The 97 Sqdn left from Coningsby at 1944-08-15 at 9:25. Loc or duty Deelen
He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type III, serial PB358, code OF-J).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 554: 932 bombers and 443 fighters are dispatched to attack 11 airfields in NW Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium in conjunction with 1,000 Royal Air Force (RAF) heavy bombers and Mosquitos raiding 9 airfields in the Netherlands and Belgium; 16 bombers and 5 fighters are lost; numbers in parenthesis indicate the number of bombing attacking:
1. 219 B-17s are dispatched to hit German airfields at Cologne/Ostheim (108), Frankfurt/Eschborn (65) and Wiesbaden (38); 3 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim 4-2-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 9 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 86 damaged; 7 airmen are KIA, 8 WIA and 81 MIA.
Escort is provided by 112 of 141 P-51s; they claim 10-0-1 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 2 damaged.
2. 350 B-24s are dispatched to German airfields at Wittmundhaafen (91), Zwischenahn (90), Vechta (67), Plantlunne (54) and Hopstein (10); they claim 9-1-2 aircraft; 4 B-24s are lost and 6 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 40 MIA.
Escort is provided by 163 P-38s and P-51s; they claim 4-0-0 aircraft in the air and 7-0-9 on the ground; 2 P-38s and 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA); 3 P-51s are damaged; 1 pilot is WIA.
3. 298 B-17s are dispatched to Dutch airfields at Handorf (109), Venlo (104) and Twente/Enschede (75); 3 others hit targets of opportunity; 2 B-17s are lost and 6 damaged; 19 airmen are MIA.
4. In Belgium, 59 of 65 B-24s hit Florennes/Juzaine Airfield and 1 hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost and 3 damaged.
The two missions above are escorted by 118 of 124 P-51s without loss.
33 of 35 P-47s dive-bomb and skip-bomb a repair shop and locomotives in the marshalling yard at Braine-le-Comtes; 1 P-47 is lost and 4 damaged; 4 pilots are MIA.
12 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.
HQ 491st Bombardment Group (Heavy) and the 852d, 853d, 854th and 855th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) move from Metfield to North Pickenham, England with B-24s.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): The 50th and 53d Troop Carrier Wings, on loan to the Mediterranean Allied Air Force (MAAF), participate in the invasion of S France as part of the Provisional Troop Carrier Air Division.
In France, 330+ A-20s and B-26s with fighter escort bomb Marseille- en-Beauvaisis and Foret de Chantilly ammunition and fuel dumps, rail bridges at Auvers-sur-Oise and L'Isle-Adam, Serqueux marshalling yard, and coastal defense at Saint- Malo; fighters fly cover for 5 infantry and armored divisions, and fly extensive armed reconnaissance over N and W France; HQ 365th Fighter Group and 388th Fighter Squadron move from Azeville to Lignerolles with P-47s; HQ 370th Fighter Group and the 401st, 402d and 485th Fighter Squadrons move from Cardonville to La Vielle with P-38s; the 14th Liaison Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command (attached to Third Army), moves from St Germain to La Bozoge with L-5s; the 33d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, moves from Chalgrove, England to Le Molay with F-5s; the 356th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, moves from Cricqueville to Gael with P-51s; and the 392d, 393d and 394th Fighter Squadrons, 367th Fighter Group, move from Carentan to Cricqueville with P-38s.
Campaign report of the RAF:
14/15 August 1944
32 Mosquitos to Berlin, 2 to Sterkrade oil plant and 2 to St Trond airfield, 1 RCM sortie, 8 Halifaxes and 6 Lancasters minelaying off Biscay ports, 4 aircraft on Resistance operations, 7 OTU sorties. No losses.
15 August 1944
1,004 aircraft - 599 Lancasters, 385 Halifaxes, 19 Mosquitos, 1 Lightning - attacked 9 airfields in Holland and Belgium in preparation for a renewed night offensive against Germany. Visibility was perfect and all raids were considered successful. 3 Lancasters lost.
1 Wellington flew an RCM sortie.
The invasion of Southern France started in the early hours of this day. The landings were only lightly opposed and the Allied troops advanced rapidly. The Allied break- out from Normandy was also taking place at this time.
15/16 August 1944
32 Mosquitos to Berlin, 8 to Venlo airfield and 9 to various Ruhr targets, 1 RCM sortie, 7 Mosquito patrols, 6 Halifaxes minelaying off La Pallice. No aircraft lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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