's airmen were queuing up for their Christmas lunch. At that moment an Me 262 appeared over the airfield, and Flt Lt Jack Boyle gained his second chance to intercept one of these jets. This time he was in luck, for he had already entered a steep dive to get rid of height when the intruder appeared. With his aircraft indicating over 500 mph, he opened fire and hit the port engine, which began to stream thick smoke. The German pilot sought to dive away, but with only one engine operating he could not outrun the Spitfire. Boyle got in several more bursts and the aircraft crashed at a flat angle, disintegrating and bursting into flames. He had shot down 9K+MM of II/KG 51, which crashed at Erp, near Heesch. The pilot, Oblt Hans-Georg Lamle, was killed. The Luftwaffe listed his loss as being due to Allied AA.

Shortly after 411 Squadron had landed, 13 Spitfires from 401 Squadron departed to sweep over the Duisberg area. Here two Bf 109s were seen in the Euskirchen area, Flt Lt John MacKay claiming one shot down, while Flt Lt 'Bud' Connell and Flt Sgt A.K.Woodill shared the second. These were both aircraft of Stab/JG 77, from one of which the Kommodore, Maj Johannes Wiese, victor of 133 combats on the Eastern Front, and recipient of the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaube, baled out, wounded, while in the other, Fw Hansch was killed. However, debris from Wiese's stricken Messerschmitt hit the Commanding Officer's Spitfire, and Sqn Ldr Everard baled out south of Venlo, becoming a prisoner. Sqn Ldr Bill Klersy, DFC & Bar, would return to operations to take his place.

Early in the afternoon 257 Squadron visited a map reference where enemy aircraft had been reported on the ground between Heerenburg and Emmerich. Eventually what appeared to be Bf109s were located dispersed in the edge of a wood and were duly strafed. Six were claimed
damaged, but the Squadron would visit the same target the next day and claim one more in the same category. As there were no fires seen as a result of the attacks, there was some concern that these targets may have been wooden dummies.

An hour behind the 126 Wing sweep, 403 Squadron from 127 Wing sent out 12 Spitfires to patrol over Malmedy-Houflaize, while minutes behind them eight Tempests of 486 Squadron headed for the Julich-Malmedy area. At around 1530 in the Aachen area the Canadians spotted three Me 262s in formation. Approaching from below, they caught the German pilots unawares, Flt Lt J.E.Collier reporting that he hit the leader of the formation, causing the starboard engine to burst into flames. The other two jets broke away, accelerating fast, and were able to escape the Spitfires as Collier followed his down, seeing the pilot bale out.

At this same time however, Flg Off Jack Stafford of the New Zealand unit also spotted an Me 262 1,000 feet above and about a mile away. Climbing above, he attacked, hitting the port engine from which balls of fire appeared to fall. He and Plt Off 'Duff' Bremner continued to pursue the jet, closing on it and attacking again. The pilot was seen to bale out, although his parachute failed to open properly, and the aircraft dived steeply into the ground seven miles north of Aachen.

In the event only one further Me 262 is listed as lost on this date, I./KG 51's 9K+MK being reported shot down by Spitfires near Liège, and Fw Hans Meyer killed. It would seem possible therefore that on this occasion Collier, Stafford and Bremner had all attacked the same aircraft, the Canadian and the New Zealanders mutually unaware of each others' presence. Alternatively, since some German records list aircraft lost only when the pilot became a casualty, it is possible that Collier's victim had managed to bale out safely, and that the aircraft shot down by the 486 Squadron pilots was one of the wingmen, fleeing from the Spitfires. 2nd TAF authorities who were usually very thorough in their vetting of claims at this time, certainly approved both claims. Spitfire XIVs were also in the air at this time, 402 Squadron pilots underaking an armed reconnaissance and swep over the Duren area. Here Flt Lt D.Sherk claimed an Fw 190 shot down for 125 Wing's 100th victory since D-Day. His victim, possibly a Tack machine, was seen alone ten miles south of Duren; the pilot baled out, but here again his parachute failed to open. Returning from this operation in poor visibility and a crosswind, Flt Lt W.O.Young overshot Diest's short strip; his aircraft was the most seriously damaged of five of their Spitfires transferred to 409 R&SU for attention that day. From 127 Wing a Belgian-flown Spitfire XIV of 350 Squadron was lost to Flak whilst attacking MT in the Prum area and Flg Off J.M.F.Vanderperran was killed.

A reconnaissance Spitfire XI from 16 Squadron was intercepted by two fighters, reported as either Bf 109s or Fw 190Ds when over Goslar, suffering serious damage. A second such aircraft from 400 Squadron crashed while attempting to force-land at B.64.
The hours of darkness again brought successes when Flt Lt E.A.Campbell/Wt Off G.Lawrence of 219 Squadron claimed a Bf 110 shot down. Flg Off Slipp/Flg Off Cameron of 410 Squadron attacked an aircraft on the ground at Goch at 2045, which was thought to have been another German night fighter.

26-12-44

Again, a 69 Squadron Wellington was intercepted by an enemy fighter which was claimed as an 'Me163 damaged. As stated earlier this seems a very unlikely identification - especially as no fewer than 14 attacks were reported!

Although a considerable number of sorties were flown, less was seen of the opposition in the air, since on the ground the German advances were finally brought to a standstill after ten days of ferocious fighting. Flak nonetheless cost six Typhoons during the day, three of the pilots being killed and one captured. The latter was Grp Capt Charles Green, Commanding Officer of 124 Wing. The indomitable Green had avoided a ruling that officers of his rank should not participate in operations by undertaking a 'weather recce, accompanied by Flt Lt John Derry of 181 Squadron. Green baled out west of St Vith, and was roughly handled by SS troops upon capturing him, before handing him over to the Luftwaffe. (Derry was later famous as the De Havilland test pilot who lost his life in a disastrous crash of a DH 110 aircraft at Farnborough on 6 September 1952). Wing Leader, Kit North-Lewis led seven Typhoons from 181 Squadron down to Dinant where he had positioned Flt Lt Lew Boucher to liaise with the Army. Boucher gave directions which enabled the Typhoons to carry out RP and cannon attacks on the armoured spearhead of a thrust towards a bridge over the Meuse. The attack was (literally!) halted in its tracks - four tanks and two half-tracks were claimed - and it marked the limit of the German advance.

Whilst rushing to intercept another Me 262, two of 486 Squadron's Tempests collided with each other, Flt Lt Colin MacDonald baling out while Plt Off Brian O'Connor force-landed near Liège; both pilots survived relatively unscathed.
The only real success of the day in the air was achieved by 411 Squadron during a morning patrol. Two Bf 109s attempted to 'bounce' the Squadron, and both were claimed shot down over Trier by Sqn Ldr Danny Browne and Flg Off T.De Courcy. At 1350, while on a patrol near Julich, Flt Lt E.G.Ireland of the same unit claimed damage to an Me 262. A couple of hours later, while 135 Wing's Spitfires were escorting Lancasters and Halifaxes of Bomber Command over St Vith, two more jets were seen, Wg Cdr Ray Harries claiming damage to one of these.

219 Squadron was active again by night, Wg Cdr Green and Flt Lt Oxby adding a Ju 87 to their growing 'bag.

27-12-44
Soon after midnight one of 219 Squadron's Mosquitoes was lost, Sqn Ldr D.L.Ryalls and his radar operator, Flt Lt J.B.Hampson, being killed when their aircraft was shot down by an opposing night fighter from II./NJG 2, flown by Hptm Kamsties - a rare success for the Luftwaffe against a Mosquito night fighter. A 488 Squadron crew, Flt Lts H.D.C.Webbe and I.Watson, DFC, claimed a Ju 188 probably destroyed; later they were forced to retract the undercarriage of their Mosquito while attempting to land in fog at Melsbroek. Fifty minutes later another of this unit's aircraft was forced to land there with Flak damage to both engines.

27th proved to be a good day for 2nd TAF's fighters, bringing with it the first major clash between the Tempests and Fw 190D-9s. 442 Squadron's Spitfires and 274 Squadron's Tempests were both patrolling over the Julich-Malmedy area mid-morning, and over Aachen Flg Off M.A.Perkins of the former unit was able to claim damage to an Me 262. Five minutes later the Tempest pilots saw eight Bf 109s, two of which were claimed by Flt Lt J.A.Malloy and Wt Off E.Twigg. following which two more were encountered over Aachen at 11,000 feet, Sqn Ldr Evan Mackie claiming damage to one of these.

In the same area, the Canadians of 411 Squadron spotted Bf 109s fighting P-38s, P-47s and P-51s, and joining in the fray, claimed three Messerschmitts shot down, Flt Lts R.M.Cook and E.G.Ireland, and Flg Off M.G.Graham, being the successful pilots. More Spitfires, this time from 412 Squadron, were over Rheine a little later, where three Bf 109s attempted to attack. One was shot down by Flt Lt C.W.Fox, the pilot being seen to bale out.

At midday 80 Squadron commenced an armed reconnaissance over the Paderborn area, where four Fw 190s were seen and all were claimed shot down by Flt Lt R.W.A.MacKichan, DFC, Flg Offs D.S.Angier and J.W.Garland, and Wt Off G.W.Dopson. Their victims are believed to have been aircraft of 14./JG 54, this IV. Gruppe unit losing four pilots killed on this date.

Shortly after this engagement however, 184 Squadron suffered another major misfortune. Firstly, Lts A.E.Collet and A.N.Fisher, two SAAF pilots, collided, their Typhoons crashing west of Ahrndorf. Only Fisher survived to become a PoW. A few minutes later Wt Off J.S.Marshall baled out west of Schlieden, possibly a victim of Flak.

486 Squadron's Tempests were off soon after this, their pilots reporting being attacked by 40-plus Fw 190s and Bf 109s whilst on an armed reconnaissance in the Münster area. They had met the 'Langnasen Doras' of III/JG 54, and the exchange went very much in the New Zealanders' favour. Flt Lts E.W.Tanner and 'Hyphen' Taylor-Cannon each claimed one of the Focke-Wulfs shot down, as did Flg Off K.A.Smith and Plt Off S.J.Short. Tanner added a claim for a Bf 109 damaged, and it was believed that Flg Off B.M.Hall had also damaged one of these before being shot down and killed by pilots of JG 54. The latter considerably over-estimated its success, Lt Peter Crump claiming two Tempests shot down and Uffz Seibert a third. The unit's losses tied in precisely with the New Zealanders' claims however, four Fw 190Ds indeed going down at once, Oblt Paul Breger and two NCO pilots being killed, while two others were wounded. One of these crash-landed - a fifth victim which had been hit in the engine - while a sixth of these fighters had also been damaged and force- landed at Rheine-Hopsten.
St Vith remained the centre of action during the afternoon. Whilst strafing a column of vehicles here at about 1530, a top cover section of 182 Squadron Typhoon pilots saw seven Fw 190s which were at once attacked, but these broke away when Flak opened up. A single Focke-Wulf was then seen and was claimed shot down by Sqn Ldr G.J.Gray and Lt J.I.A.Watt, the enemy pilot being seen to bale out. On the way back to base these two pilots bounced two more Fw 190s, but were unable to see any results. Meanwhile in the same area at much the same time, Flt Lt D.Jenvey of 440 Squadron spotted three Bf 109s. He attacked one, whereupon the other two got on his tail. Seeing his victim disintegrate, he turned on the other pair, but his guns then jammed as they broke away.

The day was not without its losses however, for three more Typhoons fell to Flak, two of the pilots being captured. Sqn Ldr W.H.B.Short, Commanding Officer of 181 Squadron, was seen to collide with another, unidentified, Typhoon, and was killed when he crashed south-west of St Vith. His place was taken by another ex-member of the Squadron, Sqn Ldr D.Crawford. 137 Squadron, one of the units to lose a Typhoon during the day, also reported being attacked by some 20 blue-nosed P-51s and P-478. During the day Bomber Command's Lancasters were also again in the area, Sqn Ldr 'Digger' Cotes-Preedy of 56 Squadron leading Tempests from 80 and 274 Squadrons to escort the bombers as they attacked marshalling yards at Mönchen-Gladbach.

At 2200 Flt Lt W.G.Dinsdale/Flg Off J.E.Dunn of 410 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 shot down near Helchteren, while 35 minutes later Flg Off R.I.E.Britten/Flt Lt L.E.Fownes of 409 Squadron claimed a second in the Kaldenkirchen area.

28-12-44
In the early hours five Mosquitoes from 488 Squadron left B.48, in poor visibility, to position at A.78, Florennes/Juzaine, in order to assist the Americans in patrolling their sector. On arrival at the US base the weather had deteriorated; four of the Mosquitoes landed safely but the fifth, in bad visibility and on a strange, short runway, ran off the end and the pilot was forced to retract the undercarriage. It was the start of a bad night for 488; a second Mosquito, operating from its home base, was hit by Flak and turned over when landing at B.58; a third, one of those operating from A.78, landed at Y.29, Asch, following a long patrol, but crashed on the icy runway there.

29-12-44
Following a day of very hazy weather when little flying was possible, 29th commenced well when during an early sweep over the Münster-Rheine area a Ju 88 was found in the circuit at the latter airfield by pilots of 412 Squadron. Flt Lt Charles Fox attacked this, causing it to crash-land with its undercarriage still retracted; however, he was credited only with a 'damaged' as the aircraft was not considered to have been destroyed.

29 December proved to be a disastrous day for III./JG 54. We are indebted to Axel Urbanke for bringing clarity to the extraordinary day in his excellent study Green Hearts: First in Combat with the Dora 9, although we differ slightly over one or two of his conclusions.
The pilots of the German unit were dismayed when 3. Jagddivision ordered the Gruppe to patrol over the Münster-Rheine area a Staffel at a time, to intercept fighter-bombers. This was not in itself an unusual duty, but the 'sting in the tail' was an order that the patrols would be flown at an altitude not exceeding 10,000 feet. This would put the Luftwaffe fighters in grave danger of attack from above by 2nd TAF aircraft. Hptm 'Bazi' Weiss, the Gruppenkommandeur, led off his Stabsschwarm and 11. Staffel at 1015. They soon encountered the Typhoons of 168 Squadron, out at full unit strength on an armed reconnaissance over the Focke-Wulfs' patrol area.
The British pilots identified their opponents as 12 mixed Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs- obviously still not making immediate recognition of the D-9s. In quick succession the two flight commanders, Flt Lts Gibbons and Plant, were shot down, the former killed, the latter to be
captured. The remaining pilots turned on their attackers, seven of them firing on one Focke- Wulf, from which the pilot baled out, while claims were made for two more damaged.

439 Squadron was also present in the area at the same time, operating over the Coesfeld area where a number of trains had just been shot-up. Flg Off R.H.Laurence saw a Typhoon being shot down by an Fw 190 and at once gave chase, but he and his wingman were then attacked by about ten more. He fled, pursued for some way until only one Fw 190D remained on his tail; he made a number of tight turns during one of which his opponent suddenly flicked over and crashed into the ground, bursting into flames. He was then attacked by another fighter which he identified as a Bf 109, but this too rolled over and crashed, blowing up, before Laurence could fire a shot. However, Wt Off S.A.Church from his unit had been shot down in the Coesfeld area, and became a prisoner.

Of the claims made by the German pilots, Fw Ungar had claimed a Typhoon at 1050, while Ofw Philipp claimed a Spitfire at this time, Uffz Rey adding another Typhoon at 1052. During this initial encounter Fw Karl Kreisel was shot down and killed, as were Oblt Bellaire and Uffz Rupp. Wilhelm Philipp had just transferred to 11./JG 54 from the Geschwader's IV. Gruppe; an experienced pilot, he had been credited with 80 victories since 1940, and had been awarded the Ritterkreuz. Probably his Eastern Front experience had not prepared him for the difference between a Typhoon and a Spitfire, and it was perhaps one of the former that he had actually attacked.

Meanwhile 12 Spitfire IXs of 331 Squadron undertaking an armed reconnaissance over the Enschede area, had just been strafing vehicles west of Arnhem when five Fw 190s were seen and attacked. Flt Sgt K.F.Haanes claimed two of these south-west of Osnabruck, while a single Focke- Wulf was then seen and claimed by Maj Martin Gran and a fourth by 2/Lt C.J. Jack' Stousland. Despite these successes, the Norwegians also lost heavily to the fast German fighters. Capt J.K.B.Raeder went down with the tail of his aircraft shot off, and was killed, while Sgt W.Nicolaysen baled out. 'Jack' Stousland and 2/Lt O.Tilset both allso failed to return; Tilset became a PoW, as did Nicolaysen, but Stousland evaded capture and returned.

The Norwegain claims appear to have been quite accurate, for III./JG 54 did indeed lose a further four pilots during the engagement. One of these was Hptm Weiss, victor of 121 combats, holder of the Knights' Cross with Oakleaves, who lost his life; another was Ofw Philipp, who baled out but whose parachute was snagged by one of its cords, causing him to hit the ground hard, suffering fractures and sprains which would keep him out of action thereafter; two more young pilots were killed. Survivors considered that Weiss had shot down one Spitfire before his demise, but this did not receive any confirmation this late in the war. Herr Urbanke considers that Weiss had in fact shot down Capt Raedar, and had fallen himself to Flt Sgt Haanes, and such may indeed have been the case. Whatever, due to the loss of so many pilots from the German formation, claimants have not been found to account for all of the total 2nd TAF losses of four Spitfires and three Typhoons; claims exist only for four, and possibly five, of these losses.

Prior to the arrival of the Norwegians however, 411 Squadron Spitfires had also been in the air, having undertaken a sweep to Rheine from 0930. At about 1040, when south of Borken, they were bounced by two Fw 190s, one of which, Flg Off R.A.Gilberstad claimed to have damaged. Two more then attacked him, but he pulled out of a dive so quickly that one of these was seen to spin into the ground.

At the same time that these actions were taking place, 3 Squadron was launching four Tempests on an armed reconnaissance over Rheine and the Dummersee, where some 20 fighters were seen above. These dived to attack, and while Flt Lt Thiele was able to claim one Bf 109 shot down, two Tempests flown by Flt Lt M.F.Edwards and Flg Off K.G.Slade-Betts were shot down, both pilots being killed.

At midday 401 Squadron took off for a sweep and armed reconnaissance, as did 12./JG 54. The German unit was led by Oblt Hans Dortenmann, who determined to disobey orders and climb his unit to a better altitude. Three quarters of an hour later the two formations clashed, the Fw 190Ds being well-placed to bounce the Canadians, Dortenmann claiming one Spitfire shot down and Fw Joachim Steinkamp two more. Once again this was something of an over-assessment, for only Flt Lt 'Paddy' Sheehy was shot down and killed, while the Canadian pilots were able to shoot down two of the Dora-9s, Uffz Gunter Zessin being wounded and Uffz Adam Seibert killed. These were claimed by Flg Offs G.D.A.T.Cameron and F.T.Murray; two more German fighters were claimed damaged.

JG 54's 9. Staffel had taken off at 1300, but having heard that Dortenmann was to be court martialled for his disobedience, Oblt Willi Heilmann led his Staffel at precisely the instructed altitude. Near Rheine the formation was attacked by 2nd TAF fighters, possibly from two units. 411 Squadron was in the air again, undertaking a sweep, while eight Tempests of 56 Squadron were carrying out an armed reconnaissance over the Bremen-Minden-Osnabruck area at much the same time. The Canadians were vectored onto a trio of fighters initially identified as Bf 109s, Flt Lts E.G.Irish' Ireland and Bob Cook claiming one each; these were later credited to them as Fw 190s. Twelve more fighters were then seen near Osnabruck, Flg Off R.C.McCracken claiming one of these while Flt Lt Dick Audet, an ex-instructor, achieved a new record for a Spitfire pilot, claiming five shot down in the space of a few minutes. At first these were claimed as four Fw 190s and one Bf 109, the credits later being given as three and two respectively.

The Tempest pilots of 56 Squadron meanwhile reported encountering an estimated 50-plus Fw 190Ds and Bf 109s south of the Dummersee, and in a general mix-up Flt Lt Valton Turner claimed one shot down, Wt Off D.C.H.Rex one probable and one damaged, Flg Off J.J.Payton two damaged and Flg Off W.R.MacLaren one damaged, although Flg Off Kenny Watts and Flt Sgt L. Jackson were both shot down and killed. At a later date, apparently following investigation on the ground, 2nd TAF upgraded the claims of Payton and MacLaren to 'destroyed, although Rex's claim for a probable was downgraded to a damaged.

Thus it was thought that the two units between them accounted for 12 German fighters. 9./JG 54 in fact lost six aircraft shot down with all the pilots killed, while Oblt Heilmann's aircraft was damaged and he crash-landed at Münster-Handorf. The only claim that could be made in return was for a single Spitfire at 1337 by Lt Prager, although no aircraft of this type were lost. This could have been one of the missing Tempests.

However, it is possible that the 56 Squadron aircraft had actually been engaged at a rather later time, for at 1535 Fw Walter Arnold of 9./JG 27 claimed a Tempest to the north of Hesepe. At 1425 331 Squadron had despatched ten Spitfires on a further sweep over the Enschede area, where some 25 Bf 109s were seen; these were probably aircraft of IV./JG 27, and possibly of III. Gruppe also. Maj Gran claimed two shot down and one probable, Capt Helmer Grundt- Spang three, Lt Ragnar Dogger two, and Lts Aanjesen, Woxen and Watvedt one each, while 2/Lt Birger Tidemand-Johannessen claimed one and one damaged, and 2/Lt Simonsen one probable, all without loss. IV./JG 27 reported losing five Bf 109s near Alastatte, with two pilots killed, two wounded and one who baled out successfully; no claims were made by this unit.
During the day 402 Squadron had moved its Spitfire XIVs to B.88, Heesch, to join 126 Wing, while from 127 Wing 350 and 610 Squadrons would move over to take the Canadians' place in 125 Wing during the next two days. The Canadian-flown Mark XIVs were over the Hengelo- Enschede area during the mid-afternoon period, where two Fw 190s were claimed damaged.

