The 139 Sqdn left from Upwood at 1944-01-04 at 17:35. Loc or duty Air Test
He flew with a de Havilland Mosquito (type IV, serial DZ476, code XD-).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 174: 2 targets in Germany are hit; 19 bombers and 2 fighters are lost. 1. 371 of 439 B-17's and 115 of 130 B-24's are dispatched to the port area at Kiel; 7 B-17's and 34 B-24's hit targets of opportunity; they claim 4-12-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 11 B-17's and 6 B-24's are lost; 2 B-17's and 3 B-24's are damaged beyond repair and 111 B-17's and 16 B-24's are damaged; casualties are 22 KIA, 53 WIA and 170 MIA. 70 P-38's and 42 Ninth Air Force P-51's escort; they claim 1-1-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38 and 1 P-51 are lost and 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair; casualties are 1 WIA and 2 MIA. 2. 68 of 75 B-17's hit Munster; 2 B-17's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 35 damaged; casualties are 1 WIA and 20 MIA. 430 P-47's escort; they claim 7-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is damaged.
Mission 175: During the evening, 4 B-17's drop 800,000 leaflets on Orleans, Lorient, Rouen and Tours, France at 2005-2021 hours; no losses. This is the first CARPETBAGGER operation from Tempsford, England on this night. US airplanes begin flying supplies from UK to underground resistance forces in W Europe, this operation being coded CARPETBAGGER.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): XIX Air Support Command is activated at Middle Wallop England with Major General Elwood R Quesada in command; XIX will support Patton's Third Army in Europe. 258 B-26's bomb NOBALL targets (V-weapons sites) in France. Weather makes bombing difficult, and results range from unknown to good.
Campaign report of the RAF:
3/4 January 1944
6 Mosquitos to Solingen and 2 to Essen. No losses.
4/5 January 1944
80 aircraft - 57 Stirlings, 12 Mosquitos, 11 Lancasters - to two flying bomb sites, one in the Pas de Calais and one at Bristillerie, near Cherbourg. Both targets were attacked effectively and no aircraft were lost.
Special Operations: Supplies and Agents For Resistance Forces
Bomber Command's records for this night contain their first mention of this type of operation, although Nos 138 and 161 Squadrons had been carrying out such operations for 2 years under nominal Bomber Command control. 18 Halifaxes and 1 Hudson of Nos 138 and 161 Squadrons made flights on this night and 6 Stirlings from No 214 Squadron also operated. No aircraft were lost. The Stirling flights represented a new type of work for the Stirling squadrons, which had recently been relieved from bombing raids to Germany.
13 Mosquitos to Berlin, 3 to Krefeld and 2 to Cologne, 4 RCM sorties, 40 aircraft minelaying off Lorient and Brest, 8 OTU sorties. No aircraft lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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