The 426 Sqdn left from Linton on Ouse at 1945-03-25 at an unknown time. Loc or duty Ground
He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type VII, serial NP684, code OW-).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
25 March 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: 2 missions are flown.
Mission 913: 1,009 bombers and 341 fighters are dispatched to hit seven oil plants and a tank factory in Germany; they claim 6-4-13 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-24s and 1 P-51 are lost:
1. 272 B-24s are sent to hti the Ehmen (59), Hitzacker (127) and Bucken (57) oil depots; they claim 2-4-9 aircraft; 4 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 19 damaged; 16 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 39 MIA.
Escorting are 223 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 4-0-3 aircraft in the air.
2. 737 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil plants but bad weather during the assembly and the increasing possibility of adverse conditions causes the mission to be cancelled; 3 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 9 airmen are KIA.
3. 47 of 48 P-51s escort Ninth AF B-26s.
4. 24 P-51s fly a fighter-bomber mission against the Schmalge ammunition dump; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
5. 11 P-51s fly a scouting mission claiming 0-0-1 aircraft in the air.
6. 16 P-15s escort 8 F-5s and 3 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
Mission 914: 10 B-24s drop leaflets in Germany and the Netherlands during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In Germany, the 9th Bombardment Division hits 4 communications centers, 3 marshalling yards, and targets of opportunity, including flak positions; fighters fly escort, armed reconnaissance, and missions against several ground targets; fighters support the US 79th Infantry Division as it pushes 2 miles (3.2 km) to the E of the Rhine River (SE of Wesel), the III and VII Corps as they begin their breakout assault toward Altenkirchen and in the Epgert and Willroth areas, and the XII Corps as it establishes bridgeheads on the Main River in the Hanau and Aschaffenburg areas.
26 March 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: 2 missions are flown.
Mission 915: 337 B-17s and 527 P-51s are dispatched to attack oil and tank plants in Germany; targets are bombed visually despite poor weather; no aircraft are lost:
1. 185 B-17s are sent to hit the synthetic oil plant at Zeitz (12); 130 others hit the Vomag tank factory at Plauen (130), the secondary; targets of opportunity are Meiningen (25) and Wurzburg (11); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 25 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 5 WIA.
Escorting are 194 of 238 P-51s.
2. 152 B-17s are sent to hit the Vomag tank factory at Plauen (139); targets of opportunity are Oelsnitz (12) and Markt Erlbach (1); 3 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 18 airmen are KIA.
98 of 121 P-51s escort.
3. 110 of 118 P-51s fly a freelance fighter mission for the bombers.
4. 26 of 27 P-51s escort 12 F-5s and 1 Spitfire on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
5. 22 of 23 P-51s fly a scouting mission.
HQ 7th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance) and the 22d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron move from Mount Farm to Chalgrove, England with F-5s.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In Germany, around 300 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s hit marshalling yards at Wurzburg, Gemunden, and Flieden, the town of Ruckers, and 2 targets of opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, fly armed reconnaissance, hit special targets and support various ground forces along the front; fighter support is accorded the US 2d, 3d, 7th, and 9th Armored Divisions in the Hachenburg, Montabaur, and Limburg areas, the XII Corps along the Main River from Frankfurt/Main to Aschaffenburg, and Ninth Army elements in the bridgehead area around Gahlen.
Units moving from Belgium to Germany: HQ IX Tactical Air Command from Verviers to Bruhl; HQ 48th Fighter Group and the 492d, 493d and 494th Fighter Squadrons from St Trond to Kelz with P-47s. The 72d Liaison Squadron, Ninth AF (attached to Sixth Army Group), moves from Sarreguemines, France to Kaiserlautern, Germany with L-5s.
Campaign report of the RAF:
24/25 March 1945
67 Mosquitos to Berlin, 8 to Nordheim and 2 which bombed both Berlin and Magdeburg on nuisance flights, 38 RCM sorties, 33 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.
25 March 1945
The Bomber Command operations on this day were directed to towns on the main reinforcement routes into the Rhine battle area. Heavy attacks were made on the railway routes through these towns and on the surrounding built-up areas.
Hannover attacked by 267 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 6 and 8 Groups. The bombing was observed to fall in the target area. 1 Lancaster lost.
175 aircraft - 151 Halifaxes, 14 Lancasters, 10 Mosquitos - of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups raided Münster. 3 Halifaxes lost. Few results were seen by the bombers because the target area rapidly became smoke-covered. Münster reports a large number of bombs but only 2 people dead.
156 aircraft - 132 Halifaxes, 14 Lancasters, 10 Mosquitos - of Nos 4 and 8 Groups to Osnabrück. No aircraft lost. Osnabrück reports extensive property damage throughout the town.
Total effort for the day: 606 sorties, 4 aircraft (0.7 per cent) lost.
25/26 March 1945
8 Mosquitos to Berlin and 1 Lancaster dropping leaflets over The Hague. No losses.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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