Action This Day

[warshipbuilder]

19-8-44
401 Sqn RCAF (B.18 Cristot – Spitfire LFIXB)
With fair weather again helping things along. The Squadron flew a succession of armed recco’s against enemy transport. Four operations wore put in to-day netting 17 FLAMERS, 8 SMOKERS and 29 damaged. Also on the first operation of the day the Squadron ran into 40 plus FW.190’s and Me109’s just S. of Bernayy. The 12 aircraft of our Squadron broke into them and during the combat F/L G. Johnson destroyed and damaged two FW.190's while F/L J.C. Lee (CAN J.6228) also destroyed one Fw.190. F/L Lees's victim was a very clever pilot and he led F/L Lee a merry chase until he closed to about 100 yds. when he fired two short bursts knocking pieces off the enemy aircraft. The pilot went over the side and landed near his burning aircraft. The Squadron suffered no loss although one of our pilots was hit by fragments of an enemy cannon shell.

BOMBER COMMAND
LA PALLICE
52 Lancasters of 5 Group attempted to bomb two groups of oil-storage tanks but the targets were difficult to identify and the effects of the bombing could not be seen. No aircraft lost.

1 Wellington of 100 Group carried out a ‘signals watch’ flight.

2nd TAF
On 19th Von Kluge ordered 7. Armee to withdraw behind the River Dives, but by now the German divisions were in a chaotic condition and there was little that could be done except make for the Seine. During the evening Polish and US troops would meet at Chambois while Canadian forces took the village of St Lambert-sur-Dives, between Trun and Chambois, the gap thereby closing.

Fighter-bombers continued the work of destruction in much the same areas as on 18th, but rain now fell heavily, compounding the problems of the ill-beset Germans with mud. More than 1,000 armed reconnaissance sorties were flown, and claims made for a further 649 MT and 51 tanks, although all attacks were made on areas outside the pocket itself, where difficulty in distinguishing friend from foe put an end to further aerial operations. Again the Luftwaffe attempted to provide some cover, but without success.

Early in the day at around 0845, 12 401 Squadron Spitfires on their first operation of the day spotted more than 40 fighters east of Bernay. Flt Lt J.C.Lee claimed a Fw 190 shot down, while Flt Lt G.W.Johnson claimed a Bf 109 destroyed and an Fw damaged. One Spitfire was hit, Flt Sgt D.M.Horsburgh being slightly wounded by cannon shell splinters; his aircraft may have been claimed shot down by a pilot of II./JG 11.

An hour later Mustangs of 19 Squadron which had taken off for the same area to strafe, spotted a substantial force of Luftwaffe fighters. A formation of Bf 109s were seen to jettison long-range fuel tanks and flee, but the Fw 190s stayed to fight, Wt Off M.H.Bell claiming one shot down, while a second was claimed damaged.

Whilst these engagements were underway, a 609 Squadron Typhoon was intercepted by Oblt Siegfried Lemke of III/JG 2, and Plt Off J.K.Stellin, CdeG, RNZAF, was shot down and killed near Orbec at 0909.

Now the Flak began to take its customary toll again. Shortly before midday a 442 Squadron Spitfire went down in the Bernay area, Flt Lt D.M.McDuff being captured, but later making good an escape. Around 1200 182 Squadron lost a Typhoon near Vimoutiers, Flg Off C.C.Leigh also escaping after first being apprehended. Two Mustangs of 19 Squadron were also lost at this time; Flt Lt N.W.Wood baled out over enemy territory and but failed to survive, while Flt Lt E.Clayton was more fortunate, landing on the Allied side of the lines.

During the next two hours ten more Typhoons were lost, with four of their pilots killed and two captured. One of the losses, a 181 Squadron aircraft flown by Flt Sgt C.Pole, was believed to have been shot down south-east of Vimoutiers by hostile aircraft, but no claims for a Typhoon appear to have been submitted by any II. Jagdkorps units during the afternoon. However a claim for a P-47 was made by Lt Ebener of II./JG 11 on this date, which may have been an incorrect identification of the British aircraft. Two more Spitfires, both aircraft of 412 Squadron, were also hit, with Flg Off C.R.Syman killed while Flg Off J.A.Swan was wounded, but got his damaged fighter back to base. Meanwhile two pilots of 168 Squadron on an evening Tack, encountered a Ju 188 out before dark, which they claimed to have damaged.

On this date II. Jagdkorps lost five Fw 190s and 12 Bf 109s; US fighters claimed three Focke-Wulfs and nine Messerschmitts, while RAF units had claimed two and one respectively. With the steady expansion of the bridgehead area deep into Normandy, more landing grounds became available for the remaining 84 Group wings still in England to move to. On this date therefore, the squadrons of 145 Wing moved to B.8, Sommervieu, while those of 135 Wing moved up to Tangmere. The French personnel of 145 Wing's three squadrons were the first in the RAF to return to their homeland. Next day 132 Wing moved to B.16, Villons-les-Buissons. Within these wings were also some changes of command, Sqn Ldr L.G.S.Matthews, DFC, taking over 33 Squadron on 19th, while Sqn Ldr J.C.F.Hayter, DFC, assumed command of 74 Squadron on 20th. Unlike the previous night, bad weather now prevented 2 Group from repeating its attacks, providing the Wehrmacht with a degree of respite during the hours of darkness.

USAAF
ENGLAND: The entire Eighth Air Force and all IX Bomber Command bombers are grounded by bad weather.

FRANCE: While covering Allied ground forces and mounting armed-reconnaissance missions over France, IX and XIX TAC fighter pilots down 11 GAF fighters during the morning.

The Ninth Air Force’s 373d Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-29, at St.-James.

Twelfth Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack road and rail bridges; XII TAC A-20s attack several marshalling yards; and Twelfth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack lines of communication and gun emplacements.

During the night of August 19–20, XII TAC A-20s attack motor vehicles and lights between the battle area and the Rhone River.

MTO: The 50th and 53d Troop Carrier wings are ordered to return to their bases in the U.K.

ROMANIA: Sixty-five Fifteenth Air Force B-17s conduct what turns out to be the final USAAF bombing mission against Ploesti.

BASE CHANGES
33 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXE) moves to B.10 Plumetot
74 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXE) moves to B.8 Sommervieu
222 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXE) moves to Tangmere
329 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.8 Sommervieu
340 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.8 Sommervieu
341 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.8 Sommervieu
349 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Tangmere
485 Sqn RNZAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Tangmere

[warshipbuilder]

20-8-44
340 (FF) Sqn (B.8 Sommervieu – Spitfire LFIXB)
The Wing operated from the French soil for the first time. They made an armed recco in the BERNAY area. Vehicles were scattered all over the area, nary of which appeared to be gutted. In cases of doubt, a further squirt was given them to put them definitely ‘hors-de-combat'. Sgt. Legarde failed to return. Lt. Kennard heard him say over the R/T, that he was having engine trouble and later that he would have to crash-land east of a ‘big river’.Lt. Kennard assumed this to be the Orne. Sgt. Legarde made no mention of flak and no further messages were received.

ADDENDUM – Sgt Legarde returned three days later.

BOMBER COMMAND
3 Mosquitoes on Ranger patrols and 1 Wellington on ‘signals watch’. No aircraft lost.
________________________________________
20/21 August 1944
7 aircraft minelaying off La Pallice without loss.

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2nd TAF
During the early hours Luftwaffe bombers attempted to penetrate the weather front to bomb the advancing columns and their supplies, but the radar-equipped defending fighters intercepted some of these intruders despite the rain. At 0015 Flt Lt J.L.Fullerton/Flg Off B.E. Gallagher of 410 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 near Hotot, followed by another ten minutes later east of Mezidon. In between these two combats at 0020, Sqn Ldr R.F.Hatton/Flt Lt R.N.Rivers of 409 Squadron claimed a Do 217 near Neufchatel.

With daylight rain continued to fall, rendering flying difficult until midday, when it eased. During the day 5. Panzer Armee made a last attempt to extricate the remaining 7. Armee troops in the pocket, and much confused fighting continued in the Chambois area as small groups of desperate or determined German soldiers endeavoured to fight their way out to freedom. Operating in this area, Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers again attacked Canadian troops several times, but fortunately without serious damage being caused.

Meanwhile the German position was being rendered more precarious as the US 3rd Army crossed the Seine at Mantes-Gassicourt, also consolidating its hold on the Orleans-Chartres area. Canadian forces launched a further offensive north-east from Falaise, advancing to Lisieux, whilst with nightfall 21st Army Group units crossed the River Vie and took the town of Livarot. Further north 6th Airborne Division attacked positions on the Dives.

Fighter and fighter-bomber activity continued whenever the clouds broke, although 83 Group's rocket Typhoon wings were given a day's rest after their recent concentrated activity and relatively heavy losses. In the 84 Group area Polish armoured columns approaching Chambois and First Canadian Army forces in front of Vimoutiers, found a large concentration of German tanks. 123 Wing attacked this, all four squadrons taking part and claiming seven armoured vehicles destroyed within sight of the Allied troops. Two more squadrons then attacked during the evening, claiming three more tanks.

