The 51 Sqdn left from Snaith at 1944-10-25 at 12:39. Loc or duty Essen
He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type III, serial LL612, code C6-A).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
25 October 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 688: 1,250 bombers and 522 fighters are dispatched to hit oil and industrial targets in W Germany; 2 bombers and 1 fighter are lost; the first three forces use H2X while the 4th and 5th use GH:
1. 455 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Harburg (221) and Rhenania oil refineries (214) at Hamburg; 1 other hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 94 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA.
Escort is provided by 129 of 139 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost and 1 damaged beyond repair.
2. 225 B-24s are dispatched to hit Neumunster Airfield (216); targets of opportunity are Munster (3) and Utersum (1); no losses.
Escort is provided by 41 of 42 P-51s without loss.
3. 297 B-17s dispatched to hit the primary hit secondaries, Harburg (179) and Rhenania oil refineries (106) at Hamburg; 1 other hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 16 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 9 MIA.
Escort is provided by 221 of 255 P-51s without loss.
4. 131 B-17s are dispatched to hit synthetic oil targets at Gelsenkirchen/ Nordstern (27); 100 others hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Hamm; 49 B-17s are damaged.
Escort is provided by 50 of 50 P-47s without loss.
5. 142 B-24s are dispatched to hit synthetic oil targets at Scholven/Buer (91); 34 hit the secondary at Munster and 1 hits Gronua; 39 B-24s are damaged.
Escort is provided by 34 of 36 P-47s without loss.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): HQ First Tactical Air Force (Provisional) is established, but not yet organized, therefore HQ Ninth AF continues to administer, supply, and control all XII Tactical Air Command and assigned units until mid Nov when the First Tactical AF assumes full control.
9th Bombardment Division's missions are cancelled because of bad weather.
Fighters fly sweeps, hit rail and military targets in the Saarbrucken, Germany area, and support the US XIX Corps in W Germany.
26 October 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 689: 1,225 bombers and 674 fighters make PFF attacks on industrial and communications targets in W Germany; 1 fighter is lost:
1. 430 B-17s are dispatched to attack a storage depot at Bielefeld (155) and aircraft repair plant and Ludwig marshalling yard at Munster (108); targets of opportunity are Munster (87), Gutersloh (24) and other (1); 10 B-17s are damaged.
Escort is provided by 204 of 215 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
2. 432 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Hannover/Hanomag military vehicle plant (155); targets of opportunity are Hannover (221), Bielefeld (36) and other (1); 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 14 damaged; 16 airmen are KIA, and 1 WIA.
Escort is provided by 235 P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair.
3. 242 of 246 B-24s hit the aqueduct and Mittelland Canal at Minden; 5 B-24s are damaged.
Escort is provided by 128 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft without loss.
4. 117 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Welheim synthetic oil plant at Bottrop (65); 33 others hit Munster; 37 B-24s are damaged; 1 airman is WIA.
Escort is provided by 59 of 66 P-51s without loss.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): No bomber operations as bad weather prevails; fighters sweep areas of E France and W Germany from Metz, France to Cologne, Germany, attacking rail and road traffic, rail bridges, and marshalling yards.
The 112th Liaison Squadron, Ninth Air Force (attached to SHAEF), based at Buc, France with UC-78s and L-5s, send a flight to operate from Namur, Belgium.
Campaign report of the RAF:
24/25 October 1944
57 Mosquitos to Hannover. 6 to Aschaffenburg and 4 to Oberhausen, 3 RCM sorties, 11 Mosquito patrols, 25 Lancasters and 9 Halifaxes minelaying in the Kattegat and off Oslo, 1 aircraft on a Resistance operation. No aircraft lost.
25 October 1944
771 aircraft - 508 Lancasters, 251 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitos - attacked Essen. 2 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters lost. The bombing was aimed at skymarkers, because the target area was covered by cloud. The Bomber Command report states that the attack became scattered, but the local Essen report shows that more buildings were destroyed - 1,163 - than in the heavier night attack which had taken place 36 hours previously. A photographic reconnaissance flight which took place after this raid showed severe damage to the remaining industrial concerns in Essen, particularly to the Krupps steelworks. Some of the war industry had already moved to small, dispersed factories but the coal mines and steelworks of the Ruhr were still important. The Krupps steelworks were particularly hard-hit by the two raids and there are references in the firm's archives to the 'almost complete breakdown of the electrical supply network' and to 'a complete paralysis'. The Borbeck pig-iron plant ceased work completely and there is no record of any further production from this important section of Krupps.
Much of Essen's surviving industrial capacity was now dispersed and the city lost its role as one of Germany's most important centres of war production.
243 aircraft - 199 Halifaxes, 32 Lancasters, 12 Mosquitos - of 6 and 8 Groups attacked the oil plant at Meerbeck near Homberg. The target was covered by cloud. Bombing was scattered in the early stages but later became more concentrated on the skymarkers.No aircraft were lost.
6 RCM sorties, 1 Hudson on a Resistance operation. No losses.
Total effort for the day: 1,021 sorties, 4 aircraft (0.4 per cent) lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
This record can also be found on the maps of Back to Normandy with Google coordinates. You can find the maps by clicking on this link on this location.
There are several possibilities to investigate the flight records on Back to Normandy. All the flights are plotted on maps, sorted "day by day", "by squadron", "by type aircraft", "by year or month", "by location" and much more! Don't miss this!!!
If you have any information that you want to share, please add your comment at the bottom of this record. Or send your information to [email protected]. This information will be added to the record.
Your photos and your information are very welcome! The young do care and with your help we keep up the good work.