He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type I, serial NF985, code WS-D).
AIRBORNE OPERATIONS
(IX Troop Carrier Command): 400+ C-47s complete supply and evacuation missions.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Two missions are flown.
Mission 626: For the second day, 888 bombers and 662 fighters are dispatched on a major assault on the German oil industry; they are intercepted by 400-450 Luftwaffe fighters; AAF claims 81-16-20 aircraft in the air; 35 bombers and 12 fighters are lost: 1.
299 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil refineries at Brux (79) and Ruhland (59); targets of opportunity are Lauta (48), Plauen (30), Etterwinden (12), Karlsbad (11), Kitzingen (11) and others (21); PFF methods are used for all targets; they claim 14-9-7 aircraft; 19 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 94 damaged; 6 airmen are KIA, 11 WIA and 171 MIA.
Escort is provided by 238 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 29-2-4 aircraft in the air and 21-0-16 on the ground; 10 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA) and 2 damaged beyond repair.
2. 348 B-17s are dispatched to hit Magdeburg/Rothensee (144), Magdeburg/ Friedrichstadt (73) and Bohlen (35); targets of opportunity are Fulda (46), Molbis (11) and other (8); they bomb visually; they claim 13-5-5 aircraft; 12 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 161 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 9 WIA and 109 MIA.
Escort is provided by 236 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 25-0-4 aircraft in the air and 5-0-15 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
3. 241 B-24s are dispatched to hit Hemmingstedt (66), Kiel (58) and Misburg (34); targets of opportunity are Laharte (38), marshalling yard at Northeim (12), Hannover (11), Hemmingstedt (3) and other (3); PFF was used for bombing; 4 B-24s are lost and 49 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 1 WIA and 37 MIA.
Escort is provided by 105 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s without loss.
Mission 627: 7 of 7 B-17s drop leaflet in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the night.
36 B-24s and C-47s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In Germany, B-26s and A-20s hit Westwall fortifications, Sankt Wendel station, where an armored division and important technicians are to entrain, and fortifications around Nancy, France; fighters continue ground support in the French/German border area.
In France, HQ 84th Fighter Wing moves from Aillieres to St Quentin; HQ 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) and the 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and the 31st, 34th and 155th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadrons move from Chateaudun to St-Dizier/Robinson with A-20s, F-3s F-6s and F-5s; the 389th Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Group, moves from Dreux to Laon/ Couvron with P-47s; the 393d Fighter Squadron, 367th Fighter Group moves from Peray to Clastres with P-38s; and the 401st Fighter Squadron, 370th Fighter Group, moves from Lonray to Roye/Amy with P-38s; the 405th Fighter Squadron, 371st Fighter Group moves from Beuzeville to Perthes with P-47s; the 428th, 429th and 430th Fighter Squadrons, 474th Fighter Squadron, move from St Marceau to Peronne with P-38s.
In Belgium, the 153d Liaison Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command (attached to First Army) moves from Vuel to Ham with L-5s.
Darmstadt: 226 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitos of No 5 Group. 12 Lancasters lost, 5.3 per cent of the Lancaster force. A previous No 5 Group attack in August had failed to harm Darmstadt but, in clear weather conditions, the group's marking methods produced an outstandingly accurate and concentrated raid on this almost intact city of 120,000 people. A fierce fire area was created in the centre and in the districts immediately south and east of the centre. Property damage in this area was almost complete. Casualties were very heavy.
The Darmstadt raid, with its extensive fire destruction and its heavy casualties, was held by the Germans to be an extreme example of RAF 'terror bombing' and is still a sensitive subject because of the absence of any major industries in the city. Bomber Command defended the raid by pointing out the railway communications passing through Darmstadt; the directive for the offensive against German communications had not yet been issued to Bomber Command, although advance notice of the directive may have been received. Darmstadt was simply one of Germany's medium-sized cities of lesser importance which succumbed to Bomber Command's improving area-attack techniques in the last months of the war when many of the larger cities were no longer worth bombing.
47 Mosquitos to Berlin and 7 to Steenwijk, 13 RCM sorties, 44 Mosquito patrols, 76 Halifaxes and Lancasters minelaying in the Kattegat. 3 Lancaster minelayers and 1 Mosquito lost in the Berlin raid.
412 aircraft - 315 Halifaxes, 75 Lancasters, 22 Mosquitos - of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups attacked synthetic oil plants at Dortmund, Scholven/Buer and Wanne-Eickel. The Dortmund raid was particularly successful, but smoke-screens prevented observation of results at the other targets. 7 aircraft were lost - 3 Lancasters and 1 Halifax from the Wanne-Eickel raid and 2 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster from the Scholven raid.
119 Halifaxes of No 4 Group and 5 Pathfinder Lancasters carried out the first raid by RAF heavies on Münster since June 1943. 2 Halifaxes were lost. Many fires were seen but smoke prevented an accurate assessment of the bombing results. A brief report from Münster describes a 'sea of fire' in the southern part of the town which could not be entered for several hours and tells of water mains destroyed by high-explosive bombs so that 'the firemen could only stand helpless in front of the flames'.
9 RCM sorties, 2 aircraft on Resistance operations. No losses.
378 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3 and 8 Groups on the last major RAF raid of the war against Frankfurt. 17 Lancasters lost, 4.5 per cent of the Lancaster force. The local report says that the raid occurred when many of the city's firemen and rescue workers were away working in Darmstadt. The bombing caused severe destruction in the western districts of the city, which contained many industrial premises. Property damage was extensive. A troop train was hit at the West Station.
204 Lancasters and 13 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 5 Groups to Stuttgart. 4 Lancasters lost. The attack was a success and local reports state that a firestorm occurred.
Support and 138 training aircraft on a diversionary sweep over the North Sea, 29 Mosquitos to Berlin and 6 to Steenwijk, 31 RCM sorties, 81 Mosquito patrols, 12 Halifaxes minelaying in Oslo harbour. 2 Halifaxes were lost, 1 from the diversionary sweep and 1 from the minelaying operation.
Total effort for the night: 901 sorties, 23 aircraft (2.6 per cent) lost.
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