At 0755 a Spitfire of 132 Squadron had hit trees in the Bernay area whilst dive-bombing, and crash-landed, Flg Off W.A.Doyle being killed. During the mid-afternoon Spitfires of 412 Squadron encountered Fw 190s in the Orbec area, claiming two damaged, but a 198 Squadron Typhoon was hit by Flak and crash-landed near Vimoutiers; again, the pilot, Plt Off J.T.N.Frost, failed to survive. Also hit by Flak, Flt Lt D.Clark of 168 Sqn (who had damaged a Ju 88 the previous day) managed to bale out of his burning Mustang, but succombed to his injuries five days later. A 340 Squadron pilot was more fortunate, Sgt F.Legards surviving an evening crash-landing near the River Orne and evading capture.

At 1832 eight Mustangs of 19 Squadron and nine of 65 Squadron undertook a sweep to the Compaigne-Fontainbleu-Paris area, led by Wg Cdr Robin Johnston. East of Paris, near Rouvres, 24 Fw 190s were seen, apparently aircraft of L/JG 11. 19 Squadron claimed five shot down and three damaged, two of the former being credited at Flg Off J.E.Staples and one to Flt Lt 'Buck' Collyns, who was then shot down and killed. 65 Squadron's pilots claimed four more three of them by Flt Lt Lance Burra-Robinson - and four damaged, while the Wing Leader also claimed one damaged. Flg Off J.L.Mizener's Mustang was badly damaged, and was written off on return. I./JG 11 actually lost four Fw 190s, including Oblt Herbert Christmann, Lt Rudolf Schmid (11 victories) and one other pilot killed; in return, the surviving pilots claimed four P-51s. Both formations had thereby apparently overclaimed to about the same degree. There seems little doubt however, about Flg Off Staples' two claims as he filmed the first hitting the ground and the pilot of the second on his parachute, having baled out following a five-orbit turning contest with the Mustang. Both enemy pilots had baled out although no strikes on their aircraft had been observed.

Shortly after this engagement 12 Spitfires of 401 Squadron on an armed reconnaissance over the Bernay area met some 20 enemy aircraft west of Evreux, Flg Offs R.M.Davenport and D.F.Husband each claiming a Fw 190 shot down, Davenport adding a second damaged. This brought 2nd TAF claims for the day to 11 Focke-Wulfs, while US fighter pilots had claimed one of these fighters and six Bf 109s. II. Jagdkorps reported losses were actually four Fw 190s and 26 Bf 109s.

The night fighters were up with nightfall, Flg Off D.N.Robinson/Wt Off W.N.Addison of 488 Squadron claiming a Ju 188 15 miles east of Caen at 2355, while five minutes later Flg Off M.G.Kent/Flt Sgt J.Simpson of 409 Squadron added a Ju 88 west of Criqueville.

With 7. Armee virtually ceasing to exist and the Allies breaking through everywhere, all was now set for a rapid advance which would lead in days to the liberation of virtually all of France.

USAAF
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack oil refineries at Dubova.

ENGLAND: The entire Eighth Air Force is grounded by bad weather. The only flights during the day are undertaken by a weather-reconnaissance B-17 over the Atlantic Ocean and a weather-reconnaissance Mosquito that fails to return from a flight to Belgium.

FRANCE: Sixty-one IX Bomber Command B-26s attack German Army troops and equipment waiting to be ferried across the Seine River; IX and XIX TAC fighters and fighter-bombers mount numerous ground-support attacks; and more than 100 IX Troop Carrier Command transports fly resupply and evacuation missions.

IX and XIX TAC fighter pilots down seven GAF fighters over France during the afternoon and early evening.

Twelfth Air Force B-26s and fighter-bombers attack coastal-defense guns around Toulon, and B-25s attack bridges in the Rhone River valley and several airfields.

The Twelfth Air Force’s 23d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron is transferred from Corsica to southern France.

HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack the airdrome and a marshalling yard at Szolnok.

ITALY: During the night of August 20–21, XII TAC A-20s attack motor vehicles in the Po River valley.

POLAND: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack oil-industry targets at Czechowice and Oswiecim (Auschwitz).

BASE CHANGES
33 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXE) moves to Tangmere
93 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Ramatuelle
111 qn (Spitfire IX) moves to Ramatuelle
127 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.16 Billons-les-Buissons
225 Sqn (Spitfire VB/VC/IX) moves to Ramatuelle
331 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.16 Billons-les-Buissons
332 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.16 Billons-les-Buissons

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
43 Sqn (Ramatuelle) flies its first OM in the Spitfire VIII
66 Sqn (B.16 Billons-les-Buissons) flies its first OM in the Spitfire LFIXE

[warshipbuilder]

21-8-44
401 Sqn RCAF (B.18 Cristot – Spitfire LFIXB)
Due to duff weather, there was no flying carried out today. The Squadron was released quite early.

2nd TAF
Few sorties were flown during the day by either 2nd TAF or US Ninth Air Force, as targets changed rapidly. During a raid on the Seine crossing areas, a Mitchell of 180 Squadron failed to return.

USAAF
ETO: The entire Eighth and Ninth air forces are grounded by bad weather. The only flights during the day are by several weather-reconnaissance aircraft and fewer than 20 transports.

FRANCE: Twelfth Air Force fighter-bombers attack gun emplacements and line- of-communication targets in and around the DRAGOON invasion area.

During the night of August 21–22, XII TAC A-20s attack motor vehicles near Nice.

HUNGARY: One hundred two Fifteenth Air Force B-24s and 46 P-51 fighter-bombers attack the airdrome at Hadju Boszormeny.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack bridges and roads throughout the Po River valley; XII TAC A-20s attack the barracks at Alessandria; and XII TAC fighter-bombers attack rail lines, a marshalling yard, and motor transport in northern Italy.

During the night of August 21–22, XII TAC A-20s attack motor vehicles near Alessandria.

YUGOSLAVIA: One hundred seventeen Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack Nis Airdrome.

[warshipbuilder]

22-8-44
329 (FF) Sqn (B.8 Sommervieu – Spitfire LFIXB)
Weather a little better and quite a bit of sunshine, hell of a flap again we were told to pack at about 14.00 hours and told to unpack at 1800 hours apparently the G/C and recco party went over to Carpiquet airfield but found the strip all0cated to us u/s, it was full of bomb craters, shrapnel and bits of shell, all over the place, and would have been quite impossible for us to move in, so we stay here a while longer. There was a show at 18.00 hours, and Adjutant Boy was seen to crash land, both wingscrummpled up and an explosion was seen, but no flames, this happened about one mile South of Vauville. The Wingo Flying thinks the Boy will have a good chance of escaping uninjured.

Note – He was not hurt.

2nd TAF
The main event of the day for 2nd TAF was a daylight attack on the Cahgny marshalling yards near Dijon, undertaken by 12 Mosquitoes of 464 Squadron led by Wg Cdr 'Peter' Panitz. The attack proved very successful, but over Le Creusot very intense light Flak was encountered, and Panitz was shot down, he and his navigator, Flt Lt R.S.Williams, being killed when the aircraft crashed near Nevers; several other Mosquitoes were also hit, but survived to return.

A 198 Squadron Typhoon was brought down by Flak, crashing near Cormeilles where Wt Off C.E.Stratford was killed. A 329 Squadron Spitfire was lost during an evening armed reconnaissance, crash-landing south of Vauville where the wings crumpled and the aircraft blew up, but this time the pilot survived. On this day news was received that a rising against the Germans had commenced in Paris.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack oil-industry targets around Vienna, including a run against the Lobau underground oil-storage facility by 39 484th Heavy Bombardment Group B-24s.


ENGLAND: The entire Eighth Air Force and all IX Bomber Command bombers are grounded by bad weather.

FRANCE: Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers provide support for U.S. Army ground forces and strafe many transportation and tactical targets.

IX and XIX TAC fighter pilots down 27 GAF fighters over France between 1230 and 1940 hours.

The IX Bomber Command’s 387th Medium Bombardment Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-15, at Cherbourg/Maupertus Airdrome.

Despite bad weather that forces the cancellation of many other Twelfth Air Force missions, XII TAC A-20s attack several industrial targets, and XII TAC fighters and fighter-bombers attack motor vehicles.

The 79th Fighter Group, a Twelfth Air Force P-47 unit, is transferred from Corsica to a newly opened air base in southern France.

GERMANY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack oil-industry targets at Blechhammer, and B-17s attack oil-industry targets at Odertal.

1stLt Barrie S. Davis, a P-51 pilot with the 325th Fighter Group’s 317th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs an FW-190 and a Bf-109 near Lake Balaton, Hungary, at about 1340 hours.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-26s attack bridges in the Po River valley.

BASE CHANGES
3 Sqn SAAF (Spitfire IX) moves to Foiana
443 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.26 Illiers-l'Évêque

[warshipbuilder]

23-8-44
608 Sqn (Downham Market – Mosquito BXX)
Six aircraft to attack Cologne. All aircraft attacked primary dropping 18 x 500 M.C.T.D. and 8 x 500 G.P.L.D. between 2312 and 2316 hours from 23500' - 25000'. Weather clear, vis. good. First green and yellow T.I.'s seen at 2305 hours, others at 2306, 2306, 2310 hours forming fairly concentrated circles. Red T.I.'s mostly seen at 23.10, these formed a concentration a little N.E. of greens and yellows. Bomb bursts seen concentrated on T.I.'s. At 2311 hours, a huge orange/yellow explosion was seen lighting up the sky and streets for at least 3/4 of a min. Med H/F and large cone of S/L in action.