Whilst the day had been marked in the main by aerial combat, four more Typhoons had also been brought down by Flak, as had one Spitfire XVI; four of the pilots were lost with them, three killed and one prisoner. A Mitchell of 320 Squadron was also shot down while attacking troop concentrations at Vielsham.

On this date linking the actions of the opposing units has proved somewhat easier than is often the case, as there were no claims against Luftwaffe fighters during the day by USAAF units. Not only JG 27 and JG 54 were involved, for it is known that at least one Fw 190A was lost to 2nd TAF fighters by 7./JG 6, while another of this type from IV./JG 3 was also lost in combat on this date. Thus at least 23 losses to fighters are known to have occurred against 2nd TAF claims for 34 destroyed, one probable and 11 damaged.

30-12-44
Thick ground fog and low cloud once more grounded the air forces, but the Wehrmacht was now withdrawing from the Ardennes territory which it had earlier overrun.

In 84 Group Sqn Ldr J.C.F.Hayter completed his tour at the head of 74 Squadron, his place being taken by Sqn Ldr A.J.Reeves, DFC. With 416 Squadron in 127 Wing, Flt Lt 'Hank' Zary arrived to commence a second tour.

31-12-44
It was nearly morning before the night fighters were able to strike. At 0500 Capt O.Kristiansen, a Norwegian pilot with 604 Squadron, with Flt Lt E.J.V.Thomas manning the radar, claimed a Ju 88 shot down north of Venlo. Just under an hour later Sqn Ldr R.F.Hatton/Flt Lt R.N.Rivers of 409 Squadron claimed another of these bombers over Schoonhoven.

At 1100 Spitfires of 411 Squadron commenced a sweep over the Rheine-Münster area, followed at 1122 by 442 Squadron. Flg Off Jack Boyle from the former unit saw a Ju 88 south-west of Rheine and shot it down. Flg Off M.G.Graham's section was then bounced by a lone Fw 190D, but Graham turned into this and claimed to have shot it down. While returning from their armed reconnaissance, the pilots of 442 Squadron encountered about 15 Bf 109s south of Münster, and four of these were claimed shot down.

It was the turn of the Typhoons next, and at 1355 eight rocket-carrying aircraft of 137 Squadron commenced their own armed reconnaissance in the Meppen area. A train was attacked, but plt Off R.A.Egley then spotted two Fw 190s approaching from the left, and breaking round sharply, claimed one of these shot down. However Flak shot down Plt Off 'Paddy' Shemeld's aircraft in flames and he was killed; he was the longest-serving member of the squadron.

It was not a very good day for the ground-attack units, for already one of 197 Squadron's Typhoons had been shot down while attacking a bridge at Culemborg. Sqn Ldr Allan Smith, RNZAF, yet another experienced leader caught on his last 'op', continued and delivered his bombs on the priority target with a low-level attack, despite his aircraft having been hit somewhere in the cooling system shortly before arriving at the bridge. His engine cut almost immediately and he made a high-speed forced-landing on frozen, flooded fields and was soon captured. A second aircraft was lost by this unit during the afternoon, Flg Off Bob Jones, RCAF, being killed when he crashed near Aalborg. During this same time period, Capt H.R.Isachsen of 181 Squadron baled out over Vielsam to become a prisoner, while 182 Squadron had two aircraft shot down over St Vith with both pilots killed, a third force-landing nearby, the pilot surviving.

247 Squadron undertook a long-range sortie to the Hannover area, but found only a single locomotive and a lorry. Two of the pilots became separated from the rest and were bounced by three Fw 190s near Steinhudersee. In a low-level, tight-turning combat, Wt Off 'Mac' McGregor was hit and crashed into a hillside, but Flg Off 'Jacko' Jackson managed to get in a telling burst on the victor, and the Fw 190 crashed into a house. From the remaining formation another Typhoon was lost, bursting into flames and crashing with a huge explosion while attempting to attack barges south of Münster. Wt Off Al Lye was thought to have had little, if any, chance of survival but was discovered shortly before the Armistice in a German hospital, having been thrown clear, albeit badly burned. This brought the day's toll of Typhoons to nine, all but one being victims of ground fire.

The Ardennes fighting had indeed been very costly for the Typhoons, 47 of which had been lost on operations since 23 December. 247 Squadron had suffered particularly heavily, losing six of its aircraft. These losses were as nothing when compared with those being suffered by the Luftwaffe fighters however. Since 17 December more than 350 pilots had been killed and 130 or so wounded in action against 2nd TAF and the US Eighth and Ninth Air Forces. When added to the losses of November and those over Nijmegen in September and October, well over 1,000 fighters had been lost to add to those brought down over France during June-August. Such a level of attrition was manifestly unsustainable.

This last day of the year also saw 125 Wing on the move, the four Spitfire XIV squadrons flying over to one of the USAAF airfields, Y.32, Ophoven, in east Belgium. This was to prove an opportune move in the event. A detachment of FR XIVS- six aircraft and eight pilots - from 430 Squadron accompanied the fighter units to this base, while the Typhoons of 123 Wing moved to A.84 at Chievres, to be greeted by heavy snowfall. These moves were to support a British counter-attack on the northern flank of the 'Bulge. Two Spitfire XIVs were lost on this date; one of 430 Squadron's reconnaissance aircraft crashed due to a glycol leak, Flg Off J.N.McLeod being killed, while Plt Off C.A.Joseph of 130 Squadron also lost his life when he was shot down north of Malmedy by Allied AA fire.

The hours of darkness proved to be active ones again, beginning at 2320 when 410 Squadron's Sqn Ldr R.M.G.Currie/Flt Lt A.H.Rose claimed a Ju 188 north-west of Liere, near Antwerp.

1-1-45

At 0123 Flt Lt W.A.Dexter/Flg Off D.G.Tongue from this unit claimed a Ju 88 in the Peer area, while a little over an hour later another crew claimed damage to a second of these bombers.

More success was gained by Sqn Ldr J.P.Meadows/Flt Lt H.M.Friend of 219 Squadron, this team claiming two Ju 188s over Venlo and Geilenkirchen respectively. At 0250 and 0303 Flt Lt C.J.Cross of 604 Squadron claimed two Ju 87s, both over the Sittard area. This unit had arrived at B.51, Lille/Vendeville, from Odiham during the day.

The night was marred however, by the loss of one of 464 Squadron's Mosquito VIs in which Wt Off J.C.Bradley/Flt Sgt E.O.Bale failed to return. 2 Group's intruder force increased activity however, as both 418 and 605 Squadrons commenced operations within this command at this time.


At evening on 31 December Luftwaffe fighter units in the West were readied for a special operation - a massive strike on the Allied airfields throughout Belgium, Holland and France in an effort to cripple the overwhelming aerial superiority which the Germans faced in one fell blow. II. Jagdkorps had available some 1,446 aircraft (including night ground-attack aircraft), of which 986 were immediately serviceable. Both aircraft and pilots were well below authorized establishments in numbers by this time, but there were sufficient personnel available to fly the aircraft.

3. Jagddivision included the units which 2nd TAF had regularly been meeting in the air, and these were tasked in the main with targeting the airfields occupied by the British units. Jagdabschnittsführer Mittelrhein had four Geschwader, one of which, JG 11, would attack Asch, which now held the units of 125 Wing. 5. Jagddivision, located further south, and comprising only the four Gruppen of JG 53, would concentrate on French bases housing purely USAAF units, while the jets of 3. Fliegerdivision were also to head for 2nd TAF airfields. When dawn broke, Operation Bodenplatte' ('Baseplate") would be launched.

The attack was aimed to catch the Allied air forces on the ground, hopefully with their personnel sleeping off the results of New Year's Eve celebrations. The various Jagdgeschwader were to be led to their targets by Ju 88G night fighters from the various Nachtjagdgeschwader in the area.

Recent re-equipment had brought Fw 190D-9s onto the establishment of Stab, I. and III./JG 2 and Stab, I. and II./JG 26, as well as III./JG 54, although JG 2 was not operating in the 2nd TAF areas. Total availability of jet aircraft stood at just 24 Me 262s and six Ar 234Bs.
The hope of catching the Allies asleep was not to be realised, and as the serried Luftwaffe formations approached, considerable numbers of 2nd TAF and US Ninth Air Force aircraft were already in the air. Action began when some of the TacR pilots, out on early morning sorties, met the incoming formations and engaged them. Flt Lt L.J.Packwood of 2 Squadron in a Spitfire FR XIV spotted some of the Bf 109s of L./JG 27 heading for Brussels and at 0905 shot down Uffz Heinrich Braun's 2. Staffel aircraft to the east of Utrecht. Ten minutes later Sqn Ldr A.D.Mercer and Flt Lt J.B.Lyke, undertaking a TacR in a pair of Mustang IAs spotted what they took to be three Ju 88s with an escort of five Bf 109s over Utrecht, and claimed one of the Ju 88s shot down. 2nd TAF later credited this as a Ju 188, but they had in fact destroyed a Ju 88G of 5./NJG 1 which was leading in aircraft of I. and II./JG 27.

What transpired at each of the locations chosen for attack was as follows:

B.78, Eindhoven, was the first airfield to be hit, and here JG 3 managed a fairly effective attack. Sixteen Typhoons, eight each from 438 and 440 Squadrons, were waiting to take off; the 438 Squadron aircraft had entered the runway, two actually being on their take-off run. One of these was being piloted by the unit's new Commanding Officer, Flt Lt Peter Wilson, who pulled over at the end of the runway and got out, wounded in the stomach; he died a few minutes later. Flg Off R.W.Keller managed to get into the air, but was shot down at once and killed - probably by the Kommodore of JG 3, Maj Heinz Bar, who claimed two aircraft which he identified as Tempests. One more of the 438 Squadron pilots was unable to get out of his aircraft and remained in the cockpit, unhurt although the aircraft was hit many times. The others all got out, although two were wounded. Of the unit's eight aircraft, three were destroyed by fire, one crashed and broke up (Wilson), one was badly damaged, and one more was damaged but repairable.

Among the 440 Squadron aircraft, which were approaching the holding point, Plt Off R.A. Watson fired his cannon from the ground and thought he had managed to damage an Fw 190 before his own aircraft was set on fire. One pilot was seriously wounded, while eight of the unit's Typhoons were destroyed and four others damaged, two of them seriously, the Squadron being rendered non-operational.
Two of 143 Wing's squadrons already had aircraft in the air when the attack began, and in both cases pilots became engaged with the raiders. 439 Squadron had one Typhoon destroyed on the ground and one slightly damaged, but of four which had been on a weather reconnaissance at the time; Flg Off S.Angelius was shot down and killed near Rips, while Flg Offs Robert Laurence and Hugh Fraser each claimed two Fw 190s from a formation of 15 which the Canadian pilots and two Spitfires engaged east of Helmond; Laurence's claim was subsequently reduced to one and one probable, but he was also awarded an 'Immediate DFC.

The Wing's fourth unit, 168 Squadron, had only a single Typhoon damaged on the ground, but three of its airmen were killed. Flt Lt Howard Gibbons was on an air test over the airfield when the attack began. He was seen to shoot down an Fw 190, but his Typhoon was then attacked by three Bf 109s and was shot down, Gibbons losing his life. The rest of the squadron was undertaking an armed reconnaissance in the Frith-Prum area when six Bf 109s were encountered. Four of these climbed away, but one attacked Flt Lt R.N.Stevens' aircraft; Flt Lt J.D.Stubbs, DFC, attacked this and saw hits, being credited with one damaged.

124 Wing was not involved in any operations at the time, 247 Squadron reporting that the airfield was attacked first by jets, then by wave after wave of other fighters - "...23 minutes of Hell that paralysed everyone," the ORB recorded. It was noted that RAF Regiment AA gunners shot down several, and that Spitfires and Tempests finally appeared overhead after quite extensive damage had been inflicted. Of an estimated 100-plus attacking, 44 were recorded as being shot down; this was about double JG 3's actual losses during the attack. 247 Squadron was left with five serviceable aircraft, 137 Squadron with 11, 181 Squadron with eight and 182 Squadron without any. In 137 Squadron Flt Sgt L.A.V.Burrows had been killed whilst taxying his aircraft to dispersal, and one Flt Sgt fitter had also lost his life; nine airmen were wounded, and one of these died next day. 182 Squadron had also had two of its ground staff wounded. However, despite the number of Typhoons put temporarily out of action, the Wing's actual aircraft losses amounted only to two completely destroyed and four badly damaged, plus a 'hack' Hurricane destroyed, all other aircraft being repairable at unit-level.

39 (Reconnaissance) Wing was much harder hit. 400 Squadron's blue Spitfire XIs were parked in a straight line along one of the disused the runways, and the German pilots appeared to take their time in strafing these. Five were totally destroyed - one when one of the attackers crashed onto it - while four more were badly damaged and one to a lesser degree.

430 Squadron lost three of its new Spitfire FR XIVs destroyed and two damaged, while two of its remaining Mustang Is were also destroyed and two damaged. Two pilots were also wounded. 414 Squadron got off lightest with five of its Spitfire FR IXS damaged, four of them badly.
There were also losses amongst the non-operational aircraft at this base, two Ansons and three Spitfires of 83 Group Communications Squadron being destroyed, plus an Auster of 2nd TAF Communications Squadron. A Spitfire XVI of 416 Squadron which was at the airfield was also destroyed. Another visiting aircraft lost was the AFDU Anson, MG184, which Wg Cdr Erik Haabjorn had flown in the previous day. Haabjorn, who had come to catch up on the latest tactics of the Typhoon Wings, 'borrowed' a Bren gun from a Dutch 'home guard' during the attack and claimed an Fw 190 damaged!

The attacking JG 3 pilots had claimed three Tempests, two Typhoons and three Spitfires shot down, plus one unidentified aircraft - well in excess of actual aerial losses. B.88, Heesch, was not on the list of of airfields to be attacked, but it was probably here that the Germans were next seen as they headed for their designated targets. Most of 411 Squadron's aircraft were already away from the airfield on a sweep, as were 442 Squadron's Spitfires. 401 Squadron was at the end of the runway at 0914, awaiting take-off, when some 40 Bf 109s and Fw 190s passed overhead. 412 Squadron's pilots were just preparing to follow 401. This latter unit scrambled at once and in the next ten minutes Flg Off G.D.Cameron claimed three Bf 109s shot down while Flt Lt MacKay used up all his ammunition on one fighter, then chased two more until they crashed as well.

412 Squadron followed and at 0930 spotted 30 Bf 109s over the Venlo area, claiming four of these destroyed. Meanwhile 411 Squadron's pilots had seen two Fw 190s over the Twente area, Flt Lt Dick Audet claiming both of these shot down. Returning early, two of 442 Squadron's pilots, found fighters over Heesch, while Flt Lt R.C.Smith, on his way back due to trouble with his drop tank, heard that enemy aircraft were over Eindhoven; he headed there to find plenty of these over the town. He attacked them without apparent result. Returning to Heesch to refuel, he was informed that he had been seen to shoot down one Bf 109 and damage a second.

Flt Lt Don Gordon was also returning early when he saw many fighters near Heesch, claiming two Fw 190s shot down. His aircraft was then hit by the defending AA fire and he was wounded, crash- landing south of the airfield at 0940. The rest of the Squadron ran into enemy aircraft west of Venlo, where Flt Lt D.M.Pieri claimed two Fw 190s and two probables, and Flt Lt N.A.Keene, DFC, another Fw 190. Flg Off D.A.Brigden was shot down and killed, 126 Wing's only casualty of the morning. Me 262s were seen and attacked head-on, two being credited to the unit as damaged; no damage to any of its aircraft was recorded by KG 51 however.

JG 11 caught most of 125 Wing on the ground at Y.32, Ophoven, inflicting damage on three of 130 Squadron's Spitfire XIVs, while one of 350 Squadron was destroyed and two more damaged. Flt Lt Tony Gaze of 610 Squadron was in the air and shot down an Fw 190D which is believed to have been an aircraft of 12./JG 2, flown by the Commanding Officer, Lt Fritz Swoboda. Gaze was then attacked by P-51s in the Malmedy area, where the US pilots were undoubtedly looking for Bf 109s.

Some of the TacR pilots who had been in the air prior to the attack, now began to take a further toll of the attackers as they returned towards their bases. Near Helmond at 0930 Sqn Ldr Gordon Wonnacott, Commanding Officer of 39 Wing's 414 Squadron, claimed two Bf 109s and an Fw 190, for which he received an 'Immediate' Bar to his DFC. Somewhat later Wt Off W.Woloshuk claimed an Fw 190 shot down and a Bf 109 damaged over the Roermond area. 268 Squadron's Flt Lt J.B.Lyke, who had shared in the destruction of the Ju 88G at 0915, claimed again half an hour later in the Utrecht area, when he damaged an Fw 190.

At B.56, Brussels/Evere, the other Canadian Spitfire squadrons did not escape lightly as had those of 126 Wing. As JG 26's fighters swept in, three of 403 Squadron's aircraft had just taken off, and were in a position to intercept. Within a few minutes of getting airborne, Plt Off Steve Butte was able to claim two Bf 109s and an Fw 190, while Plt Off Mac Reeves claimed two Fw 190s, Flt Sgt Lindsay adding a Bf 109 and a probable; Butte was another recipient of an 'Immediate' DFC award.

Flt Lt Dave Harling of 416 Squadron also got into the air, but was shot down and killed over Brussels, whilst three other Spitfires were shot-up as they were taxying. 421 Squadron failed to get any aircraft off, as was the case with 443 Squadron. Eleven of the Wing's Spitfires were destroyed on the ground, with 12 more badly damaged.

Here too other 2nd TAF non-operational units suffered considerable losses. 2nd TAF Communications Squadron lost seven Ansons, two Austers and a Dakota; 83 Group Communications Squadron lost another Anson, and 85 Group Communications Squadron four more, while a number of other miscellaneous RAF aircraft were also destroyed, including two Dakotas retained as Air Marshal Coningham's personal transports.
B.61, St Denis-Westrem, and B.65, Maldegem had been the targets of JG 1, these two airfields being located fairly close to each other. At the latter base all the three Polish squadrons of 131 Wing were already away on operations over the front when II./JG 1 arrived. 302 Squadron had carried out an armed reconnaissance, attacking railway lines, but during the return flight passed over an area heavily-defended by AA guns directed against the V-1s being aimed at Brussels and Antwerp. Fire from these shot down Flt Sgt S.Celak's aircraft. The rest of the unit reached B.61 low on fuel, being attacked as they tried to land. Eight Spitfires were destroyed or burnt out, and two more damaged, leaving the unit non-operational until 20 January.

317 Squadron arrived a little later to find the attack underway, and at once intercepted, claiming six enemy aircraft destroyed, one probable and four damaged for the loss of Flt Lt T.Powierza, who was shot down by an Fw 190. However, five of the unit's aircraft were destroyed on the ground and one was damaged.

308 Squadron was the last to return, having been attacking buildings and a ferry near Woensdrecht. On hearing that B.61 was under attack, the unit headed for base, but near Lokeren enemy aircraft were seen and attacked, four being claimed shot down. On arrival at B.61 the attack was found still in progress, and nine more claims were made for the loss of Flt Lt W.Chojnacki, who had been seen to shoot down one Fw 190 before he fell to others at 0927. During these encounters three pilots, Flt Lt Bronislaw Mach, Flt Sgt Jozef Stanowski and Sgt Stanislaw Breyner each claimed two Focke-Wulfs. On the ground two of this Squadron's aircraft were destroyed and two damaged; the Wing Leader's personal Spitfire IX, SZ-K, PL267, was also destroyed. Additionally, three more of 85 Group Communications Squadron's aircraft were lost - an Auster, a Mosquito and an elderly Spitfire Vb.

The rest of JG I had hit Maldegem in the meantime. Here six Bf 109s destroyed 11 Spitfires of 485 Squadron, with two more damaged beyond repair, while also destroying the Wing Leader's personal aircraft too, plus one of 349 Squadron's aircraft. The New Zealand unit was left with just five aircraft. JG 77's target had been B.70, Antwerp/Duerne, where 145 and 146 Wings were based. The French Spitfire squadrons based here suffered no loss or damage at all, nor did their British unit, 74 Squadron. All attention had been focused on 146 Wing's Typhoons, but without particularly great effect. Five aircraft were damaged, and one or two of these may have been written off later - none were recorded as being completely destroyed on this date. Grp Capt Gillam was heard to say: "If any of my boys put on a show like that, I'd tear them off a strip!"

At B.58, Brussels/Melsbroek JG 27 and IV/JG 54 had enjoyed more success. Even here most of 98 and 180 Squadrons' Mitchells were already airborne. Six 180 Squadron aircraft remained in their dispersal pens, and these were all strafed and badly damaged. Two of 320 Squadron's bombers were also hit, but suffered only slight damage; no aircraft of these two units were totally destroyed, and no personnel casualties were suffered. However, four of 98 Squadron's Mitchells were destroyed.

For 34 (PR) Wing it was a different story. Twelve Bf 109s attacked first, followed ten minutes later by Fw 190s, and then by more Messerschmitts. Three of 16 Squadron's Spitfire XIs were destroyed and three damaged, while two aircraft attached from 106 Group were also destroyed. Ground crews were working at 69 Squadron's dispersals, servicing the unit's Wellingtons when the attacks began, and were too far from cover to be able to reach it safely. Five were killed, or died later from wounds, and 25 others were wounded. Of the Wellingtons, 11 were destroyed and two more badly damaged.

140 Squadron's Mosquito XVI were also hit, three of these being lost as were a plethora of miscellaneous types including an Auster and a Proctor of 2nd TAF Communications Squadron, an Oxford and an Anson of 85 Group Communications Squadron, and two Mitchells and a Boston of 416 R&SU. Also lost were a number of non-2nd TAF transport aircraft, Air Marshal Coningham's personal Mosquito, and a collection of Eighth Air Force heavy bombers that had landed there for a variety of reasons.

