Action This Day

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19-11-44
412 Sqn RCAF (B.80 Volkel – Spitfire LFIXB)
After a long lay-off from operations and with a change to clear weather, this was a busy day with nine missions carried out. Unfortunately, the greatest one day loss was sustained with four pilots reported missing. Since D-Day, good fortune has been with the squadron whose outstanding record of 58 enemy aircraft destroyed and 98 damaged stood against a loss of only 12 and so this apparently balancing of fortune occurred.

All operations were dive bombing shows with <unreadable> reccos following and each was with a section of four aircraft.

ADDENDUM – Spitfire LFIXB PL159 VZ-? Pilot P/O WH Bellingham KIA

Spitfire LFIXB PL245 VZ-? Pilot F/L PM Charron KIA

Spitfire LFIXB PL130 VZ-? Pilot F/O JW Johnson KIA

Spitfire LFIXB PL204 VZ-? Pilot W/O JA Comeau POW

BOMBER COMMAND
1 Hudson Resistance flight.

2nd TAF
At 0230 Flt Lt John Atkins/Flg Off Doug Mayo of 219 Squadron claimed a Ju 87 shot down north-east of Aachen, but during the night two of 487 Squadron's Mosquito VIs failed to return from sorties over north Holland.
A sudden spell of fine weather brought the busiest day of the month so far. 16 Squadron recorded this as a "big day", with 21 sorties over Holland and Germany, 19 of which were completed successfully. One Spitfire XI was lost over Rheine, where Flg Off H.A.S.Taylor suffered an engine failure. This caused him to bale out, and he became a PoW.

During an early sortie, two Tempests of 274 Squadron, flown by Flt Lts David Fairbanks and W.B.Peglar, were hit by Flak whilst strafing a train near Lette, and both were damaged. No fewer than eight Typhoons were lost during the day, together with four Spitfires and two Mitchells, all victims of ground fire. 412 Squadron, newly returned from APC in England, put in nine operations, during one of which, commenced at 1100, Flg Off W.H.L.Bellingham was lost east of Geldern. The Squadron was off again at 1330 to dive-bomb a bridge near Veen but, as it formed up after the attack, it was surprised by '40 plus' Fw 190s from 5./JG 26, led by Lt Gerhard Vogt. In the space of two minutes Vogt had claimed one Spitfire shot down - his 46th victory - while Obfw Wilhelm Mayer had added two more, for his 26th and 27th; a fourth claim was submitted by Uffz Lampferhoff. Three Spitfires actually went down, Flt Lt Phil Charron and Flg Off J.W.Johnston both being killed, while Wt Off J.A.Comeau became a PoW. This was II./JG 26's last major operation for the time being, as it then withdrew to replace its Fw 190As with the D-9.

Tempests of 486 Squadron were active, and during one flight, Flt Lt K.G.Taylor and Plt Off O.D. 'Ginger' Eagleson jointly claimed an Me 262 probably destroyed on the ground at Rheine, while Plt Off Steedman added one damaged.

The day saw more of 2 Group reach the Continent when the Mosquito VIs of 138 Wing arrived at A.75, Epinoy, near Cambrai.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack oil refineries and storage facilities in and around Linz and Vienna, an aircraft factory at Wiener-Neudorf, and Horsching Airdrome.

FRANCE: Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers attack numerous tactical targets near Metz and Sarreguemines.

GERMANY: More than 450 9th Bombardment Division B-26s, A-20s, and A-26s attack ordnance and storage depots, road and rail junctions, bridges, and defended areas at or near ten cities and towns.

Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers attack rail lines and numerous other types of targets throughout northwestern Germany.

Ninth Air Force fighter pilots down 11 GAF fighters over western Germany during the morning.

HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Gyor, and 126 Fifteenth Air Force P-51s attack two airdromes and roads and rail lines.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack various rail targets in northern Italy, but Twelfth Air Force medium bombers and most XXII TAC P-47s are grounded by fog and low clouds. Nevertheless, some XXII TAC P-47s are able to attack troop concentrations, motor vehicles, rail lines, gun emplacements, and other targets south of Bologna.

During the night of November 19–20, XXII TAC A-20s attack Po River crossing points and several airdromes.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Maribor, and Fifteenth Air Force P-38s dive-bomb troop concentrations at two locations.

BASE CHANGES
107 Sqn (Mosquito FBVI) moves to A.75 Cambrai/Epinoy
151 Sqn (Mosquito NF30) moves to Hunsdon
305 Sqn (Mosquito FBVI) moves to A.75 Cambrai/Epinoy
613 Sqn (Mosquito FBVI) moves to A.75 Cambrai/Epinoy

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
268 Sqn (B.70 Deurne) flies its last OM in the Typhoon IB

[warshipbuilder]

20-11-44
75 Sqn (Mepal – Lancaster I/III)
Operational Flying Twenty eight aircraft took off to attack the oil refinery plant at Homberg. Twenty two aircraft in daylight attacked the target in ten tenths cloud, tops at 23,000 ft., which made formation flying very difficult. They carried 4,000 1b and 500 lb bombs. Results of bombing could not be observed, but it is considered that the raid was unsatisfactory. One aircraft AA/J returned early owing to icing trouble and two aircraft bombed las resort targets at Duiburg and Hamborn. Three aircraft failed to return.

ADDENDUM – Lancaster I PB869 AA-X. Crew: F/O R Gordon KIA, Sgt CR Freeman KIA, F/O JR Bell KIA, F/S JA Weston KIA, P/O LD Sampson KIA, Sgt SG Hone KIA, Sgt JL Forester KIA. T/o 1249 Mepal. Encountered heavy flak over Baerl, 4 km NE of Moers, and exploded. All are buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.

Lancaster III ND911 AA-V. Crew: F/O PL McCartin RAAF KIA, Sgt WJ Warlow KIA, Sgt J Miles KIA, F/O LA Martin KIA, F/S PF Smith KIA, Sgt DGA Bryer KIA, Sgt J Gray POW. T/o 1247 Mepal. Of the six who lost their lives, two are buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery and four rest in Rheinberg War Cemetery.

Lancaster III PB520 AA-G. Crew: F/O H Rees POW, Sgt JE Mulhall POW, F/O RC Preston POW, F/O DC Westwood RNZAK POW, F/L WM Naismith POW, Sgt R Alderson POW, Sgt C Allen POW. T/o 1255 Mepal. This was a crew well into their tour of operations, F/O Rees being credited with over 30 sorties.

BOMBER COMMAND
HOMBERG
183 Lancasters of 3 Group made a G-H attack on the oil plant but the weather was stormy and many aircraft were not able to maintain formation with the G-H aircraft on the bombing run. The bombing, through cloud, was believed to have been scattered. 5 Lancasters lost.

