Warbirds Online » Blog Archive » This Week In Military Aviation History: 12-18 February

Hello Folks, here in Rochester, New York we’re having our first substantial snowstorm in two years. The roads are a mess, the schools are closed, and tomorrow doesn’t look very good either. I still think it’s payback for the mild start to the winter season we had. At least I don’t have to go out if I don’t choose to, which is fine by me. I’ve walked and taken buses through my fair share of winter storms. So now I’m warm and comfortable typing away on my ‘puter. Isn’t life grand?
Be Safe,
Tom K.

17 February 1912
French military aircraft made their first flights in Algeria.
The first pilot physical examination requirements were published by the Army.

15 February 1915
Russian Ilya Mouromets reconnaissance bombers attacked targets along the Vistula river in Poland.

17 February 1915
Zeppelin LZ34 (L3) was stranded and destroyed in a gale at Jutland.

18 February 1918
The first American fighter squadron, the 95th Aero (Pursuit) Squadron, arrived in France.

12 February 1935
United States Navy dirigible (steerable airship) USS Macon crashed into the sea off California, but fortunately only two crewmembers were killed.

14 February 1939
The XB-15 flew a mercy mission from Virginia to Chile in 29 hours 53 minutes.

15 February 1944
222 Allied bombers attacked the monastery of Monte Cassino in Italy. The Germans had not occupied the monastery buildings but immediately after the raid, they turned the ruins into a bastion. Successive attempts to take the monastery failed and it was not until 18 May that Polish forces succeeded in occupying the heights.

17 February 1944
Twelve radar equipped United States Navy (USN) Grumman TBF1C Avengers, from the USS Enterprise, attacked Truk by night. This was the first night bombing attack launched by an American aircraft carrier.

13-15 February 1945
Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Army Air Force (USAAF) night and day bombers attacked Dresden in Germany. These attacks created a fire storm that virtually destroyed the city. Estimates of the dead varied from 35,000 to 220,000.

16 February 1945
United States Army Air Force C-47s dropped more than 2,000 paratroopers on Corregidor. The island had already been “softened up” by a major bombardment of Japanese positions.

17 February 1945
Softening up operations began against Iwo Jima. United States Navy (USN) carrier aircraft and naval guns combined with the 7th United States Army Air Force Consolidated B24 Liberators to pound Japanese positions.

16 February 1953
Two Republic F-84 Thunderjets flown by Japanese Defense Forcr pilots intercepted two Russian piston-engined fighters over North Japan.

18-19 February 1953
United States aircraft made heavy attacks against Communist forces in North Korea.

12 February 1959
The United States Air Force (USAF) withdrew its last operational Convair B-36 from service.

17 February 1959
The United States Navy (USN) launched the weather-reporting Vanguard II satellite into earth orbit.

13 February 1960
France exploded an atomic weapon in the Sahara desert.

12 February 1973
A U.S. Air Force C-141 landed in Hanoi to pick up American Prisoners of War and began Operation Homecoming.

18 February 1981
John K. Northrup, founder of Northrup Aircraft, died.

14 February 1996
The joint attack and radar system aircraft E-8A flew its 50th mission in support of Operation Joint Endeavor. This surpassed the JSTARS missions of 49 flown during Operation Desert Storm.
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That’s it for now Folks, have a good week. See ya next week.

Posted by Tom Kwiatkowski - 1941 Historic Aircraft Group

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