The 97 Sqdn left from Coningsby at 1944-07-30 at 5:45. Loc or duty Cahagnes
He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type III, serial NE121, code OF-E).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): HQ issues an order regularizing under the VIII Air Force Composite Command certain special and provisional units carrying out special tactical activities; this is a result of suggestion made on 2 Mar by Lieutenant General James H Doolittle, Commanding General Eighth Air Force, that units engaged in CARPETBAGGER, H2X (blind- bombing), night leaflet, and weather missions be put under centralized control.
Mission 505: 237 P-47s and P-51s fly sweeps of Evreux, St Quentin, Paris and Orleans, France claiming 3-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 9-0-0 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot is MIA) and 3 P-47s and 2 P-51s are damaged.
Mission 506: 1 B-17 is dispatched on a night leaflet mission but is recalled.
31 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, 450+ A-20s and B-26s bomb defenses in the Chaumont area in support of the US First Army; fighters fly escort, cover the assault area and armored columns, and carry out armed reconnaissance in the Orleans-Paris area; 200+ C-47s fly supply and evacuation missions to the Continent; and the 410th, 411th and 412th Fighter Squadrons, 373d Fighter Group, arrive at Tour-en-Bassin from Woodchurch, England with P-47s.
Campaign report of the RAF:
29/30 July 1944
30 Mosquitos to Frankfurt (though some bombs fell in Mainz 20 miles away, killing 8 people), 9 to St Trond and 4 to Coulommiers (these last 2 targets were German night-fighter airfields), 13 RCM sorties, 6 Mosquito patrols, 9 OTU sorties. No aircraft lost.
30 July 1944
692 aircraft - 462 Lancasters, 200 Halifaxes, 30 Mosquitos - were sent to bomb 6 German positions in front of a mainly American ground attack in the Villers Bocage Caumont area. The presence of cloud caused many difficulties and only 377 aircraft were able to bomb, on to Oboe markers, and only 2 of the 6 targets were effectively hit. 4 Lancasters lost.
2 Mosquitos carried out uneventful Ranger patrols.
30/31 July 1944
20 Halifaxes on Resistance operations, 6 OTU sorties. No aircraft lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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