The 57 Sqdn left from an unknown RAF station at 1943-05-03 at an unknown time
He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type I, serial ED762, code DX-).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
(Eighth Air Force): In Iceland, Lieutenant General Frank M. Andrews, the USAAF officer who is Commanding General EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS, U.S. Army (ETOUSA), is killed in an aircraft crash while landing. There has been speculation over the years whether Andrews instead of Eisenhower would have commanded the Allied forces in Europe if he had lived. Camp Springs Army Air Field, Camp Springs, Maryland was renamed Andrews Army Air Field (now Air Force Base) in 1945 in his memory.
Campaign report of the RAF:
3 May 1943
12 Venturas of 487 (New Zealand) Squadron were dispatched to attack a power-station on the northern outskirts of Amsterdam. 1 aircraft returned early; the remaining 11 proceeded with an escort of 3 squadrons of Spitfires. Unfortunately, an earlier Spitfire sweep alerted the German defences while the Ventura force was still flying at low level over the North Sea. Unfortunately, too, an exceptional number of experienced German fighter pilots were present at Schiphol airfield for a conference. 69 German fighters were thus up in the air near Amsterdam when the Ventura force crossed the Dutch coast. Some of the German fighters engaged the Spitfires while the remainder attacked the bombers. 9 Venturas were shot down before reaching the target and a tenth was badly damaged but it managed to turn back and reach England. The only remaining Ventura from the formation was that of Squadron Leader L. H. Trent, a New Zealander. His Ventura, completely alone, pressed on to the target and bombed it. The bombs just missed but some blast damage was caused. This last Ventura was then immediately shot down. Squadron Leader Trent and his navigator were the only survivors and became prisoners of war. The story of this action, in which 10 out of 11 Venturas were shot down, was reconstructed after the war and Squadron Leader Trent was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1946.
6 Bostons successfully bombed the steelworks at Ijmuiden but 1 aircraft crashed into the sea.
Total Bomber Command effort for the day: 18 sorties, 11 aircraft (61 per cent) lost.
3/4 May 1943
4 OTU Whitleys dropped leaflets over France without loss.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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