Minor Operations: 3 R.C.M. sorties, 2 Mosquito Ranger patrols, 3 Hudsons on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.
________________________________________
20/21 November 1944
KOBLENZ
43 Lancasters of 8 Group made an unusual Pathfinder solo raid on Koblenz without loss. The purpose of the raid was not recorded. It is possible that either the large road and rail bridges over the Rhine and Mosel or the local railway yards were the targets. Only high-explosive bombs were carried. Koblenz was completely covered by cloud and all bombing was by H2S from 15,000 ft.

The local report states that some bombs fell in the town, blocking several roads and railways and scoring hits on a road and a rail bridge, although these remained usable. Part of the bombing fell well outside the town. 62 civilians, 1 female Ukrainian worker and 5 or 6 German soldiers were killed and 48 people were injured.

Minor Operations: 63 Mosquitoes to Hannover, 14 each to Homberg and Castrop-Rauxel oil plants and 9 to Eisenach, 17 R.C.M. sorties, 17 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.

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USAAF
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s diverted by bad weather from attacking Blechhammer, Germany, attack a town and several marshalling yards during the return to Italy.

ETO: The 9th Bombardment Division is grounded by bad weather, but Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers are able to attack rail lines, buildings, and tactical targets in and around the battle area.

GERMANY: Sixty-one 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack their primary, an oil-industry target at Gelsenkirchen, but 93 1st Bombardment Division B-17s divert to their secondary, a marshalling yard at Munster.

Three hundred ten VIII Fighter Command fighters strafe numerous targets of opportunity in western Germany, but eight fighters are lost.

Nearly 190 Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack an oil refinery at Blechhammer.

HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force P-38s attack communications targets.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but during the late morning fighter-bombers are able to attack two factories and several supply dumps.

YUGOSLAVIA: Ninety-two Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Sarajevo and three rail bridges. Also, Fifteenth Air Force P-38s attack a marshalling yard at Brod.

BASE CHANGES
229 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Swannington
602 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Swannington

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
15 Sqn (Mildenhall) flies its last OM in the Lancaster III
25 Sqn SAAF (Biferno) flies its first OM in the Marauder III
32 Sqn (Salonika) flies its last OM’s in the Spitfire VC & IX
128 Sqn (Wyton) flies its last OM in the Mosquito BXXV

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21-11-44
420 Sqn RCAF (Tholthorpe – Halifax III)
19 aircraft were detailed, and all were airborne, one was an early return, captained by F/O McKeown. Aircrafts hydraulics went u/s. Total bomb load brought back. 10 a/c attacked primary target, CASTOP-RAUXEL, none of which saw refinery. All the a/c were diverted to Leeming, Croft, and Middleton St. George. All landed safely but one, F/L Sefton J.S. (J.12049) in Halifax III HK346 “U”, crashed at Moreton-on-Swale near Leeming. F/O Yarush, F. (J.24789) A/B, was killed. Of the remaining six of the crew, four were slightly injured and two uninjured.

BOMBER COMMAND
21 November 1944
HOMBERG
160 Lancasters of 3 Group to attack the oil refinery. 3 Lancasters lost.

The bombing was scattered at first but then became very concentrated, culminating, according to the Bomber Command report, in ‘a vast sheet of yellow flame followed by black smoke rising to a great height’. This was a very satisfactory raid after several previous attempts by Bomber Command to destroy this oil refinery.

2 Wellingtons on R.C.M. sorties.
________________________________________
21/22 November 1944
This was a night of mainly good visibility in which Bomber Command operations were directed strictly according to priorities given in recent directives.

ASCHAFFENBURG
274 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitoes of 1 and 8 Groups. 2 Lancasters lost.

The object of this raid was to destroy the local railway yards and lines. The local report says that 50 bombs fell in the railway area, causing much damage to the marshalling yards and railway workshops but the main through lines were not cut. Many other bombs fell in the centre and north of the town. About 500 houses were destroyed and 1,500 seriously damaged. Many old buildings were hit, including the local castle, the Johannisburg, which was hit by 5 high-explosive bombs and had a 4,000-lb ‘blockbuster’ burst near by; the roof and upper storeys of the castle were burnt out. 344 people were killed, of whom 221 were in the northern district of Damm. 3 Catholic priests died when their church was hit.

CASTROP-RAUXEL
273 aircraft – 176 Halifaxes, 79 Lancasters, 18 Mosquitoes – of 1, 6 and 8 Groups. 4 Halifaxes lost.

The target was the oil refinery. The local report says that 216 high-explosive bombs, 78 duds and many incendiaries hit the oil plant and caused such a large fire that the fire-fighters could do little more than allow it to burn itself out. It is believed that the refinery produced no more oil after this raid. Bombs fell in many other places, including some important industrial and coal-mining premises. 15 people were killed and 31 injured.

STERKRADE
270 aircraft – 232 Halifaxes, 20 Mosquitoes, 18 Lancasters – of 4 and 8 Groups. 2 Halifaxes lost.

The target was again the synthetic-oil refinery. Bomber Command’s report says that the plant was not damaged, though some labour barracks near by were hit. No local details are available.

MITTELLAND CANAL
138 Lancasters and 6 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. 2 Lancasters lost.

The canal banks were successfully breached near Gravenhorst. Later photographs showed that water drained off over a 30-mile stretch and that 59 barges were stranded on one short section alone.

DORTMUND–EMS CANAL
123 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. No aircraft lost.

The canal near Ladbergen was attacked, some of the Lancasters coming down to 4,000 ft to get beneath the cloud. A breach was made in the only branch of the aqueduct here which had been repaired since the last raid and the water once again drained out of the canal.

Minor Operations: 29 Mosquitoes to Stuttgart, 26 to Hannover, 19 to Worms and 4 to Wesel, 38 R.C.M. sorties, 80 Mosquito patrols, 24 Halifaxes and 18 Lancasters minelaying off Oslo, 9 aircraft on Resistance operations. 4 aircraft were lost – 2 Mosquitoes and 1 Halifax of 100 Group and 1 Lancaster from the minelaying force.

Total effort for the night: 1,345 sorties, 14 aircraft (1.0 percent) lost.

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2nd TAF
2 Group was strengthened on this date when two more squadrons of Mosquito VIS were added to establishment. During the summer 136 Wing in 84 Group had ceased to function when its four Typhoon squadrons were posted to other wings. Now this unit was resurrected at Hartford Bridge, where it was joined by 418 Squadron, which had been flying intruder sorties from Hunsdon, and 605 Squadron which had been similarly employed at Manston.

