The 627 Sqdn left from Coningsby at 1945-02-20 at an unknown time. Loc or duty Bohlen
He flew with a de Havilland Mosquito (type XXV , serial KB401 , code AZ-E).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
AIRBORNE OPERATIONS
(IX Troop Carrier Command): HQ 53d Troop Carrier Wing moves from Greenham Common, England to Voisenon, France.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: 3 missions are flown.
Mission 836: 1,264 bombers and 726 fighters are dispatched to hit the main station and marshalling yard at Nurnberg, Germany; the target is bombed visually and using H2X radar; they claim 49-1-21 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-17s and 7 fighters are lost:
1. 360 B-24s dispatched abandon the mission over Belgium due to weather conditions; one B-24 hits Steig, a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair; 3 airmen are KIA and 2 WIA.
Escorting are 123 of 141 P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
2. 831 of 904 B-17s hit the primary target; targets of opportunity are Schiltach (16) and other (12); 5 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 241 damaged; 9 airmen are KIA, 10 WIA and 47 MIA.
The escort is 315 of 337 P-51s; they claim 8-0-2 aircraft on the ground; 5 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
3. 194 P-47s and P-51s strafe rail and road targets in the Nurnberg and Straubing areas; they claim 12-0-1 aircraft in the air and 35-1-20 on the ground; 7 fighters are lost (pilots MIA).
4. 28 of 29 P-51s fly a scouting mission without loss.
5. 10 P-51s escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany.
Mission 837: 10 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and Germany during the night without loss.
Mission 838: During the night of 20/21 Feb, 30 B-24s attack the Neustadt marshalling yard without loss and 6 of 7 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): The IX Engineer Command is relieved of its assignment to the Ninth AF and assigned to US Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSTAF. (After V-E the command will revert to control of the Ninth.).
Weather grounds the 9th Bombardment Division; in Germany, fighters fly armed reconnaissance E and W of the Rhine River, attack a bridge and defended area, and support the US VIII, XII, and XX Corps in the Lichtenborn area, W of the Prum River, and in the Saar-Mosel triangle.
Campaign report of the RAF:
19/20 February 1945
254 Lancasters and 6 Mosquitos of No 5 Group dispatched to Böhlen. 1 Mosquito lost. This raid was not successful, probably because the aircraft of the Master Bomber, Wing Commander EA Benjamin, was shot down by flak over the target. Post-raid reconnaissance showed that damage to the target was 'superficial'; there was no evidence to show where the main bombing fell.
82 Mosquitos to Erfurt and 24 in small numbers to 6 other targets, 9 RCM sorties, 29 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.
20 February 1945
1 Halifax flew an RCM sortie.
20/21 February 1945
514 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups attacked Dortmund in Bomber Command's last large-scale raid on this target. 14 Lancasters lost. The intention of this raid was to destroy the southern half of Dortmund and Bomber Command claimed that this was achieved.
173 aircraft - 156 Halifaxes, 11 Mosquitos, 6 Lancasters - of Nos 4 and 8 Groups attacked the Rhenania Ossag refinery in the Reisholz district of Düsseldorf. The raid was accurate and it was later established that all oil production was halted. 4 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster lost.
128 aircraft - 112 Halifaxes, 10 Mosquitos, 6 Lancasters - of 6 and 8 Groups attacked the Rhenania Ossag refinery at Monheim with similar results to the Reisholz raid. 2 Halifaxes lost.
154 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitos of No 5 Group were ordered to attack the Mittelland Canal near Gravenhorst but the raid was ordered to be abandoned by the Master Bomber because the area was covered by cloud. No aircraft lost.
Diversionary and 91 aircraft from Heavy Conversion Units in a sweep over the North Sea, 66 Mosquitos to Berlin and 16 to Mannheim, 65 RCM sorties, 45 Mosquito patrols, 6 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 aircraft of No 100 Group (type not recorded) lost.
Total effort for the night: 1,283 sorties, 22 aircraft (1.7 per cent) lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net
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