The 427 Sqdn left from Leeming at 1944-08-10 at 19:00. Loc or duty la Neuville
He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type III, serial MZ363, code ZL-).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): 45 P-51s in Italy during an Operation FRANTIC mission are dispatched with Fifteenth Air Force aircraft to escort a troop carrier evacuation mission.
Mission 537: 175 B-24 and 249 fighters are dispatched against fuel dumps and bridges SE of Paris; 38 hit Clamecy Bridge, 31 hit Joigny, 31 hit Pacy- sur-Armencon, 26 hit Sens, 23 hit St Florentin and 13 hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 19 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 1 MIA.
Escort is provided by 238 of 249 P-51s; they claim 8-0-0 aircraft; 3 P-51s are lost.
Mission 538: 138 fighters are dispatched to hit rail targets in C and E France; 5 fighters are lost.
Mission 539: 1 of 1 B-17s drops leaflets on Brest, France.
Mission 540: 4 of 4 B-17s drop leaflets in France and Norway during the night.
583 fighters are dispatched to hit rail targets in France; they claim 19-0-8 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-38s and 4 P-51s are lost.
In England, the 788th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 467th Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Harrington to Rackheath with B-24s; and the 856th, 857th, 858th and 859th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 492d Bombardment Group (Heavy) move from North Pickenham to Harrington with B-24s (the squadrons fly CARPETBAGGER missions until Apr 45).
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, almost 200 B-26s and A-20s bomb rail bridges and embankments in wide areas around Paris; fighters escort bombers, support ground forces, give defensive cover, and fly armed reconnaissance in battle areas and around Amiens, Paris, Cambrai, Meaux, Dijon, and Troyes; HQ 362d Fighter Group and 379th Fighter Squadron move from Lignerolles to Rennes with P-47s; and the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and 155th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), move from Chalgrove, England to Rennes with F-6s and A-20s, respectively.
Campaign report of the RAF:
9/10 August 1944
311 aircraft- 171 Lancasters, 115 Halifaxes, 25 Mosquitos - of Nos 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups attacked 4 launching sites and the Fort-d'Englos storage site. All targets were accurately bombed and no aircraft were lost.
176 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitos of No 1 and 5 Groups successfully attacked an oil-storage dump at Forêt De Chatellerault. 2 Lancasters lost.
3 Mosquitos to Osnabrück, 21 RCM sorties, 40 Mosquito patrols, 16 Mosquitos minelaying in the Dortmund-Ems Canal and 10 Lancasters minelaying off Biscay ports, 20 aircraft on Resistance operations, 15 OTU sorties. No aircraft lost.
10 August 1944
98 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups attacked aviation-fuel storage tanks at Dugny, near Paris. The bombing started badly but then became concentrated. No aircraft lost.
60 Lancasters of No 1 Group and 20 Pathfinder Mosquitos attempted to bomb a flying-bomb site at Ferme du Forestal but cloud caused difficulties and only 17 Mosquitos and 13 Lancasters attacked, possibly because the No 1 Group aircraft were unused to the Oboe-leader technique. No aircraft lost.
4 Wellingtons flew RCM sorties without loss.
10/11 August 1944
215 aircraft - 109 Lancasters, 101 Halifaxes, 5 Mosquitos - of 5, 6 and 8 Groups attacked oil depots at Bordeaux and La Pallice successfully and without loss.
104 Halifaxes of No 4 Group and 20 Lancasters of Nos 1 and 8 Groups attacked a railway junction and the railway yards at Dijon; much damage was caused. 2 Halifaxes were lost and a further Halifax crashed or crash-landed in the liberated part of Normandy.
32 Mosquitos to Berlin, 3 Lancasters of No 8 Group to Bremen, 8 RCM sorties, 37 Mosquito patrols, 12 Lancasters minelaying off Biscay ports, 8 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.
The 3 Pathfinder Lancasters which bombed Bremen were the first Lancaster Mark VIs flown on operations by Bomber Command and they dropped the Command's first 10,000lb bombs.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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