B.77, Gilze-Rijen, although only a secondary target, was reportedly strafed and bombed by both Me 262s and other fighters, but damage was light. One aircraft of 268 Squadron was damaged while taxying, but AA claimed a Bf 109, an Me 262 and an Fw 190 shot down, and five more aircraft damaged.

JG 6 failed to find B.80, Volkel, 121 and 122 Wings therefore suffering no losses there. The Tempests of the latter Wing were very active however, several units having despatched formations before the attacks began. Eight aircraft from 3 Squadron had commenced an armed reconnaissance to Paderborn at 0920, during which Plt Off R.W.Pottinger was shot down by Flak, baling out near Dulmen to become a PoW. At 0935 the Squadron caught JG 6 looking for Volkel, Flg Off D.J.Butcher claiming an Fw 190 and sharing a Bf 109 with Wt Off D.R.Worley, while Flt Sgt M.J.A.Rose claimed another Bf 109.

486 Squadron had also commenced an armed reconnaissance at 0915, heading off for the Hannover area, but being recalled to intercept enemy aircraft over Eindhoven. Over Helmond Sqn Ldr 'Spike' Umbers claimed an Fw 190 and a Bf 109, while other pilots claimed three more Fw 190s shot down and three other fighters damaged. Behind them came aircraft of 56 Squadron, Flg Off David Ness and Plt Off H.Shaw sharing a Bf 109 in the Helmond area at 1005. During the morning the rest of 123 Wing had followed 609 Squadron to A.84, Chievres, and in one of this Wing's units, Flt Lt F.B.Lawless of 198 Squadron had claimed an Fw 190 destroyed at 0920 over Euskirchen, which was not, apparently, confirmed as the aircraft had crashed before he had opened fire. A more bizarre claim was submitted by two Typhoon pilots of 137 Squadron for an He 111 damaged ten miles west of Hamelin at 0940; they may have attacked one of the Ju 88Gs after it had finished leading in a fighter formation.

The 'Bodenplatte' attack had come as a surprise, and had undoubtedly inflicted some serious material damage. In reality, the results had not been nearly as severe as the Germans had hoped, their aim having been to destroy 400-500 operational aircraft. However, as has been indicated here as well as on the US airfields - many of the aircraft lost were non-operational types, not part of the striking power of the tactical air forces. Perhaps five 2nd TAF squadrons had been rendered non-operational until they could be re-supplied with aircraft, which were not in short supply. On the other hand, pilot losses had been no worse than on a normal operational day.
Apart from the two Wings at Volkel, 123 Wing at its new base at Chievres, and 132 Wing at Woensdrecht, had escaped any attack, as had all but one of 2 Group's Wings, and all the 85 Group night fighters. The Luftwaffe however, had suffered shattering losses. Some 271 fighters had been lost and 65 more damaged - 40 per cent of the force employed. 143 pilots were dead or missing, 70 more were prisoners and 21 were wounded. Of primary importance, bearing in mind the reduced level of skill and experience available to the Jagdwaffe, the losses included three Kommodore, five Gruppenkommandeure, and 14 Staffelkapitāne, representing a haemorrhage of talent which could no longer be made good.
Interestingly, as the German operations had been over Allied territory, their casualties had mirrored what was happening to the Allied tactical units. Losses to AA fire had been substantially heavier than had those to fighters. Here it must be borne in mind that this was a surprise attack, and no organised fighter defence had been possible. Losses attributable to Allied fighters indicate that somewhere between 65-80 German aircraft fell to these, which against claims for about 97 aircraft shot down indicates a fairly high degree of accuracy in Allied claiming.

Luftwaffe claims for aircraft shot down totalled somewhere between 55-65, with about twelve 'probables' to add to this total, whereas Allied losses in combat were nearer to 30. Given the circumstances under which the Germans operated - over hostile territory and with a high proportion of inexperienced pilots - this disparity is in no way unusual.

When taken in context with the losses suffered in recent months, it is not surprising that 'Bodenplatte' proved to be effectively the last straw for some Jagdgruppen, many of which had not fully recovered from its results by the time the war ended. In effect, 'Bodenplatte' had been a significant defeat for the Luftwaffe, while 2nd TAF and US Ninth Air Force continued to operate with barely any significant reduction.

1-1-45
There is little doubt that the Luftwaffe's dawn attack had caught the Allied tactical airforces more than somewhat unawares. Regrettable as this may have been, how much did it actually matter in the circumstances then pertaining?

In practice the German offensive in the Ardennes was already at an end, the vital need for air support for the hard-pressed US armies having been considerably reduced by the turn of the year. The unexpectedly severe losses suffered by the Jagdwaffe, particularly in regard to the numbers of leaders and experienced pilots so involved, had been a considerable setback which would reduce substantially the effective presence of the German fighters in the immediate future. On the ground the front lines were in the grip of winter, and it would be some time before supplies and reinforcements could be brought forward in sufficient quantities to allow a renewal
of the offensive following the losses so recently suffered, particularly by the US Army. As has already been mentioned (see Volume Two of this work), the supply of well-trained Allied fighter and fighter-bomber pilots had been running at such a level that there was no shortage of candidates eager to join an operational squadron. Indeed, training of new pilots was now being cut back due to the surplus that had arisen. Production of new aircraft was now also flowing at an unprecedented level, particularly for the established types such as the Spitfire IX/XVI range and the US P-47 and P-51. The manufacturers of the Typhoon and Tempest, however, were struggling to keep pace with demand but there were sufficient aircraft in immediate reserve to cover the Bodenplatte losses. Consequently the bringing back to strength of those units which had suffered the most severely - generally in aircraft rather than in pilots - would be a quite rapid affair, little adverse effect being felt in the interim until this had been achieved.

No sooner had the raiders disappeared from the skies, and those Allied aircraft which had been in the air at the time of their attack had landed to refuel and re-arm, than operations were resumed much as before. At Eindhoven where the Typhoons had been badly hit, the squadrons which did manage to fly operations utilised the callsigns of all the squadrons of their Wing - for the benefit of the Luftwaffe 'listening service.

One of the first units in the air was 80 Squadron, its Tempests departing for the front to undertake an armed reconnaissance over the Paderborn-Bielefeld area at 1035. Slightly under an hour later two Fw 190s 'on the deck' had the misfortune to be spotted by the Tempest pilots, flying some 8,000 feet above, as they crossed a patch of snow to the north-west of Münster. Fig Off J.W. Judy Garland dived down with his No.2 to attack; Garland's fire caused both to blow up. Coincidentally, another Garland, Flt Lt P.J. of 2 Squadron, would be killed a little later in the day when his Spitfire FR XIV crashed while he was landing at B.77. His was a particularly tragic loss, being the last of four sons of Canadians Patrick and Winifred Garland to be killed flying for the RCAF; the eldest brother, Donald had won the Victoria Cross.

In the meantime 412 Squadron had also undertaken an armed reconnaissance, close behind the Tempests. At midday a lone Ju 88 was encountered over the Dortmund area and was shot down by Flt Lt W.J.Banks. Early in the afternoon 183 Squadron's Typhoons were ordered to A.84, Chievres, but whilst in the circuit at nearby Y.29, Flg Off D.Webber was shot down and killed by a US P-51 pilot, despite the wheels of his aircraft being down. Evidently the Americans were still "twitchy" from the morning's events! This latest example of what is now termed 'blue-on-blue, helped no doubt further to justify the oft-repeated comment: "When the Germans opened fire, we ducked; when we opened fire, the Germans ducked; when the Americans opened fire, EVERYONE ducked."
Even as this unfortunate event was taking place, the Canadian Spitfires were out again, 401 Squadron being followed by 412. A section of aircraft from the former unit attacked Rheine airfield at about 1525 on a 'Rat Hunt' after the ever-elusive Me 262s. On this occasion they caught Bf 109s, three pilots each claiming one shot down, while one of them managed to inflict damage on a fourth. Another section operating to the south of this airfield did spot one of the jets, and damage to this was claimed by Flt Lt John MacKay and his wingman.
Half an hour later two more Bf 109s were seen near Osnabrück by the 412 Squadron pilots, Sqn Ldr Dean Dover and Flt Lt J.A.Swan each claiming one of these shot down.

Nightfall brought considerable activity for the Mosquitoes - both night fighters and intruders - 604 Squadron's crews being much to the fore. Between 2019-2109 Flt Lt R.J. Jack' Foster and his radar operator, Flt Lt M.F.Newton, were able to claim three Ju 88s shot down, while at 2057 Sqn Ldr D.C.Furse/Flt Lt J.H.Downes accounted for an He 219 night fighter. Intruder crews from 21 Squadron also enjoyed an unusual success when they intercepted and shot down two V-1s heading towards targets in Belgium. Into the early hours the mantle was taken up by 219 Squadron's new Mosquito XXXs, Flt Lt F.T.Reynolds/Flg Off F.A.van den Heuvel claiming another night fighter despatched, this time a Bf 110 at 18,000 feet.


2-1-45
The day began with further ill fortune for the Typhoon squadrons at Eindhoven. As 247 Squadron's six available Typhoons taxied along the perimeter track for a long-range 'armed recce, Flt Lt Joe Stubbs, an Australian flight commander of 168 Squadron, was taking off for an air test. The cannon access panels on one wing flew open and the Typhoon swung off the runway and cartwheeled across the airfield straight into one of 247's aircraft. The unfortunate Stubbs perished in the ensuing inferno which was fed by the ruptured long-range tanks; the 247 Squadron pilot escaped with burns which kept him off operations for a month.

Following the recent loss of Sqn Ldr Everard, the pilots of 401 Squadron were delighted to welcome their new commanding officer in the person of Sqn Ldr W.T.Klersy, DFC & Bar, about to commence his second tour.

3-1-45
440 Squadron received eight Typhoons drawn from the other three units of the Wing (438, 439 and 168 Squadrons), which would allow it to continue to operate whilst awaiting new deliveries from 83 GSU. 443 Squadron, newly-returned from APC, now began exchanging its Spitfire IXS for Mark XVIs. The day also saw, at last, the arrival of the all-Dutch 322 Squadron to join 132 Wing. The unit had been allocated to 132 Wing at the beginning of December, changing to 135 Wing and then back to 132 Wing; the Squadron had remained at Biggin Hill whilst ground elements had sought to secure a Continental base. Having given up its Spitfire XIVs for Mark IXES during the summer, this unit too had recently replaced these latter machines with Mark XVIES, flying in these aircraft to B.79, Woensdrecht.

4-1-45
The day brought a resumption of activity in the air during a series of engagements which have proved somewhat confusing to place in context.

During the morning no combats were reported, but 332 Squadron lost two Spitfires to Flak while attacking trains. At 1315 411 Squadron commenced an armed reconnaissance over the Hengelo area, while a quarter of an hour later 442 Squadron undertook a similar operation towards Lingen and Münster, also finding itself near Hengelo.

At about 1350 the first formation encountered seven or more Fw 190s, six of which were claimed shot down, two by Flg Off Malcolm Graham, one each by Flt Lts Dick Audet and John Boyle, this latter pair also sharing one more, while Flt Lt H.D.Carr added the sixth. Flg Off K.J.Thomson reported that he was going to crash-land, and failed to return.

Meanwhile, a few minutes later the 442 Squadron formation reported 15 plus Bf 109s and Fw 190s to the north, pilots claiming one Messerschmitt as a probable and one damaged.

During the early afternoon period I./JG 26 had despatched 23 of its new Fw 190D-9s on an exercise, but aircraft of the Gruppe's 4. Staffel, the last to take off, had lost the rest of the formation in haze, and had headed for the Osnabrück area, where one aircraft suffered an engine fire, the pilot baling out. The remainder changed course to Rheine, where eight Typhoons were spotted below. These however, seemed to be escorted by 10-15 Spitfires which intercepted the Dora-9s as the German pilots dived to attack. Three of the German fighters were shot down at once, and two more were caused to crash-land at Fürstenau; of the three pilots in the former aircraft, all were badly wounded, one dying two weeks later. II./JG 26 was then ordered to despatch a small formation, drawn from 7. and 8. Staffel. As these were forming up near the unit's airfield at Nordhorn, they were attacked by Spitfires. Lt Wilhelm Mayer, a 5. Staffel pilot flying in an 8. Staffel aircraft, was shot down and killed, while a second Focke-Wulf was badly hit and crash-landed near the airfield. Mayer, victor of 27 combats, would be awarded a posthumous Ritterkreuz during the following March.

In his history of JG 26, Don Caldwell has presented an apparently convincing account of these events, suggesting that 411 Squadron accounted for the I. Gruppe aircraft, and 442 Squadron for those of II. Gruppe. This, however, overlooks a number of important points. Firstly, the times given for the German losses appear to indicate that it was the II Gruppe losses which occurred first at around 1400, whilst those of I. Gruppe were at 1600, or thereabouts.

Further, the Tempests of 122 Wing were also extremely active during the day. Flt Lt D.C.'Foob' Fairbanks, who had just moved from 274 Squadron to 3 Squadron, claimed an Fw 190 shot down eight miles north-west of Hengelo airfield at 1405, while Plt Off N.J.Rankin and Flt Sgt L.B.Cook of 80 Squadron claimed another Focke-Wulf north-east of Rheine at 1430, two more being claimed damaged.

Finally, at 1445, Flt Lt J.H.Ryan and Flg Off David Ness of 56 Squadron claimed a pair of fighters identified as Bf 109s five miles south of Osnabrück.

The final anomaly is the fact that I./JG 1 was also operating in the area, and lost four Fw 190A-8s to aircraft identified as British fighters around Oldenzaal, while two of the unit's pilots claimed Spitfires shot down at about 1345. Since the only Allied fighter to be lost in such circumstances was a 411 Squadron Spitfire, and the times were closely similar, it would seem more likely that it was this Luftwaffe unit with which the Canadian squadron had actually clashed. What is clear however, is that on this date 2nd TAF fighter pilots claimed ten German fighters shot down plus one probable and three damaged, while II./JG 26 and I./JG 1 suffered the loss of eight aircraft crashed and three more crash-landed, matching nearly exactly the claims made. The day was, however, rendered easier to check by the absence of any US claims by either the Eighth or Ninth Air Forces.

5-1-45
The night brought a further success for 604 Squadron, three Mosquitoes undertaking patrols between 1900 on 4th and 0350 on 5th. At 0235 Flg Off P.W.Nicholas/Flg Off M.G.Irvine claimed a Ju 88 shot down west of Horstmar.

193 Squadron had a notable success in destroying an important bridge at Vianen. Bridges were difficult targets and often survived any number of near misses; on this occasion however Plt Off Ben Lenson achieved two direct hits and the massive structure sagged into the river.

The fighter-bombers suffered some losses during the day three Spitfires to Flak and two Typhoons to that type's problem of old - engine failure.

6-1-45
The next week was to prove quiet, weather once again constraining activities; freezing fog proved a particular problem at this time. On 6th however, 485 Squadron suffered its first pilot casualty since 20 October 1943 when Flt Lt Stead's Spitfire was hit by debris when he was attacking a train; he crash-landed, but lost his life in doing so. Plt Off Matthew's aircraft was similarly damaged, and he baled out. He was too low however, and was also killed.

[warshipbuilder]

2nd TAF Part 1

14-12-44
The weather cleared sufficiently in the afternoon for II. Jagdkorps to despatch fighters from JG 2, JG 4 and III./JG 26, which between them undertook 100 sorties. The 22 Bf 109Gs and Ks of III./JG 26 were tasked with providing cover for the Rheine base of the Me 262s, and it was south of this airfield that eight of 56 Squadron's Tempest pilots spotted 18 of them. In quick succession Flt Lt John Ross, Flg Off David Ness and Plt Off H.Shaw each shot one down. Ross and Ness had shot down Obfw Karl Laub and Gefr Wolfgang Kraus, both of whom were killed, while Shaw's victim was Uffz Jeinz Gehrke, who baled out, wounded. Ness, having used all his ammunition, overshot a second Messerschmitt, which he then chased for 20 miles.

Meanwhile 412 Squadron's pilots had been bombing a train and a factory south-east of Bocholt, and had also silenced a Flak position, when they too spotted the Bf 109s of JG 27 and joined the chase. Sqn Ldr J.N.Newall, who was flying with the unit as a supernumary, shot down Uffz Friedrich Wissel's Bf 109K, and the German pilot baled out, suffering only minor wounds. At this point Fw 190s were also seen, Flt Lt E.H.Richards claiming one of these shot down and Flt Lt R.N.Earle one damaged. These victories ensured that 126 Wing had become 2nd TAF's top- scoring unit, and 412 its top-scoring squadron.

About an hour later four 401 Squadron Spitfires were bombing a train when four Bf 109s were spotted at 15,000 feet, two of these being claimed damaged. 442 Squadron was also out strafing, but Sqn Ldr Bill Olmsted's aircraft was hit by Flak as he attacked a troop train heading for Enschede. He managed to coax the Spitfire to 13,000 feet before the engine died and was then faced with a 25-mile glide to Allied territory, escorted by an anxious squadron. Having crossed the lines he was obliged to bale out, at a less than ideal level, near Grave. Here he was quickly picked up by the Canadian Army and returned to his unit. It was his second close call in just over a week and he was promptly informed his tour was now at an end! He handed over command to Flt Lt Milton Jowsey and as he departed, the award of a DSO was announced to add to his DFC & Bar.

15-12-44
Two Typhoons were lost to Flak in the morning. 439 Squadron's Flt Lt C.A.Lambert had attacked a train when he was hit and attempted a forced landing in enemy territory. The Typhoon ran into a clump of trees which tore a wing off and caused the aircraft to overturn, killing the pilot. 182 Squadron's Flg Off J.A.Patterson was hit three times, but managed to regain Allied lines before successfully force-landing near Horst. 610 Squadron lost its second Spitfire XIV to Flak near Dulmen on this date, Flg Off E.G.Hill being killed.
It was on this day that two of 135 Wing's squadrons left for England and re-equipment. 33 and 222 Squadrons both landed at Lasham first, where they handed over their Spitfires to 84 Group Support Unit, then travelling to Predannack in Cornwall to commence re-equipment with Tempests. The Wing's other two units, 349 and 485 Squadrons, were scheduled to follow, but in the event it would be a good two months before this happened, when 33 and 222 finally returned to Europe.

16-12-44

The very successful Sqn Ldr Esli Lapp departed 411 Squadron on this date, at the end of his tour. He handed over to Sqn Ldr J.N.Newall who had been gaining his experience to good effect as a supernumary with 412 Squadron.

17-12-44
Eight of 274 Squadron's aircraft were scrambled at 1010, making for the Münster area. Here Bf 109s believed to be from III./JG 3 or II./JG 11 were encountered at 1030 over the Burghstein Forest-Emmerich area, where within 20 minutes three were claimed shot down and one damaged. All but one were credited to Flt Lt 'Foob' Fairbanks, who caused one to crash without firing a shot, Flt Lt W.J.Hibbert being the other successful pilot. The damaged Bf 109 would have been Fairbanks' third victory had he not run out of ammunition, after which he had a little fun at the Luftwaffe pilot's expense as related in his combat report: "I overhauled the Ela and came right under his wing for a few seconds - the pilot was looking out the other side and did not seem to have a clue. He finally saw me and I pulled over the top of him, gave the finger sign and came home."

At the same time as Fairbanks was claiming his final victory of the morning, the Wing Leader, Wg Cdr John Wray, encountered another of II./KG 51's Me 262s near Wesel, shooting this down; Lt Wolfgang Lübke was killed when 9K+BP crashed.
Also at much the same time eight 3 Squadron Tempests headed for the Rheine area where Flt Sgt M.J.A.Rose spotted six Bf 109s and claimed one shot down. Eight more were later seen over Nijmegen and one was claimed damaged, but while strafing ground targets after these actions, Rose flew into a tree, but managed to return alone with his damaged aircraft.

56 Squadron recorded two successful engagements. In the morning four pilots, scrambled towards Rheine, were recalled to Helmond where many aircraft were seen. Most of these proved to be P-47s, operating amidst a cloud of Flak bursts. The four Tempest pilots turned away and flew up the road towards Grave where four Bf 109s were seen coming out of cloud, one of these attacking Flt Sgt Kennaugh's aircraft. It was at once engaged and shot down by Flt Lt Ross and Plt Off Shaw. Four more Messerschmitts then appeared, one being shot down in flames by Flt Lts Moore and Ross, the pilot baling out to become a PoW. Meanwhile more of the unit's Tempests had been scrambled from Volkel, and these now appeared on the scene, Flg Off K.Watts and Flt Sgt L. Jackson accounting for a third Bf 109 in flames.

A single claim for a Tempest was made at 1137 by a pilot of Stab./JG 2, but no British losses were suffered at this time.

During the afternoon eight of 56 Squadron's aircraft were again airborne, this time over Münster and Paderborn. Over the former town two He 219s of I./NJG 1 were seen flying low above the ground. One of these escaped, but the other was attacked by Plt Off Shaw, who set one engine on fire. The big night fighter made two circuits of an airfield and put down its undercarriage at which point the fire went out. Flt Lt Ross now attacked and the aircraft landed and ran straight into a wrecked building; Ross and Shaw claimed its destruction jointly.
As Flt Lt Moore led one section down to strafe a train 25 Bf 109s were seen above, and these were attacked, two being claimed, one each by Moore and another pilot. Wt Off Alexander was set upon by nine, but managed to escape after damaging one, with only slight damage to his own aircraft. The opponents of both morning and afternoon are believed to have been from I./JG 27, which suffered four pilots killed in this area during the day.

122 Wing's ten for no loss was marred, however, when two of 80 Squadron's Tempests were shot down by intense Flak while on a reconnaissance over the Bielefeld area, one of the missing pilots being Lt Gilhaus, a Norwegian.