Spitfires of 401 and 411 Squadrons set off at 0910 to bomb a rail junction at Xanten. 401 Squadron reported 12 Fw 190s, followed by 12 more, and these were attacked by the Spitfires as soon as the the Canadian pilots had jettisoned their bombs. Flt Lts W.C. 'Bud' Connell and E.B.Sheehy shared a Focke-Wulf shot down, a second being claimed by Flt Lt H.A.Crawford of 411 Squadron, and two more were claimed damaged. The first of the shot down enemy aircraft was the Wing's 200th, for which a trophy had been prepared. As this could not be presented to both pilots involved, a second trophy was prepared and one was presented to each of them.

274 Squadron lost its Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr John Heap, DFC, when he crashed while attempting to force-land north-east of Volkel due to an engine failure at take-off. His place was taken by Sqn Ldr A.Baird, DFC. Another attempted interception of an Me 262 by 122 Wing brought yet another claim for one damaged by two 3 Squadron pilots.

USAAF
GERMANY: Two hundred 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack a synthetic-oil plant at Merseburg; 349 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack two synthetic-oil plants at Hamburg; 166 3d Bombardment Division B-17s divert to their secondary, a marshalling yard at Osnabruck; and 422 heavy bombers attack numerous targets of opportunity and targets of last resort. Twenty-five heavy bombers and 15 of 858 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost in the face of heavy GAF fighter opposition.

9th Bombardment Division bombers attack ground defenses and rail bridges, and Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers support U.S. Army ground forces in western Germany and along the Franco-German frontier.

USAAF fighter pilots down 76 GAF fighters over Germany between 1125 and 1415 hours. 1stLt Claude J. Crenshaw, a P-51 pilot with the 359th Fighter Group’s 369th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs four FW-190s and probably downs another near Merseburg between 1135 and 1205 hours; and Capt William T. Whisner, a P-51 pilot with the 352d Fighter Group’s 487th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status with a total of 9.5 victories when he destroys five and probably destroys two FW-190s near Merseburg between 1230 and 1250 hours.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack ground defenses and troop concentrations in the British Eighth Army battle area, and XXII TAC P-47s support the U.S. Fifth Army and attack supply dumps and the rail line through Brenner Pass.

YUGOSLAVIA: Twenty-five Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack troop concentrations, highways, and rail lines, and 242 Fifteenth Air Force P-38s strafe or dive-bomb numerous road and rail targets throughout southern Yugoslavia.

BASE CHANGES
174 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.80 Volkel
175 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to Warmwell
198 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.67 Ursel
418 Sqn RCAF (Mosquito FBVI) moves to Hartfordbridge

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
2 Sqn (B.77 Gilze-Rijen) flies its first OM in the Spitfire FRXIV
43 Sqn (Rimini) flies its first OM in the Spitfire LFIXB
214 Sqn (Oulton) flies its last OM in the Fortress II
453 Sqn RAAF (Matlask) flies its first OM in the Spitfire LFXVI

[warshipbuilder]

22-11-44
61 Sqn (Skellingthorpe – Lancaster I/III)
SEVENTEEN aircraft took-off as detailed to bomb TRONDHEIM. MST: No cloud, good vis. This was another very unsuccessful raid as none of the bombs were released on the target, the aircraft receiving the "Do not Bomb" message from the Controller. ONE-aircraft failed to return from this operation, the remaining aircraft either jettisoned their bombs or returned them to Base.

ADDENDUM – Lancaster I NG179 QR-C. Crew: F/O TC James KIA, Sgt R Eke KIA, F/O HA Jeffreys RCAF KIA, F/S BE Longhurst KIA, F/S E Morris KIA, Sgt NG Simpson KIA, Sgt RJ Sims KIA. T/o 1555 Skellingthorpe. Lost without a trace. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Sgt’s Eke, Simpson and Sims were only 19.

BOMBER COMMAND
22 November 1944
1 Wellington R.C.M. sortie and 1 Hudson Resistance flight. No losses.
________________________________________
22/23 November 1944
TRONDHEIM
171 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitoes of 5 Group were dispatched to attack the U-boat pens but the target was covered by a smoke-screen and the Master Bomber ordered the raid to be abandoned after the illuminating and marking force had been unable to find the target. 2 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito lost.

17 Lancasters minelaying off Heligoland and in the mouth of the River Elbe without loss.

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USAAF
AUSTRIA: Two hundred fourteen Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s dispatched against targets at Munich, Germany, are thwarted by bad weather, but many are able to attack marshalling yards at Linz, Salzburg, and Villach.

ENGLAND: The 3d Bombardment Division’s 4th and 92d Combat Bombardment wings are incorporated into a new 4th Provisional Heavy Bombardment Wing.

ETO: 9th Bombardment Division bombers and all but 16 Ninth Air Force fighters are grounded by bad weather.

GERMANY: Two hundred five Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack two marshalling yards at Munich, but 214 others are thwarted by bad weather. A small number of the bombers divert to attack a marshalling yard at Regensburg.

ITALY: Eighty-eight Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack a bridge at Ferrara and a rail line at Carbola; 39 Fifteenth Air Force P-38 fighter-bombers attack the motor-transport depot at Osoppo; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack ground targets in the British Eighth Army battle area; and XXII TAC P-47s mount more than 350 effective sorties against tactical targets in the U.S. Fifth Army battle area and rail lines in the Po River valley.

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
3 Sqn RAAF (Fano) flies its first OM in the Mustang III
150 Sqn (Fiskerton) flies its first OM’s in the Lancaster I&III

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23-11-44
195 Sqn (Wratting Common – Lancaster I/III)
OPERATIONS: Sixteen aircraft were detailed to attack NORDSTERN. Lancaster I HK.683 did not return.

ADDENDUM – Lancaster I HK683 A4-M. Crew: F/O ED Levens KIA, Sgt ETJ Keay KIA, F/S JA Etheridge KIA, F/O PF McDonald KIA, F/S S Darroch KIA, Sgt RH Morris KIA, Sgt TM Ward KIA. T/o 1256 Wratting Common. Outbound, caught fire and crashed into the sea near the Dutch island of Walcheren. Six have no known graves, but F/O Levens rests in Belgium at Blankenberge Communal Cemetery.

BOMBER COMMAND
23 November 1944
GELSENKIRCHEN
168 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H raid through cloud on the Nordstern oil plant. The bombing appeared to be accurate. 1 Lancaster lost.

Minor Operations: 4 Mosquitoes on Ranger patrols in the Heligoland area, 1 Hudson on a Resistance operation. No aircraft lost.
________________________________________
23/24 November 1944
MINOR OPERATIONS
61 Mosquitoes to Hannover, 9 to Eisenach and 6 each to Göttingen and Hagen, 43 aircraft of 100 Group on R.C.M. and Mosquito operations (separate figures not available). 1 Mosquito lost from the Hannover raid.

