The 57 Sqdn left from Scampton at 1942-11-23 at 18:39

On Monday 23 November 1942, a member of the 57 Sqdn, Sergeant L E Webber, took off from Scampton 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 18:39.

He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type I, serial W4360, code DX-).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

22 October 1942 (Eighth Air Force): Mission 22: 68 B-17s and 8 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Keroma U-boat pens at Lorient, France; only 11 B-17s find a gap in the 10/10 cloud cover and bomb at 1410 hours local without loss.

23 October 1942 (Eighth Air Force): Mission 23: 50 B-17s and 8 B-24s are dispatched to hit the St Nazaire submarine base in France for the 5th time in 2 weeks; the cumulative effect of the operation on the base is large though the sub shelter shows little permanent damage; 28 B-17s and 8 B-24s hit the target; they claim 16-2-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; the AAF crews report a change in fighter tactics from rear to head-on attack as the Luftwaffe learns that the B-17 and B-24 are weak in forward firepower; 4 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 16 B-17s and 1 B-24 are damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 16 WIA and 43 MIA. Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, First Lord of the Admiralty, writes to Lieutenant General Ira C Eaker, Commanding General Eighth AF, praising the effects of the US bomber attacks on disorganizing the servicing schedule of the German U-boat bases on the French W coast.

Campaign report of the RAF:

22/23 November 1942

Stuttgart

222 aircraft - 97 Lancasters, 59 Wellingtons, 39 Halifaxes, 27 Stirlings. 10 aircraft - 5 Lancasters, 3 Wellingtons, 2 Halifaxes - lost, 4.5 per cent of the force.

A thin layer of cloud and some ground haze concealed Stuttgart and the Pathfinders were not able to identify the centre of the city. Heavy bombing developed to the south-west and south and the outlying residential districts of Vaihingen, Rohr, Mohringen and Plieningen, all about 5 miles from the centre, were hit. 88 houses were destroyed and 334 seriously damaged; 28 people were killed and 71 injured.

There was 1 OTU leaflet sortie to France which returned safely.

23/24 November 1942

Minelaying: 35 aircraft to Biscay ports and the Frisian Islands without loss.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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