The 434 Sqdn left from Croft at 1944-08-08 at 20:32. Loc or duty la Hogue
He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type III, serial LK799, code WL-E).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Shuttle missions continue as 78 B-17s with 55 P-51s escort, leave bases in the USSR to hit airfields in Rumania; 38 hit Bizau and 35 hit Zlistea; no Luftwaffe fighters are encountered during the mission and the force flies to Italy.
Mission 530: 414 B-24s and 265 fighters are dispatched to attack airfields and V-weapon sites in France; 115 hit V-weapons sites in the Pas de Calais; 91 hit Clastres Airfield, 53 hit Romilly air depot, 50 hit La Perthe Airfield, 12 hit Laon/Athies Airfield, 14 hit railroad bridges, 13 hit targets of opportunity and 11 hit Bretigny Airfield; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 139 are damaged; 11 airmen are KIA, 9 WIA and 9 MIA.
Escort is provided by 265 P-47s and P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA).
Mission 531: 681 B-17s and 100 P-51s are dispatched to bomb enemy troop concentrations and strongpoints S of Caen; 25 Canadian soldiers are killed and 131 wounded by short bombing; 231 hit Cauvincourt, 99 hit Bretteville-sur- Laise strongpoint, 99 hit St Sylvain strong point, 67 hit targets of opportunity and 1 hits Gouvix strongpoint; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft; 7 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 294 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA, 15 WIA and 35 MIA.
Escort is provided by 91 of 100 P-51s; they claim 4-1-6 aircraft; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA).
41 of 50 P-51s escort RAF Coastal Command Beaufighters on a convoy strike in Norway; 3 P-51s are lost and 3 damaged; 1 pilot is WIA and 3 MIA.
175 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s fly a fighter-bomber mission against the railroad N and W of Dijon; 2 P-47s and 2 P-51s are lost; 1 P-38, 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost; 5 airmen are MIA.
Mission 532: 5 of 5 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): Lieutenant General Hoyt S Vandenberg assumes command of the Ninth Air Force.
In France, 406 B-26s and A-20s bomb a rail embankment and bridges at 8 locations in N and W France, attack radar installations between Argentan and Alencon, and give tactical support to ground forces near Saint-Malo; fighters escort IX Bomber Command aircraft, give defensive air cover, and fly armed reconnaissance E of Paris and in the battle area; and HQ 100th Fighter Wing moves from St-Pierre-Eglise to Rennes.
Campaign report of the RAF:
7/8 August 1944
1,019 aircraft - 614 Lancasters, 392 Halifaxes, 13 Mosquitos - attacked five aiming points in front of Allied ground troops in Normandy. The attacks were carefully controlled - only 660 aircraft bombed and German strong points and the roads around them were well cratered. 10 aircraft - all Lancasters - were lost, 7 to German fighters, 2 to flak and 1 to an unknown cause.
4 Mosquitos to Coulommiers airfield, 48 RCM sorties, 11 Mosquito patrols, 18 Halifaxes and 11 Stirlings minelaying off Brest, 6 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 1,117 sorties, 10 aircraft (0.9 per cent) lost.
8 August 1944
202 aircraft - 148 Halifaxes, 49 Lancasters, 5 Mosquitos - of 6 and 8 Groups attacked an oil-storage dump at Forêt De Chantilly which was hit and fires were started. 1 Halifax lost in the sea.
58 Halifaxes and 20 Mosquitos of 4 and 8 Groups attacked 4 launching sites; the bombing was accurate. 1 Halifax lost.
8/9 August 1944
170 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3 and 8 Groups attacked depots and storage dumps at Aire sur Lys and the Forêt de Lucheux. Both raids were successful. 1 Lancaster lost from the Forêt de Lucheux raid.
34 Mosquitos to Cologne, 11 RCM sorties, 18 Mosquito patrols, 24 aircraft minelaying off Brittany ports, 15 aircraft on Resistance operations. 2 aircraft, probably Halifaxes, lost from the Resistance operations.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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