18-12-44
Despite the weather closing in again, Spitfires were up on several occasions on 18th, including Mark XIVs from 125 Wing. On an early sortie a 41 Squadron aircraft was shot down by Flak north-east of Münster, Wt Off A.S.Appleton baling out to become a PoW. A little later 12 Spitfires from 610 Squadron patrolled over the Aachen-Trier area;16 Fw 190s were seen, but in the murky conditions no claims could be made. However, Flt Lt J.B.Madden failed to return. He had probably been shot down by either Oblt Georg Hiebl of I./JG 11 as his 11th victory, or by a pilot of IV./JG 3, claimed at 1030 as a P-47. A 402 Squadron aircraft was written off in a spectacular
crash - stalling into the mud just short of the landing surface and cartwheeling - a victim of the difficult weather conditions and Diest's short runway. On a second patrol early in the afternoon 610 Squadron lost another Mark XIV, Wt Off T.Higgs crashing in Belgium, having become lost in poor visibility.

Close behind them came the 12 Spitfire XVIs of 66 Squadron on an armed reconnaissance to the Cologne-Koblenz area. Fifteen Bf 109s were seen and were attacked, Plt Off M.Silver claiming one shot down while four others were claimed damaged; Flg Off W.Warhurst was shot down and killed. 66 Squadron's opponents may have been from 7./JG 77, this unit's pilots claiming two Spitfires shot down at around 1510, while the Gruppe from which this Staffel came lost four aircraft in return.
A single claim for a Typhoon was also submitted by a pilot of I./JG 3 at 1340, but no losses of any aircraft of this type were recorded on this date.

After darkness had fallen on the afternoon the Mosquitoes of 2 and 85 Groups were active. At around 1940, a 464 Squadron aircraft failed to return from a sortie over the US Army area, while at 1953 Flt Lt Edinger/Flg Off Vaessen of 410 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 south of Bonninghardt.

19-12-44
Twenty minutes after midnight Flg Off F.E.Haley/Wt Off W.N.McNaughton from 409 Squadron claimed a Bf 110 over the Spa area, while at 0114 Flt Lt R.H.Finlayson/Flg Ogff J.A.Webster claimed a Ju 88 near Groin. Within minutes of this success Sgt F.O.Nicol, rear gunner in a 69 Squadron reconnaissance Wellington, claimed a Bf 109 damaged over the Cleve area. 409 Squadron gained further success at 0408 when Wg Cdr J.D.Somerville/Flg Off G.D.Robinson claimed another Ju 88 near Kaiserworth.


Weather now brought operations to an almost complete halt until 22nd, although it would be a further 48 hours before a real break occurred.

[warshipbuilder]

2nd TAF
22-12-44
22nd proved rather a bad day for the high-performance fighters of 122 and 125 Wings. A 486 Squadron Tempest was shot down by Flak near Vreden with the loss of Flt Lt S.S.Williams, while 130 Squadron lost two Spitfire XIVs to Allied AA in the Liège area. Fortunately Flt Lt Harry Walmsley escaped unhurt when he baled out. Another mark XIV, one of 2 Squadron's fighter-reconnaissance aircraft, was also hit, Flt Lt D.S.Buckie being killed when he crashed north of Arnhem. The effectiveness of US anti-aircraft fire against 2nd TAF aircraft would become an unwelcome feature of the Ardennes battles. Spitfires, Typhoons and Tempests all fell in significant numbers, sometimes with the loss of their pilots, to the 'shoot first-questions later' gunners of their allies.

23-12-44

Soon after midnight Wg Cdr Peter Green/Flt Lt Douggie Oxby of 219 Squadron were able to claim a Ju 88 shot down over the Verviers area. With 2 Group, 613 Squadron welcomed Wg CdrP.B.Lucas, DSO, DFC, as Commanding Officer; 'Laddie' Lucas was a veteran of Malta, where he had led the very successful 249 Squadron during 1942.

Still the weather constrained the ground- attack aircraft of 2nd TAF, although on this date 247 Squadron was to lose its Commanding Officer, Battle of Britain veteran Sqn Ldr B.G. Stapme' Stapleton, whose aircraft was hit by debris which punctured the radiator, while attacking a train. He was last seen by his Squadron disappearing into a murky haze and he was fortunate to find an area of open farmland in which to make his forced-landing. However, he had come down east of Duren, two miles the wrong side of the lines and became a PoW for the duration.

411 Squadron undertook a sweep to the east of Eindhoven, where the unit's Spitfire IXs were suddenly attacked by a lone Me 262.

Reported Flt Lt J.J.Boyle: "...he was upon us before the first warning shout came out of my earphones. Luckily, his fire missed everyone and, as he sped past us, he came right into my gunsight and I fired a cannon burst instinctively. I saw a flash on his rudder that looked like an explosive strike, but it could just as easily have been a sun flash. He raced away from us and was gone in seconds. After we landed, my No 2 confirmed that he had seen an explosion on the rudder. As a result of our Ops Report, I received credit for one 'damaged' aircraft. I took quite a razzing from my squadron mates about 'seeing things' because none of us had really thought we could hit a jet. That was the first time I had seen an Me 262 and just the sight of it was exciting."
It was by night again that more success was achieved, the radar-equipped night fighters and Luftwaffe bombers being less affected by the visibility that was continuing to plague the day flyers. Early in the evening Flg Off W.B.Allison/Wt Off Milnes claimed a Ju 88 plus a Ju 188 damaged. Between 1943-2145 pilots of 488 Squadron made four claims, for a Ju 188, two Ju 88s and an Me 410. Flt Lt W.H.McPhail/Flg Off J.E.Donoghue of 409 Squadron then added another Ju 188 at 2205. Just after this 219 Squadron achieved a third success, Wg Cdr Green/Flt Lt Oxby claiming a Ju 188, while another team damaged a further Ju 88.

24-12-44
At 0250 Flt Lt P.G.Jeffs/Flt Lt A.N.Crookes of 488 Squadron added another Ju 88 damaged to the 24 Dece unit's highly successful score that night; five minutes later a 219 Squadron crew damaged another. As dawn approached Flg Off D.M.MacKenzie/Flg Off G.P.A.Bodard of 410 Squadron made claims for two more Ju 88s shot down. This brought the night's 'bag' to nine destroyed and three damaged. Mackenzie's and Bodard's victims appear to have been two Ju 888-3s of I./LG 1, L1+DL and L1+CL. This Geschwader had suffered frequently to the depredations of the RAF's night fighters ever since the Invasion, at least 50 of its aircraft having been lost to them by this date. The strangest combat of the night involved one of 69 Squadron's flare-dropping photographic Wellingtons however. Between 0130-0315 this aircraft was attacked from behind by an interceptor which Sgt G.Elston, the rear gunner, believed to have been an Me 163 rocket fighter. He claimed to have shot this down in flames, seeing it blazing on hitting the ground. What he may actually have seen has not been identified, but the possibility of an Me 163 attacking by night seems extremely unlikely.

An Me 163 did appear by day on Christmas Eve when one such aircraft attempted to attack a 16 Squadron Spitfire XI, as did a Bf 109; both were evaded by the reconnaissance pilot, as was an Fw 190D by one of his squadron mates.

The weather had at last broken as the depression which had lain over the Ardennes suddenly lifted. Even the sun broke through on occasions, 226 Squadron recording that it was "A glorious day today", allowing Allied air power to be exercised in full.

On the ground a determined American defence in the Bastogne area had upset the Wehrmacht's programme, and fuel shortages were beginning to have a significant effect upon the pace of the German advance, which in several places had ground to a halt.

Now the Typhoons were able to go out in strength to attack the enemy columns, many of which were bogged down in freezing mud on narrow Ardennes roads and tracks. During an early operation 439 Squadron's pilots set out for the area west of Cologne to seek out transport. A few isolated vehicles were found and shot up (bombs were not carried due the range of this operation) but then they themselves were attacked by P-47s south-east of Duren. Flt Lt K.F.Sage turned into the attack and though badly hit, managed to nurse his Typhoon back to Eindhoven; Flt Sgt W.A. Wright was less fortunate and went down in flames. He managed to bale out of his stricken aircraft but his parachute streamed and he was killed. At least three pilots from this squadron had died in this fashion in recent weeks and an investigation was launched into the state of parachutes. Stitches hidden within the folds were found and soon traced to a German-sympathiser working in the parachute stores; a cruel twist, with odds already stacked against the ground-attack pilots. The day continued badly for the Squadron, for Ken Sage, on his second operation, now received a direct hit from Flak near Mayen, flicked over and crashed to his death. In fact it would prove to be the worst day ever for the Canadian Typhoon Wing as a whole. Meanwhile a third Eindhoven-based pilot was killed when Flg Off H.Stevenson of 247 Squadron fell to Flak near Poteau.

84 Group's 146 Wing was also heavily engaged, both 193 and 197 Squadrons operating in the Enschede-Gronau area. Pilots of 193 Squadron saw three Bf 109s below, but when these were attacked, the RAF pilots found themselves in the middle of a formation of at least 50 hostile fighters. Plt Off N.I.Freakley was shot down and killed, and a second Typhoon was damaged. 197 Squadron, on the way back from the Lingen-Osnabruck-Nijmegen area, heard 193's calls for help, but the Typhoons were then attacked by a dozen German fighters, while medium Flak was also encountered. Flg Off H.W.Read and Plt Off D.I.McFee were both shot down, the former being killed and the latter becoming a prisoner, while a third aircraft was damaged.

The Canadian-flown Typhoons of 440 Squadron flew a number of armed reconnaissances over the Malmedy area during one of which, soon after midday, Flg Off C.F.Harwood was shot down and killed by Flak. Leading this operation was Wg Cdr F.G.Grant, who was able to claim damage to one of two Fw 190s which were encountered.

On the unit's next operation in this area Flg Offs W.T.Dunkeld and D.H.Cumming were flying top cover for six others when a lone Fw 190 flown by Hptm Wolfgang Kosse of 13./JG 3 dived on them and shot down both Typhoons in quick succession - his 27th and 28th victories. However, his success was transitory, for seven 274 Squadron Tempests were above at this moment and Sqn Ldr Evan Mackie, seeing the Typhoons being shot down, broke off and engaged Kosse's Focke-Wulf, which he then saw go down in a spin and blow up, south-east of Eindhoven; Kosse was killed. During this engagement two more pilots from IV/JG 3 also claimed Typhoons, but no other RAF losses were suffered. The remaining Canadian pilots returned to base, reporting that a Spitfire had come to their rescue, while the Luftwaffe believed that its pilot had fallen to a Typhoon!

At much the same time Spitfires of 412 Squadron were engaged in a sweep over the Neuss-Duren area, a large formation of Fw 190s being seen south of Julich. Flt Lts M.D.Boyd and C.W.Fox claimed one each, while three more were claimed damaged, two by Sqn Ldr Dean Dover. 127 Wing's 416 Squadron was less fortunate however, a formation of the unit's Spitfire XVIs flying into a wall of Allied anti-aircraft fire in the Malmedy area. Flg Off J.R.Beasley and Sgt J.G.M. Patus were both shot down, the former being killed, while three more of the unit's aircraft were damaged.

Typhoon casualties for the day continued to grow. In 83 Group 143 Wing continued to suffer worst, a pair of 438 Squadron aircraft being brought down by Flak with the loss of both pilots, while 168 Squadron lost Flg Off D.G.Dickson as a prisoner. In 84 Group's area 263 and 257 Squadrons each lost one aircraft and its pilot - also to Flak.

Just before midday 3 Squadron sent off eight Tempests to the Julich-Malmedy area, where at 1240 ten Bf 109s were seen. Flt Lt K.A.Thiele, DSO, DFC & Bar, a New Zealander who had flown two full tours with Bomber Command, and then hunted V-1s with 41 Squadron, fired at one of these, the starboard wing being seen to crumble as it went down. Flt Lt R.Drylland, DFC, failed to return, last being seen investigating a P-47. He would return on 26th, reporting that he had shot down an Fw 190D, but had then been hit by Flak, force-landing in German-held territory. From here he had made his way on foot to US lines.

The Malmedy area had remained a dangerous one for 2nd TAF fighters, for 350 Squadron's Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr L.Collignon, was also shot down here and was injured whilst baling out. 2 Group's medium bombers had also undertaken raids, the Mitchell crews reporting that Bf 109s which attempted to intercept were driven off by their escort. Amongst the Bostons however, one was seen to spin down and crash in the Gmund area.

The reconnaissance units had also been active. 414 Squadron reported undertaking 36 TacR sorties, all but four of which were successful. At 1530 one section was attacked in the Neuss area by 10-12 Bf 109s, but the tables were turned and Flt Lt W.Sawers was able to claim three shot down and a fourth probably so, although the other Spitfire with him was damaged. It is possible that his opponents were aircraft of IV./JG 27, which had two of its Bf 109s shot down, both pilots being wounded. One of these, Uffz Wolfgang Heumann, claimed one Spitfire destroyed.

During an earlier mission to the same area at 1155, 15 Bf 109s had been encountered, Flt Lt D.I.Hall claiming two of these shot down over the Krefeld area, whilst on another sortie a Bf 109 was seen in the Cologne area, and hits were claimed. The squadron diary was quick to add that these victories were incidental to the observations carried out of bridges, transport movements, gun positions and marshalling yards. Hall had succeeded in shooting down Hptm Erich Woitke, Kommandeur of III./JG 1, who was killed, while in the second aircraft, Lt Hubert Heckmann (five victories) had carried out a crash-landing. Woitke, who had been flying operationally almost constantly since the Spanish Civil War, had recently claimed his 29th victory.

4 Squadron undertook 29 sorties during one of which Flg Off T.A.Priddle and his Spitfire XI were shot down by a German fighter in the Nieubuik area, the pilot being killed. 400 Squadron had one of its pilots continually attacked by P-47s, but managed to escape damage.
The German units most frequently encountered seem to have been JG 1, III. Gruppe's pilots claiming a Spitfire but losing two Bf 109s, while 4./JG I reported losing an Fw 190 to a British fighter. IV./JG 3's claims had totalled four Typhoons during the midday fights, whilst during the afternoon a pilot of 13./JG 27 had claimed a Spitfire; pilots of 9. and 12./JG 77 claimed two more Spitfires on this date.

It was proving a costly period for the Jagdwaffe however, for on 17th and 18th, despite the weather, 76 fighter pilots had been killed and 36 wounded, whilst on 23rd, 98 more casualties had been recorded, two thirds of them killed. Now, on 24th losses had risen to over 100, 85 of them dead, while losses of aircraft had been even higher.
The Holy Night brought the night fighters out in force again - with almost a repeat of the previous night's level of success. At 1920 Flt Lt R.J.Foster/Flt Lt M.F.Newton of 604 Squadron, which was just returning from England to B.51, Lille/Vendeville, claimed an He 219 night fighter to the east of Nijmegen. Thirty-five minutes later Edinger and Vaessen of 410 Squadron claimed a Ju 87 night ground-attack aircraft near Wassenburg; a second of these would be claimed by the unit's Sqn Ldr I.E.McTavish/Flg Off A.M.Grant at 2328.

25-12-44

At 0040 a Ju 188 was claimed damaged by a 488 Squadron crew and then, in the early hours it was the turn of 219 Squadron. Flt Lt 'Sailor' Parker with his radar operator, Wt Off Godfrey, claimed two Ju 188s, Flt Lt Leslie Stephenson/Flt Lt G.A.Hall adding a Bf 110, while Flg Off J.A. Watt/Flt Lt E.H.Collis added a Ju 88 to 410's score, shortly before dawn. The night had netted seven more victories! 69 Squadron's vigilant rear gunners also added a claim for an Me 410 damaged. Amongst the Luftwaffe's losses were two more of LG I's Ju 88s.
Christmas Day brought no respite, although the day began well for 2nd TAF when Wg Cdr Wray led Tempests of 80 Squadron on an early morning patrol. During the previous day III./KG 76 had undertaken the first use of its Ar 234s in their bombing role. Now, a day later, the Tempest pilots caught F1+DT, Wray and Plt Off R. Verran claiming to have damaged this aircraft. Their fire had been more effective than they realised, for Lt Alfred Frank had to crash-land his damaged jet at Teuge in Holland. This had been the third jet aircraft which Wray had been able to get in his gunsight inside two months.

Shortly after this success however, a 66 Squadron Spitfire XVI was shot down by Flak near Dieren, Wt Off I.D.McLeod being killed. Again Typhoons were out in force, but when 'B' Flight of 266 Squadron undertook an armed reconnaissance looking for trains in the Duigen- Dortmund area, a strong force of Luftwaffe fighters attacked just after one of these targets had been destroyed, and in quick succession Flg Off D.S.Eadie and Flt Sgt P.C.Green were shot down. The latter was killed and the former captured, although there was some thought that Green may have fallen to Flak rather than to German fighters. 193 Squadron had provided high cover to its fellow squadron, and at once sought to come to the rescue, Flg Off Mike Bulleid claiming one Fw 190 shot down in flames, while Flt Lt Smith claimed a probable. His own aircraft was damaged during the fight, and in the event he was credited only with one damaged.

Two more Typhoons were to be lost to Flak during the day, one each from 175 and 440 Squadrons, while 439 Squadron suffered an attack by US P-51s, but sustained no damage to any of its aircraft. The Spitfire units were to be less fortunate in this respect, for a 416 Squadron aircraft was shot down by P-47s south-east of Eupen, Flg Off A.G.Borlaand losing his life.

411 Squadron set off on a sweep at 1125, returning something over an hour later as the unit's airmen were queuing up for their Christmas lunch. At that moment an Me 262 appeared over the airfield, and Flt Lt Jack Boyle gained his second chance to intercept one of these jets. This time he was in luck, for he had already entered a steep dive to get rid of height when the intruder appeared. With his aircraft indicating over 500 mph, he opened fire and hit the port engine, which began to stream thick smoke. The German pilot sought to dive away, but with only one engine operating he could not outrun the Spitfire. Boyle got in several more bursts and the aircraft crashed at a flat angle, disintegrating and bursting into flames. He had shot down 9K+MM of II/KG 51, which crashed at Erp, near Heesch. The pilot, Oblt Hans-Georg Lamle, was killed. The Luftwaffe listed his loss as being due to Allied AA.

Shortly after 411 Squadron had landed, 13 Spitfires from 401 Squadron departed to sweep over the Duisberg area. Here two Bf 109s were seen in the Euskirchen area, Flt Lt John MacKay claiming one shot down, while Flt Lt 'Bud' Connell and Flt Sgt A.K.Woodill shared the second. These were both aircraft of Stab/JG 77, from one of which the Kommodore, Maj Johannes Wiese, victor of 133 combats on the Eastern Front, and recipient of the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaube, baled out, wounded, while in the other, Fw Hansch was killed. However, debris from Wiese's stricken Messerschmitt hit the Commanding Officer's Spitfire, and Sqn Ldr Everard baled out south of Venlo, becoming a prisoner. Sqn Ldr Bill Klersy, DFC & Bar, would return to operations to take his place.

Early in the afternoon 257 Squadron visited a map reference where enemy aircraft had been reported on the ground between Heerenburg and Emmerich. Eventually what appeared to be Bf109s were located dispersed in the edge of a wood and were duly strafed. Six were claimed
damaged, but the Squadron would visit the same target the next day and claim one more in the same category. As there were no fires seen as a result of the attacks, there was some concern that these targets may have been wooden dummies.

An hour behind the 126 Wing sweep, 403 Squadron from 127 Wing sent out 12 Spitfires to patrol over Malmedy-Houflaize, while minutes behind them eight Tempests of 486 Squadron headed for the Julich-Malmedy area. At around 1530 in the Aachen area the Canadians spotted three Me 262s in formation. Approaching from below, they caught the German pilots unawares, Flt Lt J.E.Collier reporting that he hit the leader of the formation, causing the starboard engine to burst into flames. The other two jets broke away, accelerating fast, and were able to escape the Spitfires as Collier followed his down, seeing the pilot bale out.

At this same time however, Flg Off Jack Stafford of the New Zealand unit also spotted an Me 262 1,000 feet above and about a mile away. Climbing above, he attacked, hitting the port engine from which balls of fire appeared to fall. He and Plt Off 'Duff' Bremner continued to pursue the jet, closing on it and attacking again. The pilot was seen to bale out, although his parachute failed to open properly, and the aircraft dived steeply into the ground seven miles north of Aachen.

In the event only one further Me 262 is listed as lost on this date, I./KG 51's 9K+MK being reported shot down by Spitfires near Liège, and Fw Hans Meyer killed. It would seem possible therefore that on this occasion Collier, Stafford and Bremner had all attacked the same aircraft, the Canadian and the New Zealanders mutually unaware of each others' presence. Alternatively, since some German records list aircraft lost only when the pilot became a casualty, it is possible that Collier's victim had managed to bale out safely, and that the aircraft shot down by the 486 Squadron pilots was one of the wingmen, fleeing from the Spitfires. 2nd TAF authorities who were usually very thorough in their vetting of claims at this time, certainly approved both claims. Spitfire XIVs were also in the air at this time, 402 Squadron pilots underaking an armed reconnaissance and swep over the Duren area. Here Flt Lt D.Sherk claimed an Fw 190 shot down for 125 Wing's 100th victory since D-Day. His victim, possibly a Tack machine, was seen alone ten miles south of Duren; the pilot baled out, but here again his parachute failed to open. Returning from this operation in poor visibility and a crosswind, Flt Lt W.O.Young overshot Diest's short strip; his aircraft was the most seriously damaged of five of their Spitfires transferred to 409 R&SU for attention that day. From 127 Wing a Belgian-flown Spitfire XIV of 350 Squadron was lost to Flak whilst attacking MT in the Prum area and Flg Off J.M.F.Vanderperran was killed.

