The 101 Sqdn left from Bourn at 1942-04-15 at 23:55. Loc or duty Dortmund

On Wednesday 15 April 1942, a member of the 101 Sqdn, Sergeant T H Beament, took off from Bourn 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 23:55.

He flew with a Vickers Wellington (type III, serial X3694, code SR-U).

Campaign report of the USAAF:

The British Government and Chiefs of Staff (CoSs) accept General George C Marshall's Operation BOLERO plan for the Allied build-up in the UK for an attack on Germany.

Campaign report of the RAF:

14/15 April 1942

Dortmund

208 aircraft - 142 Wellingtons, 34 Hampdens, 20 Stirlings, 8 Halifaxes, 4 Manchesters - a force which was several times greater than any previously sent to this city. 5 Wellingtons and 4 Hampdens lost.
132 aircraft claimed to have bombed Dortmund but bombing photographs showed that bombs fell across a 40-mile stretch of the Ruhr. Dortmund reports 1 unspecified industrial building destroyed, 1 military establishment severely damaged, 4 dwelling-houses destroyed and 31 damaged with 4 people killed and 27 injured.

Minor Operations: 23 aircraft to Le Havre (all bombs fell in open country), 5 Blenheim Intruders to Soesterberg airfield, 1 Stirling minelaying near Heligoland. 1 Wellington lost on the Le Havre raid.

Total effort for the night: 237 sorties, 10 aircraft (4.8 per cent) lost.

15 April 1942

9 Bostons bombed harbour and railway targets at Cherbourg without loss.

15/16 April 1942

Dortmund

152 aircraft - 111 Wellingtons, 19 Hampdens, 15 Stirlings, 7 Manchesters. 3 Wellingtons and 1 Stirling lost.
Thick cloud and icing were encountered. Only 88 aircraft claimed to have bombed Dortmund which reports 1 house destroyed and 13 seriously damaged, 2 people killed and 6 injured. Bombs falling in Dortmund were equivalent to eight aircraft loads.

Minor Operations: 18 Whitleys to St Nazaire, 8 Wellingtons to Le Havre, 4 Blenheim Intruders, 11 aircraft minelaying off St Nazaire, 4 leaflet flights to France. No aircraft lost.

With thanks to the RAF and USAAF.net!

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