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USAAF
ETO: The Ninth Air Force is grounded by bad weather.

GERMANY: One hundred thirty-four 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack a synthetic-oil plant at Gelsenkirchen. One of 83 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts is lost.

ITALY: Despite bad weather, Twelfth Air Force B-25s are able to provide limited support for the British Eighth Army, but only 16 XXII TAC P-47s are able to cut the rail lines south of Bologna in six places.

YUGOSLAVIA: Eighty-one Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack several road and rail bridges; 13 Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s drop supplies to Yugoslav partisans; and 34 Fifteenth Air Force P-38s attack several road and rail bridges.

BASE CHANGES
4 Sqn (Spitfire PRXI) moves to B.77 Gilze/Rijen

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
39 Sqn (Biferno) flies its last OM in the Beaufighter TFX
453 Sqn RAAF (Matlask) flies its last OM in the Spitfire LFIXB

[warshipbuilder]

24-11-44
401 Sqn RCAF (B.80 Volkel – Spitfire LFIXB)
No sorties flown now for three days and all tent dwellers spent most of their time attempting to stem the flood of water which has been rapidly rising in the last twenty-four hours. An issue of run helped to ease the situation and take away some of the chill.

BOMBER COMMAND
24 November 1944
1 Wellington R.C.M. sortie and 1 Hudson Resistance flight.
________________________________________
24/25 November 1944
MINOR OPERATIONS
58 Mosquitoes to Berlin and 6 to Göttingen, 13 Halifaxes minelaying off Denmark. No aircraft lost.

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USAAF
AUSTRIA: During the night of November 24–25, several dozen Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack a benzol plant at Linz and marshalling yards at Innsbruck and Klagenfurt.

ETO: The Ninth Air Force is grounded by bad weather.

GERMANY: During the night of November 24–25, a small number of Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack two marshalling yards at Munich.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s support the British Eighth Army, and XXII TAC P-47s complete two missions against a road bridge and a rail line near Modena.

BASE CHANGES
14 Sqn (Wellington XIV) moves to Chivenor

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25-11-44
128 Sqn (Wyton – Mosquito BXVI)
Target Nuremburg
MK16 MM194 'K' landed in France. Returned to base 26.11.44.
MK16 MM202 'V' Generator u/s landed at Woodbridge. Returned to base 26.11.44 (Abortive sortie)
MK16 MM203 'U' F/O. Boulter & Sgt. Churcher baled out and were picked up in Calais area by Independent Czech Armoured Brigade and taken to Calais Naval Base. Returned to U.K.27.1.44.

BOMBER COMMAND
MINOR OPERATIONS
68 Mosquitoes to Nuremberg, 10 to Hagen and 9 each to Erfurt and Stuttgart, 36 R.C.M. sorties, 38 Mosquito patrols. 1 Mosquito lost from the Nuremberg raid.

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2nd TAF
145 Wing moved to B.70, Antwerp/Duerne, where V-1s were falling as the squadrons arrived. At this time squadrons from most wings were returning to England in relays to attend Armament Practice Camps, as detailed in Volume One of this work. In 127 Wing, 403 Squadron suffered a considerable reduction of experienced talent as Sqn Ldr 'Eep' Wood and Flt Lts Walter Hill and Jim Orr all finished their tours. Jim Collier, one of the flight commanders, was promoted to replace Wood, while McKenzie Reeves was made up to Flt Lt in his stead.

Mitchells of 226 Squadron attacked marshalling yards at Rheydt and Mönchen-Gladbach, but here one bomber was hit by Flak and blew up, and its crew lost.

The evening proved busy for the two Canadian night fighter squadrons, when commencing at 1955 Flg Off Ralph Britten/Flg Off L.E.Fownes of 409 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 over Rheindahlen. At 2008, 1/Lt Archie Harrington/Flg Off Dennis Tongue in a 410 Squadron Mosquito XXX claimed the first of three Ju 88G night fighters over Muntz. In the next 18 minutes they were to claim one more over Jackerath and one north of Hunxe. II. and III./NJG 4 each lost a Ju 88G to opposing fighters during this night. Meanwhile at 2013 Britten and Fownes claimed a Ju 188 damaged over Krefeld. Somewhat later however, a 305 Squadron Mosquito VI failed to return from a sortie to Soest-Münster, and the Polish crew of Flt Lt Z.Chwaliburg/Sgt Z.J.Parzyel was lost.

USAAF
FRANCE: Ninth Air Force fighter pilots down 12 GAF fighters over the Franco- German border area between 1530 and 1615 hours.

GERMANY: Three hundred fifty-six 1st Bombardment Division and 315 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack the Leuna synthetic-oil plant at Merseburg through intense flak, and 254 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Bingen. Eight B-17s and six of 873 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

The Eighth Air Force’s 36th Heavy Bombardment Squadron mounts its first operational mission. The new unit is equipped to screen the bomber forces against German electronic countermeasures designed to jam or otherwise thwart communications, radar, and other guidance systems. The newly committed unit is also able to jam German radars, especially those upon which flak defenses are dependent. Elements of the 36th will take part in screening most Eighth Air Force bombing missions to the end of the war.

9th Bombardment Division bombers attack an ammunition dump at Neustadt and an arsenal and road junctions at Landau. And Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers support U.S. Army ground forces on both sides of the Franco-German frontier.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s from three groups are able to mount 53 effective sorties against rail targets and targets of opportunity.

BASE CHANGES
183 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.77 Gilze-Rijen
197 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to Fairwood Common
268 Sqn (Mustang IA/II) moves to B.77 Gilze-Rijen
329 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.70 Deurne
341 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.70 Deurne
345 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.70 Deurne
485 Sqn RNZAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.65 Meldegem

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
66 Sqn (B.66 Grimberghen) flies its first OM in the Spitfire XVI

[warshipbuilder]

26-11-44
49 Sqn (Fulbeck – Lancaster I/III)
10 aircraft detailed for operations:Target MUNICH.
All aircraft. airborne.
PB432 “O” F/O. La Marquand crashed at Dry Doddington.
1605104 Sgt. Langley, N. W/Optr. Killed. 1892602 Sgt. Blake, E. A/G. Killed.
Sgt. Wade. F/Eng. Seriously injured. Sgt. Price, A/G. Seriously injured.
Remainder slightly injured.

BOMBER COMMAND
FULDA
75 Lancasters of 3 Group were sent on a trial raid to attack the railway centre at Fulda to establish whether G-H signals could reach to this distance, 160 miles from the German frontier. The distance was too great, however, and the bombs were scattered over a wide area. No aircraft lost.

