Thursday, February 24, 1944. Big Week Climax.

 

B-26 “Marauder” bomber roars over Luftwaffe airfield at Leeuwarden, Holland, February 24, 1944.

The Gothaer Waggonfabrik (Gotha) aircraft plant was hit as part of the Big Week.

The plant had been targeted for February 22, but bad weather had prevented the raid from occurring.  On this day, 239 B-24s raided the plant.

Typical for such things, the US Army Air Force regarded the raid as a huge success.  In reality, however, the lead bombardier, who controlled the run ins via the Norden Bomb site, suffered from anoxia due to a faulty oxygen mask and mistook Eisenach as the primary target. Forty-three bombers accordingly followed his error. Thirty-four B-24s were shot down, twenty-nine were damaged.  Three aircrewmen were killed, six wounded and 324 went missing.  169 bombers did get through, and the plant was heavily damaged.

The Messerschmidt plants at Regensburg and Augsburg were hit and heavily damaged as well.  Production was disrupted, but as Albert Speer noted, the damage was to the frame plant which was quickly put back into production.  Had the engine plant been hit, results would have been different.

It was the climax of The Big Week.

The Allies prevailed in the Battle of Arawe.

The Red Army took Rogachev.

Finnish Prime Minister Edwin Linkomies announced that Finland wanted to restore peace with the Soviet Union.

The U-761 was sunk by tow U.S. Navy PBY's assisted by two Royal Navy destroyers.

The U-257 was depth charged and sank on the same day.

Merrill's Marauders began their march north in Burma.

U.S. Army 81 mm mortar crew on Bougainville, February 24, 1944.

U.S. Navy Gunner Frank S. Hughes giving instructions on firing a M1 Thompson Sub Machine Gun on the fantail of USS Gambier Bay (CVE 73), February 24, 1944.

Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Michigan, at an altitude of 500 feet, looking at 90 degrees. Photographed by Naval Air Station, Detroit, February 24, 1944.