The 78 Sqdn left from Breighton at 1944-05-25 at 22:55. Loc or duty Aachen

On Thursday 25 May 1944, a member of the 78 Sqdn, Flight Sergeant J Henderson, took off from Breighton 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 22:55.

He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type III, serial LV905, code EY-W).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS

(Eighth Air Force): Mission 370: 406 bombers and 604 fighters make visual attacks on rail installations and airfields in Belgium and France; 4 bombers and 12 fighters are lost; the fighters claim 13-2-3 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 3-0-5 on the ground; unless otherwise indicated, all targets are in France:

1. 307 B-24s are dispatched to marshalling yards at Belfort (74 bomb) and Mulhouse (134 bomb); 12 hit Tonnere marshalling yard and 37 bomb Bretigny and 1 bombs Dijon Airfields; 2 B-24s are lost and 57 damaged; 20 airmen are MIA.

2. 320 B-17s are dispatched to Nancy/Essey Airfield (75 bomb) and marshalling yards at Metz (69 bomb), Saarguemines (36 bomb) and Blainville (36 bomb); 56 B-17s hit Thionville marshalling yard and 3 bomb Liege Airfield, Belgium; 14 B-17s are damaged.

3. 103 B-24s bomb Montignies sur Sambre marshalling yard and 9 bomb Alos marshalling yard; 3 B-24s are damaged.

4. In Belgium 247 B-17s are dispatched against marshalling yards at Brussels/Schaerbeck (52 bomb), Brussels/Midi (29 bomb) and Leige/Guillemines (50 bomb); other marshalling yards hit are Brussels/Melsbroek (18 bomb) and Liege/Renory (50 bomb); 2 B-18s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 71 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 6 WIA and 28 MIA.

5. 18 of 38 B-17s and 18 of 18 B-24s hit Fecamp gun battery without loss.

6. 15 B-17s hit St Valery gun battery without loss.

Escort is provided by 136 P-38s, 181 P-47s and 287 P-51s; P-38s claim 3-1-0 Luftwaffe aircraft, 9 P-38s (pilots are MIA) are lost and 8 damaged; P-47s claim 4-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 3-0-5 on the ground, 6 P-47s are damaged; P-51s claim 6-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft, 3 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA) and 1 damaged.

MISSION 371: 4 of 4 B-17s drop leaflets in France without loss.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS

(Ninth Air Force): 225+ B-26s attack bridges near Liege, Belgium and airfields at Lille/Nord and Monchy-Breton, France.

About 250 P-47s dive-bomb various targets in W Europe.

Campaign report of the RAF:

24/25 May 1944

442 aircraft - 264 Lancasters, 162 Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitos - of all groups except No 5 to attack 2 railway yards at Aachen - Aachen-West and Rothe Erde (east of the town). These were important links in the railway system between Germany and France. 18 Halifaxes and 7 Lancasters lost, 5.7 per cent of the force. The Aachen report duly records that the 2 railway yards were the targets attacked, with the railways to the east of Aachen being particularly hard hit. But, because this was a German town, Bomber Command sent more aircraft than normal for railway raids and many bombs fell in Aachen itself and in villages near the railway yards.

59 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos of No 5 Group were dispatched to attack the Philips factory at Eindhoven but the Master Bomber ordered the force not to bomb because of bad visibility. 1 aircraft did not hear the order and released its load. No aircraft lost.

106 Halifaxes, 102 Lancasters and 16 Mosquitos, split into small forces, attacked coastal gun positions at Boulogne, Colline Beaumont, Le Clipon and Trouville without loss.

44 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitos of 5 and 8 Groups to attack the Ford motor factory at Antwerp but the bombing missed the target. Some bombs fell on nearby dockside buildings. No aircraft lost.

15 Mosquitos to Berlin, 6 RCM sorties, 31 Serrate and 8 Intruder patrols, 18 Halifaxes and 7 Stirlings minelaying in the Frisians and off Brest, 23 OTU sorties. 1 RCM Halifax lost.

Total effort for the night: 888 sorties, 26 aircraft (2.9 per cent) lost.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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