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Handley Page Halifax
- The 51 Sqdn left from Snaith at 1943-05-13 at 23:09
The 51 Sqdn left from Snaith at 1943-05-13 at 23:09
He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type II, serial DT637, code MH-).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
(Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 55: 97 B-17s' are dispatched against the Avions Potez aircraft factory at Meaulte, France; 88 aircraft hit the target at 1628-1630 hours local. We claim 11-31-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; we lose 3 and 11 others are damaged. Casualties are 1 WIA and 31 MIA. In a second raid, 72 B-17's are dispatched against the Longuenesse and Ft. Rouge Airfields at St. Omer, France; 31 bomb Longuenesse at 1637-1638 hours; 1 B-17 is lost and 1 is damaged beyond repair. Casualties are 1 KIA and 2 WIA. The 416th Night Fighter Squadron, VIII Fighter Command arrives at Honiley, England from the US. Detachments are dispersed to Cranfield, Usworth and Bath to train with Beaufighters under control of the RAF. The 456th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 323d Bombardment Group (Medium), with B-26C's, arrives at Horham, England from the US.
Campaign report of the RAF:
12/13 May 1943
572 aircraft - 238 Lancasters, 142 Halifaxes, 112 Wellingtons, 70 Stirlings, 10 Mosquitos bombed Duisburg. This was the fourth raid on the city so far during the Battle of the Ruhr, the first 3 raids having been only partially successful. The Pathfinder marking on this night, however, was near perfect and the Main Force bombing was particularly well concentrated. The centre of Duisburg and the port area just off the River Rhine, the largest inland port in Germany, suffered severe damage. 34 aircraft - 10 Lancasters, 10 Wellingtons, 9 Halifaxes, 5 Stirlings - lost, 5.9 per cent of the force.
13 May 1943
12 Bostons attacked Cherbourg docks and 6 Mitchells attacked railway targets at Boulogne. 1 Mitchell lost.
13/14 May 1943
Bochum attacked by 442 aircraft - 135 Halifaxes, 104 Wellingtons, 98 Lancasters, 95 Stirlings, 10 Mosquitos; 24 aircraft - 13 Halifaxes, 6 Wellingtons, 4 Stirlings, 1 Lancaster - lost, 5.4 per cent of the force. This raid started well but, after 15 minutes, what were believed to be German decoy markers drew much of the bombing away from the target.
156 Lancasters and 12 Halifaxes were dispatched in a further attempt to bomb the Skoda armaments factory at Pilsen. 120 aircraft from this force were from No 5 Group; the remainder were Pathfinders. 9 aircraft were lost. The target again proved to be a difficult one to find and mark accurately and nearly all the bombs fell in open country north of the Skoda works.
12 Mosquitos to Berlin, 8 aircraft minelaying in the Frisians, 12 OTU flights. 1 Mosquito on the Berlin raid was lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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