27/28 December 1944 – Bomber Command Operations On the night of 27/28 December 1944, Bomber Command mounted a major operation against Opladen, a key railway hub feeding German forces during the Ardennes fighting. A total of 328 aircraft took part: ✈️ 227 Halifaxes ✈️ 66 Lancasters ✈️ 35 Mosquitos The main target was the marshalling yards, vital for moving troops, armour and supplies. Although post-raid results remain unclear, the scale of the attack reflects the continued Allied focus on disrupt

Development of the Boeing Superfortress "very heavy bomber" began late in 1939, and the first XB-29 made its initial flight on Sept. 21, 1942. In a bold wartime gamble, the AAF ordered the plane into quantity production months before that first flight. Among the B-29's new features were pressurized crew compartments and a central fire-control system with remotely controlled gun turrets. Flying combat missions first from India and China and later from the Marianas Islands, the Superfortress repea