ADDENDUM – Mosquito BXX KB242 6T-? Crew: F/L SO Webb RCAF, P/O Campbell. T/o 2135 Downham Market. Attacked four times by a night fighter and, subsequently, crash-landed 0110 at Woodbridge. Crew safe.

BOMBER COMMAND
MOSQUITO OPERATIONS
46 Mosquitoes attacked Cologne, whose local report mentions the heavy damage caused by 13 4,000-lb bombs which fell in residential areas with 721 domestic and 64 commercial or industrial buildings being destroyed or damaged, though 571 of them were only slightly damaged. 1 gasometer was blown up. 24 people were killed and 15 were injured.

8 other Mosquitoes attacked Homberg, Castrop-Rauxel and Venlo airfield. No aircraft lost.

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2nd TAF
Early in the afternoon Spitfires of 421 and 443 Squadrons were led by Wg Cdr Johnson to undertake a sweep to the Paris area. Here a force of some 80 Fw 190s and Bf 109s were seen to the north-east of the city in the Senlis area. Johnson personally claimed two Fw 190s, while pilots of 421 Squadron claimed four more and two Bf 109s (both by Flt Lt E.S.Smith), and those of 443 Squadron claimed one Fw 190 and two damaged, plus three Bf 109s, two of them by Flg Off G.F.Ockenden. Three Spitfires were lost, Flg Off G.W.Taylor of 421 Squadron being killed, while Flg Off J.W.Neil of this unit and Flg Off R.W.Dunn of 443 Squadron became prisoners. Following his two victories, Wg Cdr Johnson was pursued and his Spitfire was hit by two cannon shells the only time that his aircraft would suffer any damage from an opponent during his lengthy operational career. Their opponents were from I./JG 2, I./JG 11 and II./JG 26; between 1335-1346 these units claimed nine Spitfires shot down, two by the JG 2 pilots, six by those of JG 26 and one by JG 11. Hptmm Lang, the Kommandeur of II./JG 26, claimed two, Lt Prager one and Lt Hofmann one from amongst the claimants. I./JG 2 listed four Fw 190s lost on this date, while 17 Bf 109s were lost in total by a number of units, including III./JG 1, II and III./JG 11 and IV./JG 27, total Jagdwaffe losses amounting to 24. Five claims were made by US pilots, all for Bf 109s over the Seine and in the Sens area.

During another armed reconnaissance in the afternoon, 2/Lt E.A.Gundersen of 331 Squadron was shot down whilst attacking MT near Bernay, a victim of Flak. At 2320 a patrolling Mosquito of 409 Squadron engaged a Ju 188 over Evreux, which was claimed to have been damaged.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force Heavy B-17s and B-24s attack oil and other industrial targets in and around Vienna, as well as Markersdorf Airdrome.

P-51 escort pilots of the 52d, 325th, and 332d Fighter groups down 20 Axis fighters over Austria between 1205 and 1245 hours. 1stLt John M. Simmons, a P-51 pilot with the 325th Fighter Group’s 317th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two FW-190s near Virdenburg at about 1220 hours; and Maj Robert C. Curtis, the commanding officer of the 52d Fighter Group’s 2d Fighter Squadron, downs an FW-190, which brings his final personal tally to 14 confirmed victories. Maj Herschel H. Green, the commanding officer of the 325th Fighter Group’s 317th Fighter Squadron, brings his final personal tally to 18 confirmed victories when he downs one FW-190 near Wiener-Neustadt at 1215 hours. For the time being, Green is the top-scoring ace in the MTO, and he will end the war as second top scorer in the theater.

ENGLAND: All Eighth Air Force bombers are grounded by bad weather.

FRANCE: One hundred forty-two VIII Fighter Command P-47 fighter-bombers from four groups sweep the region from St.-Omer to Reims.

Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers attack artillery batteries and provide support for Allied ground forces.
XIX TAC fighter pilots down five Bf-109s over France during the day.

More than 150 IX Troop Carrier Command transports mount supply and evacuation sorties.

The Ninth Air Force’s 36th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-35, at Le Mans; and the Ninth Air Force’s 368th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-40, at Chartres.

In southern France, Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack bridges in the Rhone River valley, and XII TAC fighters and fighter-bombers attack tactical and lines-of-communication targets.

Free French Army combat units advancing from the DRAGOON beachhead enter Toulon and Marseille.

During the night of August 23–24, XII TAC A-20s attack targets of opportunity in the Rhone River valley.

GERMANY: More than 80 VIII Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack a marshalling yard at Hamm.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack a rail bridge near Ferrara, but all bombs go astray and hit a synthetic-rubber plant. Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack rail and road bridges.

During the night of August 23–24, XII TAC A-20s attack targets of opportunity near Genoa, Milan, and Turin.

ROMANIA: Romania surrenders unconditionally as Soviet forces begin to overrun the nation.

BASE CHANGES
154 Sqn (Spitfire VIII/IX) moves to Frejus
223 Sqn (Non-Op) moves to Oulton
232 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Frejus
242 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Frejus
243 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Frejus
260 Sqn (Mustang III) moves to Iesi
327 Sqn (Spitfire VIII/IX) moves to Calvi
328 Sqn (Spitfire VB/VC/VIII/IX) moves to Calvi

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
185 Sqn (Loreto) flies its first OM in the Spitfire VIII

[warshipbuilder]

24-8-44
33 Sqn (Tangmere – Spitfire LFIXE)
Early in the morning twelve aircraft were airborne on a rodeo in the AMIENS/ST. QUENTIN/CAMBRAI/ABBEVILLE area; there was a considerable amount of flak opposition, one aircraft was hit and was last seen going into cloud under control, the pilot Lt. G.D. Silva, SAAF sec 528735V, baled out and returned to the unit, unhurt, on the 3rd September.

BOMBER COMMAND
PORTS
53 Halifaxes of 4 Group attacked shipping in Brest harbour. 22 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito of 5 Group bombed E-boat pens at Ijmuiden. Both raids were successful and no aircraft were lost.

________________________________________

24/25 August 1944
6 Halifaxes minelaying off La Pallice without loss.

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2nd TAF
At 0745 a 33 Squadron Spitfire was shot down by Flak near Rouen, Lt G.D.Silva baling out and evading capture. A Typhoon of 263 Squadron also went down to Flak near Quillebeuf, Flt Lt H.M.Proctor being killed, while at about 2100 a 122 Squadron Mustang was hit, Flg Off A.Keith- Thomas baling out into the sea off Fécamp; he was rescued next day.

Recently captured Carpiquet airfield had been made serviceable, as B.17, with a new PSP cross runway in addition to its original concrete strip. 409 Squadron now flew in with its Mosquito XIII night fighters; often hailed as the first such unit in Normandy, 264 and 604 Squadrons had in fact been operating from the Cherbourg peninsula for some weeks.

At Hartford Bridge, shortly before midnight, a 226 Squadron Mitchell attempted, in error, to take off from the peritrack; the undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

USAAF
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: One hundred thirty-nine Eighth Air Force B-17s attack oil refineries at Brux; Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack the airdrome at Pardubice; and Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack three oil refineries at Kolin and Pardubice. Fifteenth Air Force escort pilots down ten Axis fighters.


ENGLAND: IX Bomber Command bombers are grounded by bad weather.


FRANCE: Ninth Air Force fighters support U.S. Army ground forces and attack bridges spanning the Seine River. In day-long action, 474th Fighter Group P-38s conduct especially aggressive bombing attacks against German Army road columns attempting to reach and cross the Seine River—with the result that vast amounts of military stores are abandoned by the fleeing Germans.


IX Troop Carrier Command transports mount more than 275 supply and evacuation sorties.


The Ninth Air Force’s 366th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-41, at Dreux/Vermouillet Airdrome; and the Ninth Air Force’s 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-39, at Chateaudun.


Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack three bridges in southern France and gun emplacements near Marseille; and XII TAC fighter-bombers attack tactical targets, bridges, and motor vehicles.


During the night of August 24–25, XII TAC A-20s attack targets of opportunity in the Rhone River valley.


GERMANY: 1,074 Eighth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack three aircraft factories, an armaments factory, an airdrome, five oil-industry targets, and various targets of opportunity, including five airdromes. Twenty-six heavy bombers are lost.


Escort for the heavy bombers is provided by 626 VIII Fighter Command fighters, of which four are lost with three pilots. Four escort groups strafe two airdromes and two marshalling yards. Capt John T. Godfrey, a P-51 ace with the 4th Fighter Group’s 336th Fighter Squadron, is shot down by flak and captured.


VIII Fighter Command escort pilots down ten Bf-109s over Germany between 1112 and 1400 hours.


This is the last mission undertaken by 3d Bombardment Division B-24 units; upon return to their bases, the last groups are temporarily withdrawn from combat for conversion to B-17 aircraft.


Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack oil refineries in southern Germany.


HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack Szeged and a marshalling yard at Vinkovci.


ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a rail bridge, and Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack two bridges.