A reconnaissance Spitfire XI from 16 Squadron was intercepted by two fighters, reported as either Bf 109s or Fw 190Ds when over Goslar, suffering serious damage. A second such aircraft from 400 Squadron crashed while attempting to force-land at B.64.
The hours of darkness again brought successes when Flt Lt E.A.Campbell/Wt Off G.Lawrence of 219 Squadron claimed a Bf 110 shot down. Flg Off Slipp/Flg Off Cameron of 410 Squadron attacked an aircraft on the ground at Goch at 2045, which was thought to have been another German night fighter.

26-12-44

Again, a 69 Squadron Wellington was intercepted by an enemy fighter which was claimed as an 'Me163 damaged. As stated earlier this seems a very unlikely identification - especially as no fewer than 14 attacks were reported!

Although a considerable number of sorties were flown, less was seen of the opposition in the air, since on the ground the German advances were finally brought to a standstill after ten days of ferocious fighting. Flak nonetheless cost six Typhoons during the day, three of the pilots being killed and one captured. The latter was Grp Capt Charles Green, Commanding Officer of 124 Wing. The indomitable Green had avoided a ruling that officers of his rank should not participate in operations by undertaking a 'weather recce, accompanied by Flt Lt John Derry of 181 Squadron. Green baled out west of St Vith, and was roughly handled by SS troops upon capturing him, before handing him over to the Luftwaffe. (Derry was later famous as the De Havilland test pilot who lost his life in a disastrous crash of a DH 110 aircraft at Farnborough on 6 September 1952). Wing Leader, Kit North-Lewis led seven Typhoons from 181 Squadron down to Dinant where he had positioned Flt Lt Lew Boucher to liaise with the Army. Boucher gave directions which enabled the Typhoons to carry out RP and cannon attacks on the armoured spearhead of a thrust towards a bridge over the Meuse. The attack was (literally!) halted in its tracks - four tanks and two half-tracks were claimed - and it marked the limit of the German advance.

Whilst rushing to intercept another Me 262, two of 486 Squadron's Tempests collided with each other, Flt Lt Colin MacDonald baling out while Plt Off Brian O'Connor force-landed near Liège; both pilots survived relatively unscathed.
The only real success of the day in the air was achieved by 411 Squadron during a morning patrol. Two Bf 109s attempted to 'bounce' the Squadron, and both were claimed shot down over Trier by Sqn Ldr Danny Browne and Flg Off T.De Courcy. At 1350, while on a patrol near Julich, Flt Lt E.G.Ireland of the same unit claimed damage to an Me 262. A couple of hours later, while 135 Wing's Spitfires were escorting Lancasters and Halifaxes of Bomber Command over St Vith, two more jets were seen, Wg Cdr Ray Harries claiming damage to one of these.

219 Squadron was active again by night, Wg Cdr Green and Flt Lt Oxby adding a Ju 87 to their growing 'bag.

27-12-44
Soon after midnight one of 219 Squadron's Mosquitoes was lost, Sqn Ldr D.L.Ryalls and his radar operator, Flt Lt J.B.Hampson, being killed when their aircraft was shot down by an opposing night fighter from II./NJG 2, flown by Hptm Kamsties - a rare success for the Luftwaffe against a Mosquito night fighter. A 488 Squadron crew, Flt Lts H.D.C.Webbe and I.Watson, DFC, claimed a Ju 188 probably destroyed; later they were forced to retract the undercarriage of their Mosquito while attempting to land in fog at Melsbroek. Fifty minutes later another of this unit's aircraft was forced to land there with Flak damage to both engines.

27th proved to be a good day for 2nd TAF's fighters, bringing with it the first major clash between the Tempests and Fw 190D-9s. 442 Squadron's Spitfires and 274 Squadron's Tempests were both patrolling over the Julich-Malmedy area mid-morning, and over Aachen Flg Off M.A.Perkins of the former unit was able to claim damage to an Me 262. Five minutes later the Tempest pilots saw eight Bf 109s, two of which were claimed by Flt Lt J.A.Malloy and Wt Off E.Twigg. following which two more were encountered over Aachen at 11,000 feet, Sqn Ldr Evan Mackie claiming damage to one of these.

In the same area, the Canadians of 411 Squadron spotted Bf 109s fighting P-38s, P-47s and P-51s, and joining in the fray, claimed three Messerschmitts shot down, Flt Lts R.M.Cook and E.G.Ireland, and Flg Off M.G.Graham, being the successful pilots. More Spitfires, this time from 412 Squadron, were over Rheine a little later, where three Bf 109s attempted to attack. One was shot down by Flt Lt C.W.Fox, the pilot being seen to bale out.

At midday 80 Squadron commenced an armed reconnaissance over the Paderborn area, where four Fw 190s were seen and all were claimed shot down by Flt Lt R.W.A.MacKichan, DFC, Flg Offs D.S.Angier and J.W.Garland, and Wt Off G.W.Dopson. Their victims are believed to have been aircraft of 14./JG 54, this IV. Gruppe unit losing four pilots killed on this date.

Shortly after this engagement however, 184 Squadron suffered another major misfortune. Firstly, Lts A.E.Collet and A.N.Fisher, two SAAF pilots, collided, their Typhoons crashing west of Ahrndorf. Only Fisher survived to become a PoW. A few minutes later Wt Off J.S.Marshall baled out west of Schlieden, possibly a victim of Flak.

486 Squadron's Tempests were off soon after this, their pilots reporting being attacked by 40-plus Fw 190s and Bf 109s whilst on an armed reconnaissance in the Münster area. They had met the 'Langnasen Doras' of III/JG 54, and the exchange went very much in the New Zealanders' favour. Flt Lts E.W.Tanner and 'Hyphen' Taylor-Cannon each claimed one of the Focke-Wulfs shot down, as did Flg Off K.A.Smith and Plt Off S.J.Short. Tanner added a claim for a Bf 109 damaged, and it was believed that Flg Off B.M.Hall had also damaged one of these before being shot down and killed by pilots of JG 54. The latter considerably over-estimated its success, Lt Peter Crump claiming two Tempests shot down and Uffz Seibert a third. The unit's losses tied in precisely with the New Zealanders' claims however, four Fw 190Ds indeed going down at once, Oblt Paul Breger and two NCO pilots being killed, while two others were wounded. One of these crash-landed - a fifth victim which had been hit in the engine - while a sixth of these fighters had also been damaged and force- landed at Rheine-Hopsten.
St Vith remained the centre of action during the afternoon. Whilst strafing a column of vehicles here at about 1530, a top cover section of 182 Squadron Typhoon pilots saw seven Fw 190s which were at once attacked, but these broke away when Flak opened up. A single Focke-Wulf was then seen and was claimed shot down by Sqn Ldr G.J.Gray and Lt J.I.A.Watt, the enemy pilot being seen to bale out. On the way back to base these two pilots bounced two more Fw 190s, but were unable to see any results. Meanwhile in the same area at much the same time, Flt Lt D.Jenvey of 440 Squadron spotted three Bf 109s. He attacked one, whereupon the other two got on his tail. Seeing his victim disintegrate, he turned on the other pair, but his guns then jammed as they broke away.

The day was not without its losses however, for three more Typhoons fell to Flak, two of the pilots being captured. Sqn Ldr W.H.B.Short, Commanding Officer of 181 Squadron, was seen to collide with another, unidentified, Typhoon, and was killed when he crashed south-west of St Vith. His place was taken by another ex-member of the Squadron, Sqn Ldr D.Crawford. 137 Squadron, one of the units to lose a Typhoon during the day, also reported being attacked by some 20 blue-nosed P-51s and P-478. During the day Bomber Command's Lancasters were also again in the area, Sqn Ldr 'Digger' Cotes-Preedy of 56 Squadron leading Tempests from 80 and 274 Squadrons to escort the bombers as they attacked marshalling yards at Mönchen-Gladbach.

At 2200 Flt Lt W.G.Dinsdale/Flg Off J.E.Dunn of 410 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 shot down near Helchteren, while 35 minutes later Flg Off R.I.E.Britten/Flt Lt L.E.Fownes of 409 Squadron claimed a second in the Kaldenkirchen area.

28-12-44
In the early hours five Mosquitoes from 488 Squadron left B.48, in poor visibility, to position at A.78, Florennes/Juzaine, in order to assist the Americans in patrolling their sector. On arrival at the US base the weather had deteriorated; four of the Mosquitoes landed safely but the fifth, in bad visibility and on a strange, short runway, ran off the end and the pilot was forced to retract the undercarriage. It was the start of a bad night for 488; a second Mosquito, operating from its home base, was hit by Flak and turned over when landing at B.58; a third, one of those operating from A.78, landed at Y.29, Asch, following a long patrol, but crashed on the icy runway there.

29-12-44
Following a day of very hazy weather when little flying was possible, 29th commenced well when during an early sweep over the Münster-Rheine area a Ju 88 was found in the circuit at the latter airfield by pilots of 412 Squadron. Flt Lt Charles Fox attacked this, causing it to crash-land with its undercarriage still retracted; however, he was credited only with a 'damaged' as the aircraft was not considered to have been destroyed.

29 December proved to be a disastrous day for III./JG 54. We are indebted to Axel Urbanke for bringing clarity to the extraordinary day in his excellent study Green Hearts: First in Combat with the Dora 9, although we differ slightly over one or two of his conclusions.
The pilots of the German unit were dismayed when 3. Jagddivision ordered the Gruppe to patrol over the Münster-Rheine area a Staffel at a time, to intercept fighter-bombers. This was not in itself an unusual duty, but the 'sting in the tail' was an order that the patrols would be flown at an altitude not exceeding 10,000 feet. This would put the Luftwaffe fighters in grave danger of attack from above by 2nd TAF aircraft. Hptm 'Bazi' Weiss, the Gruppenkommandeur, led off his Stabsschwarm and 11. Staffel at 1015. They soon encountered the Typhoons of 168 Squadron, out at full unit strength on an armed reconnaissance over the Focke-Wulfs' patrol area.
The British pilots identified their opponents as 12 mixed Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs- obviously still not making immediate recognition of the D-9s. In quick succession the two flight commanders, Flt Lts Gibbons and Plant, were shot down, the former killed, the latter to be
captured. The remaining pilots turned on their attackers, seven of them firing on one Focke- Wulf, from which the pilot baled out, while claims were made for two more damaged.

439 Squadron was also present in the area at the same time, operating over the Coesfeld area where a number of trains had just been shot-up. Flg Off R.H.Laurence saw a Typhoon being shot down by an Fw 190 and at once gave chase, but he and his wingman were then attacked by about ten more. He fled, pursued for some way until only one Fw 190D remained on his tail; he made a number of tight turns during one of which his opponent suddenly flicked over and crashed into the ground, bursting into flames. He was then attacked by another fighter which he identified as a Bf 109, but this too rolled over and crashed, blowing up, before Laurence could fire a shot. However, Wt Off S.A.Church from his unit had been shot down in the Coesfeld area, and became a prisoner.

Of the claims made by the German pilots, Fw Ungar had claimed a Typhoon at 1050, while Ofw Philipp claimed a Spitfire at this time, Uffz Rey adding another Typhoon at 1052. During this initial encounter Fw Karl Kreisel was shot down and killed, as were Oblt Bellaire and Uffz Rupp. Wilhelm Philipp had just transferred to 11./JG 54 from the Geschwader's IV. Gruppe; an experienced pilot, he had been credited with 80 victories since 1940, and had been awarded the Ritterkreuz. Probably his Eastern Front experience had not prepared him for the difference between a Typhoon and a Spitfire, and it was perhaps one of the former that he had actually attacked.

Meanwhile 12 Spitfire IXs of 331 Squadron undertaking an armed reconnaissance over the Enschede area, had just been strafing vehicles west of Arnhem when five Fw 190s were seen and attacked. Flt Sgt K.F.Haanes claimed two of these south-west of Osnabruck, while a single Focke- Wulf was then seen and claimed by Maj Martin Gran and a fourth by 2/Lt C.J. Jack' Stousland. Despite these successes, the Norwegians also lost heavily to the fast German fighters. Capt J.K.B.Raeder went down with the tail of his aircraft shot off, and was killed, while Sgt W.Nicolaysen baled out. 'Jack' Stousland and 2/Lt O.Tilset both allso failed to return; Tilset became a PoW, as did Nicolaysen, but Stousland evaded capture and returned.

The Norwegain claims appear to have been quite accurate, for III./JG 54 did indeed lose a further four pilots during the engagement. One of these was Hptm Weiss, victor of 121 combats, holder of the Knights' Cross with Oakleaves, who lost his life; another was Ofw Philipp, who baled out but whose parachute was snagged by one of its cords, causing him to hit the ground hard, suffering fractures and sprains which would keep him out of action thereafter; two more young pilots were killed. Survivors considered that Weiss had shot down one Spitfire before his demise, but this did not receive any confirmation this late in the war. Herr Urbanke considers that Weiss had in fact shot down Capt Raedar, and had fallen himself to Flt Sgt Haanes, and such may indeed have been the case. Whatever, due to the loss of so many pilots from the German formation, claimants have not been found to account for all of the total 2nd TAF losses of four Spitfires and three Typhoons; claims exist only for four, and possibly five, of these losses.

Prior to the arrival of the Norwegians however, 411 Squadron Spitfires had also been in the air, having undertaken a sweep to Rheine from 0930. At about 1040, when south of Borken, they were bounced by two Fw 190s, one of which, Flg Off R.A.Gilberstad claimed to have damaged. Two more then attacked him, but he pulled out of a dive so quickly that one of these was seen to spin into the ground.

At the same time that these actions were taking place, 3 Squadron was launching four Tempests on an armed reconnaissance over Rheine and the Dummersee, where some 20 fighters were seen above. These dived to attack, and while Flt Lt Thiele was able to claim one Bf 109 shot down, two Tempests flown by Flt Lt M.F.Edwards and Flg Off K.G.Slade-Betts were shot down, both pilots being killed.

At midday 401 Squadron took off for a sweep and armed reconnaissance, as did 12./JG 54. The German unit was led by Oblt Hans Dortenmann, who determined to disobey orders and climb his unit to a better altitude. Three quarters of an hour later the two formations clashed, the Fw 190Ds being well-placed to bounce the Canadians, Dortenmann claiming one Spitfire shot down and Fw Joachim Steinkamp two more. Once again this was something of an over-assessment, for only Flt Lt 'Paddy' Sheehy was shot down and killed, while the Canadian pilots were able to shoot down two of the Dora-9s, Uffz Gunter Zessin being wounded and Uffz Adam Seibert killed. These were claimed by Flg Offs G.D.A.T.Cameron and F.T.Murray; two more German fighters were claimed damaged.

JG 54's 9. Staffel had taken off at 1300, but having heard that Dortenmann was to be court martialled for his disobedience, Oblt Willi Heilmann led his Staffel at precisely the instructed altitude. Near Rheine the formation was attacked by 2nd TAF fighters, possibly from two units. 411 Squadron was in the air again, undertaking a sweep, while eight Tempests of 56 Squadron were carrying out an armed reconnaissance over the Bremen-Minden-Osnabruck area at much the same time. The Canadians were vectored onto a trio of fighters initially identified as Bf 109s, Flt Lts E.G.Irish' Ireland and Bob Cook claiming one each; these were later credited to them as Fw 190s. Twelve more fighters were then seen near Osnabruck, Flg Off R.C.McCracken claiming one of these while Flt Lt Dick Audet, an ex-instructor, achieved a new record for a Spitfire pilot, claiming five shot down in the space of a few minutes. At first these were claimed as four Fw 190s and one Bf 109, the credits later being given as three and two respectively.

The Tempest pilots of 56 Squadron meanwhile reported encountering an estimated 50-plus Fw 190Ds and Bf 109s south of the Dummersee, and in a general mix-up Flt Lt Valton Turner claimed one shot down, Wt Off D.C.H.Rex one probable and one damaged, Flg Off J.J.Payton two damaged and Flg Off W.R.MacLaren one damaged, although Flg Off Kenny Watts and Flt Sgt L. Jackson were both shot down and killed. At a later date, apparently following investigation on the ground, 2nd TAF upgraded the claims of Payton and MacLaren to 'destroyed, although Rex's claim for a probable was downgraded to a damaged.

Thus it was thought that the two units between them accounted for 12 German fighters. 9./JG 54 in fact lost six aircraft shot down with all the pilots killed, while Oblt Heilmann's aircraft was damaged and he crash-landed at Münster-Handorf. The only claim that could be made in return was for a single Spitfire at 1337 by Lt Prager, although no aircraft of this type were lost. This could have been one of the missing Tempests.

However, it is possible that the 56 Squadron aircraft had actually been engaged at a rather later time, for at 1535 Fw Walter Arnold of 9./JG 27 claimed a Tempest to the north of Hesepe. At 1425 331 Squadron had despatched ten Spitfires on a further sweep over the Enschede area, where some 25 Bf 109s were seen; these were probably aircraft of IV./JG 27, and possibly of III. Gruppe also. Maj Gran claimed two shot down and one probable, Capt Helmer Grundt- Spang three, Lt Ragnar Dogger two, and Lts Aanjesen, Woxen and Watvedt one each, while 2/Lt Birger Tidemand-Johannessen claimed one and one damaged, and 2/Lt Simonsen one probable, all without loss. IV./JG 27 reported losing five Bf 109s near Alastatte, with two pilots killed, two wounded and one who baled out successfully; no claims were made by this unit.
During the day 402 Squadron had moved its Spitfire XIVs to B.88, Heesch, to join 126 Wing, while from 127 Wing 350 and 610 Squadrons would move over to take the Canadians' place in 125 Wing during the next two days. The Canadian-flown Mark XIVs were over the Hengelo- Enschede area during the mid-afternoon period, where two Fw 190s were claimed damaged.

Whilst the day had been marked in the main by aerial combat, four more Typhoons had also been brought down by Flak, as had one Spitfire XVI; four of the pilots were lost with them, three killed and one prisoner. A Mitchell of 320 Squadron was also shot down while attacking troop concentrations at Vielsham.

On this date linking the actions of the opposing units has proved somewhat easier than is often the case, as there were no claims against Luftwaffe fighters during the day by USAAF units. Not only JG 27 and JG 54 were involved, for it is known that at least one Fw 190A was lost to 2nd TAF fighters by 7./JG 6, while another of this type from IV./JG 3 was also lost in combat on this date. Thus at least 23 losses to fighters are known to have occurred against 2nd TAF claims for 34 destroyed, one probable and 11 damaged.

30-12-44
Thick ground fog and low cloud once more grounded the air forces, but the Wehrmacht was now withdrawing from the Ardennes territory which it had earlier overrun.

In 84 Group Sqn Ldr J.C.F.Hayter completed his tour at the head of 74 Squadron, his place being taken by Sqn Ldr A.J.Reeves, DFC. With 416 Squadron in 127 Wing, Flt Lt 'Hank' Zary arrived to commence a second tour.

31-12-44
It was nearly morning before the night fighters were able to strike. At 0500 Capt O.Kristiansen, a Norwegian pilot with 604 Squadron, with Flt Lt E.J.V.Thomas manning the radar, claimed a Ju 88 shot down north of Venlo. Just under an hour later Sqn Ldr R.F.Hatton/Flt Lt R.N.Rivers of 409 Squadron claimed another of these bombers over Schoonhoven.

At 1100 Spitfires of 411 Squadron commenced a sweep over the Rheine-Münster area, followed at 1122 by 442 Squadron. Flg Off Jack Boyle from the former unit saw a Ju 88 south-west of Rheine and shot it down. Flg Off M.G.Graham's section was then bounced by a lone Fw 190D, but Graham turned into this and claimed to have shot it down. While returning from their armed reconnaissance, the pilots of 442 Squadron encountered about 15 Bf 109s south of Münster, and four of these were claimed shot down.

It was the turn of the Typhoons next, and at 1355 eight rocket-carrying aircraft of 137 Squadron commenced their own armed reconnaissance in the Meppen area. A train was attacked, but plt Off R.A.Egley then spotted two Fw 190s approaching from the left, and breaking round sharply, claimed one of these shot down. However Flak shot down Plt Off 'Paddy' Shemeld's aircraft in flames and he was killed; he was the longest-serving member of the squadron.

It was not a very good day for the ground-attack units, for already one of 197 Squadron's Typhoons had been shot down while attacking a bridge at Culemborg. Sqn Ldr Allan Smith, RNZAF, yet another experienced leader caught on his last 'op', continued and delivered his bombs on the priority target with a low-level attack, despite his aircraft having been hit somewhere in the cooling system shortly before arriving at the bridge. His engine cut almost immediately and he made a high-speed forced-landing on frozen, flooded fields and was soon captured. A second aircraft was lost by this unit during the afternoon, Flg Off Bob Jones, RCAF, being killed when he crashed near Aalborg. During this same time period, Capt H.R.Isachsen of 181 Squadron baled out over Vielsam to become a prisoner, while 182 Squadron had two aircraft shot down over St Vith with both pilots killed, a third force-landing nearby, the pilot surviving.

247 Squadron undertook a long-range sortie to the Hannover area, but found only a single locomotive and a lorry. Two of the pilots became separated from the rest and were bounced by three Fw 190s near Steinhudersee. In a low-level, tight-turning combat, Wt Off 'Mac' McGregor was hit and crashed into a hillside, but Flg Off 'Jacko' Jackson managed to get in a telling burst on the victor, and the Fw 190 crashed into a house. From the remaining formation another Typhoon was lost, bursting into flames and crashing with a huge explosion while attempting to attack barges south of Münster. Wt Off Al Lye was thought to have had little, if any, chance of survival but was discovered shortly before the Armistice in a German hospital, having been thrown clear, albeit badly burned. This brought the day's toll of Typhoons to nine, all but one being victims of ground fire.

