Friday, February 25, 1944. Operation Avalanche concludes.

Operation Argument, the "Big Week", concluded.  The last raid was as combinedone by the US 8th and 15th Air Forces on the Messerschmidt works at Regensburg and Augsburg followed by the RAF hitting the same target that night.

Regarded as an Allied victory, actual results

• On 2/20 the 1st, 2nd and 3d Bombardment group failed to reach its target and attacked their secondary targets.
• On 2/21 all the 924 bombers launched failed to hit their assigned targets and all hit secondary targets.
• On 2/22, 252 B-24s were assigned targets, but only 177 were launched and only 74 saw combat action.  None of the 33 B-17s in the 3d Bombardment Division reached their targets as they were all recalled due to weather conditions.
• 2/23.  All operations were suspended due to bad weather.
• 2/24.  The RAF conducted an ineffective raid on aircraft plants at Schweinfurt.
• 2/25/26 The RAF carried out an accurate and effective raid on Augsburg, destroying 60% of the city.  It had been hit earlier than day by the 8th and 15th U.S. Air Forces.

During the offensive, the Eighth Air Force lost 97 B-17s, 40 B-24s and another 20 aircraft were scrapped due to damage. Operational strength of bomber units dropped from 75% to 54%.  The 15th Air Force lost 14.6% of its operational strength.  RAF Bomber Command, which of course operated at night, lost 5.7% of its strength.  It is noted by historians that these losses were significantly smaller than prior raids.

German losses were massively overestimated by Allied aircrews, something that was highly typical.  However, the Germans did sustain high losses of fighters overall, with the mission partially designed to draw in fighter attacks.  14% of its fighter pilots were killed in the raid, a loss that ended up partially crippling the Luftwaffe for the remainder of the war.

The accidental bombing of Nijmegen was a humanitarian disaster.  Perhaps somewhat ironically, Queen Wilhelmina's home in exile was bombed on this day by the Luftwaffe, and she narrowly escaped death.

B-17G "Nine O Nine"

The Collins Foundation B-17G Nine O Nine.  This plane isn't the original Nine O Nine, but a B-17G painted to match the original Nine O Nine's colors.

Riding in a B-17

B-17G Madras Maiden

A B-17 and a B-24

The B-17 Nine-O-Nine, which has appeared here in prior photographs, back at the Natrona County International Airport.

The Republic of Iceland was founded with the Icelandic parliament, severing ties with the Danish monarchy.  A referendum in May would make it official.

The Tango Maru was sunk in the Java Sea by the Rasher, taking 3,500 Japanese laborers and hundreds of Allied POWs down with her.  The Rasher also sank the Ryūsei Maru that same day with 5,000 Japanese soldiers going down with her.

The HMS Inglefield was sun by a guided bomb off of Anzio.