The 627 Sqdn left from Woodhall Spa at 1944-07-27 at 23:12. Loc or duty Givors

On Thursday 27 July 1944, a member of the 627 Sqdn, Flying Officer J Christie, took off from Woodhall Spa 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 23:12.

He flew with a de Havilland Mosquito (type IV, serial DZ636, code AZ-N).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS

(Eighth Air Force): Mission 498: 26 B-17s are dispatched to hit coastal batteries at Ostend and Cap Gris Nez/Calais area but weather prevented bombing.

In Belgium, of 120 B-24s, 34 hit a Luftwaffe communication center at Brussels/Vilvorde, 20 hit a coastal battery at Gravelines, 11 hit oil installations and industrial plants at Ghent and 1 hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 32 damaged.

Escort is provided by 154 P-38s, P-47s and P-51; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot is MIA).

Mission 499: 193 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s fly fighter-bomber mission against rail traffic S of Rouen and Amiens; they claim 0-0-1 aircraft on the ground; 2 P-38s and 1 P-51 are lost (pilots are MIA); 1 P-51 is damaged beyond repair and 2 P-47s are damaged.

Mission 500: 7 of 7 B-17s drop leaflets in the Netherlands and France during the night.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS

(Ninth Air Force): In France, bad weather causes the recall of B-26s and A-20s sent to bomb Loire and Seine River bridges; fighters attack rail lines, enemy installations and movements NW and SW of Paris, and bomb gun positions and other military targets in the Coutances- Saint-Lo area in support of US ground forces which break through W of Saint- Lo; the 393d and 394th Fighter Squadrons, 367th Fighter Group, move from Ibsley, England to Crettevile with P-38s; and the 512th and 514th Fighter Squadrons, 406th Fighter Group, move from Ashford, England to Tour-en-Bassin with P-47s.

Campaign report of the RAF:

26/27 July 1944

178 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitos of No 5 Group carried out an accurate attack on the railway yards at Givors. 4 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitos lost.

30 Mosquitos to Hamburg, 11 to Somain and 2 to Saarbrücken, 6 RCM sorties, 23 Mosquito patrols, 6 Lancasters minelaying off Heligoland, 6 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Mosquito lost from the Hamburg raid.

27 July 1944

72 aircraft - 36 Lancasters, 24 Stirlings, 12 Mosquitos - of Nos 3 and 8 Groups attacked 5 V-weapon sites without loss. All targets were cloud-covered and most of the bombing was 'confused and scattered'. Some of the Stirlings on this raid, from No 218 Squadron, were fitted with the G-H blind-bombing device and they used this in the attack on one of the sites; this was the first use of the 'G-H leader' technique.

27/28 July 1944

30 Mosquitos to Stuttgart and 12 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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