The Ardennes fighting had indeed been very costly for the Typhoons, 47 of which had been lost on operations since 23 December. 247 Squadron had suffered particularly heavily, losing six of its aircraft. These losses were as nothing when compared with those being suffered by the Luftwaffe fighters however. Since 17 December more than 350 pilots had been killed and 130 or so wounded in action against 2nd TAF and the US Eighth and Ninth Air Forces. When added to the losses of November and those over Nijmegen in September and October, well over 1,000 fighters had been lost to add to those brought down over France during June-August. Such a level of attrition was manifestly unsustainable.

This last day of the year also saw 125 Wing on the move, the four Spitfire XIV squadrons flying over to one of the USAAF airfields, Y.32, Ophoven, in east Belgium. This was to prove an opportune move in the event. A detachment of FR XIVS- six aircraft and eight pilots - from 430 Squadron accompanied the fighter units to this base, while the Typhoons of 123 Wing moved to A.84 at Chievres, to be greeted by heavy snowfall. These moves were to support a British counter-attack on the northern flank of the 'Bulge. Two Spitfire XIVs were lost on this date; one of 430 Squadron's reconnaissance aircraft crashed due to a glycol leak, Flg Off J.N.McLeod being killed, while Plt Off C.A.Joseph of 130 Squadron also lost his life when he was shot down north of Malmedy by Allied AA fire.

The hours of darkness proved to be active ones again, beginning at 2320 when 410 Squadron's Sqn Ldr R.M.G.Currie/Flt Lt A.H.Rose claimed a Ju 188 north-west of Liere, near Antwerp.

1-1-45

At 0123 Flt Lt W.A.Dexter/Flg Off D.G.Tongue from this unit claimed a Ju 88 in the Peer area, while a little over an hour later another crew claimed damage to a second of these bombers.

More success was gained by Sqn Ldr J.P.Meadows/Flt Lt H.M.Friend of 219 Squadron, this team claiming two Ju 188s over Venlo and Geilenkirchen respectively. At 0250 and 0303 Flt Lt C.J.Cross of 604 Squadron claimed two Ju 87s, both over the Sittard area. This unit had arrived at B.51, Lille/Vendeville, from Odiham during the day.

The night was marred however, by the loss of one of 464 Squadron's Mosquito VIs in which Wt Off J.C.Bradley/Flt Sgt E.O.Bale failed to return. 2 Group's intruder force increased activity however, as both 418 and 605 Squadrons commenced operations within this command at this time.


At evening on 31 December Luftwaffe fighter units in the West were readied for a special operation - a massive strike on the Allied airfields throughout Belgium, Holland and France in an effort to cripple the overwhelming aerial superiority which the Germans faced in one fell blow. II. Jagdkorps had available some 1,446 aircraft (including night ground-attack aircraft), of which 986 were immediately serviceable. Both aircraft and pilots were well below authorized establishments in numbers by this time, but there were sufficient personnel available to fly the aircraft.

3. Jagddivision included the units which 2nd TAF had regularly been meeting in the air, and these were tasked in the main with targeting the airfields occupied by the British units. Jagdabschnittsführer Mittelrhein had four Geschwader, one of which, JG 11, would attack Asch, which now held the units of 125 Wing. 5. Jagddivision, located further south, and comprising only the four Gruppen of JG 53, would concentrate on French bases housing purely USAAF units, while the jets of 3. Fliegerdivision were also to head for 2nd TAF airfields. When dawn broke, Operation Bodenplatte' ('Baseplate") would be launched.

The attack was aimed to catch the Allied air forces on the ground, hopefully with their personnel sleeping off the results of New Year's Eve celebrations. The various Jagdgeschwader were to be led to their targets by Ju 88G night fighters from the various Nachtjagdgeschwader in the area.

Recent re-equipment had brought Fw 190D-9s onto the establishment of Stab, I. and III./JG 2 and Stab, I. and II./JG 26, as well as III./JG 54, although JG 2 was not operating in the 2nd TAF areas. Total availability of jet aircraft stood at just 24 Me 262s and six Ar 234Bs.
The hope of catching the Allies asleep was not to be realised, and as the serried Luftwaffe formations approached, considerable numbers of 2nd TAF and US Ninth Air Force aircraft were already in the air. Action began when some of the TacR pilots, out on early morning sorties, met the incoming formations and engaged them. Flt Lt L.J.Packwood of 2 Squadron in a Spitfire FR XIV spotted some of the Bf 109s of L./JG 27 heading for Brussels and at 0905 shot down Uffz Heinrich Braun's 2. Staffel aircraft to the east of Utrecht. Ten minutes later Sqn Ldr A.D.Mercer and Flt Lt J.B.Lyke, undertaking a TacR in a pair of Mustang IAs spotted what they took to be three Ju 88s with an escort of five Bf 109s over Utrecht, and claimed one of the Ju 88s shot down. 2nd TAF later credited this as a Ju 188, but they had in fact destroyed a Ju 88G of 5./NJG 1 which was leading in aircraft of I. and II./JG 27.

What transpired at each of the locations chosen for attack was as follows:

B.78, Eindhoven, was the first airfield to be hit, and here JG 3 managed a fairly effective attack. Sixteen Typhoons, eight each from 438 and 440 Squadrons, were waiting to take off; the 438 Squadron aircraft had entered the runway, two actually being on their take-off run. One of these was being piloted by the unit's new Commanding Officer, Flt Lt Peter Wilson, who pulled over at the end of the runway and got out, wounded in the stomach; he died a few minutes later. Flg Off R.W.Keller managed to get into the air, but was shot down at once and killed - probably by the Kommodore of JG 3, Maj Heinz Bar, who claimed two aircraft which he identified as Tempests. One more of the 438 Squadron pilots was unable to get out of his aircraft and remained in the cockpit, unhurt although the aircraft was hit many times. The others all got out, although two were wounded. Of the unit's eight aircraft, three were destroyed by fire, one crashed and broke up (Wilson), one was badly damaged, and one more was damaged but repairable.

Among the 440 Squadron aircraft, which were approaching the holding point, Plt Off R.A. Watson fired his cannon from the ground and thought he had managed to damage an Fw 190 before his own aircraft was set on fire. One pilot was seriously wounded, while eight of the unit's Typhoons were destroyed and four others damaged, two of them seriously, the Squadron being rendered non-operational.
Two of 143 Wing's squadrons already had aircraft in the air when the attack began, and in both cases pilots became engaged with the raiders. 439 Squadron had one Typhoon destroyed on the ground and one slightly damaged, but of four which had been on a weather reconnaissance at the time; Flg Off S.Angelius was shot down and killed near Rips, while Flg Offs Robert Laurence and Hugh Fraser each claimed two Fw 190s from a formation of 15 which the Canadian pilots and two Spitfires engaged east of Helmond; Laurence's claim was subsequently reduced to one and one probable, but he was also awarded an 'Immediate DFC.

The Wing's fourth unit, 168 Squadron, had only a single Typhoon damaged on the ground, but three of its airmen were killed. Flt Lt Howard Gibbons was on an air test over the airfield when the attack began. He was seen to shoot down an Fw 190, but his Typhoon was then attacked by three Bf 109s and was shot down, Gibbons losing his life. The rest of the squadron was undertaking an armed reconnaissance in the Frith-Prum area when six Bf 109s were encountered. Four of these climbed away, but one attacked Flt Lt R.N.Stevens' aircraft; Flt Lt J.D.Stubbs, DFC, attacked this and saw hits, being credited with one damaged.

124 Wing was not involved in any operations at the time, 247 Squadron reporting that the airfield was attacked first by jets, then by wave after wave of other fighters - "...23 minutes of Hell that paralysed everyone," the ORB recorded. It was noted that RAF Regiment AA gunners shot down several, and that Spitfires and Tempests finally appeared overhead after quite extensive damage had been inflicted. Of an estimated 100-plus attacking, 44 were recorded as being shot down; this was about double JG 3's actual losses during the attack. 247 Squadron was left with five serviceable aircraft, 137 Squadron with 11, 181 Squadron with eight and 182 Squadron without any. In 137 Squadron Flt Sgt L.A.V.Burrows had been killed whilst taxying his aircraft to dispersal, and one Flt Sgt fitter had also lost his life; nine airmen were wounded, and one of these died next day. 182 Squadron had also had two of its ground staff wounded. However, despite the number of Typhoons put temporarily out of action, the Wing's actual aircraft losses amounted only to two completely destroyed and four badly damaged, plus a 'hack' Hurricane destroyed, all other aircraft being repairable at unit-level.

39 (Reconnaissance) Wing was much harder hit. 400 Squadron's blue Spitfire XIs were parked in a straight line along one of the disused the runways, and the German pilots appeared to take their time in strafing these. Five were totally destroyed - one when one of the attackers crashed onto it - while four more were badly damaged and one to a lesser degree.

430 Squadron lost three of its new Spitfire FR XIVs destroyed and two damaged, while two of its remaining Mustang Is were also destroyed and two damaged. Two pilots were also wounded. 414 Squadron got off lightest with five of its Spitfire FR IXS damaged, four of them badly.
There were also losses amongst the non-operational aircraft at this base, two Ansons and three Spitfires of 83 Group Communications Squadron being destroyed, plus an Auster of 2nd TAF Communications Squadron. A Spitfire XVI of 416 Squadron which was at the airfield was also destroyed. Another visiting aircraft lost was the AFDU Anson, MG184, which Wg Cdr Erik Haabjorn had flown in the previous day. Haabjorn, who had come to catch up on the latest tactics of the Typhoon Wings, 'borrowed' a Bren gun from a Dutch 'home guard' during the attack and claimed an Fw 190 damaged!

The attacking JG 3 pilots had claimed three Tempests, two Typhoons and three Spitfires shot down, plus one unidentified aircraft - well in excess of actual aerial losses. B.88, Heesch, was not on the list of of airfields to be attacked, but it was probably here that the Germans were next seen as they headed for their designated targets. Most of 411 Squadron's aircraft were already away from the airfield on a sweep, as were 442 Squadron's Spitfires. 401 Squadron was at the end of the runway at 0914, awaiting take-off, when some 40 Bf 109s and Fw 190s passed overhead. 412 Squadron's pilots were just preparing to follow 401. This latter unit scrambled at once and in the next ten minutes Flg Off G.D.Cameron claimed three Bf 109s shot down while Flt Lt MacKay used up all his ammunition on one fighter, then chased two more until they crashed as well.

412 Squadron followed and at 0930 spotted 30 Bf 109s over the Venlo area, claiming four of these destroyed. Meanwhile 411 Squadron's pilots had seen two Fw 190s over the Twente area, Flt Lt Dick Audet claiming both of these shot down. Returning early, two of 442 Squadron's pilots, found fighters over Heesch, while Flt Lt R.C.Smith, on his way back due to trouble with his drop tank, heard that enemy aircraft were over Eindhoven; he headed there to find plenty of these over the town. He attacked them without apparent result. Returning to Heesch to refuel, he was informed that he had been seen to shoot down one Bf 109 and damage a second.

Flt Lt Don Gordon was also returning early when he saw many fighters near Heesch, claiming two Fw 190s shot down. His aircraft was then hit by the defending AA fire and he was wounded, crash- landing south of the airfield at 0940. The rest of the Squadron ran into enemy aircraft west of Venlo, where Flt Lt D.M.Pieri claimed two Fw 190s and two probables, and Flt Lt N.A.Keene, DFC, another Fw 190. Flg Off D.A.Brigden was shot down and killed, 126 Wing's only casualty of the morning. Me 262s were seen and attacked head-on, two being credited to the unit as damaged; no damage to any of its aircraft was recorded by KG 51 however.

JG 11 caught most of 125 Wing on the ground at Y.32, Ophoven, inflicting damage on three of 130 Squadron's Spitfire XIVs, while one of 350 Squadron was destroyed and two more damaged. Flt Lt Tony Gaze of 610 Squadron was in the air and shot down an Fw 190D which is believed to have been an aircraft of 12./JG 2, flown by the Commanding Officer, Lt Fritz Swoboda. Gaze was then attacked by P-51s in the Malmedy area, where the US pilots were undoubtedly looking for Bf 109s.

Some of the TacR pilots who had been in the air prior to the attack, now began to take a further toll of the attackers as they returned towards their bases. Near Helmond at 0930 Sqn Ldr Gordon Wonnacott, Commanding Officer of 39 Wing's 414 Squadron, claimed two Bf 109s and an Fw 190, for which he received an 'Immediate' Bar to his DFC. Somewhat later Wt Off W.Woloshuk claimed an Fw 190 shot down and a Bf 109 damaged over the Roermond area. 268 Squadron's Flt Lt J.B.Lyke, who had shared in the destruction of the Ju 88G at 0915, claimed again half an hour later in the Utrecht area, when he damaged an Fw 190.

At B.56, Brussels/Evere, the other Canadian Spitfire squadrons did not escape lightly as had those of 126 Wing. As JG 26's fighters swept in, three of 403 Squadron's aircraft had just taken off, and were in a position to intercept. Within a few minutes of getting airborne, Plt Off Steve Butte was able to claim two Bf 109s and an Fw 190, while Plt Off Mac Reeves claimed two Fw 190s, Flt Sgt Lindsay adding a Bf 109 and a probable; Butte was another recipient of an 'Immediate' DFC award.

Flt Lt Dave Harling of 416 Squadron also got into the air, but was shot down and killed over Brussels, whilst three other Spitfires were shot-up as they were taxying. 421 Squadron failed to get any aircraft off, as was the case with 443 Squadron. Eleven of the Wing's Spitfires were destroyed on the ground, with 12 more badly damaged.

Here too other 2nd TAF non-operational units suffered considerable losses. 2nd TAF Communications Squadron lost seven Ansons, two Austers and a Dakota; 83 Group Communications Squadron lost another Anson, and 85 Group Communications Squadron four more, while a number of other miscellaneous RAF aircraft were also destroyed, including two Dakotas retained as Air Marshal Coningham's personal transports.
B.61, St Denis-Westrem, and B.65, Maldegem had been the targets of JG 1, these two airfields being located fairly close to each other. At the latter base all the three Polish squadrons of 131 Wing were already away on operations over the front when II./JG 1 arrived. 302 Squadron had carried out an armed reconnaissance, attacking railway lines, but during the return flight passed over an area heavily-defended by AA guns directed against the V-1s being aimed at Brussels and Antwerp. Fire from these shot down Flt Sgt S.Celak's aircraft. The rest of the unit reached B.61 low on fuel, being attacked as they tried to land. Eight Spitfires were destroyed or burnt out, and two more damaged, leaving the unit non-operational until 20 January.

317 Squadron arrived a little later to find the attack underway, and at once intercepted, claiming six enemy aircraft destroyed, one probable and four damaged for the loss of Flt Lt T.Powierza, who was shot down by an Fw 190. However, five of the unit's aircraft were destroyed on the ground and one was damaged.

308 Squadron was the last to return, having been attacking buildings and a ferry near Woensdrecht. On hearing that B.61 was under attack, the unit headed for base, but near Lokeren enemy aircraft were seen and attacked, four being claimed shot down. On arrival at B.61 the attack was found still in progress, and nine more claims were made for the loss of Flt Lt W.Chojnacki, who had been seen to shoot down one Fw 190 before he fell to others at 0927. During these encounters three pilots, Flt Lt Bronislaw Mach, Flt Sgt Jozef Stanowski and Sgt Stanislaw Breyner each claimed two Focke-Wulfs. On the ground two of this Squadron's aircraft were destroyed and two damaged; the Wing Leader's personal Spitfire IX, SZ-K, PL267, was also destroyed. Additionally, three more of 85 Group Communications Squadron's aircraft were lost - an Auster, a Mosquito and an elderly Spitfire Vb.

The rest of JG I had hit Maldegem in the meantime. Here six Bf 109s destroyed 11 Spitfires of 485 Squadron, with two more damaged beyond repair, while also destroying the Wing Leader's personal aircraft too, plus one of 349 Squadron's aircraft. The New Zealand unit was left with just five aircraft. JG 77's target had been B.70, Antwerp/Duerne, where 145 and 146 Wings were based. The French Spitfire squadrons based here suffered no loss or damage at all, nor did their British unit, 74 Squadron. All attention had been focused on 146 Wing's Typhoons, but without particularly great effect. Five aircraft were damaged, and one or two of these may have been written off later - none were recorded as being completely destroyed on this date. Grp Capt Gillam was heard to say: "If any of my boys put on a show like that, I'd tear them off a strip!"

At B.58, Brussels/Melsbroek JG 27 and IV/JG 54 had enjoyed more success. Even here most of 98 and 180 Squadrons' Mitchells were already airborne. Six 180 Squadron aircraft remained in their dispersal pens, and these were all strafed and badly damaged. Two of 320 Squadron's bombers were also hit, but suffered only slight damage; no aircraft of these two units were totally destroyed, and no personnel casualties were suffered. However, four of 98 Squadron's Mitchells were destroyed.

For 34 (PR) Wing it was a different story. Twelve Bf 109s attacked first, followed ten minutes later by Fw 190s, and then by more Messerschmitts. Three of 16 Squadron's Spitfire XIs were destroyed and three damaged, while two aircraft attached from 106 Group were also destroyed. Ground crews were working at 69 Squadron's dispersals, servicing the unit's Wellingtons when the attacks began, and were too far from cover to be able to reach it safely. Five were killed, or died later from wounds, and 25 others were wounded. Of the Wellingtons, 11 were destroyed and two more badly damaged.

140 Squadron's Mosquito XVI were also hit, three of these being lost as were a plethora of miscellaneous types including an Auster and a Proctor of 2nd TAF Communications Squadron, an Oxford and an Anson of 85 Group Communications Squadron, and two Mitchells and a Boston of 416 R&SU. Also lost were a number of non-2nd TAF transport aircraft, Air Marshal Coningham's personal Mosquito, and a collection of Eighth Air Force heavy bombers that had landed there for a variety of reasons.

B.77, Gilze-Rijen, although only a secondary target, was reportedly strafed and bombed by both Me 262s and other fighters, but damage was light. One aircraft of 268 Squadron was damaged while taxying, but AA claimed a Bf 109, an Me 262 and an Fw 190 shot down, and five more aircraft damaged.

JG 6 failed to find B.80, Volkel, 121 and 122 Wings therefore suffering no losses there. The Tempests of the latter Wing were very active however, several units having despatched formations before the attacks began. Eight aircraft from 3 Squadron had commenced an armed reconnaissance to Paderborn at 0920, during which Plt Off R.W.Pottinger was shot down by Flak, baling out near Dulmen to become a PoW. At 0935 the Squadron caught JG 6 looking for Volkel, Flg Off D.J.Butcher claiming an Fw 190 and sharing a Bf 109 with Wt Off D.R.Worley, while Flt Sgt M.J.A.Rose claimed another Bf 109.

486 Squadron had also commenced an armed reconnaissance at 0915, heading off for the Hannover area, but being recalled to intercept enemy aircraft over Eindhoven. Over Helmond Sqn Ldr 'Spike' Umbers claimed an Fw 190 and a Bf 109, while other pilots claimed three more Fw 190s shot down and three other fighters damaged. Behind them came aircraft of 56 Squadron, Flg Off David Ness and Plt Off H.Shaw sharing a Bf 109 in the Helmond area at 1005. During the morning the rest of 123 Wing had followed 609 Squadron to A.84, Chievres, and in one of this Wing's units, Flt Lt F.B.Lawless of 198 Squadron had claimed an Fw 190 destroyed at 0920 over Euskirchen, which was not, apparently, confirmed as the aircraft had crashed before he had opened fire. A more bizarre claim was submitted by two Typhoon pilots of 137 Squadron for an He 111 damaged ten miles west of Hamelin at 0940; they may have attacked one of the Ju 88Gs after it had finished leading in a fighter formation.

The 'Bodenplatte' attack had come as a surprise, and had undoubtedly inflicted some serious material damage. In reality, the results had not been nearly as severe as the Germans had hoped, their aim having been to destroy 400-500 operational aircraft. However, as has been indicated here as well as on the US airfields - many of the aircraft lost were non-operational types, not part of the striking power of the tactical air forces. Perhaps five 2nd TAF squadrons had been rendered non-operational until they could be re-supplied with aircraft, which were not in short supply. On the other hand, pilot losses had been no worse than on a normal operational day.
Apart from the two Wings at Volkel, 123 Wing at its new base at Chievres, and 132 Wing at Woensdrecht, had escaped any attack, as had all but one of 2 Group's Wings, and all the 85 Group night fighters. The Luftwaffe however, had suffered shattering losses. Some 271 fighters had been lost and 65 more damaged - 40 per cent of the force employed. 143 pilots were dead or missing, 70 more were prisoners and 21 were wounded. Of primary importance, bearing in mind the reduced level of skill and experience available to the Jagdwaffe, the losses included three Kommodore, five Gruppenkommandeure, and 14 Staffelkapitāne, representing a haemorrhage of talent which could no longer be made good.
Interestingly, as the German operations had been over Allied territory, their casualties had mirrored what was happening to the Allied tactical units. Losses to AA fire had been substantially heavier than had those to fighters. Here it must be borne in mind that this was a surprise attack, and no organised fighter defence had been possible. Losses attributable to Allied fighters indicate that somewhere between 65-80 German aircraft fell to these, which against claims for about 97 aircraft shot down indicates a fairly high degree of accuracy in Allied claiming.

Luftwaffe claims for aircraft shot down totalled somewhere between 55-65, with about twelve 'probables' to add to this total, whereas Allied losses in combat were nearer to 30. Given the circumstances under which the Germans operated - over hostile territory and with a high proportion of inexperienced pilots - this disparity is in no way unusual.

When taken in context with the losses suffered in recent months, it is not surprising that 'Bodenplatte' proved to be effectively the last straw for some Jagdgruppen, many of which had not fully recovered from its results by the time the war ended. In effect, 'Bodenplatte' had been a significant defeat for the Luftwaffe, while 2nd TAF and US Ninth Air Force continued to operate with barely any significant reduction.

