The 51 Sqdn left from Snaith at 1943-01-28 at 17:56

On Thursday 28 January 1943, a member of the 51 Sqdn, Sergeant C M Page, took off from Snaith in the United Kingdom. His mission is mentioned elsewhere on Back to Normandy. 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 17:56.

He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type II, serial DT705, code MH-S).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

27 January 1943 (Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 31: The Eighth Air Force makes its first raid on Germany. The 1st and 2d Bombardment Wings dispatch 64 B-17s and 27 B-24s against the primary target, the Wilhelmshaven, Germany Naval Base; 53 B-17s hit the target between 1110 and 1113 hours local dropping 137.5 tons of bombs; two other B-17s attack the submarine base at Emden at 1135 hours as a target of opportunity; the B-24s are unable to locate the target due to bad weather and a navigational error and return to base. Mission stats: we claim 22 enemy aircraft destroyed, 14 probably destroyed and 13 damaged; 1 B-17 and 2 B-24s are lost; 32 B-17s and 11 B-24s are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 3 WIA and 30 MIA. Seven Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly uneventful fighter patrols.

Campaign report of the RAF:

27/28 January 1943

'Ground marking' used for the first time in a raid on Düsseldorf by 162 aircraft - 124 Lancasters, 33 Halifaxes, 5 Mosquitos. 3 Halifaxes and 3 Lancasters lost, 3.7 per cent of the force.

This was the first occasion when Oboe Mosquitos carried out 'ground marking' - now the standard form of target marking - for the Pathfinders. Other Pathfinder Lancasters 'backed-up' the Oboe-aimed markers. There was a thin sheet of cloud over the target and, without Oboe and the new target indicators, this raid could have almost certainly been another failed attack on the Ruhr. Bombing was well concentrated on the southern part of the city. The local report lists damage at a wide variety of property 66 people were killed and 225 injured.

4 aircraft to Texel and the Frisians minelaying; 1 Stirling lost.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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