The 85 Sqdn left from Swannington at 1945-04-13 at an unknown time. Loc or duty BS
He flew with a de Havilland Mosquito (type NF.30 , serial MV555 , code VY-).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: 3 missions are flown.
Mission 945: The AAF claims 284-0-220 Luftwaffe aircraft.
1. 212 B-17s, escorted by 256 of 278 P-51s, attack the marshalling yard at Neumunster visually; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 3 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA, 3 WIA and 17 MIA.
The escort claims 137-0-83 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air; 6 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
2. 97 P-47s and P-51s fly a freelance mission in support of the bombers; they claim 147-0-137 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost; both pilots are MIA.
3. 8 P-51s fly a scouting mission.
4. 11 of 13 P-51s escort 10 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
Mission 946: 10 of 12 B-24s bomb the Beizenburg rail junction during the night without loss.
Mission 947: During the night, 10 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in France and Germany and 1 of 4 B-24s completes a CARPETBAGGER mission to Denmark.
The 328th Fighter Squadron, 352d Fighter Group, moves from Chievres, Belgium to Bodney, England with P-51s.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In Germany, a special mission is flown by IX Tactical Air Command fighter-bombers against the HQ of Field Marshall Walter Model's Army Group B at Haus Waldesruh in the Ruhr pocket; the air attack is followed by an artillery barrage; as a result the HQ is moved to Haan; IX Tactical Air Command pilots sight Soviet fighters in the air for the first time; weather grounds the 9th Bombardment Division; fighters fly patrols and armed reconnaissance, and support the US XVIII Corps in the Huckeswagen and Hagen areas, the III Corps between the Ruhr and Honne Rivers, the 3d Armored Division on the Saale River in the Alsleben, Nelben and Friedeburg area, the XX Corps astride and between the Weisse Eister and Zwickauer Mulde Rivers N of Gera, the XVI Corps NW of Hagen, the 2d Armored Division in the Elbenau-Grunwalde area, and the 5th Armored Division along the Elbe River in the Tangermunde area.
P-47 units moving to Fritzlar Germany: HQ 365th Fighter Group and 387th Fighter Squadron from Aachen; the 507th Fighter Squadron, 404th Fighter Group, from Keltz.
Campaign report of the RAF:
12/13 April 1945
97 Mosquitos to Berlin and 3 to Munich. 13 Mosquitos on Intruder patrols. No aircraft lost.
13 April 1945
34 Lancasters of No 5 Group (Nos 9 and 617 Squadrons) set out to attack the warships Prinz Eugen and Lützow in Swinemünde harbour but the raid was abandoned because of cloud over the target. All aircraft returned safely.
13/14 April 1945
377 Lancasters and 105 Halifaxes of Nos 3, 6 and 8 Groups to Kiel. 2 Lancasters lost. This raid was directed against the port area, with the U-boat yards as the main objective. Bomber Command rated this as 'a poor attack' with scattered bombing.
20 Halifaxes and 8 Mosquitos in a diversionary raid on Boizenburg, 87 Mosquitos to Hamburg, 20 to Stralsund and 12 to Reisa, 62 RCM sorties, 55 Mosquito patrols, 82 Lancasters and 27 Halifaxes minelaying in Kiel Bay and the Kattegat. 1 Mosquito of No 100 Group lost.
Total effort for the night: 855 sorties, 3 aircraft (0.4 per cent) lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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