1-1-45
There is little doubt that the Luftwaffe's dawn attack had caught the Allied tactical airforces more than somewhat unawares. Regrettable as this may have been, how much did it actually matter in the circumstances then pertaining?

In practice the German offensive in the Ardennes was already at an end, the vital need for air support for the hard-pressed US armies having been considerably reduced by the turn of the year. The unexpectedly severe losses suffered by the Jagdwaffe, particularly in regard to the numbers of leaders and experienced pilots so involved, had been a considerable setback which would reduce substantially the effective presence of the German fighters in the immediate future. On the ground the front lines were in the grip of winter, and it would be some time before supplies and reinforcements could be brought forward in sufficient quantities to allow a renewal
of the offensive following the losses so recently suffered, particularly by the US Army. As has already been mentioned (see Volume Two of this work), the supply of well-trained Allied fighter and fighter-bomber pilots had been running at such a level that there was no shortage of candidates eager to join an operational squadron. Indeed, training of new pilots was now being cut back due to the surplus that had arisen. Production of new aircraft was now also flowing at an unprecedented level, particularly for the established types such as the Spitfire IX/XVI range and the US P-47 and P-51. The manufacturers of the Typhoon and Tempest, however, were struggling to keep pace with demand but there were sufficient aircraft in immediate reserve to cover the Bodenplatte losses. Consequently the bringing back to strength of those units which had suffered the most severely - generally in aircraft rather than in pilots - would be a quite rapid affair, little adverse effect being felt in the interim until this had been achieved.

No sooner had the raiders disappeared from the skies, and those Allied aircraft which had been in the air at the time of their attack had landed to refuel and re-arm, than operations were resumed much as before. At Eindhoven where the Typhoons had been badly hit, the squadrons which did manage to fly operations utilised the callsigns of all the squadrons of their Wing - for the benefit of the Luftwaffe 'listening service.

One of the first units in the air was 80 Squadron, its Tempests departing for the front to undertake an armed reconnaissance over the Paderborn-Bielefeld area at 1035. Slightly under an hour later two Fw 190s 'on the deck' had the misfortune to be spotted by the Tempest pilots, flying some 8,000 feet above, as they crossed a patch of snow to the north-west of Münster. Fig Off J.W. Judy Garland dived down with his No.2 to attack; Garland's fire caused both to blow up. Coincidentally, another Garland, Flt Lt P.J. of 2 Squadron, would be killed a little later in the day when his Spitfire FR XIV crashed while he was landing at B.77. His was a particularly tragic loss, being the last of four sons of Canadians Patrick and Winifred Garland to be killed flying for the RCAF; the eldest brother, Donald had won the Victoria Cross.

In the meantime 412 Squadron had also undertaken an armed reconnaissance, close behind the Tempests. At midday a lone Ju 88 was encountered over the Dortmund area and was shot down by Flt Lt W.J.Banks. Early in the afternoon 183 Squadron's Typhoons were ordered to A.84, Chievres, but whilst in the circuit at nearby Y.29, Flg Off D.Webber was shot down and killed by a US P-51 pilot, despite the wheels of his aircraft being down. Evidently the Americans were still "twitchy" from the morning's events! This latest example of what is now termed 'blue-on-blue, helped no doubt further to justify the oft-repeated comment: "When the Germans opened fire, we ducked; when we opened fire, the Germans ducked; when the Americans opened fire, EVERYONE ducked."
Even as this unfortunate event was taking place, the Canadian Spitfires were out again, 401 Squadron being followed by 412. A section of aircraft from the former unit attacked Rheine airfield at about 1525 on a 'Rat Hunt' after the ever-elusive Me 262s. On this occasion they caught Bf 109s, three pilots each claiming one shot down, while one of them managed to inflict damage on a fourth. Another section operating to the south of this airfield did spot one of the jets, and damage to this was claimed by Flt Lt John MacKay and his wingman.
Half an hour later two more Bf 109s were seen near Osnabrück by the 412 Squadron pilots, Sqn Ldr Dean Dover and Flt Lt J.A.Swan each claiming one of these shot down.

Nightfall brought considerable activity for the Mosquitoes - both night fighters and intruders - 604 Squadron's crews being much to the fore. Between 2019-2109 Flt Lt R.J. Jack' Foster and his radar operator, Flt Lt M.F.Newton, were able to claim three Ju 88s shot down, while at 2057 Sqn Ldr D.C.Furse/Flt Lt J.H.Downes accounted for an He 219 night fighter. Intruder crews from 21 Squadron also enjoyed an unusual success when they intercepted and shot down two V-1s heading towards targets in Belgium. Into the early hours the mantle was taken up by 219 Squadron's new Mosquito XXXs, Flt Lt F.T.Reynolds/Flg Off F.A.van den Heuvel claiming another night fighter despatched, this time a Bf 110 at 18,000 feet.


2-1-45
The day began with further ill fortune for the Typhoon squadrons at Eindhoven. As 247 Squadron's six available Typhoons taxied along the perimeter track for a long-range 'armed recce, Flt Lt Joe Stubbs, an Australian flight commander of 168 Squadron, was taking off for an air test. The cannon access panels on one wing flew open and the Typhoon swung off the runway and cartwheeled across the airfield straight into one of 247's aircraft. The unfortunate Stubbs perished in the ensuing inferno which was fed by the ruptured long-range tanks; the 247 Squadron pilot escaped with burns which kept him off operations for a month.

Following the recent loss of Sqn Ldr Everard, the pilots of 401 Squadron were delighted to welcome their new commanding officer in the person of Sqn Ldr W.T.Klersy, DFC & Bar, about to commence his second tour.

3-1-45
440 Squadron received eight Typhoons drawn from the other three units of the Wing (438, 439 and 168 Squadrons), which would allow it to continue to operate whilst awaiting new deliveries from 83 GSU. 443 Squadron, newly-returned from APC, now began exchanging its Spitfire IXS for Mark XVIs. The day also saw, at last, the arrival of the all-Dutch 322 Squadron to join 132 Wing. The unit had been allocated to 132 Wing at the beginning of December, changing to 135 Wing and then back to 132 Wing; the Squadron had remained at Biggin Hill whilst ground elements had sought to secure a Continental base. Having given up its Spitfire XIVs for Mark IXES during the summer, this unit too had recently replaced these latter machines with Mark XVIES, flying in these aircraft to B.79, Woensdrecht.

4-1-45
The day brought a resumption of activity in the air during a series of engagements which have proved somewhat confusing to place in context.

During the morning no combats were reported, but 332 Squadron lost two Spitfires to Flak while attacking trains. At 1315 411 Squadron commenced an armed reconnaissance over the Hengelo area, while a quarter of an hour later 442 Squadron undertook a similar operation towards Lingen and Münster, also finding itself near Hengelo.

At about 1350 the first formation encountered seven or more Fw 190s, six of which were claimed shot down, two by Flg Off Malcolm Graham, one each by Flt Lts Dick Audet and John Boyle, this latter pair also sharing one more, while Flt Lt H.D.Carr added the sixth. Flg Off K.J.Thomson reported that he was going to crash-land, and failed to return.

Meanwhile, a few minutes later the 442 Squadron formation reported 15 plus Bf 109s and Fw 190s to the north, pilots claiming one Messerschmitt as a probable and one damaged.

During the early afternoon period I./JG 26 had despatched 23 of its new Fw 190D-9s on an exercise, but aircraft of the Gruppe's 4. Staffel, the last to take off, had lost the rest of the formation in haze, and had headed for the Osnabrück area, where one aircraft suffered an engine fire, the pilot baling out. The remainder changed course to Rheine, where eight Typhoons were spotted below. These however, seemed to be escorted by 10-15 Spitfires which intercepted the Dora-9s as the German pilots dived to attack. Three of the German fighters were shot down at once, and two more were caused to crash-land at Fürstenau; of the three pilots in the former aircraft, all were badly wounded, one dying two weeks later. II./JG 26 was then ordered to despatch a small formation, drawn from 7. and 8. Staffel. As these were forming up near the unit's airfield at Nordhorn, they were attacked by Spitfires. Lt Wilhelm Mayer, a 5. Staffel pilot flying in an 8. Staffel aircraft, was shot down and killed, while a second Focke-Wulf was badly hit and crash-landed near the airfield. Mayer, victor of 27 combats, would be awarded a posthumous Ritterkreuz during the following March.

In his history of JG 26, Don Caldwell has presented an apparently convincing account of these events, suggesting that 411 Squadron accounted for the I. Gruppe aircraft, and 442 Squadron for those of II. Gruppe. This, however, overlooks a number of important points. Firstly, the times given for the German losses appear to indicate that it was the II Gruppe losses which occurred first at around 1400, whilst those of I. Gruppe were at 1600, or thereabouts.

Further, the Tempests of 122 Wing were also extremely active during the day. Flt Lt D.C.'Foob' Fairbanks, who had just moved from 274 Squadron to 3 Squadron, claimed an Fw 190 shot down eight miles north-west of Hengelo airfield at 1405, while Plt Off N.J.Rankin and Flt Sgt L.B.Cook of 80 Squadron claimed another Focke-Wulf north-east of Rheine at 1430, two more being claimed damaged.

Finally, at 1445, Flt Lt J.H.Ryan and Flg Off David Ness of 56 Squadron claimed a pair of fighters identified as Bf 109s five miles south of Osnabrück.

The final anomaly is the fact that I./JG 1 was also operating in the area, and lost four Fw 190A-8s to aircraft identified as British fighters around Oldenzaal, while two of the unit's pilots claimed Spitfires shot down at about 1345. Since the only Allied fighter to be lost in such circumstances was a 411 Squadron Spitfire, and the times were closely similar, it would seem more likely that it was this Luftwaffe unit with which the Canadian squadron had actually clashed. What is clear however, is that on this date 2nd TAF fighter pilots claimed ten German fighters shot down plus one probable and three damaged, while II./JG 26 and I./JG 1 suffered the loss of eight aircraft crashed and three more crash-landed, matching nearly exactly the claims made. The day was, however, rendered easier to check by the absence of any US claims by either the Eighth or Ninth Air Forces.

5-1-45
The night brought a further success for 604 Squadron, three Mosquitoes undertaking patrols between 1900 on 4th and 0350 on 5th. At 0235 Flg Off P.W.Nicholas/Flg Off M.G.Irvine claimed a Ju 88 shot down west of Horstmar.

193 Squadron had a notable success in destroying an important bridge at Vianen. Bridges were difficult targets and often survived any number of near misses; on this occasion however Plt Off Ben Lenson achieved two direct hits and the massive structure sagged into the river.

The fighter-bombers suffered some losses during the day three Spitfires to Flak and two Typhoons to that type's problem of old - engine failure.

6-1-45
The next week was to prove quiet, weather once again constraining activities; freezing fog proved a particular problem at this time. On 6th however, 485 Squadron suffered its first pilot casualty since 20 October 1943 when Flt Lt Stead's Spitfire was hit by debris when he was attacking a train; he crash-landed, but lost his life in doing so. Plt Off Matthew's aircraft was similarly damaged, and he baled out. He was too low however, and was also killed.

[warshipbuilder]

7-1-45
BOMBER COMMAND
MUNICH
645 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitoes of 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8 Groups. 11 Lancasters lost and 4 more crashed in France.

Bomber Command claimed a successful area raid, with the central and some industrial areas being severely damaged. No local details are available. This was the last major raid on Munich.

Minor Operations: 54 Mosquitoes to Hannover, 18 to Nuremberg and 12 to Hanau, 39 R.C.M. sorties, 45 Mosquito patrols. 2 Mosquitoes lost – 1 from the Hannover raid and a 100 Group aircraft.

The last Bomber Command Wellington operation was flown on this night by Flying Officer B. H. Stevens and his crew of 192 Squadron. The Wellington was on an R.C.M. flight over the North Sea ‘to investigate enemy beam signals connected with the launching of flying bombs and believed to emanate from marker buoys’. Bad weather over the North Sea caused the flight to be curtailed but the Wellington landed safely, the last of more than 47,000 sorties carried out by this type of aircraft in Bomber Command.

Total effort for the night: 822 sorties, 17 aircraft (2.1 percent) lost.

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USAAF
ETO: Except for several fighter groups involved in escorting Eighth Air Force heavy bombers, the Ninth Air Force is grounded by bad weather.

GERMANY: Nine hundred eighty-five Eighth Air Force heavy bombers attack marshalling yards, bridges, and other communications targets in western Germany. Three heavy bombers and one of 586 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force and all Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack rail targets throughout northern Italy and ships in the harbors at San Remo and Savona.

During the night of January 7–8, XXII TAC A-20s attack targets of opportunity in the Po River valley.

BASE CHANGES
13 Sqn (Mosquito NF30) moves to B.48 Glisy

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
192 Sqn (Foulsham) flies its last OM in the Wellington X
341 Sqn (Coltishall) flies its last OM in the Spitfire XVI

[warshipbuilder]

8-1-45
USAAF
AUSTRIA: More than 300 Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack the main railroad station and a marshalling yard at Linz and marshalling yards at Graz, Klagenfurt, Salzburg, and Villach.

ETO: The entire Ninth Air Force is grounded by bad weather.

GERMANY: Six hundred four Eighth Air Force heavy bombers attack marshalling yards, bridges, and other communications targets in western Germany. Two heavy bombers are lost.

ITALY: Of three Twelfth Air Force medium-bomber missions dispatched, only six B-25s are able to drop their bombs; the rest abort or are recalled because of bad weather. Fewer than 20 XXII TAC P-47 sorties are effective.

BASE CHANGES
3 Sqn SAAF (Mosquito NF XIII) moves to B.51 Lille/Vendeville

[warshipbuilder]

9-1-45
USAAF
GERMANY: Fifteen 9th Air Division B-26s attack a rail bridge, but all other Ninth Air Force operations are canceled because of bad weather.

ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force is grounded by bad weather, but Twelfth Air Force B-25s are able to attack bridges and an assembly area at four locations, and XXII TAC P-47s attack numerous communications and tactical targets throughout northern Italy.

[warshipbuilder]

11-1-45
BOMBER COMMAND
MOSQUITO OPERATIONS
50 Mosquitoes to Hannover and 3 each to Cologne, Koblenz, Mannheim and Wiesbaden. No aircraft lost.

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USAAF
BELGIUM: 9th Air Division bombers attack communications centers.

GERMANY: 9th Air Division bombers attack communications centers, and Ninth Air Force fighters attack an ammunition dump at Mayen.

ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force and all Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s support U.S. Fifth Army ground forces and attack fuel and ammunition dumps, an alcohol refinery at Piacenza, and road and rail targets.

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
126 Sqn (Perugia) flies its first OM in the Boston V

[warshipbuilder]

11-1-45
401 Sqn RCAF (B.88 Heesch – Spitfire LFIXB)
Oh hum, another inactive day. If it wasn't for the radio and electric gramophone in the Dispersal, things would be pretty dismal. Mary of Arnhem though, keeps us all in pretty good spirits with her rather mixed up versions of the news. Two of the pilots were taken to G.C.C. with some other pilots.

BOMBER COMMAND
KREFELD
152 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H raid on the railway yard in the Uerdingen suburb of Krefeld. A composite report from Krefeld describes this raid as a ‘Grossangriff’, one of only 3 such classifications in the whole war and the report confirms that the bombing was in the ‘eastern districts’ where Uerdingen is located. No other information is available. No aircraft lost.

1 Stirling flew on a Resistance operation.

USAAF
GERMANY: Nine hundred nine Eighth Air Force heavy bombers attack seven bridges spanning the Rhine River and several marshalling yards. Eight heavy bombers and one of 294 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

9th Air Division bombers attack road and rail bridges at three locations.

ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force and the entire Twelfth Air Force are grounded by bad weather.

[warshipbuilder]

12-1-45
401 Sqn RCAF (B.88 Heesch – Spitfire LFIXB)
The Weather was still too poor for my operational flying but a four Sector Recco's and Aircraft Tests were flown. More pilots made the trip to the Medium Artillery Battery and found it very interesting.

BOMBER COMMAND
12 January 1945
BERGEN
32 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito of 9 and 617 Squadrons attacked U-boat pens and shipping in Bergen harbour. 3 Lancasters of 617 Squadron and 1 from 9 Squadron were lost; the Germans told the local people that 11 bombers had been shot down.

A local report says that 3 Tallboys penetrated the 3½-metre-thick roof of the pens and caused severe damage to workshops, offices and stores inside. 2 U-boats – U-775 and U-864 – were slightly damaged. The minesweeper M-1 was sunk in the harbour and the 3,347-ton German cargo ship Olga Simers was damaged and had to be either beached or brought into dry dock (the expression used in the Bergen report is ‘had to be shored’).

Bergen had suffered many civilian casualties in 2 earlier raids but the more accurate bombing on this day resulted in no deaths or damage to civilian houses being incurred in the town. 20 of the 34 German sailors in the minesweeper’s crew were killed and 2 other Germans died.

2 Mosquito fighters of 100 Group flew long-range escort for an air–sea rescue operation and 2 Stirlings flew R.C.M. sorties, all without loss.
________________________________________
12/13 January 1945
MINOR OPERATIONS
11 Mosquitoes to Bochum and 9 to Recklinghausen, both forces to bomb synthetic-benzol plants, and 32 Halifaxes minelaying off Flensburg and Kiel. 4 Halifaxes lost.

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USAAF
ENGLAND: The Eighth Air Force is grounded by bad weather.

ETO: The entire Ninth Air Force is grounded by bad weather.

ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force and all Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack road and rail targets in the Po River valley.

BASE CHANGES
181 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to Warmwell

[warshipbuilder]

13-1-45
409 Sqn RCAF (B.51 Lille-Vendeville – Mosquito NFXIII)
Weather fair, visibility poor. Eight aircraft complete N.F.T’s.
Sector once more released most of our night crews keeping three aircraft at readiness. One aircraft was scrambled during the “wee" hours of the morning. Nothing came of this scramble.

BOMBER COMMAND
SAARBRÜCKEN
158 Lancasters of 3 Group attacked the railway yards. The bombing appeared to be accurate, though with some overshooting. 1 Lancaster crashed in France.

1 Hudson flew on a Resistance operation.
________________________________________
13/14 January 1945
SAARBRÜCKEN
274 aircraft – 242 Halifaxes, 20 Lancasters, 12 Mosquitoes – of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 1 Halifax crashed in France.

Bomber Command assessed this raid, on the railway yards, as being extremely accurate and effective. The only local report says that 20 people – 18 men and 2 women – were killed.

PÖLITZ
218 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitoes of 5 Group attacked this oil plant, near Stettin. 2 Lancasters lost.

This raid had been planned as a blind-bombing attack but, because the weather conditions were better than forecast, low-level marking was carried out and very accurate bombing followed. Bomber Command, on the basis of photographic reconnaissance, states that the oil plant was ‘reduced to a shambles’.

Minor Operations: 19 R.C.M. sorties, 22 Mosquito patrols, 10 Lancasters minelaying off Swinemünde. 1 Mosquito of 100 Group lost.

Total effort for the night: 550 sorties, 4 aircraft (0.7 percent) lost.

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2nd TAF
During the early hours Flt Lt J.W.Welford and Flg Off R.H.Phillips in a 604 Squadron Mosquito XIII claimed a Ju 88 probably destroyed over the Dunkirk area. Daylight, however, brought a bad day for several 2nd TAP units. At 1320 486 Squadron despatched a formation of eight Tempests on an armed reconnaissance over the St Vith area, to provide air cover for the US First Army. Barely had the Tempests arrived when very heavy AA fire was experienced from the American positions near Euskirchen. Most of the Tempests were hit and three were shot down, one pilot baling out while two more, including the Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr A.E. 'Spike' Umbers, force-landed in the American lines. Umbers stormed into an American command post and had to be physically restrained by MPs. Plt Off W.A.Kalka was even fired on during his parachute descent, while Flt Lt L.J.Appleton was not located by the Squadron until 30 January, when he was found in a US Army hospital and was at once transferred to a British one, suffering from a broken collarbone and shrapnel wounds. Another Tempest from 80 Squadron and a 438 Squadron Typhoon also force-landed during the day as a result of Flak damage, the pilot of the former aircraft being captured, while in 274 Squadron, Flt Lt J.A.'Doc' Malloy, an RCAF pilot, failed to pull out of his dive when attacking ground transport, and was killed.

During a raid on Monderfeld by Mitchells of 98 and 320 Squadrons, two Me 262s were seen over the target area. Here one of the Dutch bombers suddenly blew up, apparently its bombs detonating as soon as they were dropped; a second Mitchell nearby caught fire and went down out of control to crash. Although the cause of the premature detonation was not ascertained, there do not seem to have been any claims of a relevant nature by Luftwaffe pilots on this date.

Sadly, Wg Cdr Walter Dring, Wing Leader of 123 Wing, one of the most experienced Typhoon pilots with some 750 hours on type at this time, was killed when his Typhoon hit a bank of snow while landing, and overturned; his place was taken by 'Zip' Button, previously commanding officer of 193 Squadron.

USAAF
GERMANY: Nine hundred nine Eighth Air Force heavy bombers attack seven bridges spanning the Rhine River and several marshalling yards. Eight heavy bombers and one of 294 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

9th Air Division bombers attack road and rail bridges at three locations.

ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force and the entire Twelfth Air Force are grounded by bad weather.

BASE CHANGES
114 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Skeabrae
118 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.86 Helmond
165 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.86 Helmond
182 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.86 Helmond
229 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.60 Grimberghen
245 Sqn (Mustang IA/II) moves to Fairwood Common
264 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.77 Gilze-Regen
410 Sqn RCAF (Non-Op) moves to Turnhouse
443 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.60 Grimberghen
451 Sqn RAAF (Typhoon IB) moves to Fairwood Common

[warshipbuilder]

14-1-45
401 Sqn RCAF (B.88 Heesch – Spitfire LFIXB)

Weather improved to-day and the Squadron was first off at 09.50 hrs. on an Armed Recco. in the REINE/MUNSTER Area.

