The 83 Sqdn left from Peplow at 1944-05-20 at an unknown time. Loc or duty Nickel
He flew with a Vickers Wellington (type III, serial BK463, code -).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
19 May 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 358: 888 bombers and 700 fighters are dispatched to hit targets in Germany; very heavy cloud cover forces the bombers to use H2X PFF methods; Luftwaffe resistance is heavy and 28 bombers and 19 fighters are lost; the fighters claim 77-0-33 Luftwaffe aircraft:
1. 588 B-17s are dispatched to Berlin; 495 hit the primary, 49 hit the port area at Kiel and 1 hits a target of opportunity; 16 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 289 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 16 WIA and 137 MIA.
2. 300 B-24s are dispatched to the industrial area at Brunswick; 272 hit the primary and 1 bombs a target of opportunity; 12 B-24s are lost and 64 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 8 WIA and 119 MIA.
Escort is provided by 155 P-38s, 182 P-47s and 363 P-51s of the Eighth Air Force and 264 Ninth Air Force aircraft; the P-38s claim 0-0-2 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground, the P-47s claim 29-0-16 in the air and 2-0-0 on the ground and the P-51s claim 41-0-5 in the air and 4-0-10 on the ground; 4 P-38s, 4 P-47s and 11 P-51s are lost; 2 P-38s are damaged beyond repair; 5 P-38s, 4 P-47s and 7 P-51s are damaged; 17 pilots are MIA.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, about 290 B-26s and A-20s bomb coastal defenses, port area, railway battery, and NOBALL (V-weapon) targets; 125+ others fail to bomb because of extremely thick haze; about 300 P-47s dive-bomb targets.
20 May 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 359: 638 bombers and 657 fighters are dispatched to hit targets in France and Belgium; 2 bombers and 4 fighters are lost; AAF claims 2-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-1 on the ground:
1. 190 B-17s are dispatched to bomb Orly Airfield (90 bomb) and Villacoublay Air Depot (73 bomb) in France; 4 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 48 damaged; 20 airmen are KIA and 6 WIA.
2. 125 of 177 B-24s bomb Reims Airfield and marshalling yard in France; 5 B-24s are damaged.
3. 271 B-17s and B-24s are dispatched to marshalling yards at Liege and Brussels, Belgium but the mission is abandoned due to heavy cloud cover; 2 bombers are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 41 damaged; 17 airmen are KIA, 16 WIA and 17 MIA.
Escort is provided by 146 P-38s, 177 P-47s and 334 P-51s; P-38s claim 2-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-1 on the ground; 1 P-38, 1 P-47 and 2 P-51s are lost; 5 P-38s are damaged; 4 pilots are MIA.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): Around 450 B-26s attack airfields, coastal defenses, and V-weapon site in France; about 250 aborts are caused mainly by bad cloud conditions and failure to rendezvous with fighters.
P-47s dive-bomb targets in NW Europe.
423d Night Fighter Squadron, 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), moves from Chormy Down to Chalgrove, England with F-3s and A-20s; the 423d will be redesignated 155th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 22 Jun.
Campaign report of the RAF:
Day Operations, 1-21 May 1944
On 6 days during this period, Bomber Command Oboe Mosquitos flew as 'formation leaders' in Second Tactical Air Force attacks on small targets in Northern France. There were no losses from the 12 Bomber Command sorties flown.
19/20 May 1944
143 aircraft - 106 Halifaxes, 32 Lancasters, 5 Mosquitos of Nos 4 and 8 Groups attacked the railway yards at Boulogne. Only 1 of the Oboe Mosquitos was able to mark the target but the bombing was accurate. The local report says that the main station was badly damaged; 33 civilians were killed. No aircraft lost.
118 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups carried out a particularly accurate attack on the railway yards at Orleans. 1 Lancaster lost.
112 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitos of Nos 5 and 8 Groups found that their railway target at Amiens was cloud-covered and the Master Bomber ordered the attack to stop after 37 Lancasters had bombed. 1 Lancaster lost.
113 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos of No 5 Group to attempt the difficult task of attacking the railway installations in the centre of Tours. A previous No 5 Group raid had destroyed the yards on the outskirts of the town. Both the marking and the bombing force were ordered to carry out their tasks with particular care and to be prepared to wait until the Master Bomber was satisfied that the surrounding housing areas were not hit. The raid continued until well after the planned period but no fighters appeared and no aircraft were lost. Much damage was caused to the railways but some bombs did fall to the west of the target.
Le Mans: 112 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos of Nos 3 and 8 Groups. The majority of the bombs hit the railway yards and caused serious damage. The local report says that the locomotive sheds were destroyed, an ammunition train (or some ammunition wagons) blew up, 2 main lines were destroyed and all other lines blocked because overhead power lines were brought down across the tracks. Unfortunately the Lancasters of the Master Bomber and his deputy collided over the target and crashed. The Master Bomber was a brilliant young New Zealander, Wing Commander JF Barron, DSO and Bar, DFC, DFM, and the Deputy Master Bomber was Squadron Leader JM Dennis, DSO, DFC They were both killed; both were from No 7 Squadron. 1 other Lancaster was lost.
58 Halifaxes of No 6 Group and 6 Pathfinder Mosquitos attacked a coastal gun position at Le Clipon but there was haze and the results are not known. No aircraft lost.
63 aircraft - 42 Halifaxes, 15 Lancasters, 6 Mosquitos of Nos 6 and 8 Groups bombed a gun position at Merville near Dunkirk. Some bombs did fall in the battery position despite the presence of haze. No aircraft were lost.
39 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos of No 8 Group to attack a radar station at Mont Couple. The Mosquitos were not able to use their Oboe equipment but 31 Lancasters used their H2S sets to make a timed run from the coast and bomb the approximate position of the target. 1 Lancaster shot down by flak.
29 Mosquitos to Cologne, 10 RCM sorties, 8 Serrate and 23 Intruder patrols, 24 Halifaxes and 4 Stirlings minelaying off the French coast, 12 OTU sorties. 1 OTU Wellington lost.
Total effort for the night: 900 sorties, 7 aircraft (0.8 per cent) lost.
20/21 May 1944
Düsseldorf: 30 Mosquitos. The target area was cloud-covered and the Oboe markers quickly disappeared into the cloud. Most aircraft bombed on dead reckoning but this must have been inaccurate; Wuppertal, 17 miles east of Düsseldorf, reports 71 people killed on this night. No Mosquitos lost.
14 Mosquitos to Reisholz, 5 Serrate and 4 Intruder patrols, 12 Halifaxes and 4 Stirlings minelaying off French Atlantic ports, 7 OTU sorties. No aircraft lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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