The 90 Sqdn left from Wratting Common at 1943-10-08 at 18:20. Loc or duty Gardening
He flew with a Short Stirling (type III, serial EF179, code WP-V).
Campaign report of the USAAF:
7 October 1943 STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 110. During the night of 7/8 Oct, 4 B-17's drop 240,352 leaflets over Paris at 2257-2307 hours; no losses or casualties.
7 October 1943 TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): HQ 434th Troop Carrier Group and it's 71st, 72d, 73d and 74th Troop Carrier Squadrons arrive at Fulbeck, England from the US with C-47's.
8 October 1943 STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): VIII Bomber Command Mission 111. 4 locations in Germany are targetted. On this mission the Eighth Air Forces uses, for the first time, airborne transmitters (Carpet equipment) to jam German radar. 30 bombers and 3 fighters are lost. 1. 105 of 118 B-17's dispatched to the shipyard at Breman hit the target at 1505-1513 hours; they claim 42-2-28 Luftwaffe aircraft; 9 B-17's are lost and 61 damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 18 WIA and 90 MIA.
2. 53 of 56 B-17's dispatched to the industrial area at Breman hit the target at 1512-1513 hours; they claim 24-7-17 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17's are lost and 44 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 12 WIA and 41 MIA. 3. 43 of 55 B-24's dispatched to the U-boat yards at Vegesack hit the target at 1622-1624 hours; they claim 17-1-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-24's are lost and 21 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 5 WIA and 30 MIA. 4.
156 of 170 B-17's dispatched to the city of Bremen hit the target and targets of opportunity at 1505-1527 hours; they claim 84-12-33 Luftwaffe aircraft; 14 B-17's are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 110 damaged; casualties are 21 WIA and 140 MIA. The B-17's are escorted by 274 P-47's; they claim 12-2-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 P-47's are lost and 5 damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 3 MIA. VIII Air Support Command Mission 80: 144 B-26's are dispatched to Lille/Vendeville and Chievres Airfields in France; the mission is abandoned due to thick haze and generally unsuitable weather; 4 B-26's are damaged.
VIII Bomber Command Mission 112: 2 B-17's drop 266,336 leaflets over Rennes at 0005-0011 hours, 9 Oct 43.
Campaign report of the RAF:
7/8 October 1943
343 Lancasters despatched to Stuttgart. The first aircraft to be equipped with ABC, (night-fighter communications jamming known bybthe crews as 'Airborne Cigar'), from 101 Squadron operated on this night. The German night-fighter controller was confused by the Mosquito diversion on Munich and only a few night fighters reached Stuttgart at the end of the attack; 4 Lancasters were lost, 1.2 per cent of the force. The target area was cloud-covered and the H2S Pathfinder marking developed in 2 areas.
16 Lancasters of No 8 Group carried out a diversionary raid without loss and claimed hits on the Zeppelin factory at Friedrichshafen.
10 Mosquitos to Munich, 7 to Emden, 5 to Aachen, 79 aircraft minelaying from Brest to Heligoland, 14 OTU sorties. 1 Stirling minelayer lost.
8/9 October 1943
Hannover: 504 aircraft - 282 Lancasters, 188 Halifaxes, 26 Wellingtons, 8 Mosquitos. This was the last Bomber Command raid in which Wellingtons took part. 300 (Polish) and 432 (Canadian) Squadrons provided the 26 Wellingtons which operated on this night; they all returned safely. The German controller guessed correctly that Hannover was the target and many night fighters arrived before the attack was over. 27 aircraft - 14 Lancasters and 13 Halifaxes - were lost, 5.4 per cent of the force. Conditions over Hannover were clear and the Pathfinders were finally able to mark the centre of the city accurately; a most concentrated attack followed with a creepback of only 2 miles, all within the built-up area. This was probably Hannover's worst attack of the war.
119 aircraft - 95 Stirlings, 17 Halifaxes, 7 Lancasters of 3 and No 8 Groups to Bremen. This was a diversionary raid on a larger scale than ever before. The bombing was scattered but this was a subsidiary aim of the operation. 3 Stirlings were lost, 2.5 per cent of the force.
10 Mosquitos to Castrop-Rauxel, 7 to Berlin, 1 to Düren, 17 Stirlings minelaying in the River Gironde and off La Pallice, 2 OTU sorties. No losses.
With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!
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