BASE CHANGES
92 Sqn (Spitfire VIII) moves to Loreto
131 Sqn (Spitfire VII) moves to Friston
241 Sqn (Spitfire VIII) moves to Chiraville
318 Sqn (Spitfire VB/VC) moves to Chiraville
326 Sqn (Spitfire VB/VC/IX) moves to Calvi
407 Sqn RCAF (Wellington XIV) moves to Wick
409 Sqn RCAF (Mosquito NFXIII) moves to B.17 Capriquet

[warshipbuilder]

25-8-44
BOMBER COMMAND
FLYING-BOMB SITES
161 aircraft – 140 Halifaxes, 16 Lancasters, 5 Mosquitoes – attacked 5 launching or storage sites in the Pas de Calais with varying results. 2 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster lost.
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25/26 August 1944
RÜSSELSHEIM
412 Lancasters of 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups attacked the Opel motor factory. 15 Lancasters were lost, 3.6 percent of the force.

The Pathfinder marking was accurate and the raid was successfully completed in 10 minutes. An official German report* says that the forge and the gearbox assembly departments were put out of action for several weeks, but 90 percent of the machine tools in other departments escaped damage. The assembly line and part of the pressworks were able to recommence work 2 days later and lorry assembly was unaffected because of considerable stocks of ready-made parts. 179 people were killed in the raid but their nationalities were not recorded.

DARMSTADT
190 Lancasters and 6 Mosquitoes of 5 Group to this target which had not been seriously attacked by Bomber Command before. 7 Lancasters lost.

This ‘5 Group method’ raid was a failure. The Master Bomber had to return early; his 2 deputies were shot down; the flares were dropped too far west and the low-level Mosquito marker aircraft could not locate the target. 95 buildings were hit and 8 people were killed by the scattered bombs which did hit Darmstadt. 33 of the Lancasters bombed other targets, including at least 13 aircraft which joined in the successful raid on nearby Rüsselsheim.

BREST
334 aircraft – 284 Halifaxes, 32 Lancasters, 18 Mosquitoes – of 4, 6 and 8 Groups attacked 8 coastal battery positions near Brest. Most of the bombing was accurate. 1 Halifax and 1 Lancaster lost.

SUPPORT AND MINOR OPERATIONS
2 Mosquitoes in preliminary reconnaissance of targets, 182 training aircraft on a diversionary sweep over the North Sea, 36 Mosquitoes to Berlin and 22 to five other targets, 47 R.C.M. sorties, 68 Mosquito patrols, 6 Halifaxes minelaying off La Pallice, 6 aircraft on Resistance operations. This was the first occasion on which 100 Group dispatched more than 100 aircraft, 1 R.C.M. Fortress lost.

Total effort for the night: 1,311 sorties, 25 aircraft (1.9 percent) lost and 8 more aircraft crashed in England, including 3 O.T.U. Wellingtons from the diversionary sweep. The total effort for this night was a new record for Bomber Command, exceeding by exactly 100 the number of aircraft dispatched on 5/6 June, the eve of D-Day.

USAAF
BELGIUM: During the afternoon, 31 1st Bombardment Division B-17s and 52 2d Bombardment Division B-24s, escorted by 152 VIII Fighter Command fighters, attack five ammonia and liquid-oxygen plants in Belgium and northern France.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: More than 300 Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack aircraft factories at Brno and Kurim, and the airdromes at Brno and Prostejov.

Escort fighter pilots down 12 Axis fighters and an Fi-156 between 1030 and 1217 hours. 1stLt Michael Brezas, a P-38 ace with the 14th Fighter Group’s 48th Fighter Squadron, downs two FW-190s at about 1140 hours, bringing his final personal tally to 12 confirmed victories.

FRANCE: Two hundred seventy-eight IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s (of 320 dispatched) and 157 XIX TAC fighter-bombers (undertaking 17 separate missions) attack German Army defensive positions in and around Brest; and Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers support the advances of U.S. Army ground forces and drop napalm on the reported headquarters of all German Army forces in France.

In the heaviest day of aerial combat over France since the invasion, IX and XIX TAC fighter pilots down 77 GAF fighters in a virtually unremitting series of engagements between 0810 and 1845 hours. Capt Maurice G. Long, a P-51 pilot with the 354th Fighter Group’s 355th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status during a morning mission when he downs two FW-190s and shares in the downing of a Bf-109 near Rethel. Two other 355th Fighter Squadron P-51 pilots also achieve ace status during a late-afternoon mission: Capt Warren S. Emerson, when he downs two FW-190s over Reims and a Bf-109 near Grandvillers, and 1stLt William B. King, when he downs three FW-190s over Reims.

After attacking GAF landing grounds in France all morning, the 367th Fighter Group, a Ninth Air Force P-38 unit, flies an 800-mile round-trip afternoon mission to strike a landing ground at Dijon and airdromes at Cognac and Bourges in southeastern France. During the second mission, Capt Laurence E. Blumer, of the group’s 393d Fighter Squadron, becomes an “ace in a day” when he downs five FW-190s near St.-Quentin at 1240 hours.

In their own attacks against GAF landing grounds, 20th Fighter Group P-51 pilots destroy 20 German aircraft on the ground.

The German garrison commander surrenders the city of Paris to Free French Army armored units.

IX Bomber Command’s 394th Medium Bombardment Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-13, at Tour en Bessin.

Twelfth Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack five bridges in the Rhone River valley and gun emplacements around Marseille; XII TAC A-20s attack ammunition dumps; and XII TAC fighter-bombers attack tactical targets in the battle area.

The Twelfth Air Force’s 27th and 324th Fighter groups, in P-47s, are transferred from Corsica to bases in southern France.

During the night of August 25–26, XII TAC fighter-bombers attack motor vehicles and targets of opportunity in the Nice area.

GERMANY: 1,116 Eighth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack airdromes at Anklam, Grossenbrode, Neubrandenburg, and Parow; GAF experimental facilities at Peenemunde and Rechlin; aircraft components factories at Lubeck, Rostock, Schwerin, and Wismar; an oil-industry target at Politz; and several targets of opportunity. Eighteen heavy bombers are lost.

Escort for the heavy bombers is provided by 629 VIII Fighter Command fighters, of which seven are lost with six pilots.

VIII Fighter Command escort pilots down 12 GAF fighters over Germany between 1130 and 1220 hours. Capt Robin Olds, a P-38 pilot with the 479th Fighter Group’s 434th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs three Bf-109s near Rostock between 1135 hours and noon.

ITALY: XII TAC fighter-bombers attack roads, bridges, and gun emplacements north of the Arno River.

NETHERLANDS: Ten 2d Bombardment Division B-24s, escorted by 36 VIII Fighter Command P-47s, attack the rail bridge at Moerdijk with Azon guided bombs, but no hits are scored

[warshipbuilder]

26-8-44
7 Sqn (Oakington – LANCASTER III)
12 Aircraft of the Squadron were called upon, including one Lancaster VI to attack KIEL. 1950 was the time of take-off and the force consisted of Primary Visual Marker (Lanc. VI), 2 Blind Markers, 3 Blind Illuminators, and Visual Centrer, Blind Secondary Marker and 4 Supporters. The weather was clear over the target with some low haze or smoke screen. Illuminators opened the attack on time with the majority of the flares laid on town to west of KIELHAFEN. A fair concentration of Green and Red T.I.’s was then achieved in the target area although visual markers mixed salvoes were not much in evidence. Bombing appeared to be accurate on the area covered by the flares and T.I'sand an explosion was seen. A few Wanganui flares were also seen, well placed. The Squadron Primary Visual Marker withheld his T.I's as he was unable to identify the aiming point owing to haze and smoke screen. Moderate to intense heavy and light flak was encountered. A few searchlights were seen and some enemy fighters were thought to be in the target area. One aircraft of the Squadron "F" failed to return. It was captained by A/F/LW.B. Smaill.

ADDENDUN – Lancaster III PB180 MG-F. Crew: F/L WB Smail DFC RNZAF KIA, F/S AK Wooliscroft KIA, P/O DR Fisher RAAF KIA, P/O WS Baxter RAAF KIA, P/O JF Butson KIA, F/S N Twell KIA, F/S MG Godfray DFM KIA. T/o 2003 Oakington. Crashed in the Baltic. F/L Smail is buried in the Eastern Municipal Cemetery, Malmö, Sweden. F/O Wooliscroft rests in Demark at Lyderslev Churchyard; P/O Baxter and P/O Butson rest in Kiel War Cemetery. The others have no known grave.

BOMBER COMMAND
KIEL
372 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes of 1, 3 and 8 Groups. 17 Lancasters lost, 4.6 percent of the Lancaster force.

The Pathfinder marking was hampered by smoke-screens but the local report tells of a very serious raid with heavy bombing in the town centre and surrounding districts and widespread fires fanned by a strong wind. The Rathaus was completely burnt out and many other public buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged. A large public shelter, the Waisenhof bunker, was cut off by fire but the report does not say whether the people inside were eventually rescued. 134 people were killed and 1,002 were injured.

KÖNIGSBERG
174 Lancasters of 5 Group to this target, which was an important supply port for the German Eastern Front. The route to the target was 950 miles from the 5 Group bases. Photographic reconnaissance showed that the bombing fell in the eastern part of the town but no report is available from the target, now Kaliningrad in Russian Lithuania. 4 Lancasters lost.