1 Hudson flew a Resistance operation.
________________________________________
26/27 November 1944
MUNICH
270 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. 1 Lancaster crashed in France.

Bomber Command claimed this as an accurate raid in good visibility with much fresh damage, particularly to railway targets. It has not been possible to obtain a local report.

Minor Operations: 7 Mosquitoes to Erfurt and 6 to Karlsruhe (a ‘spoof’ raid), 20 R.C.M. sorties, 20 Mosquito patrols, 31 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Intruder Mosquito was lost and 1 Hudson on a Resistance flight crashed behind Allied lines in Belgium.

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2nd TAF
Three hours after the loss of Chwaliborg's Mosquito(see yesterdays ATD), a second of the unit's aircraft, flown by Flt Lt G.W.S.Mosely with Flt Sgt K.O.G.Nugent, also failed to return from the same target area. A third aircraft from this unit was hit by Flak, causing the crew to bale out near Rheims on return.

On an early morning patrol by 486 Squadron's Tempests, two Ju 188s were encountered over an airfield to the east of Münster. One was just in the landing pattern, but the other appeared to be having some difficulty in getting its undercarriage down. Flt Lts 'Hyphen' Taylor-Cannon and 'Bill' Williams both fired on the latter and appeared to have hit the pilot, for it pulled up vertically, blazing from end to end; it was then seen to explode and a single parachute opened. Plt Off J.Butch' Steedman attacked the other, seeing strikes on the cockpit area, whereupon the aircraft collided with a tree, which was knocked over; the bomber then skidded along the ground, leaving a long furrow. He returned to claim this aircraft as damaged, but the Intelligence Officer insisted on raising the claim to 'destroyed'; it was ultimately credited as a 'probable.

146 Wing undertook another of its 'CD' ('Cloak and Dagger') operations during then day when Grp Capt Gillam led an attack on the Gestapo HQ in Amsterdam - an attack which had been planned to take place a week earlier, but had been called off then due to adverse weather. (see The Cloak and Dagger Specialists, page 344) Some months later Wg Cdr Wells, the Wing Leader, was to visit Amsterdam where he was regaled with stories of what had been done to the hated Gestapo by this attack, delivered by delighted Dutchmen. Three days after the attack, on 29 November, Wells would lead a similar attack on another Gestapo building in Rotterdam.

During another attack on the Rheydt and Mönchen-Gladbach marshalling yards, two of 226 Squadron's Mitchells were hit, one being seen to break in two over the target, while the second crash-landed at Brussels on return.
127 Squadron, which had just replaced its Spitfire IXs with Mark XVIs, had two of these new aircraft hit by Flak, both of which were subsequently crash-landed by their pilots. The new model was very similar to the well-proven Mark IX, but was fitted with a Packard-built Merlin 266, rather than the Rolls-Royce original. There was effectively no noticeable difference in performance, though initially squadrons equipped with the Mark XVI were to experience a considerably higher incidence of engine failures. This was thought to be either due to sabotage during manufacture, or to poor quality materials used in manufacture. However, a programme of engine overhauls was to go far to solving the problem.

At 1040 on 26th two Tempest pilots of 80 Squadron pursued an Me 262, which they claimed to have damaged near Helmond. Eight more of these aircraft from 3 Squadron were ordered to fly to Rheine where two Me 262s were seen on the ground at nearby Hopsten, one being claimed destroyed and one damaged. However, one of the successful pilots, Plt Off Bob Cole, DFC, who had been one of the unit's leading destroyers of V-1s, and who had been the first RAF pilot to gain a solo victory over an Me 262, was hit by Flak over the target and baled out, becoming a prisoner. The four Spitfire squadrons of 126 Wing flew 100 sorties during the day, cutting eight rail lines, shooting up six locomotives, one of which was claimed destroyed, and firing on MT and barges. On the fifth operation of the day five aircraft from 412 Squadron went out to bomb a bridge south of Venlo, but having done so, their pilots spotted three Fw 190s at 1640 hours. Flg Off Fred Murray attacked the one on the right, seeing flames and smoke from the cockpit as it rolled over and went straight down. The other two then opened their throttles and escaped.

This busy day also saw the move of 123 Wing to B.77 at Gilze-Rijen, familiar territory for 609 Squadron which had claimed four Do 217s destroyed there at the beginning of the year. At 1830 the first of the night fighters were on patrol when Wt Off R.A.Bowman/Plt Off W.J.Bryant of 409 Squadron intercepted a Ju 87 in the Venlo area, claiming damage to it. Some two hours later a 107 Squadron Mosquito VI was shot down by Flak north-east of Tilburg, while at 2155 another of 409 Squadron's crews claimed damage to a second Ju 87, this time over Roermond.

USAAF
GERMANY: Two hundred forty-three 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack an oil refinery at Misburg; 118 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack a rail viaduct at Altenbeken; 240 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a rail viaduct at Bielefeld; 57 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack an oil refinery at Misburg; 266 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Hamm; and 130 heavy bombers attack targets of opportunity (especially marshalling yards at Bielefeld, Gutersloh, Hannover, and Herford). Losses in the face of heavy flak and attacks by an estimated 500 GAF fighters are 34 heavy bombers and nine of 668 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts. GAF fighters down 21 491st Heavy Bombardment Group B-24s attacking an oil refinery at Misburg, but the remainder of the group completes the bombing mission, for which it is awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation.

One hundred seventy-three 9th Bombardment Division bombers attack storage areas and supply and ordnance depots at five locations in western Germany; and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers support U.S. Army ground forces in action along the Franco-German frontier.

USAAF fighter pilots down 123 GAF aircraft over Germany between 1018 and 1600 hours (and an He-111 bomber at 2125 hours). Capt Frederick R. Haviland, Jr., a P-51 pilot with the 355th Fighter Group’s 357th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs an FW-190 and a Bf-109 near Gardlegen at 1210 hours; 1stLt Lester C. March, a P-51 pilot with the 339th Fighter Group’s 503d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs three FW-190s near Dummer Lake between 1235 and 1300 hours; 1stLt “J” “S” Daniell, a P-51 pilot with the 339th Fighter Group’s 505th Fighter Squadron, achieves “ace- in-a-day” status when he downs five FW-190s near Hannover between 1245 and 1300 hours; and 1stLt Royce W. Priest, a P-51 pilot with the 355th Fighter Group’s 354th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two FW-190s near Misburg between 1230 and 1250 hours.

During the night of November 26–27, 11 442d Night Fighter Squadron P-61s attack a V-weapons site, and then down two GAF aircraft on the return flight to their base.

