A. Fighter; Total claims against enemy aircraft during the month were 39-0-13 in the air and 1-0-2 on the ground. Missions 25 Sorties 296 d. Flak.— XIX TAC aircraft losses for the month because of flak Tons Bombs on Tgts 128 were unusually high. Out of the 50 aircraft lost, 35 were victims of Tons Frags 14.69 flak. The enemy, realizing that the greatest threat to the success of Tons Napalm 7.15 its ARD3NNBS salient was American air power, built up a very strong Tons Incendiaries 10.25 anti-aircraft defense around the entire area. Rockets 22 Claims (air) 4-1-1 The TTY TAC A-2 Flak Officer, reporting near the end of the Geraan retreat from the Bulge area, said: B. Reconnaissance: "The proportion of flak protection to troops and area involved (in Tac/R Sorties 58/36 1. INTRODUCTION. the ARDENNES area) was higher than in any previous operation in this P/R Sorties 7/6 war's history. Artillery sorties 4/2 a. General.— opening the year of 1945, the XIX Tactical Air Com­ mand-Third US Army team had a big job on its hands before it could re­ "Flak units were apparently given the highest priorities in supply C. Night Fighter: sume the assault of the SIEGFRIED LINE. The German breakthrough into of fuel and ammunition. They must also have been given a great degree of the ARDENNES had been checked but not yet smashed. The enemy columns freedom in moving over roads always taxed to capacity. Sorties 15 which had surged toward the MEUSE were beginning to withdraw, for the Claims (air) 1-0-0 v­ wily Rundstedt's best-laid plans had been wrecked on the rock of BAS­ "In addition to the tremendous quantities of mobile flak assigned TOGNS. to this offensive, it would appear from prisoner-of-war reports and an R3SULTS OF ATTACKS analysis of developments that at least two large self-propelled flak January was to see the complete reduction of the onoe«threatening task forces had been organized. It was the mission of these self-propel* Destroyed or Damaged: ARDENNES salient. As the German withdrawal turned to hasty retreat, XIX led units to protect the most important forward communications centers TAG, on 22 January, rolled up its record score of the war against enemy immediately upon their capture. Probably these units were to be reliev­ Motor Transport 125 motor .transport, destroying or damaging 1,713 vehicles on the roads run­ ed as soon as possible by mobile flak units and were to 'leapfrog' one Tanks and Armored Vehicles 9 ning east from the ARDENNES. By the end of January the enemy had been another in movement toward the west. Locomotives 1 driven back to the point from which he launched his desperate offensive, Railroad Cars 68 and our forces were hammering hard at his SIEGFRIED TTM defenses. Bridges 4 "At the time of the enemy's farthest advance toward the west, when Gun Position 1 With the sudden shift of emphasis to the northward in December, the attack bogged down, there were 545 light flak guns and 198 heavy Buildings 17 Third Army Headquarters had moved from NANCY, FRANCS, to the city of flak guns (ezolusive of self-propelled units) in the 450-square-mile LUXEMBOURG, in the little Duchy of the same name. On 8 January Advance area of the pooket from HOUFFALIZS westward, so efficient was enemy flak Attacked: Headquarters of XIX TAG likewise moved from NANCY to LUXEMBOURG, where organization that at this time there were no communication centers in subsequent operations were conducted from the office building of the the "bulge" without an adequate flak defense." Marshalling Yards 9 ARBED steel corporation* Troop Concentrations 1 a. Communications.— The close proximity of the Command Headquar­ Towns 13 Operating with 8 combat groups during January, XIX TAG flew 5,937 ters of XIX TAC (NANCY, FRANCS) to the 8 fighter-bomber groups, which Rail cuts 17 fighter-bomber sorties, as compared with 6,651 in December, 3,509 in were located along the MARNE RIVER generally between REIMS and ST. Highway Cuts 8 November, 4,790 in October, 7,741 in September and 12,292 in August. DIZIXR, made for good communications. When the Command Headquarters moved from NANCY to LUXEMBOURG on 8 January there was no break in com­ On 1 January operations were begun with the 354th Group at ROSIERSS­ munications. At one time during the month, however, a dynamited bridge CLAIMS AND RESULTS OF ATTACKS EN-HAY3; 362nd Group and the 425th Night Fighter Squadron at STAIN; in FRANCS caused our underground cable to go out. This created a tem­ 405th Group at ST. DIZIER; 406th Group at MOURMELON; 365th Group at METZ; porary break in our good communications. Commercial underground cables BY XIX TACTICAL AIR COMMAND 367th Group and the 368th Group at JUVINCOURT; and the 361st Group (on were used throughout January. DS from the Eighth Air Force) at ST DIZIER; all in FRANCS. The 10th Photo Group, Reconnaissance, was located at CONFLANS, FRANCE, and the 2. CHRONICLE OF OPERATIONS. 