The 149 Sqdn left from Lakenheath at 1942-04-23 at 22:12. Loc or duty Koln

On Thursday 23 April 1942, a member of the 149 Sqdn, Flight Sergeant Haywood, took off from Lakenheath in the United Kingdom. His mission is mentioned elsewhere on WW2 History Europe. You can find the other details of this mission by searching here. Training and cargo flights are not separately mentioned as a mission. The plane left at 22:12.

He flew with a Short Stirling (type I, serial N3719, code OJ-S).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

No report

Campaign report of the RAF:

22/23 April 1942

Cologne

64 Wellingtons and 5 Stirlings, all equipped with Gee, were dispatched on an experimental raid, with orders to use Gee as a blind-bombing aid. Some bombs were dropped accurately into Cologne but others were up to 10 miles from the target. 2 Wellingtons lost.
Cologne records show that 44 high-explosive and 1,200 incendiary bombs fell in the city, perhaps 12 to 15 aircraft loads. 4 people were killed and 8 injured and minor property damage was caused, although 6 industrial buildings are shown as having been damaged.

Minor Operations: 23 aircraft to Le Havre, 63 aircraft minelaying off Germany and Denmark, 1 leaflet flight to France. 1 Wellington on the Le Havre raid and 1 Hampden minelayer lost.

23/24 April 1942

Rostock

161 aircraft - 93 Wellingtons, 31 Stirlings, 19 Whitleys, 11 Hampdens, 6 Manchesters, 1 Lancaster. 4 aircraft - 2 Wellingtons, 1 Manchester, 1 Whitley - lost.
This was the first of a series of 4 raids on this Baltic port town. These raids had many of the characteristics of the successful raid on nearby Lübeck 1 month earlier - a concentrated, incendiary, area-bombing attack of a town with only light defences. An added feature on each night, however, was the inclusion of a small force of bombers, from 5 Group on the first 3 nights, to attempt a precision attack on the Heinkel aircraft factory on the southern outskirts of Rostock. On this first night, 143 aircraft were sent to bomb the town and 18 the Heinkel factory. Bombing conditions were good but the results of the raid were disappointing. The Heinkel factory was not hit and most of the main bombing intended for the Altstadt fell between 2 and 6 miles away.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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