The 433 Sqdn left from Skipton on Swale at 1944-08-31 at 10:36. Loc or duty Ile de Cezemlore
He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type III, serial MZ879, code BM-O).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
29 August 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Bad weather restricts bomber operations.
104 of 202 P-38s and P-47s attack transportation targets in France, Belgium and Germany; 2 airfields, 3 marshalling yards, rail lines at several points, and a large number of rail and road vehicles are attacked; they claim 20-0-7 aircraft on the ground; 3 P-47s are lost (pilots are MIA) and 8 damaged.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, bad weather allows only minimum bomber and fighter operations; B-26s attack 1 fuel dump while a few fighters fly sweeps over NW France; 100+ C-47s complete supply and evacuation missions; HQ 48th Fighter Group and 492d, 493d and 494th Fighter Squadrons move from Deux Jumeaux to Villacoublay with P-47s; HQ 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group and 107th and 109th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons move from Le Molay to Toussus le Noble with F-6s.
HQ 404th Fighter Group and the 506th Fighter Squadron move from Chapelle to Bretigny with P-47s; HQ 474th Fighter Group moves from Neuilly to St Marceau; and the 586th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 394th Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Holmsley, England to Tour-en-Bassin with B-26s.
30 August 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Three missions are flown.
Mission 590: 107 of 159 B-17s and 108 of 145 B-24s dispatched hit 8 V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area of France; one wing uses GH and H2X methods; 22 bombers are damaged.
Escort is provided by 16 of 16 P-51s without loss.
Mission 591: Later in the day, 637 B-17s are dispatched to bomb the U-boat base and shipyards at Kiel (282), and aircraft plant and other industry in the Bremen area (327); 4 others hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 136 damaged.
Escort is provided by 258 of 294 P-51s without loss.
Mission 592: 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets in France and Belgium during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, about 75 A-20s and B-26s bomb a fuel dump near Arques-la-Bataille, Rouxmesnil-Bouteilles, and gun positions around Ile de Cezembre; weather grounds the fighters; HQ 84th Fighter Wing moves from Criqueville to Aillieres; HQ 100th Fighter Wing moves from Rennes to Le Mans; the 14th Liaison Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command (attached to Third Army), moves from Courcy to St Maurice-aux-Riches-Hommes with L-5s; the 33d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, moves from Le Molay to Toussus le Noble with F-5s; the 313th Fighter Squadron, 50th Fighter Group, moves from Meautis to Orly with P-47s; and the 596th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), moves from Hurn, England to Gorges with B-26s.
The 82d Troop Carrier Squadron, 436th Troop Carrier Group, that has been operating from Voltone Airfield, Italy, returns to base at Membury, England with C-47s.
31 August 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 594: 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night.
37 B-24s and C-47s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, 99 B-26s and A-20s bomb an ammunition dump at Foret d'Arques and gun positions at Ile de Cezembre; fighters fly armed reconnaissance in the Amiens, Saint-Quentin, Albert, and Arras areas, ground forces cover for 3 armored divisions, battleship cover, and also dive-bomb Ile de Cezembre; HQ 70th Fighter Wing moves from Aillieres to Versailles; the following squadrons assigned to the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group move: 30th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron from Le Molay to Toussus le Noble with F-5s; and the 109th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron from Toussus le Noble to Buc with F-6s; the 386th and 387th Fighter Squadrons, 365th Fighter Group move from Azeville to Lignerolles with P-47s; the 587th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 394th Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Holmsley, England to Tour-en-Bassin with B-26s; and the 597th, 598th and 599th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 397th Bombardment Group (Medium), move from Hurn, England to Gorges with B-26s.
Campaign report of the RAF:
30/31 August 1944
36 Mosquitos to Frankfurt, 6 RCM sorties, 6 Mosquito patrols, 4 Halifaxes minelaying off La Pallice. No aircraft lost.
31 August 1944
601 aircraft - 418 Lancasters, 147 Halifaxes, 36 Mosquitos - to attack 9 sites in Northern France where the Germans were believed to be storing V-2 rockets. 8 of the sites were found and bombed. 6 Lancasters lost.
165 Halifaxes of No 6 Group and 5 Pathfinder Mosquitos bombed the Île de Cezembre battery near St Malo. 1 photographic Mosquito accompanied the raid. The bombing force flew at 3,000ft or less over the undefended targets and achieved a good bombing concentration. 1 Halifax lost.
31 August/1 September 1944
42 Mosquitos to Düsseldorf, 6 to Cologne and 6 to Leverkusen, 3 RCM sorties, 21 Mosquito patrols, 24 aircraft on Resistance operations. 2 Mosquitos lost, 1 each from the Cologne and Leverkusen raids.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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