HUNGARY: Thirty-nine Fifteenth Air Force P-38s attack Seregelyes Airdrome and nearby road traffic. In the first fighter engagement in the MTO in ten days, 14th Fighter Group P-38 pilots down six Ju-87s and two GAF fighters over Hungary between 1445 and 1505 hours.

ITALY: XXII TAC fighter-bombers provide support for the U.S. Fifth Army and attack rail lines at numerous points.

BASE CHANGES
403 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.56 Evere

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
66 Sqn (B.60 Grimberghen) flies its last OM in the Spitfire LFIXE
602 Sqn (Swannington) flies its last OM in the Spitfire LFIXB
430 Sqn RCAF (B.78 Eindhoven) flies its first OM in the Spitfire XIV

[warshipbuilder]

27-11-44
427 Sqn RCAF (Leeming – Halifax III)
Operations scheduled for today with fourteen aircraft detailed. Briefing at 1430 hours. Target NEUSS. The majority of our crews bombed late due to unexpected adverse winds. Most crews bombed on ground markers seen through breaks in the cloud others bombed on sky markers or the glow of fires in the area. Marking appeared quite accurate and well concentrated. Fires were seen burning by some crews. Others reported a heavy glow in the clouds. A very large explosion is reported at approximately 2030 hours and two other crews report seeing a huge reddish orange explosion at 2045 hours after leaving the target. Over the target heavy flak was slight to moderate in barrage form 15/20,000 ft. with some predicted flak. A few searchlights were exposed at DUSSELDORF but were ineffective. Known decoys were in operation. Two aircraft were damaged by flak over the target.

BOMBER COMMAND
27 November 1944
COLOGNE
169 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H raid on the Kalk Nord railway yards. Good results were observed. 1 Lancaster lost.
________________________________________
27/28 November 1944
FREIBURG
341 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes of 1 and 8 Groups. 1 Lancaster lost.

Freiburg was not an industrial town and had not been bombed before by the R.A.F. It was attacked on this night because it was a minor railway centre and because many German troops were believed to be present in the town; American and French units were advancing in the Vosges, only 35 miles to the west. The marking of the medium-sized town was based on Oboe directed from caravans situated in France. Flak defences were light and 1,900 tons of bombs were dropped on Freiburg in 25 minutes. Photographs showed that the railway targets were not hit but that the main town area was severely damaged. German reports say that 2,000 houses were destroyed and 453 seriously damaged. Casualties were 2,088 people killed, 858 missing and 4,072 injured. 75 German soldiers were also killed and 61 were injured. The high casualty rate suggests that the population were taken by surprise and had not been properly prepared for air attack. The ratio of more than 8 people dead for each heavy bomber attacking is unusually high.

NEUSS
290 aircraft – 173 Halifaxes, 102 Lancasters, 15 Mosquitoes – of 1,6 and 8 Groups. 1 Mosquito lost.

The central and eastern districts of Neuss were heavily bombed and many fires were started. A brief local report says that 145 houses and 4 industrial buildings were destroyed and 586 houses, 16 industrial buildings and 5 public buildings were seriously damaged. 41 people were killed and 44 injured, figures which suggest a high degree of air-raid preparedness in this town on the western edge of the Ruhr.

Minor Operations: 67 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 7 each to Hallendorf and Ludwigshafen and 5 to Nuremberg, 35 R.C.M. sorties, 61 Mosquito patrols, 18 Halifaxes and 12 Lancasters minelaying off Danish and Norwegian coasts. No aircraft lost.

Total effort for the night: 853 sorties, 2 aircraft (0.2 percent) lost.

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2nd TAF
During the evening two Mosquito VIs of 464 Squadron failed to return from intruder sorties over south Holland.

USAAF
ETO: 9th Bombardment Division bombers are grounded by bad weather.

GERMANY: One hundred eighty-one 1st Bombardment Division B-17s and 144 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Offenburg; and 148 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Bingen. Three of 268 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Four hundred sixty VIII Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack four oil- industry targets in northern and central Germany. Twelve fighter-bombers are lost.

Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack several bridges and sup- port U.S. Army ground forces in western Germany.

USAAF fighter pilots down 94 GAF fighters and one He-111 bomber over Germany between 0240 and 1430 hours. Capt Walter E. Starck, a P-51 pilot with the 352d Fighter Group’s 487th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status with seven confirmed victories when he downs three Bf-109s near Hameln at noon. However, Starck is then shot down and captured. 1stLt Charles J. Cesky, a P-51 pilot with the 353d Fighter Group’s 328th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs a Bf-109 near Hannover at 1205 hours; 1stLt Frank L. Gailer, Jr., a P-51 pilot with the 357th Fighter Group’s 363d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two FW-190s near Magdeburg at 1245 hours; and Capt Charles E. Yeager, a P-51 ace with the 357th Fighter Group’s 363d Fighter Squadron, brings his final personal tally to 11.5 confirmed victories when he downs four FW-190s near Magdeburg at 1310 hours.

After the rest of the 359th Fighter Group, in P-51s, aborts due to weather, Capt Ray S. Wetmore and 1stLt Robert M. York press on over Germany. At about 1300 hours, the lone pair attack an estimated 200 GAF fighters without assistance. Before running out of ammunition and fleeing, Wetmore destroys three Bf-109s (bringing his score to date to 13.25), and York scores three victories and a probable.

Capt Edward H. Beavers, Jr., a P-51 pilot with the 339th Fighter Group’s 503d Fighter Squadron, who achieved ace status one day earlier, is killed by flak over Belen.

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

BASE CHANGES
406 Sqn RCAF (Mosquito NF30) moves to Manston

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
307 Sqn (Church Fenton) flies its last OM in the Mosquito NFXII
603 Sqn (Swannington) flies its first OM in the Spitfire XVI

[warshipbuilder]

28-11-44
10 Sqn (Melbourne – Halifax III)
Twenty-three aircraft detailed for a night attack on ESSEN. All crewws attacked the target successfully , clouds were 10/ths at target and TI's and skymarkers were checked on gee. Bomb bursts and the glow of fires was visible below the cloud layer. Moderate ground opposition was experienced. P/O. Rebick's aircraft was twice attacked by enemyy fighters but both were driven off. P/O. Tudberry’s aircraft forced landed at GUINES near Calais in France owing to failure of port outer engine. This crew returned to Base on 1/12/44.

BOMBER COMMAND
ESSEN
316 aircraft – 270 Halifaxes, 32 Lancasters, 14 Mosquitoes – of 1, 4 and 8 Groups. No aircraft lost.

