The 7 Sqdn left from Oakington at 1942-08-25 at 20:42. Loc or duty Frankfurt

On Tuesday 25 August 1942, a member of the 7 Sqdn, Flight Sergeant W N Shumsky, took off from Oakington 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 20:42.

He flew with a Short Stirling (type I, serial W7616, code MG-G).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

August 24 1942 (8th Air Force): Mission 5: 12 of 12 B-17s bomb the shipyard of Ateliers et Chantiers Maritime de la Seine at Le Trait, France; 3 B-17s are damaged and 5 airmen are WIA. Major General Carl Spaatz reports the the RAF attitude towards US daylight precision bombing seems to be changing from one of skepticism to one of tentative approval. Unit moves in England: HQ 6th Fighter Wing from Bushey Hall to Atcham; HQ 1st Fighter Group and 71st Fighter Squadron from Goxhill to Ibsley with P-38s (first mission is 1 Sep); 307th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, from Biggin Hill to Merston.

August 25 1942 (8th Air Force): Units of the Provisional Troop Carrier Command, organized in the UK on 31 Jul pending arrival of the VIII Troop Carrier Command, are transferred to the VIII Ground Air Support Command after plans to organize the VIII Troop Carrier Command are abandoned.308th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, moves from Kenley to Westhampnett, England with Spitfires.

Campaign report of the RAF:

24/25 August 1942

Frankfurt

226 aircraft - 104 Wellingtons, 61 Lancasters, 53 Stirlings, 8 Halifaxes. 16 aircraft - 6 Lancasters, 5 Wellingtons, 4 Stirlings, 1 Halifax - lost, 7.1 per cent of the force. 5 Pathfinder aircraft, including that of the commanding officer of 7 Squadron, were among the aircraft lost.

This was the second Pathfinder-led raid and the Pathfinder crews again experienced great difficulty in locating the target in cloudy conditions; most of the bombing fell in open country north and west of Frankfurt. Local reports say that some bombs fell in the city, with 17 large and 53 small fires and with moderate property damage. 5 people were killed, including 2 Flak gunners, and 95 people were injured. The outlying villages of Schwalbach and Eschborn were heavily bombed.

3 Lancasters of 5 Group were sent to bomb specific targets in the towns of Bingen, Mayen and Bad Kreuznach, all on the approach route of the main bomber force to Frankfurt. Bad Kreuznach was believed to be the location of the German Western Army Headquarters. All 3 Lancasters bombed and returned safely. The town records of Bingen describe the explosion of their Lancaster's 4,000lb bomb near the famous Ehrenfels mountain overlooking the Rhine. 225 houses in Bingen were damaged by the blast!

6 Wellingtons minelaying in the Frisians without loss.

25 August 1942

4 Mosquitos to Hannover, Brauweiler and Cologne. 3 aircraft bombed with unseen results; 1 was lost.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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