Great joy was experienced during this operation by the Sqdn. who caught a number of F.W.190's taking off and landing on the TWENTE a/f in Holland, just E. of HENGELO. The Sqdn. attacked immediately and during the combat that followed 5 F.W.190s were shot down and destroyed. F/Lt. J. MacKay (CAN J.12656) destroyed three of these which brought his score up to 7 e/a destroyed and 1 damaged. F/O D.B. Dack (CAN J.56967) destroyed one and F/Lt. F.T. Murray (CAN J.18118) also destroyed one. F/Lt. R.J. Land (CAN J.11579) was last seen following F/Lt. MacKay over the drome. He did not return and is listed as Missing.

A second Squadron show took off at 13.56 hrs in the same Area but it proved uneventful. The third and last show was airborne at 15.10 hrs, but it was also uneventful except for one aerodrome being straffed with no seen results and one loco damaged.

ADDENDUM – Spitfire LFIXB MH761 YO-? Pilot:F/L RJ Land KIA. Buried in Odenzaal RC Cemetery.

BOMBER COMMAND
14 January 1945
SAARBRÜCKEN
134 Lancasters of 3 Group attacked the railway yards in clear visibility and without loss.
________________________________________
14/15 January 1945
LEUNA
573 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitoes of 1, 5, 6 and 8 Groups carried out two attacks, 3 hours apart, on the synthetic-oil plant. The attacks caused severe damage throughout the plant. Albert Speer, in his post-war interrogations, stated that this was one of a group of most damaging raids on the synthetic-oil industry carried out during this period. 10 Lancasters lost.

GREVENBROICH
151 aircraft – 136 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitoes, 3 Lancasters – of 6 and 8 Groups attacked the railway yards. The raid was successful and no aircraft were lost.

DÜLMEN
115 aircraft – 100 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitoes, 3 Lancasters – of 4 and 8 Groups attempted to bomb a Luftwaffe fuel-storage depot at Dülmen, near Münster, but most of the bombing fell in open country south and south-east of the target. Only slight damage was caused to the fuel dump. 1 Halifax lost.

SUPPORT AND MINOR OPERATIONS
126 training aircraft on a diversionary sweep over the North Sea, 83 Mosquitoes to Berlin and 9 to Mannheim, 58 R.C.M. sorties, 54 Mosquito patrols, 21 Halifaxes and 10 Lancasters minelaying off Oslo and in the Kattegat. 1 Lancaster from the diversionary sweep and 1 Mosquito of 100 Group were lost; 3 Mosquitoes from the Berlin raid crashed in Belgium and 1 R.C.M. Liberator crashed in Holland. A further 7 aircraft from the sweep and 5 Mosquitoes from the Berlin raid crashed in England because of bad weather.

Total effort for the night: 1,214 sorties, 17 aircraft (1.4 percent) lost and 14 aircraft crashed in England.

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2nd TAF
Soon after midnight a night fighter success occurred when Wg Cdr Desmond Hughes and his radar operator, Laurie Dixon, claimed a Ju 188 to the south of Rotterdam. Daylight, however, brought a day of critical action, and the 14th was to go down as 'Black Sunday' for the Jagdwaffe as Allied formations spread across the skies of Western Europe.

Heavy bombing raids by the Eighth Air Force on oil targets throughout central Germany by 911 bombers and 860 escorting fighters, brought up the Luftwaffe's fighters in strength - but to little avail. The two main home defence Jagdgeschwader of I. Jagdkorps, JG 300 and JG 301, suffered devastating casualties to the far-ranging fighters of 8th Fighter Command, the pillots of the P-51s and P-47s claiming 155 victories. Additionally, gunners in the bombers claimed 31 more, plus nine probables (although on past performance most of such claims can probably be discounted). RAF Bomber Command despatched 134 Lancasters by day to bomb railyards at Saarbrücken, escorting Mustangs of 64 Squadron adding claims for a further seven destroyed and one probable.

The vast majority of these claims were identified as Fw 190s and Bf 109s, but included two Me 262s-9./JG 7, indeed, losing three such aircraft to fighters. JG 300 lost 51 aircraft, with 39 pilots killed or wounded - most of them whilst flying Messerschmitts; JG 301, mounted entirely in Focke- Wulfs, lost 30 more pilots, the total of aircraft lost not being known.

Amongst the units operating in the west, the 8th Air Force's fighters also caught the Bf 109s of IV./JG 54 over the Münsterland area and shot down 14 of them, ten of the pilots becoming casualties. The rest of those German units in the air during the day seem also to have fallen foul frequently of the bomber escorts, for JG 1, JG 2, JG 3, JG 4, JG 11, JG 26, JG 27, JG 53 and JG 77 lost a further 92 aircraft, at least 35-40 of which would appear to have been lost to these opponents.

The tactical air forces played their part as well, but to a somewhat lesser degree. Ninth Air Force fighter-bomber and tactical reconnaissance pilots claimed 23 (three of which were not confirmed), while as will be recounted, 2nd TAF added 22 more.

Thus total Allied claims against the Jagdwaffe amounted to 238, 207 of them by fighters. Against these claims, Luftwaffe losses are known to have amounted to at least 176 aircraft, plus any from JG 301 from which the pilots extricated themselves unharmed. This represents an extremely high degree of accuracy in claiming in the circumstances pertaining.

For 2nd TAF, first off on this momentous morning were a pair of Tempests of 274 Squadron on a weather reconnaissance over the Paderborn area at 0900. Here Flt Lt H.A.Crafts attacked a locomotive on the railway running towards Hamm. As he pulled up from his attack he saw an aircraft heading west; rapidly closing, he identified it as an He 219 night fighter, which was swiftly despatched. Lt Reinhold Lehr of I./NJG 1 and his radar operator were killed. The Spitfires of 126 Wing were next off, 411 Squadron leading at 0935, followed by 442 Squadron, and then by 401 Squadron. At about 1020, 411 Squadron's pilots spotted at least 11 Fw 190s over the general Cosfeld/Rheine/Hengelo area, and three of these were claimed shot down, one each by Flt Lts Dick Audet and John Boyle, and Flg Off J.A.Doran. At much the same time 442 Squadron arrived over the Twente area, attacking and claiming shot down three more Fw 190s; one of these fell to Flg Off A.J.Urquhart who was then obliged to bale out when his own Spitfire was hit.

At approximately 1035, 401 Squadron's pilots, who had been accompanying 442 Squadron on the sweep, spotted Fw 190s landing and taking off from Twente airfield, and dived down to claim five of these, three of them by Flt Lt Johnnie MacKay personally. However, one of this unit's Spitfires was also hit, and Flt Lt R.J.Land failed to return.

There is little doubt that the Canadians had inflicted grievous losses on I./JG 1, this unit losing ten Fw 190A-8s and A-9s to the Spitfires, plus a single 'Langnasen Dora. The latter was flown by Uffz Gunther Sill, who was credited with having shot down one of the attacking fighters before he too was shot down and killed while still completing his take-off. Of the 11 pilots shot down, only one survived, but he too had been hit and was wounded.

Even as the 126 Wing pilots were so engaged, Flt Lt D.C.Fairbanks was leading a flight of Tempests of 3 Squadron, during which operation he was personally to claim a Bf 109 north-west of Paderborn and an Fw 190 south-west of Gutersloh.

Eight more Tempests from 486 Squadron undertook a sweep to the Paderborn area, commencing at 1125, and some 30 minutes later their pilots spotted a Bf 109 and an Fw 190 to the north of Münster. It seems that at least the former was an aircraft of III/JG 26, heading north at low-level following a heavy engagement with Eighth Air Force P-51s near Koblenz. Flg Off Colin McDonald closed to 200 yards and opened fire, seeing hits. He was then attacked by the Fw 190 and was forced to take evasive action, but his wingman saw the Messerschmitt - a Bf 109K - turn and crash near a small wood; 10. Staffel's Lt Walter Kopp was killed.

At very much the same time, and to the south-west of Münster, six Typhoons from 184 Squadron had been strafing MET when four Bf 109s were seen, three of these being pursued. One broke away and was 'bounced' by Wt Off A.J.Cosgrove, whose fire caused the aircraft to blow up- the Squadron's first ever victory of the war; a second was claimed damaged. Fifteen minutes later the New Zealand Tempest pilots spotted five more German fighters, one Fw 190 being claimed damaged by Wt Off Johnny Wood.

56 Squadron's Tempests were also out during the middle part of the day, and their pilots intercepted Fw 190s to the south-west of Gutersloh, Flg Off J.J.Payton claiming one shot down, a second being shared by Flt Lt J.H.Ryan and Plt Off J.E.Hughes. It has not proved possible to identify the opponents of the various Tempest squadrons, nor of 184 Squadron, with any degree of confidence, for so many Luftwaffe units were operating in the area, and suffered so many losses during the day. It is possible that 56 Squadron's victims were Fw 190A-8s of JG 11, which reported the loss in combat of a number of these aircraft.

There is much greater clarity regarding the rest of the day's activities, however. With their enthusiasm for combat heightened by the numbers of German aircraft in the air, some of the Ninth Air Force P-47 pilots appear to have allowed this to run away with them, and they were responsible for shooting down two Typhoons. One of these fell to the east of Haltern where 174 Squadron's Flg Off G.B.Chapman became a prisoner; Flt Sgt D.C.Horn's 247 Squadron Typhoon was hit in the engine, but he managed to stretch his glide into Allied territory, only to be killed when his aircraft came down three miles south-west of Ewijk, struck the bank of a dyke and burst into flames.

In the mid-afternoon 132 Wing's two Norwegian squadrons swept over the Rheine/Achmer area, setting off at 1440. Three of 331 Squadron's Spitfires returned early, leaving 21 fighters to complete the sweep. The pilots of these reported meeting large formations of Bf 109s and Fw 190s, and at least five Me 262s, to the west of Rheine. 332 Squadron dived to attack, Capt K.Bolstad shooting down Me 262 9K+LP of 6./KG 51 at 1520, in which Uffz Friedrich Christoph was killed. The Dora-9s of I./JG 26 then joined the combat, apparently together with some Bf 109s. Maj Martin Gran and 2/Lt O.K.Roald of 331 Squadron each claimed a Messerschmitt, while Capt Helmer Grundt-Spang of this unit and 2/Lt O.Wagtskjold of 332 Squadron each claimed a Focke-Wulf. A third German fighter was seen to be shot down by 2/Lt J.P.Ditlev-Simonsen, but he failed to recover from his attack and his Spitfire was observed to fly into the ground. A fourth Fw 190 was claimed damaged by Capt Ola Aanjesen of 332 Squadron, but two of this unit's Spitfires were lost, Lt Hassel and Flt Sgt Syversen both apparently having fallen to the enemy fighters.

Three of I./JG 26's Dora-9s were indeed lost, with two of the pilots killed and the third wounded; Uffz Karl Russ's 'White 6' was seen to collide with a Spitfire - probably one of the 332 Squadron aircraft and both were reported to have crashed in flames. Two claims for Spitfires were made, one by Maj Karl Borris, the Gruppenkommandeur, as his 43rd, and one by Lt Karl-Heinz Ossenkopf, who shot his victim down as it was on the tail of one of the unit's other pilots. He was subsequently told that his victim had been a 'Polish Major.

Several units undertook strafing attacks on airfields during the day, 3 Squadron's Flt Lt K.F.Thiele claiming two Ju 52/3m transports destroyed at Detmold early in the afternoon, while Flt Sgt Rose claimed damage to two Fw 190s here. 74 Squadron's Spitfires made a similar attack on Rheine, where three more Focke-Wulfs were also claimed damaged.

Employing its Spitfire XIVs against ground targets, and led by its new Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr Terry Spencer, who had been posted in from 41 Squadron earlier in the month, 350 Squadron achieved 125 Wing's best results of the day, claiming 4 MET destroyed and 20 damaged, two staff cars, two motorcycles and 25 SS personnel. These results were typical of those achieved on many of the sorties now being flown by both the Tempest and Griffon-Spitfire units. Two of 16 Squadron's PR Spitfires were intercepted on this date, one of them by what appeared to be a pair of Me 163s in the Düsseldorf area. Flg Off W.F.Barker took such violent evasive action that he blacked out, and upon recovering the use of his eyes, saw a column of smoke from the ground which he thought had been caused by one of his attackers crashing; he was credited with having caused the destruction of this aircraft. A second of the unit's aircraft, flown by Flt Lt J.M.Campbell-Horsfall, failed to return from the same area, and it was surmised that he may have fallen to another Me 163. However, Lt Kaiser-Dieckhoff of I./JG 77 claimed two victories in the Düsseldorf area on this date, one of them a Spitfire, and it is possible that it was he who brought down the 16 Squadron machine. His second claim was for a twin-engined aircraft which may have been a Ninth Air Force B-26.

The results of this catastrophic day for the Luftwaffe had been very severe. Apart from the appalling losses sustained by JG 300 and JG 301, and by IV./JG 54, JG 26 had suffered its worst pilot losses of the war (worse even than 1 January), with 12 pilots killed and three more wounded. Adolf Hitler was by now very disillusioned with the ability of the Jagdwaffe to achieve cost-effective results in the West, feeling that there was probably more that they could do in the East against the Soviets. Next day, 15 January, JG 1 and JG 11 were transferred to the Eastern Front, where a big Soviet offensive had commenced. More units were to follow, and by the end of January all four Gruppen of JG 3, and three of JG 77 had been transferred there, as had the remains of JG 6 and elements of JG 4. Despite these departures, Luftflotte 3 in the West was numerically far stronger than it had been through much of 1944, although this was to prove of little value in practice.

During the next few days, weather and the absence of the Luftwaffe reduced activities considerably, but the period was marked by some movements and changes of command. In 127 Wing a well-known fighter pilot of the early war years, Grp Capt P.S. 'Stan' Turner, DFC & Bar, arrived to take over command from Grp Capt W.R.MacBrien. The Wing welcomed 403 Squadron back from APC, but on 15th 402 Squadron left to take its place at 17 APC, Warmwell, with its Spitfire XIVs.

Next day Sqn Ldr 'Spud'Spurdle, DFC, departed 80 Squadron to become Wg Cdr Administration at 83 Group, handing the unit over to Sqn Ldr E.D.Mackie, who had been gaining experience as a supernumary with 274 Squadron. On 19th Sqn Ldr Dean Dover, DFC & Bar, would leave 412 Squadron, being replaced by Sqn Ldr M.D.Boyd. On this same date 164 and 183 Squadrons returned to B.77 following their short detachment at A.84 at Chievres.

USAAF
ETO: More than 280 9th Air Division bombers attack German Army ground forces in the shrinking Ardennes (Bulge) salient and in nearby areas of Germany.

GERMANY: Eight hundred forty-seven Eighth Air Force heavy bombers attack oil-industry targets and highway bridges. Seven B-17s and eight of 645 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

In the best one-day tally of World War II, USAAF fighter pilots down a record 174 GAF fighters over Germany and the Netherlands between 1010 and 1610 hours. Capt Leonard K. Carson, a P-51 ace with the 357th Fighter Group’s 363d Fighter Squadron, attains a final personal tally of 18.5 confirmed victories when he downs two FW-190s and a Bf-109 near Berlin at about 1240 hours; Maj John B. England, the commanding officer of the 357th Fighter Group’s 362d Fighter Squadron, brings his final personal tally to 17.5 confirmed victories when he downs a Bf-109 in the same action; 1stLt John “L” Sublett, a P-51 pilot with the 357th Fighter Group’s 362d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two Bf-109s near Berlin at 1240 hours; LtCol Irwin H. Dregne, the 357th Fighter Group commanding officer, achieves ace status when he downs a Bf-109 near Brandenburg at 1245 hours; LtCol Andrew J. Evans, Jr., the 357th Fighter Group executive officer, achieves ace status when he downs two Bf-109s and two FW-190s near Brandenburg; Capt Chester K. Maxwell, a P-51 pilot with the 357th Fighter Group’s 364th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs three FW-190s near Berlin; 1stLt Charles E. Weaver, a P-51 pilot with the 357th Fighter Group’s 364th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs a Bf-109 and an FW-190 near Berlin; and 1stLt Harley L. Brown, a P-51 pilot with the 20th Fighter Group’s 55th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two Bf-109s over Perleberg at 1245 hours.

The 357th Fighter Group’s score of 56 victories is the highest tally by a single USAAF unit on a single mission.

ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force and the entire Twelfth Air Force are grounded by bad weather.

During the night of January 14–15, XXII TAC A-20s attack crossing points in the Po River valley.

NETHERLANDS: 1stLt Ernest O. Bostrom, a P-51 pilot with the 352d Fighter Group’s 486th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs an FW-190 near Almelo at 1415 hours; and Maj Gordon M. Graham, the commanding officer of the 355th Fighter Group’s 354th Fighter Squadron, in P-51s, achieves ace status when he downs two FW-190s near Meppel at 1430 hours.


BASE CHANGES
137 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.60 Grimberghen
603 Sqn (Mustang I) moves to Harrowbeer

[warshipbuilder]

15-1-45
401 Sqn RCAF (B.88 Heesch – Spitfire LFIXB)
After a good day of flying as is the custom in Holland, the weather closed in again to-day and no flying was carried out by the Squadron.

Some pilots of the Sqdn. visited the Governor General's Footguards Regiment and the 23rd R.C.A. Units in the vicinity in the afternoon. The pilots got a great kick out of firing the 75mm guns themselves.
The Sqdn. was released early in the afternoon with hopes for the morrow.

BOMBER COMMAND
RECKLINGHAUSEN
82 Lancasters of 3 Group attacked a benzol plant. The bombing appeared to be excellent. No aircraft lost.

BOCHUM
63 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H raid through thick cloud on the Robert Muser benzol plant. No results known. No aircraft lost.

1 Hudson on a Resistance operation.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack marshalling yards and other rail targets near Vienna.

GERMANY: Six hundred nineteen Eighth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack six marshalling yards and four towns in western Germany, and 62 VIII Fighter Command P-51 fighter-bombers bomb a marshalling yard. Two of 511 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Sixteen 9th Air Division bombers attack a bridge.

1stLt Robert P. Winks, a P-51 pilot with the 357th Fighter Group’s 364th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs an Me-262 over Schongau Airdrome at noon.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Treviso; Twelfth Air Force B-25s mount nearly 150 effective sorties against six bridges

During the night of January 15–16, XII TAC A-20s attack road targets around Genoa and Milan.

BASE CHANGES
263 Sqn (Mustang III) moves to Andrews Field
268 Sqn (Non-Op) moves to Alghero

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16-1-45
401 Sqn RCAF (B.88 Heesch – Spitfire LFIXB)
The morning looked pretty good at first so 401 got ready for an early take off. Due to an early S.O.S. sent to the weatherman by Herr Hitler, however, the weather closed in rapidly with much fog. The weather stayed duff for most of the day, clearing a bit too late for any shows to be put in. The Sqdn. was released around 1650 hrs.

BOMBER COMMAND
16/17 January 1945
MAGDEBURG
371 aircraft – 320 Halifaxes, 44 Lancasters, 7 Mosquitoes – of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 17 Halifaxes lost, 4.6 percent of the total force, 5.3 percent of the Halifax force.

This was an area raid. Bomber Command claimed that it was successful, with 44 percent of the built-up area being destroyed. No local report is available.

ZEITZ
328 Lancasters of 1, 6 and 8 Groups. 10 Lancasters lost, 3.0 percent of the force.

The target was the Braunkohle-Benzin synthetic-oil plant near Leipzig. Much damage was caused to the northern half of the plant.

BRÜX
231 Lancasters and 6 Mosquitoes of 1 and 5 Groups attacked this synthetic-oil plant in Western Czechoslovakia. The raid was a complete success. Speer also mentioned this raid as causing a particularly severe setback to oil production. 1 Lancaster lost.

WANNE-EICKEL
138 Lancasters of 3 Group attacked the benzol plant. No results known. 1 Lancaster lost.

Minor Operations: 17 Mosquitoes to Mannheim and 9 to Hamburg, 55 R.C.M. sorties, 52 Mosquito patrols, 23 Halifaxes and 8 Lancasters minelaying off Oslo and in the Kattegat. 1 Mosquito of 100 Group lost.

Total effort for the night: 1,238 sorties, 30 aircraft (2.4 percent) lost.

2nd TAF
The day proved to be a bad one for the Spitfire XIV units, no fewer than six of these fighters falling victim to Flak during the day, as well as one Tempest. Three of the Spitfire pilots baled out, the rest force-landing, as did the Tempest pilot, who then became a PoW.

USAAF
ETO: Following a shift of fighter units to favor the most active U.S. field armies, the Ninth Air Force’s three tactical air commands are organized thusly: IX TAC—48th, 366th, 370th, 404th, and 474th Fighter groups; XIX TAC—354th, 362d, 365th, 367th, 368th, 405th, and 406th Fighter groups; and XXIX TAC—36th and 373d Fighter groups.

GERMANY: Sixty-one 2d Air Division B-24s attack an oil refinery at Magdeburg; 61 2d Air Division B-24s attack a munitions plant at Magdeburg (secondary); 67 2d Air Division B-24s attack an oil refinery at Ruhland; 138 2d Air Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Dresden (secondary); 146 3d Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Dessau (secondary); and 96 3d Air Division B-17s attack a chemical plant at Bitterfeld. Two B-24s and one of 586 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Three hundred eleven 9th Air Division bombers attack bridges, a motor-vehicle repair center, communications centers, and various other targets.

ITALY: The Fifteenth Air Force and most Twelfth Air Force aircraft are grounded by bad weather. Only 16 XXII TAC P-47 sorties are completed against communications targets in the Po River valley.

BASE CHANGES
317 Sqn (Mustang III) moves to Peterhead

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
302 Sqn (Grottaglie) flies its last OM in the Wellington XI
340 Sqn (Skipton-on-Swale) flies its last OM in the Halifax III