1944

1944

Jan 4th - The first high-altitude mine-dropping operation by a Halfax bomber of Brest,
Jan 9th - The Lockheed XP-80A becomes the first single-seat turbojet-powered fighter/fighter bomber to enter service with the U.S.A.A.F.
Jan 18th - U.S. Navy Catalinas, equiped with magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) equipment, begin to patrol the Straits of Gibraltar.

Feb 18th - Mosquito bombers make a datlight attack on the German prison at Amiens, France to liberate patriots awaiting execution.

Mar 4th - First U.S.A.A F. bombing raid on Berlin by Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress of the 8th Air Force.
Mar 25th - the deHavilland Sea Mosquito (lr359) became the first twin-engined aircraft to land on the deck of an Aircraft Carrier.

April - The Rolls-Royce Derwent 1 began flight tests in a Gloster Meteor test bed.

May 1th - Allied Aircraft begin a major offensive against the rail transport system of Wester Europe.

June 6th - Proceeded by airdrops and supported by massive Allied air force operations, involving almost 5,000 sorties, the D-Day landings began on the coast of Normandy.
June 7th - The first Allied airstrip was completed and became operational in Asnelles, Normandy.
June - 13th The first German V1 flying bombs were launched from sites in France against targets in England. These launches were stepped up on June 15-16th.
First deployment against Allied shipping in the Seine Bay of the Luftwaffe Mistel composite comprising of an upper piloted Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4, mounted above a JU 88A-4, carrying a 3,803lb high explosive warhead.
June 25th - 2,400 Allied bomber aircraft make a three hour saturation raid on German positions forward of the American lines at St-Lo France.

July 12th -The first two operational Gloster Meteors are delivered to to No 616 Sqnd. RAF based at Culmhead, Somerset.
July 17th - The first operational use of napalm incendiary made by U.S.A.A.F P-38 Lightnings during attack on a fuel depot at Coutances, France.
July 20th -First operational use of the Arado-234A tubojet-powered reconnaissance aircraft from JUvincourt, near Rheims.
July 27th - Gloster Meteors used operationally for the first time in attacks on V1s. These were unsuccesful due to gun firing problems.
First flight of the de Havilland Hornet prototype (RR915) a single-seat long-range fighter/fighter-bomber. This became operational with the RAF after the War and was the fastest twin-engined combat aircraft in the world.
July 29th - A battle-damaged B-29 lands near Vladivostock and is seized by the Soviet authorities. This plus three others in 1944 were dismantled and became the pattern aircraft for the Tupolev TU-4 in 1947.

Aug 4th - Gloster Meteor of N0 616 Sqdn destroys a V1 using the wing of his aircraft to tip the missile and force it to ground.
Aug 4th - In a first mission, radio controlled B-17s each packed with 20,000lb of TNT were launched against German V2 sites being constructed at Pas de Calais, France.
Aug 14-15th - Mediterranean Allied Air Forces fly mor than 4,00 sorties and transport more than 9,00 troops to begin the invasion of southern France between Cannes and Hyres.
Aug 16th - First operational use by the Luftwaffe of the Messerschmitt Me 163-B1 Komet rocket-powered inteceptor fighters to attack a formation of B-17 Flying Fortresses.
Aug 28th - The U.S.A.A.F's 78th Fighter Group cliam the destruction of a Messerschmitt Me 262 the first jet-powered aircraft to be shot down in air combat.

Sept 1st - The Germans launch V1 flying bombs against targets in Europe.
Sept 4th - German V1 attacks on Britain from cropss- Channel sites came to an end.
Sept 8th - Two German V2 ballistic rockets land in Paris. Later that day, the first of these weapons launched against England detonates in Chiswick, killing two people and injuring several others.

Oct 27th - Mission flown by the U.S.A.A.F's 9th Fighter Squadron from Tacloban airstrip marks the first U.S air operation from the Phillipines since 1942.

Nov 12th - The 52,000 ton German battleship Tirpitz, anchored in Tromso Fyord Norway, is sunk by bombs dropped from Avro Lancasterss of the RAF No9 and 617 Sqdn's.

Dec 6th - First flight of the Heinkel He 162-V1 Salamander turbojet-powered fighter prototype at Vienna-Schwechat.
The U.S.A.A.F's 59th Composite Group , assembled to carry out U.S atomic bomb operations, is established in Utah.