The 106 Sqdn left from Syerston at 1943-02-04 at 18:05

On Thursday 04 February 1943, a member of the 106 Sqdn, Sergeant A W Thomas, took off from Syerston in the United Kingdom. His mission is mentioned elsewhere on WW2 History Europe. You can find the other details of this mission by searching here. Training and cargo flights are not separately mentioned as a mission. The plane left at 18:05.

He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type I, serial W4770, code ZN-O).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

(Eighth Air Force): Lieutenant General Frank M. Andrews, USAAF, assumes command of the European Theater of Operations, US Army. (Also see WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN below.) VIII Bomber Command Mission 33: 65 B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Wing and 21 B-24s of the 2d Bombardment Wing are dispatched against the Hamm, Germany marshalling yards. The B-24s turn back before hitting the Dutch coast when the temperature drops below the lowest limit of the thermometers (-40 degrees C). Heavy clouds cover Hamm so three of four B-17 groups (39 B-17s) attack the marshalling yard, port area and industries in Emden, Germany between 1200 and 1215 hours local dropping 92.25 tons of bombs. We claim 25 enemy fighters destroyed, 8 probably destroyed and 6 damaged; 5 B-17s are lost; human casualties are 17 WIA and 50 MIA. Bombers are opposed for the first time by Ju 88 and Me 110 twin-engine fighters. The 4th Fighter Group dispatches 21 Spitfire Mk Vs on uneventful fighter patrols and an air-sea rescue search.

Campaign report of the RAF:

3/4 February 1943

263 aircraft - 84 Halifaxes, 66 Stirlings, 62 Lancasters, 51 Wellingtons - provided by all groups on the first 200-plus raid for more than 2 weeks for a raid on Hamburg. Icing conditions in cloud over the North Sea caused many aircraft to return early. The Pathfinders were unable to produce concentrated and sustained marking on H2S and the bombing of the Main Force was scattered. The results in Hamburg were no better than the attack by a much smaller force a few nights earlier. The German night fighters operated effectively, despite the bad weather, and 16 bombers were lost - 8 Stirlings, 4 Halifaxes, 3 Wellingtons and 1 Lancaster, 6.1 per cent of the force.

8 Wellingtons minelaying off Lorient and St Nazaire, 4 OTU sorties. 1 Wellington minelayer lost.

4/5 February 1943

188 aircraft - 77 Lancasters, 55 Halifaxes, 50 Stirlings, 6 Wellingtons ordered to Turin of which 156 reached the target. Elsewhere in Italy, 4 Pathfinder Lancasters were sent to this Italian port to try out a new type of 'proximity fuzed' 4,000lb bomb which exploded between 200 and 600ft above the ground to widen the effects of the resulting blast. 3 aircraft dropped their bombs successfully, but this type of weapon does not seem to have come into general use. 3 Lancasters, all from the Turin raid, lost.

128 aircraft - 103 Wellingtons, 16 Halifaxes, 9 Lancasters attacked Lorient. 1 Wellington lost. This was an all-incendiary attack without the Pathfinders. Bombing was concentrated and large areas of fire were started.

Finally, 2 Mosquitos bombed Bochum and Ruhrort and 1 Wellington laid mines off Lorient

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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