The 97 Sqdn left from Coningsby at 1944-11-11 at an unknown time. Loc or duty Training
He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type III, serial PB450, code OF-D).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
AIRBORNE OPERATIONS
(IX Troop Carrier Command): The 305th Troop Carrier Squadron, 442d Troop Carrier Group, moves from Peray to St-Andre-de-L'Eure with C-47s.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 712: 482 bombers and 367 fighters make PFF attacks on oil refineries and marshalling yards in W Germany; 1 bomber and 1 fighter are lost:
1. 197 B-17s are sent to hit the Oberlahnstein marshalling yard (146); 24 hit the secondary, the Koblenz marshalling yard; 2 hit a target of opportunity; 1 B-17s is damaged beyond repair and 31 damaged; 1 airman is KIA.
Escorting are 170 P-47s and P-51s without loss.
2. 129 B-17s are sent to hit the Buer oil refinery at Gelsenkirchen (100); 23 hit the secondary, the Rheine marshalling yard; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 7 airmen are KIA.
Escorting are 52 P-51s; 1 is lost.
3. 143 B-24s are sent to hit the Bottrop oil refinery (124); 1 hit Recklinghausen, a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost and 39 damaged; 10 airmen are MIA.
Escorting are 98 P-47s and P-51s.
12 of 13 B-17s fly a screening mission.
31 P-51s fly a scouting mission.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS First Tactical Air Force (Provisional): HQ 320th Bombardment Group and the 441st, 442d, 443d and 444th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium) move from Corsica to Longvic Airfield at Dijon, France with B-26s.
(Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 190 B-26s and A-20s hit strongpoints at Putzlohn and rail bridges at Sinzig, Euskirchen, Ahrweiler, and Mayen; the IX Tactical Air Command hits railroads and other targets, escorts the bombers, and supports the US 28th Infantry Division in the Schmidt area.
The XXIX Tactical Air Command hits targets in W Germany.
The XIX Tactical Air Command flies armed reconnaissance and supports the US XII and XX Corps in the Thionville-Metz, France area.
In France, the 405th Fighter Squadron, 371st Fighter Group, based at Tavaux Airfield at Dole begins operating from Dijon with P-47s.
Campaign report of the RAF:
10/11 November 1944
59 Mosquitos to Hannover and 4 each to Gotha and Erfurt (Erfurt was not reached), 30 RCM sorties, 40 Mosquito patrols. 1 Mosquito from the Hannover raid was lost.
11 November 1944
122 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the synthetic-oil refinery at Castrop-Rauxel. The bombing was believed to be accurate and no aircraft were lost.
2 Wellington RCM sorties.
11/12 November 1944
Harburg: 237 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitos of No 5 Group. 7 Lancasters lost. The aiming point for this raid was the Rhenania-Ossag oil refinery, which had been attacked several times by American day bombers.
Dortmund: 209 Lancasters and 19 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups. No aircraft lost. The aiming point was the Hoesch Benzin synthetic-oil plant in the Wambel district. A local report confirms that the plant was severely damaged. Other bombs hit nearby housing and the local airfield.
41 Mosquitos to the Kamen oil refinery, 12 to Osnabrück, 9 to Wiesbaden, 6 to Gotha and 3 to Erfurt, 36 RCM sorties, 59 Mosquito patrols, 26 Lancasters and 24 Halifaxes minelaying off Oslo, in the Kattegat and in the River Elbe. No aircraft lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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