The 7 Sqdn left from Oakington at 1942-09-07 at 1:11. Loc or duty Duisburg

On Monday 07 September 1942, a member of the 7 Sqdn, Flight Lieutenant J M Smith, 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 1:11.

He flew with a Short Stirling (type I, serial W7629, code MG-Z).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

(8th Air Force): Mission 11: 29 bombers attack targets in the Netherlands without loss: 1. 4 of 15 B-17s ineffectively raid the Wilton shipyards at Rotterdam in bad weather; they claim 8-4-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17s are damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 3 WIA. 2. 5 of 14 B-17s seek targets of opportunity in the vicinity of Utrecht; they claim 4-6-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is damaged and 1 airman is WIA. Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 2d Bombardment Wing at Old Catton; HQ 93d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 328th, 329th, 330th and 409th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Alconbury with B-24s (first mission is 9 Oct 42); HQ 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) at Thurleigh; 12th, 107th, 109th and 153d Observation Squadrons, 67th Observation Group, at Membury with no aircraft (first mission is in Aug, Dec 43 and Jan 44 respectively); and 15th Photographic Mapping Squadron, 3d Photographic Group, at Membury with B-17s (first mission is Nov 42).

Campaign report of the RAF:

6/7 September 1942

Duisburg

207 aircraft of 6 types. 8 aircraft - 5 Wellingtons, 2 Halifaxes, 1 Stirling - lost, 3.9 per cent of the force.

Cloud and haze were present and the bombing was not concentrated. But Duisburg reports its heaviest raid to date, with 114 buildings destroyed and 316 seriously damaged; 86 people were killed.

Minor Operations: 9 aircraft minelaying off Heligoland and in the Frisians, 5 aircraft on leaflet flights. No losses.

7 September 1942

5 Mosquitos bombed Bremerhaven, Cologne, Emden, Essen and Wilhelmshaven. The Cologne and Wilhelmshaven diaries have no records of bombs falling. No aircraft lost.

7/8 September 1942

Minor operations: 16 aircraft dispatched to bomb the Heinkel works at Warnemünde were recalled, 43 aircraft minelaying off Biscay ports and in the Frisians. 1 Wellington minelayer lost.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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