The 77 Sqdn left from Elvington at 1943-05-01 at 23:54
He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type II, serial JB783, code KN-N).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
(Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission No. 53: 78 B-17's are dispatched against the Sainte-Nazaire, France U-boat base and shipyard. They find bad weather over the target and only 29 B-17's hit the target between 1125 and 1131 hours local. We claim 18-6-8 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 B-17's are lost, 2 are damaged beyond repair and 20 others are damaged. Casualties are 3 KIA, 17 WIA and 73 MIA. At the same time, 24 B-24's fly a diversion along the Brittany Coast. HQ 351st Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrives at Polebrook, England from the US.
Campaign report of the RAF:
30 April/1 May 1943
305 aircraft - 190 Lancasters, 105 Halifaxes, 10 Mosquitos - to Essen. Cloud was expected over the target so a Pathfinder technique based solely on Oboe Mosquito skymarkers was planned. This was not expected to give such good results as ground-marking but the plan worked well and 238 crews reported that they had bombed Essen. Because of the cloud, no bombing photographs were produced. The Krupps factory was hit again. 6 Halifaxes and 6 Lancasters lost, 3.9 per cent of the force.
8 Stirlings and 4 Halifaxes of the Pathfinders carried out H2S training attacks on Bocholt. 1 Stirling lost.
1 May 1943
12 Bostons to a railway target at Caen and 6 Mosquitos to the Philips factory at Eindhoven; both raids were abandoned because of cloud.
1/2 May 1943
Minelaying: 18 Wellingtons and 12 Stirlings laid mines off the Brittany and Biscay coasts. 1 Stirling lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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