SUPPORT AND MINOR OPERATIONS
108 training aircraft on a diversionary sweep to Normandy, 21 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 13 to Hamburg and 12 to five other targets, 19 R.C.M. sorties, 70 Mosquito patrols, 30 Lancasters and 15 Halifaxes minelaying off Danzig and Kiel. 7 aircraft lost – 5 Lancaster minelayers, 1 Mosquito R.C.M. aircraft and 1 Mosquito Serrate aircraft.

Total effort for the night: 844 sorties, 28 aircraft (3.3 percent) lost.

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2nd TAF
The day began badly when a Spitfire of 340 Squadron was shot down by ground fire east of Rouen whilst strafing a car, Adj Chef R.J.Huin being killed. Around 0830 both 602 and 421 Squadrons set off on armed reconnaissances, the former unit's pilots heading for the Roen- Fleury area. After they had been on patrol for about 15 minutes, 25 enemy aircraft were met west of Beauvais, and two Fw 190s were claimed shot down by Flg Off F.W.Farfan and Flt Sgt J.R.Karasek, with a third damaged, although Wt Off H.G.Ellison's aircraft was shot down.

The twelve 421 Squadron aircraft, heading for the Dieppe area, also encountered at least 20 Fw 190s over the Gournay area at 0945, and while Flg Off W.Warfield was able to claim one, Flg Offs D.E.Libby and J.McV.Flood were both shot down, Libby surviving as a POW but Flood being killed.

During these two engagements claims for seven Spitfires were made by pilots of JG 26, three by II. Gruppe at 0917-0920, two of them by Hptm Lang and one by Lt Vogt, while I. Gruppe claimed four more between 0932-0935, the first of these by Maj Karl Borris.

More Spitfires then appeared on the scene, Flt Lt D.W.A.Harling of 416 Squadron claiming a Fw 190 in the Forge area at 0950, while four minutes later four pilots of 453 Squadron reported 20 plus Bf 109s north of Paris, claiming three probably shot down. Two more claims were made by 416 Squadron pilots for one shot down and one damaged, again over the Forge area, at 1000 hours. At 1010 Flt Sgt L.T.Menzies, RNZAF, of 602 Squadron was attacked by a P-47; he ran out of fuel whilst trying to evade this, and consequently crash-landed at Torigni-sur-Vire. AnotherSpitfire succumbed to Flak before the morning was over, Flt Sgt E.H.Woodhouse of 66 Squadron baling out near St Paer, having been hit whilst strafing MT.

All the claims made by the various Spitfire pilots during the morning seem to have related to aircraft of JG 26, II. Gruppe losing four Fw 190s and III. Gruppe two Bf 109s during these hours. US pilots only made four claims on this date, and their opponents appear to have been from JG 6, which suffered three losses.

Having taken off at 1340, the Spitfires of 341 Squadron were strafing over the Foret de Bray, north of Rouen, when they were 'bounced' by 20 Bf 109s. Cdr Jacques Schloesing, who had taken command of the unit only four days earlier, was shot down and killed, Sous Lt P.Parent's aircraft also going down, althoughthis pilot survived to become a prisoner. The victors were again from JG 26, Lts Kemethmüller and Joachim Günther of I. Gruppe and Hptm Lang of II. Gruppe making claims between 1425-28.

Shortly after this engagement Lt Bachmann of I./JG 2 claimed an Auster in the Evreux area at 1445; his victim was Capt Mohun of 662 Squadron was reported shot down and killed when attacked by three Fw 190s. Two more claims were made for Spitfires by II./JG 11 pilots, but the times of their claims are not known.

Later in the day a Typhoon of 182 Squadron force-landed south-east of Evreux due to engine failure, while a 430 Squadron Mustang I pilot, Flg Off J.A.Lowndes, claimed a Fw 190 shot down four miles north of Vernon at 2010. A 226 Squadron Mitchell, believed to have been hit by Flak, crashed in Allied territory with the loss of the whole crew.

During the day 135 Wing commenced the move over to B.17, Carpiquet, 222 and 349 Squadrons flying in first from Tangmere. Within 85 Group 29 Squadron now reverted to ADGB command, its place in 147 Wing being taken by 219 Squadron, recently re-equipped with the latest Mosquito XXXs. 410 Squadron was also about to be re-equipped with these 'state-of-the-art' night fighters. Meanwhile, 409 Squadron had become the first of the night fighter units to move fully to a landing ground in the British sector of the beachhead area, flying in to B.17, Carpiquet, during 25th.

USAAF
ENGLAND: The IX Troop Carrier Command is formally transferred from the Ninth Air Force to the First Allied Airborne Army.

ETO: In an effort to slow the headlong retreat of German Army ground forces before fast-moving Allied spearheads, VIII Fighter Command fighter-bombers mount 389 effective sorties against transportation targets in eastern France, Belgium, and western Germany.

FRANCE: One hundred thirty-eight 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack gun batteries and fortifications on the Brest Peninsula. Escort is provided by 48 VIII Fighter Command fighters, of which one is lost with its pilot.

IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack three fuel dumps, troop concentrations, and equipment storage areas.

The IX Bomber Command’s 323d Medium Bombardment Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-20, at Lessay.

Although several missions fail in the face of bad weather, Twelfth Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack gun emplacements around Marseille, and XII TAC fighter-bombers attack ammunition dumps, rail lines, motor vehicles, gun emplacements, and other targets.

GERMANY: One hundred seventy-four 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack two oil refineries at Gelsenkirchen (primaries) and several secondary targets; 95 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a chemical plant at Ludwigshafen (primary), marshalling yards at Ehrgang and Kons Karthaus (secondaries), and a target of opportunity; and a separate force of 116 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attacks oil refineries at Emmerich and Salzbergen (primaries), and a fuel dump at Dulmen (primary). Ten heavy bombers are lost.

Escort for the various heavy-bomber missions to Germany is provided by 365 VIII Fighter Command fighters, of which two are lost with their pilots.

LtCol Frank E. Adkins, the commanding officer of the 50th Fighter Group’s 313th Fighter Squadron, in P-47s, achieves ace status when he downs two Bf-109s near Elbauf at 1445 hours. Adkins’s three previous victories were scored in the Pacific Theater.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack rail viaducts at Avisio, Latisana, and Venzone; and XII TAC fighter-bombers attack ammunition dumps in north-central Italy.

During the night of August 26–27, XII TAC A-20s attack targets of opportunity in the Po River valley.

YUGOSLAVIA: Thirty-six 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack their secondary target, Eindhoven Airdrome, after failing to locate their primary target in Germany.Nine 2d Bombardment Division B-24s, escorted by 32 VIII Fighter Command P-51s, are unable to attack the rail bridge at Moerdijk with Azon guided bombs because of heavy cloud cover.An attempt to strike any of a variety of targets with a television-guided Operation APOHRODITE B-17 flying bomb is thwarted by bad weather.ROMANIA_ As the German Army and GAF fight Romanians for control of Bucharest, 115 Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack the city’s Otopeni Airdrome and 114 B-24s attack the city’s German Army barracks. Also, B-24s attack the ferry at Giurgiu.

Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a viaduct at Borovnica.

BASE CHANGES
93 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Sisteron
250 Sqn (Kittyhawk IV) moves to Iesi
349 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.17 Capriquet
403 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.26 Illiers-l'Évêque
416 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.26 Illiers-l'Évêque
417 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire VIII) moves to Loreto
485 Sqn RNZAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.17 Capriquet

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
80 Sqn (West Malling) flies its last OM in the Spitfire IX
94 Sqn (Savoia) flies its last OM in the Spitfire IX

[warshipbuilder]

27-8-44
BOMBER COMMAND
HOMBERG
243 aircraft – 216 Halifaxes of 4 Group and 14 Mosquitoes and 13 Lancasters of 8 Group – were dispatched on this historic raid, the first major raid by Bomber Command to Germany in daylight since 12 August 1941, when 54 Blenheims had attacked power-stations near Cologne for the loss of 10 aircraft.

This raid was escorted by 9 squadrons of Spitfires on the outward flight and 7 squadrons on the withdrawal. 1 Me 110 was seen; the Spitfires drove it off. There was intense Flak over the target but no bombers were lost. The target was the Rhein-preussen synthetic-oil refinery at Meerbeck. The bombing was based on Oboe marking but 5–8/10ths cloud produced difficult conditions, though some accurate bombing was claimed through gaps in the clouds.

MIMOYECQUES
226 aircraft – 176 Halifaxes, 40 Lancasters, 10 Mosquitoes – of 6 and 8 Groups carried out an accurate attack on a flying-bomb site without loss.

Brest
24 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito of 5 Group bombed 2 ships in the harbour and claimed hits on both. No aircraft lost.

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27/28 August 1944
MINOR OPERATIONS
30 Mosquitoes to Mannheim, 66 O.T.U. Wellingtons on a diversionary sweep, 19 R.C.M. sorties, 26 Mosquito patrols, 7 aircraft on Resistance operations. 2 Mosquitoes from the Mannheim raid and 1 Intruder Mosquito lost.

