The 431 Sqdn left from Croft at 1944-05-01 at 19:15. Loc or duty Training
He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type V, serial LK698, code SE-N).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 332: Operation CROSSBOW (operations against German missile launching sites) targets are hit in France in the early morning; 531 bombers and 209 fighters are dispatched but weather causes many aborts and only 3 of 23 V-weapons sites targetted are bombed:
1. Of 161 B-17s dispatched,m 18 hit Poix Airfield, 18 hit Roye/Amy Airfield and 15 hit Montdidier Airfield; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 20 damaged.
2. 22 of 187 B-17s and 57 of 183 B-24s hit the Pas de Calais area; 1 B-17 and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair; 19 B-17s and 15 B-24s are damaged; 5 B-24 crewmen are KIA.
Escort is provided by 119 P-47s and 90 P-51s without loss or claims.
Mission 333: In the afternoon, 386 bombers and 558 fighters are dispatched to hit marshalling yards in France and Belgium; 3 bombers and 3 fighters are lost: 1.
110 B-17s are dispatched to Troyes (52 bomb) and Reims (57 bomb), France; 1 B-17 is lost and 52 damaged; 10 airmen are MIA.
2. 125 B-17s are dispatched to Saarguemines (64 bomb) and Metz (42 bomb), France and Brussels, Belgium (13 bomb); 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 43 damaged; 20 airmen are MIA.
3. 151 B-24s are dispatched to Brussels (59 bomb) and Liege (40 bomb), Belgium; 21 B-24s are damaged; no losses or casualties.
Escort is provided by 120 P-38s, 272 P-47s and 166 P-51s; The P-47s claim 1-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft and the P-51s claim 5-0-2; 2 P-38s and 1 P-51 are lost; 4 P-47s and 1 P-51 are damaged; 4 pilots are MIA.
Mission 334: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 1.55 million leaflets on 25 towns in France and The Netherlands without loss.
25 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER operations without loss.
HQ 489th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrives at Halesworth, England from the US.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): The last of the 11 bombardment groups (8 medium and 3 light) of the IX Bomber Command becomes operational.
450 B-26s and A-20s attack numerous marshalling yards and industrial targets in France and Belgium.
406th Fighter Squadron, 371st Fighter Group, ceases operating from Ibsley, England and returns to base at Bisterne with P-47s.
Campaign report of the RAF:
30 April/1 May 1944
143 aircraft - 114 Halifaxes, 20 Lancasters, 9 Mosquitos - of Nos 6 and 8 Groups despatched to Somain, south-east of Lille. 1 Halifax lost.The initial Oboe marking was inaccurate and the Master Bomber ordered the bombing force to wait. Most of the Halifaxes making up the Main Force either did not hear or ignored his orders and their bombs missed the target. Some damage was caused to the railway yards by the remainder of the force.
128 aircraft - 107 Halifaxes, 13 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitos - of Nos 4 and 8 Groups attacked the railway yards at Achères, near Paris without loss.The Mayor of this small town reports that the bombing completely destroyed the railway yards and that there were no civilian victims, the Mayor attributing this to the fact that the bombers flew at comparatively low level.
116 Lancasters of No 1 Group attacked the largest Luftwaffe bomb and ammunition dump at Maintenon in Northern France. The marking for this raid appears to have been provided by the No 1 Group Marking Flight, based at Binbrook; the Bomber Command records do not mention any other group taking part. The raid was entirely successful and a spectacular series of explosions were seen on the ground. French houses near by were not hit.
28 Mosquitos to Saarbrücken and 5 to Düren, 14 RCM sorties, 9 Serrate and 5 Intruder patrols, 48 Halifaxes minelaying off the French coast, 36 aircraft on Resistance operations, No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 532 sorties, 1 aircraft (0.2 per cent) lost.
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.
1/2 May 1944
131 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitos of No 5 Group attacked the aircraft assembly factory and an explosives factory at Toulouse. Both targets were hit and no aircraft were lost.
137 aircraft - 89 Halifaxes, 40 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitos - of 6 and 8 Groups attacked the railway yards at St Ghislain with great accuracy. 1 Halifax and 1 Lancaster lost.
132 aircraft - 110 Halifaxes, 14 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitos of Nos 4 and 8 Groups attacked railway targets at Malines. 1 Halifax lost. The bombing was scattered, although the locomotive sheds were damaged.
Chambly: 120 aircraft - 96 Lancasters, 16 Stirlings, 8 Mosquitos - of Nos 3 and 8 Groups. 3 Lancasters and 2 Stirlings lost. Chambly, to the north of Paris was the main railway stores and repair depot for the Northern French system which the Allied bombers were trying to put out of action. The local report (provided by the office of the present Chief Engineer at Chambly) shows that the raid was extremely successful. Approximately 500 high-explosive bombs fell inside the railway depot area and serious damage was caused to all departments. The depot was completely out of action for 10 days.
75 Lancasters of No 1 Group attacked the Berliet motor worksat Lyon. The factory was badly damaged and nearby railways and factories were also hit. There is no local report to say whether civilian casualties were caused. No aircraft were lost.
46 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos of No 5 Group carried out an accurate attack on aircraft-repair workshops at Tours. The main buildings were completely destroyed. No aircraft lost.
28 Mosquitos to Ludwigshafen and 2 to Achères, 9 RCM sorties, 16 Serrate and 18 Intruder patrols, 32 Halifaxes and 3 Stirlings minelaying off the French coast and in the Frisians, 40 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Serrate Mosquito lost.
Total effort for the night: 801 sorties in 14 separate operations, 9 aircraft (1.1 per cent) lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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