1 December through 31 December 1945 100th Fighter Wing was at METZ. The first day of the new year saw fighter-bombers of XIX TAC On 4 January the 368th Group moved from JUVINCOURT to METZ and on pounding motor transports of the enemy making their slow retreat from DSST. PROB. DSST. DAMAGED 30 January the 406th Group moved from MOURMELON to METZ. During the the farthest stretches of the "Breakthrough Bulge". Our pilots had aa month TTT TAG lost two Groups, the 365th Group on 30 January aod the a priority target rail or highway rolling stock carrying troops or ENEMY AIRCRAFT IN AIR 138 14 42 361st Group on 31 January, as the urgency of the bulge disappeared. supplies from the ARDENNES area. The enemy was retreating slowly but 8 definitely, fighting bitterly as he withdrew. ENSMY AIRCRAFT ON GROUND - 5 b. Weather.— Weather favored the enemy considerably during Jan­ uary. Heavy overcast, accompanied by snow and sleet, frequently enabled On 1 January XIX TAC fighter-bombers flew a successful day of sus­ MOTOR TRANSPORT 2,754 85 37 German motor transport and armored columns to move unhampered by our air tained operations against enemy transport, tanks and gun positions. A 332 40 power. Only 7 days during January were completely operational, 8 were total of 457 successful sorties were flown by 8 operational groups. TANKS AND ARMORED VEHICLES 185 non-operational and 16 days permitted partial operations. LOCOMOTIVES 211 5 53 The 368th Group's 397th Squadron, on armed recce in the SINZIG c. Enemy Air Activity.— The German Air Force attempted a comeback area, located 50 MT in a bivouac area in the woods at L-2436, north of on 1 January when it struck at 14 Allied airfields including XIX TAC's TRIER. Dropping 16 500-pound OP bombs and strafing, the Group claimed RAILROAD CARS 1,605 213 2,313 Y-34 at METZ, FRANCS, which was strafed by 15 ME-109s from 0922 to 0930 them all destroyed. On the same mission the 397ta Squadron launcned 16 hours. The raiders approached at deck level in flights of three and rockets and strafed at L-4046, in the TRIER area, claiming destruction BRIDGES 9 3 16 strafed singly in all four directions. The attack destroyed 20 of our of 24 MT and damage to 14 other motor vehioles. This Group claimed a to­ aircraft; 11 were damaged Cat AC and 3 Cat A. Anti-aircraft units on GUN EMPLACEMENTS 378 36 tal of 82 RR cars and 161 MT during the day. 98 the MSTZ airfield destroyed 12 of the attacking German planes. Third Army anti-aircraft units claimed destruction of 6 out of 10 German DUMPS 31 1 11 Flying in cooperation with III Corps, the 354th Group bombed a planes that hit the METZ area simultaneously with the attack on the MSTZ large warehouse at GRUFLANG, southwest of ST. VITH. The warehouse ex­ airdrome. BUILDINGS 444 26 147 ploded and pilots reported debris that reached 2,000 feet in the air. The building was believed to have contained gasoline. Another explo­ HORSE-DRAWN VEHICLES 125 - 54 Aside from this ill-fated attempt at regaining air supremacy on the sion was observed by the 405th Group in the RR yards at ALZSY (M-2827) Western Front, the Luftwaffe showed itself in strength against XIX TAC following an attack made by that Group. The pilots reported red flames BARGES 1 - 2 units only two other times during January. reaching 1,000 feet. OTHER STATISTICS On 14 January 368th Group's 397th Squadron was attacked by 50 P-38s of the 367th Group, on armed recce in the WORKS-FRANKFURT MB-109s and FW-190s 4 miles west of NSUSTADT at 1030 hours. Six of our area, attacked the marshalling yards at 0.-7486, northeast of HOMBURG, MARSHALLING YARDS ATTACKED 114 aircraft and pilots were lost in the encounter; our pilots claimed the and a marshalling yard at NEUSTADT. Pilots claimed destroyed or damaged destruction of 2 FW-190s. On the same day five enemy planes were claim­ 102 rail cars. AIRFIELDS ATTACKED 3 ed destroyed for no loss when 395th squadron of the 368th Group encount­ ered 50 to 60 ME-1098 and FW-190& just south of MAINZ at 1530 hours. The night fighter pilots pursued, but lost, a flying bomb believed TROOP CONCENTRATIONS ATTACKED 107 to have been launched from the woods northeast of BAUMHOLDSR at L-4418.