The 425 Sqdn left from Tholthorpe at 1944-08-02 at 16:00. Loc or duty Training
He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type III, serial LW424, code KW-).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 508: 1,291 bombers and 432 fighters are dispatched to attack airfields, bridges and tactical targets in France; 5 bombers and 4 fighters are lost:
1. 193 of 195 B-17s drop 2,281 containers of supplies to French Resistance forces (Operation Buick) at four locations in SE France, i.e., Chalon-Sur- Saone, the Savoie area, Haute-Savoie and W of Geneva; 5 B-17s are damaged; 3 P-51 groups furnish escort.
2. 76 of 100 B-17s bomb Tours Airfield; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged; 6 airmen are WIA and 10 MIA.
Escort is flown by 51 of 53 P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost and 2 damaged beyond repair.
3. 400 of 416 B-17s attack 5 airfields and a railway bridge in the area S and SW of Paris; 112 hit Orleans/Bricy Airfield, 108 hit Chateaudun Airfield, 59 hit Melun Airfield, 58 hit Chartres Airfield, 36 hit Chartres Bridge, 15 hit targets of opportunity, and 12 hit Etampes/Mondesir Airfield; 3 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 32 damaged; 9 airmen are KIA and 27 MIA.
Escort is provided by 138 P-38s and P-51s; 3 P-51s are damaged and 1 pilot is KIA.
4. 284 of 389 B-24s is dispatched to bomb targets in the Paris environs; bad weather causes 100+ aborts; 66 hit Rouen, 47 hit Melun Airfield, 44 hit Nogent Bridge, 33 hit targets of opportunity, 29 hit Orleans/Bricy Airfield, 24 hit Montereau Birdge, 12 hit Nanteuil Bridge, 12 hit Villeroche Airfield, 11 hit Coulommiers Bridge, and 6 hit Chartres Airfield; 1 B-24 is lost, 3 are damaged beyond repair and 85 damaged; 20 airmen are MIA.
Escort is provided by 127 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 3-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground; 2 P-47s are lost, 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair and 3 P-47s are damaged.
5. 191 B-24s, sent against 8 V-weapon sites in NW France, runs afoul of bad weather which causes multiple aborts; 61 of the planes manage to bomb 3 sites; 5 B-24s are damaged; escort is provided by 81 of 84 P-47s.
Mission 509: 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets on France and Belgium during the night.
In Aug, HQ 95th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) moves from Halesowrth to Ketteringham, England.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, the XIX Tactical Air Command becomes operational in conjunction with the US Third Army; the Ninth's fighter and fighter-bomber groups (Ninth Air Force refers to them collectively as fighter-bomber groups) are divided between the IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands; about 250 B-26s and A-20s bomb rail bridges at Mezieres-sur-Seine, Maintenon, Les Ponts-de-Ce, Chartres, Cinq Mars-la-Pile, Bouchmaine, Nogent-sur-Loir, and Bourth; XIX Tactical Air Command fighters carry out armd reconnaissance and rail bombing missions in the Alencon, Dreux, Chartres, Nogent-sur-Loir, Le Mans, Sable-sur-Sarthe, Laval and Sille- le-Philippe areas, while IX Tactical Air Command fighters fly armored column and assault area cover, and armed reconnaissance in the battle areas; and HQ 71st Fighter Wing moves from Ecrammeville to St-Pierre-Eglise.
In France during Aug, HQ IX Fighter Comand moves from Les Obeaux to Canisy and HQ 354th Fighter Group moves from Criqueville to Gael.
Campaign report of the RAF:
2 August 1944
394 aircraft - 234 Lancasters, 99 Halifaxes, 40 Mosquitos, 20 Stirlings, 1 Lightning - attacked 1 flying bomb launch site and 3 supply sites. Visibility was clear at all targets and good bombing results were claimed. 2 Lancasters of No 5 Group lost from the raid on the Bois de Cassan supply site.
54 Lancasters of Nos 1 and 8 Groups attacked German naval vessels in the port area of Le Havre in good visibility conditions and without loss.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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