USAAF
FRANCE: Three hundred sixteen VIII Fighter Command P-47 fighter-bombers attack transportation targets in eastern France. One P-47 is lost with its pilot.

IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack a bridge and troop concentrations around Rouen, two fuel dumps, and a navigational station.

Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack gun emplacements around Marseille.

GERMANY: An all-out effort against the city of Berlin and other targets in central and northern Germany by 1,203 Eighth Air Force heavy bombers is thwarted when extremely high clouds are encountered over northern Germany and Denmark. A total of 188 heavy bombers attack a variety of targets of opportunity, but the remainder abort or are recalled. Three heavy bombers are lost.

Escort for the heavy bombers is provided by 505 VIII Fighter Command fighters, of which ten are lost with their pilots. One of the downed pilots is LtCol Cy Wilson, the 20th Fighter Group commander, who is taken prisoner.

This is the first mission of the 3d Bombardment Division’s 490th Heavy Bombardment Group since its transition from B-24s to B-17s.

Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack two oil refineries near Blechhammer.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack rail viaducts at Avisio and Venzone, and a rail bridge at Ferrara; Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack bridges at Berceto; and XII TAC A-20s attack ammunition dumps.

During the night of August 27–28, XII TAC A-20s attack motor vehicles and targets of opportunity in the Po River valley.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack the viaduct at Borovnica.

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28-8-44
BOMBER COMMAND
FLYING-BOMB SITES
150 aircraft – 77 Halifaxes, 48 Lancasters, 25 Mosquitoes – carried out small ‘Oboe leader’ raids on 12 sites. Most of the targets were satisfactorily hit. This was the last of the long series of raids on the German flying-bomb launching and storage sites in the Pas de Calais area, which was captured by Allied ground troops a few days later.

There was 1 aircraft casualty. A 550 Squadron Lancaster, which had just bombed the Wemars/Cappel launching site near Amiens, received a direct hit from a Flak battery near Dunkirk. The Lancaster went down in flames and exploded. The pilot, Pilot Officer S. C. Beeson, and 3 other members of the crew escaped by parachute, but the wireless operator and the 2 gunners were killed. Sergeants J. K. Norgate, H. S. Picton and J. A. Trayhorn were thus the last fatal casualties in Bomber Command’s campaign against the V-1 flying bomb.

Minor Operations: 30 aircraft of 6 and 8 Groups bombed a German battery on the Île de Cezembre, near St-Malo, and 23 Halifaxes of 6 Group bombed ships in Brest harbour. No aircraft lost.

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28/29 August 1944
MINOR OPERATIONS
35 Mosquitoes to Essen, 4 to Leverkusen, 3 each to Le Culot and Venlo and 2 to Cologne, 13 Mosquito patrols, 6 Halifaxes minelaying off La Pallice, 19 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Halifax lost flying on a Resistance operation.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack an oil refinery and chemical plant at Moosbierbaum.

31st Fighter Group P-51 pilots down five GAF fighters and four Ju-52s near the target between 1115 and 1145 hours. 2dLt Norman C. Skogstad, a P-51 pilot with the 31st Fighter Group’s 307th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs a Ju-52 near Vienna at 1145 hours; Capt Robert J. Goebel, a P-51 ace with the 31st Fighter Group’s 308th Fighter Squadron and group leader this day, downs a Bf-109 near Vienna at 1115 hours, which brings his final personal tally to 11 confirmed victories; and Capt Walter J. Goehausen, Jr., another 308th Fighter Squadron ace, downs a Bf-109 near Vienna at 1120 hours, bringing his final personal tally to ten confirmed victories.

ETO: Despite bad weather that grounds all Eighth Air Force heavy bombers, hundreds of VIII Fighter Command fighters and fighter-bombers conduct an all-out effort against all manner of transportation targets in Belgium, France, western Germany, and the Netherlands. Sixteen fighters and all but one of their pilots are lost. Capt Albert L. Schlegel, an 8.5-victory P-51 ace with the 4th Fighter Group’s 335th Fighter Squadron, fails to return from a mission.

Eighth and Ninth air force fighter pilots down 24 GAF aircraft and a glider in numerous actions during the day over Belgium, France, and Germany. Capt Robert W. Stephens, a P-51 ace with the 354th Fighter Group’s 355th Fighter Squadron, brings his final personal tally to 13 confirmed victories when he downs a Bf-109 over Reims/Epernay Airdrome at 1155 hours.

FRANCE: IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack fuel and ammunition dumps; and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack Bourges and Peronne airdromes and provide support for U.S. Army ground forces.

IX Troop Carrier Command transports mount approximately 400 supply and evacuation sorties.

Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack rail bridges around Lyon.

The German Army garrisons at Toulon and Marseille surrender to Free French Army combat units.

GERMANY: IX Bomber Command bombers attack a fuel depot and an alcohol (i.e., fuel) distillery at Hamm.

HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Miskolc, an oil refinery at Szony, and rail bridges and a viaduct at Szolnok.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack rail bridges and viaducts at three locations; Twelfth Air Force B-26s attack a bridge at Parma and the Villafranca di Verona Airdrome; XII TAC A-20s attack a German Army command post near Genoa; and XII TAC fighters and fighter-bombers attack shipping in the harbors at Imperia and Savona, and strafe and bomb roads and bridges in the battle area.

[warshipbuilder]

29-8-44
BOMBER COMMAND
STETTIN
402 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito of 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups. 23 Lancasters lost, 5.7 percent of the force.

This was a successful raid, hitting parts of Stettin which had escaped damage in previous attacks. A German report states that 1,569 houses and 32 industrial premises were destroyed and that 565 houses and 23 industrial premises were badly damaged. A ship of 2,000 tons was sunk and 7 other ships (totalling 31,000 tons) were damaged. 1,033 people were killed and 1,034 people were injured.

KÖNIGSBERG
189 Lancasters of 5 Group carried out one of the most successful 5 Group attacks of the war on this target at extreme range. Only 480 tons of bombs could be carried because of the range of the target but severe damage was caused around the 4 separate aiming points selected. This success was achieved despite a 20-minute delay in opening the attack because of the presence of low cloud; the bombing force waited patiently, using up precious fuel, until the marker aircraft found a break in the clouds and the Master Bomber, Wing Commander J. Woodroffe, probably 5 Group’s most skilled Master Bomber, allowed the attack to commence. Bomber Command estimated that 41 percent of all the housing and 20 percent of all the industry in Königsberg were destroyed. There was heavy fighter opposition over the target and 15 Lancasters, 7.9 percent of the force, were lost.

SUPPORT AND MINOR OPERATIONS
93 training aircraft on a diversionary sweep over the North Sea, 53 Mosquitoes bombing Berlin, Hamburg and 4 other targets, 35 R.C.M. sorties, 49 Mosquito patrols, 31 Lancasters and 12 Halifaxes minelaying off Baltic ports, 8 aircraft on Resistance operations. 2 O.T.U. Wellingtons from the sweep and 1 Lancaster minelayer lost.

Total effort for the night: 873 sorties, 41 aircraft (4.7 percent) lost.

USAAF
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack communications, oil, and industrial targets.

ETO: Bad weather grounds all Eighth Air Force heavy bombers and limits VIII Fighter Command to 104 effective P-38 and P-47 sorties against two airdromes and transportation targets in Belgium, France, and Germany. Three P-47s are lost with their pilots.

FRANCE: Although bad weather grounds most of the Ninth Air Force, a small number of IX Bomber Command B-26s are able to attack a fuel dump, and a small number of fighter-bombers mount sweeps over northwestern France.

The Ninth Air Force’s 48th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-42, at Villacoublay; the Ninth Air Force’s 404th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-48, at Bretigny; and the Ninth Air Force’s 474th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-43, at St.-Marceau.

XII TAC fighter-bombers attack numerous targets in the Rhone River valley.

HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack communications, oil, and industrial targets.

31st Fighter Group P-51 escort pilots down five GAF fighters. 1stLt James L. Brooks, a P-51 ace with the 31st Fighter Group’s 307th Fighter Squadron, brings his final personal tally to 13 confirmed victories when he downs two Bf-109s.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack communications targets in the Po River valley; the Fifteenth Air Force’s 82d Fighter Group, in P-38 fighter-bombers led by a droopsnoot model, conduct a vertical-bombing attack against a rail bridge at Latisana; Twelfth Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack a viaduct and four bridges in northeastern Italy; XII TAC A-20s attack a fueling station; and XII TAC fighter-bombers support ground forces and attack roads and bridges.

During the night of August 29–30, XII TAC A-20s attack targets of opportunity in the Po River valley.

[warshipbuilder]

30-8-44
BOMBER COMMAND
MINOR OPERATIONS
36 Mosquitoes to Frankfurt, 6 R.C.M. sorties, 6 Mosquito patrols, 4 Halifaxes minelaying off La Pallice. No aircraft lost.

USAAF
FRANCE: Using GH and H2X radar guidance, 107 Eighth Air Force B-17s and 108 B-24s, escorted by only 16 VIII Fighter Command P-51s, conduct an early- morning attack against eight V-weapons sites in the Pas-de-Calais area.

Although all Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers and most bombers are grounded by bad weather, approximately 75 B-26s and A-20s are able to attack a fuel dump and several gun emplacements.

