The 408 Sqdn left from an unknown RAF station at 1943-02-02 at an unknown time
He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type II, serial DT682, code EQ-F).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
(Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 32: 61 B-17s and 22 B-24s are dispatched against the Hamm, Germany marshalling yards. The formation encounters bad weather over the North Sea and returns to base. VIII Fighter Command Circus 257 (a Circus was a heavy fighter escort of a small force of attack or bomber aircraft to entice the Luftwaffe up): 25 Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group escort 12 Venturas on an uneventful Circus. Nine other Spitfires of the 4th Fighter Group fly an uneventful ship patrol.
Campaign report of the RAF:
2 February 1943
36 Venturas bombed railway targets at Abbeville and Bruges without loss.
2/3 February 1943
Cologne
Cologne attacked by 161 aircraft - 116 Lancasters, 35 Halifaxes, 8 Stirlings, 2 Mosquitos in another experimental raid using a 4-engined bombing force with various forms of Pathfinder techniques. Markers were dropped by both the Oboe Mosquitos and the H2S heavy marker aircraft. Again the results were disappointing, with no clear concentration of markers being achieved and with subsequent bombing being well scattered. Unfortunately, a Pathfinder Stirling on this raid was shot down by a night fighter and crashed in Holland handing the Germans an example of the H2S set on only the second night that this new device was used. The set was damaged but the German firm of Telefunken was able to reassemble it. This gave the Germans an early indication of the operational use of H2S and eventually led to the development of a device, 'Naxos', which would enable German night fighters to home on to a bomber which was using its H2S set. 5 aircraft - 3 Lancasters, 1 Halifax, 1 Stirling - lost, 3.1 per cent of the force.
13 Halifaxes of No 6 Group minelaying in the Kattegat but bad weather was encountered and only 5 aircraft laid their mines: there was 1 OTU sortie. No aircraft lost.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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