The 149 Sqdn left from Methwold at 1944-08-07 at 21:01. Loc or duty Gardening
He flew with a Short Stirling (type III, serial LK383, code OJ-A).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): 4 missions are flown: Mission 527: 905 bombers and 471 fighters are dispatched to hit fuel dumps and bridges in France but heavy cloud cover forces many aircraft to return with bombs and other formations to be recalled; 1 bomber and 5 fighters are lost; targets hit (number in parenthesis indicates bombers bombing) are:
1. Of 112 B-17s, 71 hit Montbartier and 34 hit St Loubes; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 26 are damaged; 2 airmen are WIA.
Escort is provided by 123 of 139 P-51s; they claim 1-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 0-0-1 on the ground.
2. The primary targets of 224 B-17s are Nanteuil Bridge (36), Sens (26), St Florentin (25), Dueny (24), Bourron Marlotte (23) and Paris-St Quen (12); other targets hit are Chartres Airfield (23), Maintenon Bridge (23), Houden marshalling yard (14), Chateaudun Airfield (11) and Rouglaf (1); 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 80 damaged.
Escort is provided by 96 of 97 P-51s.
3. 1 of 182 B-17s hits Montdidier Airfield; 35 B-17s are damaged; 1 airman is WIA.
Escort is provided by 90 P-38s and P-51s.
4. Of 51 B-24s, 10 hit Andenne Bridge, 8 hit Semuse and 8 hit targets of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost and 19 damaged; 11 airmen are MIA.
Escort is provided by 34 of 35 P-47s.
5. The primary targets of 333 B-24s are Doullens Bridge (37), Saleux (24), Recques-sur-Course (23), Frevent Bridge (15), Rieme/Ertveld (11) and Langerbrugge (9); 12 also hit a factory near Wendelghem and 1 hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 45 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA and 1 WIA.
Escort is provided by 94 of 100 P-51s.
Mission 528: 1 of 3 B-17s flies a Mico H test mission (Micro H was a radar system which combned the Gee-H and H2X radar functionality for use by pathfinders).
Mission 529: 271 P-47s and P-51s fly fighter-bomber missions to marshalling yards and railroads N and E of Paris; they claim 4-0-1 aircraft on the ground; 3 P-47s and 2 P-51s are lost and 11 P-47s damaged; 5 pilots are MIA.
And, 5 of 5 B-17s fly a leaflet mission over France during the night.
In the USSR, a shuttle mission is flown in accordance with a Soviet request; 55 B-17s and 29 P-51s attack an oil refinery at Trzebina, Poland without loss; the aircraft return to Operation FRANTIC bases in the USSR.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): To maintain close a association with ground forces, HQ IX Tactical Air Command and HQ XIX Tactical Air Command constitute mobile units to accompany Advance HQ of the US First and Third Armies, respectively, as they advance rapidly to the E; Lieutenant General Lewis H Brereton relinquishes command of the Ninth Air Force to become Commanding General First Allied Airborne Army.
In France, 380+ A-20s and B-26s bomb bridges at Nogent-sur-Seine and Neuvy- sur-Loire; fighters escort IX Bomber Command aircraft, furnish defensive cover in the Vire, Laval, and Rennes areas, and support ground forces in the assault area; HQ 71st Fighter Wing moves from St-Pierre-Eglise to Ecrammeville; and the 14th Liaison Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command, moves from Beauchamps to Poilley with L-5s.
In England, the following squadrons begin operating from Ramsbury with C-47s: - 93d Troop Carrier Squadron, 439th Troop Carrier Group, based at Upottery - 98th Troop Carrier Squadron, 440th Troop Carrier Group, based at Exeter - 301st Troop Carrier Squadron, 441st Troop Carrier Group, based at Merryfield The 306th Troop Carrier Squadron, 442d Troop Carrier Group, based at Weston Zoyland, begins operating from Ramsgate with C-47s.
Campaign report of the RAF:
6/7 August 1944
40 Mosquitos attacked the synthetic-oil plant at Castrop-Rauxel; a large fire was seen. 1 Mosquito lost.
7 Mosquitos to Cologne and 4 to the Forêt de Nieppe, 14 RCM sorties, 10 Lancasters of No 8 Group on a special operation in support of ground troops, described as 'a recce of target marking by ground forces in the battle area', 10 Mosquito patrols, 12 Stirlings minelaying off Brest, 22 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Stirling minelayer lost.
7 August 1944
25 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitos of No 5 Group recalled from a raid on U-boat pens at Lorient without bombing; 1 Wellington flew an RCM sortie. No aircraft lost.
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.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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