Eighth Air Force. 1,223 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
heavy bombers attack marshalling yards at Fulda and Plauen,
industrial areas around military vehicle and optical works
at Jena and Zwickau, airfields and jet aircraft plants at
Neuburg an der Donau, Baumenheim, and Leipheim, and industrial
and city areas at Plauen and Saalfeld. P-51 Mustang fighter-bombers
fly 606 effective sorties in support of heavy bombers. Over
100 fighters, including 36 jets in formation largest number
yet seen as a unit are encountered. United States fighters
claim 42 fighters destroyed including 3 jets.
Ninth Air Force. United States Army Air Force (USAAF) 9th
Bomber Division strikes 2 marshalling yards, 5 rail bridges,
command centre and several casual targets as part of interdiction
program to impede enemy movement. Fighters escort 9th Bomber
Division, fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, support United
States III Corps West of Remagen, co-operates with XII Corps'
4th Armoured Division East of Kaiserslautern as it drives
toward the Rhine. Fighter-bombers of XIX Tactical Air Command,
on special mission, bomb Headquarters of commander-in-chief
West Field Marshall
Gerd
von Rundstedt at Ziegenberg.
Twelfth Air Force. United States Army Air Force (USAAF) XXII
Tactical Air Command light bombers strike heavily against
general movement in Po Valley during
18-19
March 1945, and are followed during day by fighters and fighter-bomber
attacks on command in Central Po Valley and Northeast Italy
where numerous rail cuts are made, 3 bridges damaged, and
several supply dumps hit. Medium bombers damage bridge at
Muhldorf, bridges and fills at Perca, and at 7 other locations
on the North Italian approaches to Brenner Pass.
Fifteenth Air Force. 800 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
heavy bombers, with fighters escorts, hit marshalling yards
at Landshut, Passau, Sankt Veit an der Glan, Lambach, Muhldorf,
Plattling, Garching an der Alz, Klagenfurt, and Altenmarkt
an der Alz. 54 P-51 Mustang fighter-bombers strafe railroads
in the heavy bomber target areas. 36 P-38 Lightning fighters
bomb Varazdin marshalling yard. B-24 Liberator heavy bombers
drop supplies in Yugoslavia while P-38 Lightning fighters
and P-51 Mustang fighter-bombers fly reconnaissance and escort.
Tenth Air Force. 24 United States Army Air Force (USAAF) P-38
Lightning fighters support forces of Chinese 50th Division
near Hsipaw. 12 P-38 Lightning fighters sweep roads South
of bomb line while 27 P-47 Thunderbolt fighters operating
over and behind enemy lines hit troop concentrations and supplies
at Namlan, Namio, and Nam-maw-long and Japanese held monastery
at Nammaw-long. Transports fly 502 sorties to forward areas.
Fourteenth Air Force. 5 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
B-24 Liberator heavy bombers on sweep over South China Sea
and Gulf of Tonkin claim a large freighter sunk. 4 P-38 Lightning
fighters strafe trucks from Son La to Hoa Binh.
Far East Air Force (FEAF). United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
B-24 Liberator heavy bombers and fighter-bombers again hit
installations in North Luzon. B-24 Liberator heavy bombers
hit variety of targets on Cebu including town of Minglanilla.
Seventh Air Force. 16 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
P-51 Mustang fighter-bombers from Iwo Jima bomb and strafe
Susaki airfield, radio installation, and storage area on Chichi
Jima. 12 Guam based B-24 Liberator heavy bombers follow up
with another attack on the airfield and radio installations
later in the day. During 19-
20
March 1945, Susaki is hit again by 5 B-24 Liberator heavy
bombers flying separate snooper strikes.
Eleventh Air Force. 5 United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
B-24 Liberator heavy bombers bomb and photograph Kashiwabara
naval base. 8 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers bomb canneries
along the Masugawa and Asahigawa Rivers.
Adolf
Hitler on 19 March 1945, orders that all industries, military
installations, machine shops, transportation facilities and
communications facilities in Germany be destroyed.
V-2 rocket
launched against England, hit Theydon Garnon.
V-2 rocket
launched against England, hit near Harlow.
V-2 rocket
launched against England, hit South Hornchurch.
V-2 rocket
launched against England, hit Nutfield.
V-2 rocket
launched against England, hit Wargrave.
V-2 rocket
launched against England, hit Erith.
V-2 rocket
launched against England, hit Woolwich.
V-2 rocket
launched against England, hit Theydon Bois.
V-2 rocket
launched against England, hit Hatfield Broad Oak.
Go To: 20th
March
Articles:
The Second Great War.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
The War Illustrated.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
2194 Days Of War.
ISBN-10: 086136614X
For a complete list of
sources
