The 105 Sqdn left from Marham at 1943-12-13 at 16:52. Loc or duty Essen
He flew with a de Havilland Mosquito (type IV, serial DZ354, code GB-).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
12 December 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 153: 4 B-17's drop 800,000 leaflets on Paris, Amiens and Orleans, France at 2033-2044 hours; no casualties. HQ 92d and 94th Combat Bombardment Wings (Heavy) transfer from Polebrook to Camp Blainey and Alconbury, England respectively. HQ 95th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) is activated at Attlebridge, England.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): The 109th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, transfers from Membury to Middle Wallop, England with Spitfires and F-6's.
13 December 1943
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 154; the port area at Bremen and Kiel, Germany are hit; 5 aircraft are lost. This is the first mission where more than 600 aircraft are dispatched.
1. 171 of 182 B-17's dispatched to Bremen hit the target at 1159-1206 hours; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 30 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 3 WIA.
2. 367 of 403 B-17's, 93 of 107 B-24's, 12 of 12 B-17 PFF and 6 of 6 B-24 PFF aircraft are dispatched to Kiel; heavy frosting and poor visibility disrupts the formation and 78 B-17's hit targets of opportunity in Hamburg at 1300-1305 hours; the remaining aircraft hit Kiel at 1245-1317 hours; 7-3-17 Luftwaffe aircraft are claimed; 4 B-17's and 1 B-24 are lost; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 136 B-17's and 4 B-24's are lost; casualties are 4 KIA, 16 WIA and 50 MIA.
These missions are escorted by 31 P-38's, 322 P-47's and 41 Ninth Air Force P-51's; they claim 1-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost, 1 P-38 and 1 P-47 are damaged beyond repair and 1 P-38 is damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 1 MIA. P-51's escorting the heavy bombers reach the limit of their escort range for the first time. VIII Bomber Command Mission 155: 5 B-17's drop 1 million leaflets on Le Mans, Rennes, Tours, Nantes and Chartres, France at 2138-2155 hours; no losses.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): Nearly 200 B-26's attack Schiphol Airfield in The Netherlands.
Campaign report of the RAF:
12/13 December 1943
Mosquitos: 20 to Essen, 9 to Düsseldorf, 1 to Osnabrück, 4 RCM sorties, 4 OTU sorties. 1 Mosquito lost on the Essen raid.
13/14 December 1943
16 Mosquitos to Düsseldorf, 1 to Bonn, 25 OTU sorties. No losses.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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