The 90 Sqdn left from Tuddenham at 1944-03-06 at 20:43. Loc or duty SOE

On Monday 06 March 1944, a member of the 90 Sqdn, Flight Sergeant L E Cox, took off from Tuddenham 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 20:43.

He flew with a Short Stirling (type III, serial EF147, code WP-J).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

6 March 1944

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS

(Eighth Air Force): Mission 250: 504 B-17s and 226 B-24s are dispatched to hit industrial areas in the suburbs of Berlin; fierce fighter opposition claims 69 bombers (the highest number lost by the Eighth Air Force in a single day) and 11 fighters; the bombers claim 97-28-60 Luftwaffe fighters; details are: 1.

248 B-17s hit secondary targets in the Berlin area; 18 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 172 damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 8 WIA and 184 MIA.

2. 226 B-17s hit targets of opportunity at Templin, Verden, Kalkeberge, Potsdam, Oranienburg and Wittenberg; 35 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 121 damaged; casualties are 15 WIA and 354 MIA.

3. 198 B-24s hit the primary target (Genshagen industrial area), secondary targets in the Berlin area and targets of opportunity at Potsdam; 16 B-24s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 54 damaged; casualties are 15 KIA, 8 WIA and 148 MIA.

Escort is provided by 86 P-38s, 615 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-47s and 100 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; results are: 1.

P-38s claim 3-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38 is lost, the pilot is MIA.

2. P-47s claim 36-7-12 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 P-47s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 4 damaged; casualties are 2 WIA and 5 MIA.

3. P-51s claim 43-1-20 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 P-51s are lost and 2 damaged; casualties are 5 MIA.

The fighters also claim 1-0-12 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground.

Mission 251: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 250 bundles of leaflets on Nantes, Cambrai, Lille, Chateauroux and Lorient, France at 2029-2130 hours without loss.

CARPETBAGGER missions are also flown.

A detachment of 22d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), ceases operating from Attlebridge and returns to base at Mount Farm, England with F-5s.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS

(Ninth Air Force): In France, 260 B-26s bomb NOBALL (V-weapon) targets, Hirson marshalling yard, and Beauvais/Tille, Airfield; heavy clouds cause 50+ B-26s and A-20s to abort missions.

Arriving in England from the US are: 93d and 94th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 439th Troop Carrier Group, at Balderton; 510th and 511th Fighter-Bomber Squadrons, 405th Fighter-Bomber Group, at Christchurch with P-47s (first mission is 11 Apr).

7 March 1944

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS

(Eighth Air Force): HQ 466th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrives at Attlebridge, England from the US.

TACTICAL OPERATIONS

(Ninth Air Force): In France, 112 B-26s and 18 A-20s attack V-weapon sites on the Channel coast, military installations near Criel-sur-Mer and Greny, and targets of opportunity in the area; bad weather causes the recall of 150+ B-26s before they attack targets.

Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 371st Fighter Group and 404th, 405th and 406th Fighter Squadrons at Bisterne with P-47s (first mission is 12 Apr); HQ 405th Fighter-Bomber Group and 509th Fighter-Bomber Squadron at Christchurch with P-47s (first mission is 11 Apr); HQ 409th Bombardment Group (Light) and 640th, 641st, 642d and 643d Bombardment Squadrons (Light) at Little Walden with A-20s (first mission is 13 Apr); 422d Night Fighter Squadron, Ninth Air Force, at Charmy Down with P-61s (first mission is 3 Jul).

34th Troop Carrier Squadron, 315th Troop Carrier Group, ceases operating from Blida, Algeria with C-47s and returns to base at Spanhoe, England.

Campaign report of the RAF:

Day Operations, 1-16 March 1944

On 5 days during this period, 2 Bomber Command Oboe Mosquitos acted as 'formation leaders' for bomber units of the Second Tactical Air Force attacking flying-bomb sites. The formation bombed as soon as it saw the bombs of the Oboe Mosquito being released. There were no losses from the 10 Bomber Command sorties flown in this period.

5/6 March 1944

9 Mosquitos to Duisburg and 1 to Aachen, 4 RCM sorties, 4 Serrate patrols, 49 Stirlings and 17 Halifaxes on Resistance operations. 1 aircraft, believed to be a Halifax, was lost on one of the Resistance flights.

6/7 March 1944

261 Halifaxes and 6 Mosquitos of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups on the first of a series of raids on railway targets in France and Belgium in preparation for the invasion. No aircraft lost.

15 Mosquitos to Hannover, 6 to Kiel and 1 to Krefeld, 1 RCM sortie, 30 aircraft on Resistance operations. No losses.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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