Air Operations, Bismarcks

• AirSols SBDs, escorted by many AirSols fighters, attack Rabaul's Vunakanau airfield, 24 XIII Bomber Command B-24s, escorted by many AirSols fighters, attack the Vunakanau airfield again. 19 B-24s supported by 20 XIII Fighter Command P-38s attack the Tobera airfield at Rabaul.
• VMF-215, VMF-217, and VF-17 F4Us down 10 A6M Zeros, 1 Ki-43 'Oscar' figher, and 1 Ki-44 'Tojo' fighter over the Rabaul area between 1230 and 1300 hours. 347th Fighter Group P-38s down 6 Zeros over the Tobera airfield at Rabaul at 1300 hours.

Air Operations, CBI

• 490th Medium Bomb Squadron B-25s, 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s, and 10 Air Force P-40s, P-51s, and A-36s attack several bridges and numerous Japanese Army bivouacs and supply dumps across a wide area of northern Burma.

• 116 14th Air Force P-40 fighter-bombers attack an oil dump and barracks at Chefang and town areas at Homun and Mangshih.
• During the night, 5 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s sow mines at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

• 2 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a wireless station near Haiphong.

Air Operations, Europe

• 8 Mosquitos are sent to Elberfeld, 7 to Krefeld and 1 to Aachen.
• 1 Mosquito is lost on the Krefeld raid.

Crews undergoing training with No 10 OTU at Castle Donington pose for a picture on 10 October 1944.

Air Operations, Marshalls

• 531st Fighter-Bomber Squadron A-24s and 15th Fighter Group P-40 fighter-bombers attack the Jaluit Atoll.
• Throughout the night, VII Bomber Command B-24s mount individual and small attacks against the Wotje Atoll and the Taroa airfield on Maloelap.

Air Operations, New Guinea

V Bomber Command A-20s attack Mindiri.

Britian, Home Front

The Bishop of Chichester questions the wisdom of RAF 'area bombing' raids on German cities, during a debate in the House of Lords. Viscount Cranbourne, replying, concedes that, if necessary, the British Government are prepared to 'bring the whole life of the German cities... to a standstill, in order to paralyze enemy production.'

Diplomatic Relations

Roosevelt requests Chiang's permission to send a US military mission to the Chinese Communist base area and headquarters in Shensi Province.

Eastern Front

Bloody battles in the Kirovograd region, west of the Dniepr, are bringing about the annihilation of the German 8th Army. The Russian forces involved are the 3rd Ukrainian Front under Rodion Malinovsky and the 2nd Ukrainian Front under Ivan S. Konev. The Germans make renewed efforts to supply the Korsun pocket by flying large quantities of fuel and ammunition. They evacuate some of the wounded.

The Russians capture Oredezh near Leningrad.

The 7th Guards Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front is embroiled in heavy fighting west of Kirovograd.

Italy

At Anzio the German LXXVI Panzer Corps and the 1st Parachute Corps capture the Carroceto and Aprilia salients. The British 1st Div under Gen William R. C. Penney is driven out of Aprilia but manages to keep control of 'The Factory'. In the Cassino sector the US II Corps' effort to reach the Via Casilina fails.

Images from February 9, 1944

Landing Accident

On 9 February, the 392nd Bomb Group was briefed and launched for the target of Gotha, but the mission was recalled an hour after take-off. On his return, 1/Lt Albert Lishka, Jr., pilot of B24H 42-7480, My Diversion, had a landing accident. According to his statement in the Report of Aircraft Accident, "I took off on a combat mission at 0750 with a bomb load of twelve 500 pounders and 2700 gallons of gas. At 0830 mission was recalled. On return landing I hit a little short of runway. The landing wasn't too rough but with the load we had, it snapped the left landing gear causing the accident."

Landing Accident, Another View

Further investigation revealed that the ship had landed approximately 25 yards short of the perimeter track at the runway and perimeter track intersection. The left landing gear struck a ditch mound alongside the roadway and a pile of loose gravel being used in construction work. The left landing gear collapsed about 600 yards down the runway and the left wing was dragged, causing the ship to break in two behind the bomb bay. Luckily, no one was injured.

Sir Harold Alexander in Italy, 9 February 1944

A Veterinary Officer Inspects the Leg of a Mule at a Mobile Veterinary Section, 9 February 1944

US soldiers living in caves in Nettuno on 9 February 1944. Sleeping quarters were down below.

Living Quarters near Nettuno

Smoke rising from buildings in Cassino, Italy on 9 February 1944