Bomber Command documents claim further damage to industrial areas, including the Krupps works. Essen reports 405 houses destroyed and 673 seriously damaged, with 135 people killed and 207 injured. An interesting little item in the local fire-brigade report congratulates the team working in the burning headquarters of the local Gestapo for saving valuable documents.

NEUSS
145 Lancasters of 3 Group and 8 Lancasters of 1 Group carried out a mainly G-H attack. No aircraft lost.

The brief local report gives details of modest property damage, mainly in residential areas, and states that 65 people were killed and 43 injured.

Minor Operations: 75 Mosquitoes to Nuremberg and 9 to Hallendorf, 35 R.C.M. sorties, 35 Mosquito patrols. 1 Mosquito lost from the Nuremberg raid.

Total effort for the night: 623 sorties, 1 aircraft (0.2 percent) lost.

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2nd TAF
Early on 28th Flt Lt Arthur Moore, DFC, led an armed reconnaissance by 56 Squadron's Tempests, having the good fortune to spot two He 219 night fighters of I./NJG 1 near Münster. Moore at once shot down one, piloted by Lt Kurt Fischer, while five of his pilots attacked the other, which was claimed as a probable; this latter claim was later downgraded to damaged, a category that is confirmed from Luftwaffe records.

Around 1025 127 Squadron undertook an attack on rail targets, but encountered heavy Flak was met and the new Commanding Officer, Otto Smik, was shot down and killed over Zwolle, as was Flg Off H.L.J.M.Taymans, a Belgian. Command of the Squadron would be taken over by Sqn Ldr R.W.F. Sammy' Sampson, DFC.

Three Typhoons were to be shot down during the day, with one pilot killed and two captured, while a 414 Squadron Spitfire IX on a reconnaissance sortie over the Ruhr Valley, was also lost to intense Flak east of Simmerath, Flg Off H.J.S.O'Brien being killed.

USAAF
GERMANY: 9th Bombardment Division bombers attack several defended towns, an ammunition dump, and a rail bridge; and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack a bridge and support U.S. Army ground forces.

ITALY: The Fifteenth Air Force is grounded by bad weather; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack the harbor at La Spezia and bridges at three locations; and XXII TAC P-47s attack rail lines at more than forty locations and support the U.S. Fifth Army.

During the night of November 28–29, XXII TAC A-20s attack several bridges and two airdromes with incendiary bombs.

BASE CHANGES
17 Sqn SAAF (Ventura V) moves to Rosignano

[warshipbuilder]

29-11-44
12 Sqn (Wickenby – Lancaster I/III)
The Squadron mustered 19 aircraft for a daylight assault on Dortmund. One early return (engine failure) cut down the number to eighteen attacking the “primary”. PFF found difficulty in marking the target owing to weather conditions and visual bombing was as consequence horrendous. The raid therefore can hardly be assessed as successful. One of our aircraft is reported missing. Flak was of an accurate nature add several of our planes have received damage, of a varying extent.

ADDENDUM – Lancaster I NF967 PH-C. Crew: F/O RW Fennell KIA, Sgt N Rowe KIA, F/O DF Haste KIA, F/S A Reid KIA, Sgt C Ashley KIA, Sgt K Farden KIA, F/S LJ Sanderman POW. T/o 1216 Wickenby. Of those who perished five are buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, while Sgt Ashley is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

BOMBER COMMAND
29 November 1944
DORTMUND
294 Lancasters and 17 Mosquitoes of 1 and 8 Groups. 6 Lancasters lost.
Bad weather caused the marking and resultant bombing to be scattered but fresh damage was caused in Dortmund.

DUISBURG
30 Mosquitoes of 8 Group attempted to bomb a tar and benzol plant in the Meiderich district, using the Oboe-leader method for the first time on a German target, but 2 of the 3 formations of Mosquitoes failed to link up with their Oboe leaders and bombed on timed runs from the docks south of Duisburg. Most of the bombs were believed to have fallen beyond the target. No Mosquitoes lost.

1 Hudson flew a Resistance operation.
________________________________________
29/30 November 1944
MINOR OPERATIONS
67 Mosquitoes to Hannover and 4 to Bielefeld, 27 R.C.M. sorties, 38 Mosquito patrols, 19 aircraft on Resistance operations. 6 Mosquitoes of 5 Group to lay mines in the River Weser were unable to carry out the operation because of 10/10ths cloud over the target area. No aircraft lost.

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2nd TAF
A bridge at Zwolle was the target for Mitchells of 98 and 320 Squadrons next day, two aircraft 2 being badly damaged by Flak; one crewman of the Dutch unit was killed and one member of 98 Squadron was wounded. During this raid Wg Cdr Hamer, the Commanding Officer of 98 Squadron, and his crew, had a stressful trip which started with a close encounter with a V-2 rocket shortly before reaching the target.

The day again cost four fighter-bombers and their pilots (two killed and two captured), but with evening Wt Off Ted Cole/Flg Off Bill Martin of 409 Squadron claimed two Ju 88s shot down within 30 minutes.-Debris from the second damaged their Mosquito, and Cole carried out a crash-landing at B.58. It is likely that their victims were both Ju 88G night fighters from I./NJG 2, both of which were lost on this date.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: During the night of November 29–30, 18 Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack a benzol plant at Linz and marshalling yards at three locations.

ENGLAND: The 489th Heavy Bombardment Group air echelon departs for the United States, where the group will retrain in B-29s.

GERMANY: Three hundred ninety-one 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack oil- industry targets at Misburg; 296 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack rail viaducts at Altenbeken and Bielefeld; 294 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Hamm; and 47 heavy bombers attack various targets of opportunity. One heavy bomber is lost, but there are no losses among 849 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts.

9th Bombardment Division bombers attack depots and barracks, and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers support U.S. Army ground forces.

ITALY: The entire Fifteenth Air Force and all Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack lines of communication throughout northern Italy.

BASE CHANGES
170 Sqn (Lancaster I/III) moves to Hemswell

[warshipbuilder]

30-11-44
429 Sqn RCAF (Leeming – Halifax III)
Fourteen crews were called at 0600 hours this morning for operations. They were briefed at 0745 hours but the operation was cancelled at 08:30 hours.

However, this same detail of crews were again called in the afternoon and this time were briefed at 1400 hours for an attack on DUISBURG. All took off. Twelve aircraft are known to have attacked the primary while the other two failed to return. These were “O”-MZ288, piloted by F/O D. Ball (Can.J-35329) and “W”-MZ914 piloted by P/O G.W. Clarke (Can.J.86980). All crews reported 10/10ths cloud with tops from 6,000 to 8,000 feet over the target. Visibility above the cloud was very good. Bombing was done by the use of Wanganui sky markers, red with yellow stars. Results could not be seen for the cloud although bombing is considered to have been reasonably well concentrated. Flak was slight to moderate and did not affect the stream. The remaining, twelve aircraft all returned safely to base.