The four B-26 groups of the IX Bomber Command’s 98th Combat Bombardment Wing complete their moves to bases in France from bases in England.

XII TAC fighters and fighter-bombers attack rail and road targets in the Rhone River valley.

GERMANY: Using radar guidance, 282 Eighth Air Force B-17s attack the Kiel port area and U-boat base, and 327 B-17s attack the port area and an aircraft factory at Bremen. Escort is provided by 258 VIII Fighter Command P-51s.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather; XII TAC A-20s attack fuel storage facilities; and XII TAC and fighters and fighter-bombers attack rail and road targets in the Po River valley.

During the night of August 30–31, XII TAC A-20s attack targets of opportunity in the Po River valley.

ROMANIA: Fifteenth Air Force P-51s strafe Oradea Airdrome.

Two years and two months after the first daring low-level daylight bombing raid on the place by USAAF B-24s based in Egypt (June 12, 1942), Ploesti falls to Red Army ground troops.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack rail bridges at two locations; B-17s attack marshalling yards at Brod and Novi Sad; and P-51s strafe Kecskemet Airdrome.

[warshipbuilder]

31-8-44
BOMBER COMMAND
V-2 ROCKET STORES
601 aircraft – 418 Lancasters, 147 Halifaxes, 36 Mosquitoes – to attack 9 sites in Northern France where the Germans were believed to be storing V-2 rockets. 8 of the sites were found and bombed. 6 Lancasters lost.

COASTAL BATTERY
165 Halifaxes of 6 Group and 5 Pathfinder Mosquitoes bombed the Île de Cezembre battery near St-Malo. 1 photographic Mosquito accompanied the raid. The bombing force flew at 3,000 ft or less over the undefended targets and achieved a good bombing concentration. 1 Halifax lost.

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31 August/1 September 1944
MINOR OPERATIONS
42 Mosquitoes to Düsseldorf, 6 to Cologne and 6 to Leverkusen, 3 R.C.M. sorties, 21 Mosquito patrols, 24 aircraft on Resistance operations. 2 Mosquitoes lost, 1 each from the Cologne and Leverkusen raids.

USAAF
ENGLAND: The Eighth Air Force conducts no combat operations and mounts only seven weather- and photo-reconnaissance sorties.

FRANCE: Ninety-nine IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack gun emplacements and an ammunition dump; and fighter-bombers provide direct support for U.S. Army ground forces.

During the month of August, on dates unknown (because of incomplete records), the Ninth Air Force’s 363d Fighter Group displaced to Advance Landing Ground A-7, at Azeville, and the IX Bomber Command’s 397th Medium Bombardment Group displaced to Advance Landing Ground A-26, at Gorges.

Twelfth Air Force fighter-bombers attack communications targets in support of the U.S. Seventh Army’s drive on Lyon.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack rail bridges in the Po River valley; and XII TAC A-20s and fighter-bombers attack communications targets north of the Arno River.

During the night of August 31–September 1, XII TAC A-20s attack gun emplacements and targets of opportunity in the Po River valley.

ROMANIA: Thirty-eight Fifteenth Air Force B-17s hastily modified to serve as transports inaugurate Operation REUNION by evacuating to Bari, Italy, more than 700 of the approximately 1,100 downed USAAF aircrewmen (and some other Allied servicemen) being held in prisoner-of-war camps in and around Bucharest, Romania. Operation REUNION is the brainchild of Romanian airmen and civilian humanitarians using the chaos of fighting in Bucharest between German and Red Army forces (and patriotic Romanians) to concentrate the Allied prisoners at a Romanian Air Force base while contacting Fifteenth Air Force headquarters (by flying a high-ranking USAAF prisoner to Bari, Italy, in a Romanian Air Force Bf-109!). Adding considerably to the general anxiety attending the hurried, makeshift operation is the requirement that the evacuation be kept as secret as possible from both German and Soviet forces.

Forty-eight 52d Fighter Group P-51s conduct a low-level approach and strafing attack against the crowded Axis landing ground at Reghin. An estimated 60 aircraft are destroyed on the ground, and seven are destroyed in the air between 1010 and 1055 hours. Also, Fifteenth Air Force P-51s strafe Oradea Airdrome.

Bucharest officially falls to the Red Army, but fighting continues to rage between and among German, Soviet, and various Romanian forces.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack a rail bridge at Novi Sad, and Fifteenth Air Force P-51s strafe Kecskemet Airdrome.

[warshipbuilder]

Dear Reader,

Hoping to be back to a full report by next Saturday.

1-9-44
BOMBER COMMAND
V-2 ROCKET STORES
121 aircraft – 97 Halifaxes, 15 Mosquitoes, 9 Lancasters – of 4 and 8 Groups bombed storage sites at Lumbres and La Pourchinte without loss. Both raids were successful, the Lumbres attack particularly so.

1 R.C.M. radio listening sortie was flown.

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1/2 September 1944
MINOR OPERATIONS
35 Mosquitoes to Bremen, 4 R.C.M. sorties, 39 Mosquito patrols, 7 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.

USAAF
BALKANS: As German Army forces in Greece begin a withdrawal to avoid being cut off by Red Army forces advancing across southeastern Europe, the Fifteenth Air Force mounts a campaign to interdict rail lines and roads carrying German troops through the Balkans Peninsula, particularly the rail lines through Skoplje and Belgrade, Yugoslavia. B-24s attack bridges around Kraljevo and Mitrovica, Yugoslavia, and marshalling yards at Debreczen, Hungary, and B-17s attack the rail bridge at Moravia, Yugoslavia, and the airdrome at Nis, Yugoslavia.

BELGIUM: Maj Quince L. Brown, the commanding officer of the 78th Fighter Group’s 84th Fighter Squadron, brings his final personal tally to 12.333 confirmed victories when he downs a Bf-109 near Liege at 2050 hours.

FRANCE: Two hundred sixty-five VIII Fighter Command fighter-bombers bomb and strafe rail targets in northern and northeastern France.

One hundred fifteen IX Bomber Command B-26s attack German Army fortifications in and around Brest.

While pursuing retreating German Army forces, 405th Fighter Group P-47 pilots destroy an estimated 200 motor vehicles and assorted other road targets in the course of six squadron-strength missions. Also, 36th Fighter Group P-47 pilots destroy more than 500 German Army vehicles in just four eight-plane undertaken missions throughout the day.

GERMANY: The Eighth Air Force main bombing attacks of the day—against targets in Germany—are recalled when the lead bombers encounter high clouds along the route over France. Just one of 973 heavy bombers drops its bombs. Three bombers are lost in operational accidents that take the lives of 30 crewmen.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack a rail bridge at Ferrara; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack rail and road bridges north and northeast of Venice; and XII TAC fighter-bombers attack a German Army headquarters in the battle area near Florence.

During the night of September 1–2, XII TAC A-20s attack pontoon bridges and targets of opportunity in the Po River valley.

NETHERLANDS: Twelve Eighth Air Force B-24s attack a rail bridge at Ravenstein using Azon bombs.

78th Fighter Group P-47 pilots down four Bf-110s over Gilze-Rijen Airdrome at 2030 hours.

ROMANIA: Sixteen Fifteenth Air Force B-17s complete the second Operation REUNION evacuation mission of USAAF airmen formerly held in prisoner-of-war camps around Ploesti and Bucharest.

[warshipbuilder]

2-9-44
BOMBER COMMAND
BREST
67 Lancasters of 5 Group bombed ships in Brest harbour in clear visibility. No aircraft lost.

USAAF
BELGIUM: In the day’s only Eighth Air Force operation, 56th Fighter Group P-47s strafe targets of opportunity in Belgium.

ENGLAND: Eighth Air Force and IX Bomber Command bombers are grounded by bad weather.

FRANCE: The IX TAC headquarters moves to Versailles.

Despite bad weather, XII TAC fighter-bombers attack rail lines and barracks in the Lyon area.

Lyon falls to the U.S. Seventh Army.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack three bridges in the Po River valley; and XII TAC fighter-bombers attack gun emplacements, roads, and bridges in the Po River valley, dock facilities at Savona, and ships at sea.

A provisional XV Fighter Command is created, and BriGen Dean C. Strother is placed in command. At the same time, Strother’s former command, the 306th Fighter Wing, is split into two parts. The 306th Wing retains control of the Fifteenth Air Force’s four P-51 groups (31st, 52d, 325th, and 33d), and the 305th Provisional Fighter Wing is given control of the three P-38 groups (1st, 14th, and 82d).

During the night of September 2–3, XII TAC A-20s start fires in the Genoa port area.

YUGOSLAVIA: More than 380 Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack a rail bridge at Kraljevo, a marshalling yard and bridge at Mitrovica, three marshalling yards at Nis, and a rail bridge at Supovac. Also, 27 Fifteenth Air Force P-38s bomb a road bridge at Cuprija, and 112 P-51s and 57 P-38s strafe roads and bridges in the Belgrade and Nis areas.

[warshipbuilder]

3-9-44
BOMBER COMMAND
AIRFIELDS
675 aircraft – 348 Lancasters, 315 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitoes – carried out heavy raids on 6 airfields in Southern Holland. All raids were successful and only 1 Halifax was lost from the Venlo raid.

