The 7 Sqdn left from Oakington at 1942-11-07 at 16:59

On Saturday 07 November 1942, a member of the 7 Sqdn, Sergeant W J Salter, 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 16:59.

He flew with a Short Stirling (type I, serial W7620, code MG-L).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

(Eighth Air Force:) Mission 16: 23 of 56 B-17s and 11 of 12 B-24s attack the U-boat pens at Brest, France; they claim 4-3-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 12 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA. 7 B-24s fly a diversion.

(Twelfth Air Force:) The air movement of the Twelfth AF from the UK to N Africa begins; other elements of the Twelfth AF moving from the UK and US are aboard Allied ships approaching the Algerian and Moroccan coasts.

Campaign report of the RAF:

6/7 November 1942

Genoa

72 Lancasters of the Pathfinder Force and 5 Group. 2 Lancasters lost.

The attack was concentrated but most bombs fell in residential areas. No separate report for this raid is available from Genoa.

Minor Operations: 65 aircraft minelaying from Lorient to the Frisians, 4 OTU sorties, 3 Stirling minelayers lost.

7 November 1942

6 Mosquitos of 105 Squadron carried out a successful low-level attack on the 5,000ton German ship Elsa Essberger in the mouth of the River Gironde. The merchant ship was escorted by an armed naval vessel. The Mosquitos claimed to have hit both ships but 1 Mosquito was shot down.

In other operations, 9 Bostons, 6 Venturas and 5 Wellingtons attempted raids to many places in Germany, Belgium and Holland but most only achieved attacks on minor targets of opportunity. 1 Boston and 1 Ventura lost.

7/8 November 1942

Genoa

175 aircraft - 85 Lancasters, 45 Halifaxes, 39 Stirlings, 6 Wellingtons. 6 aircraft - 4 Halifaxes, 1 Lancaster, 1 Wellington - lost, 3.4 per cent of the force.

Returning crews claimed a very successful and concentrated raid and this was confirmed by photographs. No report is available from Genoa.

36 Wellingtons of 1 Group minelaying in many areas from St Nazaire to Denmark. 1 aircraft lost.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

This record can also be found on the maps of Back to Normandy with Google coordinates. You can find the maps by clicking on this link on this location.

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