The 627 Sqdn left from Woodhall Spa at 1944-09-19 at 19:03. Loc or duty Bremerhaven

On Tuesday 19 September 1944, a member of the 627 Sqdn, Flight Lieutenant N B Rutherford, 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 19:03.

He flew with a de Havilland Mosquito (type IV, serial DZ635, code AZ-N).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS

(Eighth Air Force): Mission 642: 796 B-17s are dispatched against marshalling yards in W Germany; weather prevents about half from bombing primary targets but most manage to bomb targets of opportunity; 7 bombers and 1 fighter are lost:

1. Of 380 B-17s dispatched, all hit targets of opportunity, i.e., marshalling yards at Koblenz (87), Dillenburg (39), Limburg (37) and Darmstadt (24); bridges at Limburg (35), Koblenz (25) and a bridge over the Rhine River at Koblenz (13); and Wiesbaden (38), Wetzlar (14), the railroad line at Koblenz (13) and Wiesbaden Airfield (12); 4 B-17s are lost and 159 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 37 WIA.

Escort is provided by 131 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 3-0-1 aircraft in the air; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot MIA).

2. 416 B-17s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards at Hamm (186) and Soest (32) and depot at Dortmund/Unna (64); other targets hit are marshalling yards at Raesfeld (11), Wesel (9), Rheine (6) and Munster (3); Dillenburg (11), Emmerich (7), Hamm (5), Osnaburck (2) and others (6); 3 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 120 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 18 MIA.

Escort is provided by 109 P-47s and P-51s without loss.

100 B-17s and 61 P-51s takeoff from bases in the USSR and bomb the marshalling yard at Szolnok, Hungary and continue to bases in Italy

172 of 182 P-51s supporting the First Allied Airborne Army in the Netherlands engage 100+ fighters, claiming 23-4-14; 6 P-51s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged; 1 pilot is KIA and 6 MIA.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS

(Ninth Air Force): In Germany, B-26s hit marshalling yards in the Duren area to prevent reinforcements from reaching the Aachen area by rail; IX Tactical Air Command supports the US V Corps in repelling a counterattack at the Wallendorf bridgehead, supports Operation MARKET- GARDEN and flies armed reconnaissance in W Germany.

XIX Tactical Air Command escorts A-20s and B-26s, flies cover both for MARKET-GARDEN and in the Brest and Nancy, France areas, and armed reconnaissance over Metz, Germany area; HQ 100th Fighter Wing moves from Le Mans to St-Dizier; HQ 362d Fighter Group and the 379th Fighter Squadron move from Rennes to Prosnes with P-47s; HQ 373d Fighter Group moves from St-James to Reims; and HQ 391st Bombardment Group (Medium) moves from Matching, England to Roye/Amy, France.

Campaign report of the RAF:

18/19 September 1944

Bremerhaven: 206 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitos of No 5 Group. No 100 Group's RCM Operations successfully kept German night fighters away from the force and only 1 Lancaster and 1 Mosquito were lost. This was another successful No 5 Group method raid and Bremerhaven, which had not been seriously bombed by the RAF before, required only this one knock-out blow by the comparatively small force of aircraft carrying fewer than 900 tons of bombs. The centre of the town, the port area and the suburb of Geestemünde were gutted by fire. 2,670 buildings were destroyed and 369 seriously damaged.

33 Mosquitos to Berlin and 6 to Rheine, 30 RCM sorties, 67 Mosquito patrols, 4 Lancasters minelaying in the River Weser. No losses.

19 September 1944

56 aircraft - 28 Lancasters, 27 Halifaxes, 1 Mosquito - of 6 and 8 Groups set out to attack the Domburg coastal battery but were recalled. 1 Halifax crashed in England.

There were 8 RCM sorties and 6 Hudsons and 4 Stirlings flew Resistance operations without loss.

19/20 September 1944

227 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and No 5 Groups to the twin towns of Mönchengladbach/Rheydt. 4 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito lost. Bomber Command claimed severe damage to both towns, particularly to Mönchengladbach.

The Master Bomber for this raid was Wing Commander Guy Gibson, VC, DSO, DFC flying a No 627 Squadron Mosquito from Coningsby, where he was serving as Base Operations Officer. Gibson's instructions over the target were heard throughout the raid and gave no hint of trouble, but his aircraft crashed in flames - according to a Dutch eyewitness - before crossing the coast of Holland for the homeward flight over the North Sea. There were no German fighter claims for the Mosquito; it may have been damaged by flak over the target or on the return flight, or it may have developed engine trouble. It was possibly flying too low for the crew to escape by parachute. Gibson and his navigator, Squadron Leader JB Warwick, DFC were both killed and were buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery at Steenbergen-en-Kruisland, 13km north of Bergen-op-Zoom. Theirs are the only graves of Allied servicemen in the cemetery.

Aircraft of No 100 Group flew 15 RCM and 17 Mosquito sorties without loss.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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