2 Mosquito Ranger patrols and 1 R.C.M. sortie were flown without loss.

USAAF
BELGIUM: One hundred twenty-five VIII Fighter Command P-47s strafe transportation targets.

55th Fighter Group P-51 pilots down seven FW-190s near Antwerp between 1300 and 1330 hours.

FRANCE: Three hundred ninety-three 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack 16 German Army artillery batteries and other defensive positions in and around Brest; and 181 IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack defensive positions and bridges in the Brest area.

IX TAC fighters and fighter-bombers supporting the U.S. First Army’s pursuit of German Army forces set a one-day record for the war when they destroy 919 motor vehicles, 757 horse-drawn vehicles, and 58 armored vehicles.

The Ninth Air Force’s 365th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-48, at Bretigny.

More than 50 “war-weary” Eighth Air Force B-24s transport supplies from bases in England to Orleans/Bricy Airdrome as part of an ongoing effort known as Operation TRUCKING.

Twelfth Air Force fighter-bombers harry German Army ground forces retreating up the Rhone River valley.

GERMANY: 325 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack a synthetic-oil plant at Ludwigshafen.

HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack roads and supply lines south of Budapest.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack bridges throughout northern Italy, and Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack bridges in the Po River valley.

During the night of September 3–4, XII TAC A-20s attack motor vehicles around Milan and Turin.

ROMANIA: Three Fifteenth Air Force B-17s complete the third REUNION evacuation mission of USAAF airmen liberated from prisoner-of-war camps around Ploesti and Bucharest.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers and P-38 dive-bombers attack the ferry installation at Smederevo, heavy bombers attack numerous bridges, and P-51s strafe several airfields and numerous transportation targets.

[warshipbuilder]

4-9-44
BOMBER COMMAND
5 Mosquitoes of 100 Group flew Ranger patrols. 2 trains were attacked but 2 Mosquitoes were lost.

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4/5 September 1944
MINOR OPERATIONS
43 Mosquitoes to Karlsruhe and 14 to Steenwijk airfield, 6 Serrate patrols. No losses.

USAAF
BELGIUM: British Army ground forces liberate Brussels.

ETO: The Eighth and Ninth air forces are grounded by bad weather.

FRANCE: The Ninth Air Force’s 50th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-47, at Paris/Orly Airport; and the Ninth Air Force’s 406th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-35, at Le Mans.

The 363d Fighter Group is withdrawn from combat in order to be remanned, reequipped, and redesignated the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack bridges and marshalling yards throughout northern Italy, and B-17s attack the port and submarines based at Genoa; Twelfth Air Force B-25s and B-26s attack bridges and a tunnel in the Po River valley; and XII TAC fighter-bombers attack numerous targets along and behind the German Army’s Gothic Line.

During the night of September 4–5, XII TAC A-20s attack targets of opportunity around Genoa and Milan.

[warshipbuilder]

5-9-44
BOMBER COMMAND
LE HAVRE
348 aircraft – 313 Lancasters, 30 Mosquitoes, 5 Stirlings – 1, 3 and 8 Groups carried out the first of a series of heavy raids on the German positions around Le Havre which were still holding out after being bypassed by the Allied advance. This was an accurate raid in good visibility. No aircraft lost.

BREST
60 Lancasters and 6 Mosquitoes of 5 Group bombed gun positions outside Brest, whose garrison was also still holding out. No aircraft lost.

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5/6 September 1944
MINOR OPERATIONS
43 Mosquitoes to Hannover and 12 to Steenwijk, 8 R.C.M. sorties, 23 Mosquito patrols, 19 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.

USAAF
FRANCE: One hundred forty-three 3d Bombardment Division B-17s and 310 IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s attack targets in and around Brest.

Approximately 90 Eighth Air Force B-24s transport fuel to France.

GERMANY: Two hundred seventy-seven 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack an oil refinery at Ludwigshafen; 183 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Karlsruhe; and 203 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack an aircraft-engine factory at Stuttgart. Six heavy bombers are lost.

Two hundred seventeen VIII Fighter Command fighters strafe transportation targets in western Germany, and 67 VIII Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack targets around Hanau and Giessen.

VIII Fighter Command pilots down 25 GAF aircraft over Germany between 1110 and 1915 hours, and two GAF bombers are downed over the Netherlands. A Swiss Air Force Bf-109 is mistakenly shot down near the Swiss-German frontier. 1stLt William H. Allen and 1stLt William H. Lewis, P-51 pilots with the 55th Fighter Group’s 343d Fighter Squadron, both achieve “ace-in-a-day” status when they each down five GAF trainers over Goppingen Airdrome at 1120 hours.

HUNGARY: To help impede the withdrawal of German Army forces from the Balkans, Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack rail bridges at Budapest, Szob, and Szolnok.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a rail bridge at Ferrara; Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack bridges in the Po River valley; XII TAC A-20s attack ammunition storage areas; and XII TAC fighter-bombers attack rail lines south of the Po River.

During the night of September 5–6, XII TAC A-20s attack targets of opportunity around Milan and Savona.

[warshipbuilder]

6-9-44
BOMBER COMMAND
LE HAVRE
344 aircraft – 311 Lancasters, 30 Mosquitoes, 3 Stirlings – bombed German fortifications and transport without loss.

EMDEN
105 Halifaxes and 76 Lancasters of 6 and 8 Groups on the first large raid to this target since June 1942; it was also the last Bomber Command raid of the war on Emden. The force was provided with an escort, first of Spitfires and then of American Mustangs. Only 1 Lancaster, that of the deputy Master Bomber, Flight Lieutenant Granville Wilson, D.S.O., D.F.C., D.F.M., of 7 Squadron, a 23-year-old Northern Irishman, was lost. Wilson’s aircraft received a direct hit from a Flak shell and he was killed instantly, together with his navigator and bomb aimer, Sergeants D. Jones and E. R. Brunsdon. The 5 other members of the crew escaped by parachute. Flight Lieutenant Wilson is now buried in the Sage War Cemetery, near Oldenburg; the names of the 2 sergeants are on the Runnymede Memorial to the Missing.

The bombing was accurate and Emden was seen to be a mass of flames, but no local report is available other than a brief note which states that several small ships in the harbour were sunk.

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6/7 September 1944
MINOR OPERATIONS
32 Mosquitoes to Hamburg and 6 to Emden, 17 R.C.M. sorties, 33 Mosquito patrols, 8 Halifaxes minelaying in the River Ems and off Texel, 6 Stirlings on Resistance operations. 1 Serrate Mosquito lost.

The bombing in the Mosquito raid to Hamburg was entirely on estimated positions through 10/10ths cloud but 68 people in Hamburg were killed and 73 were injured, some of them when Fire Station No. 13 in the harbour area received a direct hit.

USAAF
FRANCE: Of 706 IX Bomber Command B-26s and A-20s dispatched, 545 attack a bridge and strongpoints in the Brest area; IX Bomber Command bombers also attack German Army batteries and defenses elsewhere in France; and Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers attack gun emplacements around Brest, an ammunition dump, and other targets in other battle areas.

Making their type’s world combat debut during the Brest attack are Douglas A-26 Invader light bombers being combat-tested by special crews attached to the 386th Medium Bombardment Group’s 553d Medium Bombardment Squadron. Special features of the A-26 are that it has the payload capacity of a medium bomber combined with the agility of a light bomber. The A-26 is also longer ranged than the latest A-20 model in service.

Seventy Eighth Air Force B-24s transport fuel to France.

The Ninth Air Force’s 474th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-72, at Peronne.

GERMANY: VIII Fighter Command fighters conduct sweeps in the Aachen and Koblenz areas.

Maj Quince L. Brown, a 12.333- victory P-47 ace and the commanding officer of the 78th Fighter Group’s 84th Fighter Squadron, is murdered by an SS officer after he is shot down by flak and captured near Schleiden.

HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack two bridges over the Sebes Koros River, and a marshalling yard.

NETHERLANDS: VIII Fighter Command fighters conduct a sweep in the Rotterdam area.

ROMANIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack two marshalling yards at Oradea.

Two Fifteenth Air Force B-17s undertake the fourth Operation REUNION evacuation mission of USAAF airmen liberated from prisoner-of-war camps around Ploesti and Bucharest.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Novi Sad, a marshalling yard and German Army troop and tank concentrations at Leskovac, and a bridge at Budapest.

[warshipbuilder]

7-9-44
BOMBER COMMAND
MINOR OPERATIONS
41 Mosquitoes to Karlsruhe, 12 to Steenwijk and 6 to Emden, 16 Stirlings on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.

USAAF
ENGLAND: The entire Eighth Air Force and IX Bomber Command bombers are grounded by bad weather.

FRANCE: Ninth Air Force fighters are able to provide limited support for U.S. Army ground forces in France and Belgium. At about 1400 hours, while supporting elements of the U.S. Seventh Army in southern France, 36 P-47 pilots of the Ninth Air Force’s 406th Fighter Group destroy an estimated 300 German Army vehicles along a 15-mile section of road. After rearming, the same P-47 pilots return to the scene and destroy approximately 200 additional vehicles.

MTO: The Twelfth and Fifteenth air forces are grounded by bad weather.