ADDENDUM – Halifax III MZ288 AL-O. Crew: F/O D Bell DFC RCAF KIA, Sgt FF Bolderstone DFM KIA, F/O LG Watson RCAF KIA, F/S WA Streich RCAF KIA, F/S AS Thomson RCAF KIA, F/S G McGregor RCAF KIA, F/S JH Kitchen RCAF KIA. T/o 1631 Leeming. Lost without a trace. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Halifax III MZ914 AL-W. Crew: P/O GW Clarke RCAF KIA, Sgt LJ Fry KIA, P/O CWF Short RCAF KIA, P/O FM Manchip RCAF KIA, WO2 GL Pare RCAF KIA, F/S SM Ogilvie RCAF KIA, F/S RF Nimmo RCAF KIA. T/o 1643 Leeming. Collided in the air with a 578 Squadron Halifax, both aircraft falling at Moeselkeent, 2 km S of Weert. All are buried at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery. F/Sgt’s Ogilvie and Nimmo were 18 and 19 respectively.

BOMBER COMMAND
DUISBURG
576 aircraft – 425 Halifaxes, 126 Lancasters, 25 Mosquitoes – of 1, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 3 Halifaxes lost.

The target area was completely cloud-covered and the attack was not concentrated but much fresh damage was still caused. Duisburg reports 528 houses destroyed and 805 seriously damaged, but no industrial buildings are mentioned in the report. 246 people were killed, including 55 foreign workers and 12 prisoners of war.

Minor Operations: 53 Mosquitoes to Hamburg and 7 to Hallendorf, 88 aircraft of 100 Group on R.C.M. and Mosquito operations (separate figures not available), 9 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Intruder Mosquito lost.

Total effort for the night: 733 sorties, 4 aircraft (05 percent) lost.

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2nd TAF
The Typhoon pilots of 439 Squadron found a novel target when four of the unit's aircraft were returning from an armed reconnaissance. Several barrage balloons were seen over Wesel and were attacked, one being sent down in flames, three deflated and a fifth probably so. From 401 Squadron the Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr R.I.A.Smith, DFC & Bar, who had done so well since September, concluded his operational tour and departed. He would be replaced by Hedley Everard.

With nightfall the night fighters were out again, at 1946 Flg Off F.K.Collins/Flg Off P.S.Lee of 409 Squadron claiming a Ju 188 damaged north of Sittard, while at precisely the same time 410 Squadron's Flg Off Don MacKenzie/Plt Off George Bodard, claimed a Ju 88 shot down to the east of Harbeck. A little later a 69 Squadron Wellington XIII was lost.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Innsbruck.

FRANCE: On an unspecified date in November, the Ninth Air Force’s 10th Photographic Reconnaissance Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-94, at Conflans; and on an unspecified date in late November, the Eighth Air Force’s 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-83, at Denain/Prouvy Airdrome.

GERMANY: Sixty-eight 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack a synthetic-oil plant at Bohlen; 132 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack an oil-industry target at Zeitz; 116 1st Bombardment Division B-17s divert to their secondary, the Leuna synthetic-oil plant at Merseburg; 284 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack marshalling yards at Homburg and Neunkirchen; 301 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack the Leuna synthetic- oil plant at Merseburg; 169 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack an oil-industry target at Lutzkendorf; and 149 heavy bombers attack various targets of opportunity. Twenty-nine heavy bombers and three of 895 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost, mostly to intense flak concentrations.

Two hundred eighty-eight 9th Bombardment Division bombers attack four defended villages, a marshalling yard, a military camp, a rail tunnel, and an armored-vehicle repair center; and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers support U.S. Army ground forces.

LtCol Willie O. Jackson, Jr., the commanding officer of the 352d Fighter Group’s 486th Fighter Squadron, in P-51s, achieves ace status when he downs a Bf-109 near Chemnitz at 1345 hours.

Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Munich.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack two bridges, and XXII TAC P-47s attack communications targets, rail lines, and railroad equipment.

BASE CHANGES
41 Sqn SAAF Disbanded
252 Sqn (Beaufighter TFX) moves to Mersa Matruh
264 Sqn (Mosquito NFXIII) moves to Colerne

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
64 Sqn (Bradwell Bay) flies its last OM in the Spitfire LFIXB

[warshipbuilder]

2-12-44
428 Sqn RCAF (Middleton St. George – Lancaster X)
A flying training programme was laid on but aircraft were recalled as operations were detailed at 1045 hours. Sixteen crews took off for night operations on HAGEN. F/O R. LATURNER (J.27109) met severe icing conditions shortly after crossing the French coast. Losing height, he ordered crew to prepare to abandon and at 4000 ft. ordered them to abandon. He regained control and decided to land the aircraft. On contacting landing strip A.61 he was informed that there were soft filled in craters at the end of the runway, so in order to avoid detonating his full bomb load he swung off the runway. The aircraft was badly smashed and in "B" category. F/O LATURNER was not injured but of those abandoning F/O M.S. SUCHAROV (J.37508, RCAF) Navigator and Sgt M. Hempseed (1592635) were killed, the remainder landing safely. It is not know how those killed met their death but it is presumed that Sgt. Hempseed fell through the escape hatch. F/O SUCHAROV'S chute was open but it is not know whether by impact or during the descent. The remaining crews reached the target, bombed successfully and returned safely.

BOMBER COMMAND
2/3 December 1944
HAGEN
504 aircraft – 394 Halifaxes, 87 Lancasters, 23 Mosquitoes – of 1, 4, 6 and 8 Groups, 1 Halifax and 1 Lancaster crashed in France.

The town of Hagen, not too heavily bombed before this raid, supplied 22 pages of detail and a large map showing the location of every high-explosive bomb which fell in the town. (There was even a full-page veterinary report.) Most of the bombing was in the central, eastern and southern areas of Hagen. There were 53 large fires. Classed as destroyed or seriously damaged were: 1,658 houses, 92 industrial buildings, 21 schools, 14 cultural buildings, 5 hospitals, 5 banks, etc. 483 Germans and 100 foreigners were killed; 997 Germans and 88 foreigners were injured.

The effect upon industrial production was serious. Many of the firms shown in the Hagen report are recorded as having lost up to 3 months’ production. In addition, it was found by the Allies after the war that a factory making U-boat accumulator batteries – of which large numbers were needed by the new types of U-boats – was completely destroyed in this raid.

Minor Operations: 66 Mosquitoes to Giessen, 44 R.C.M. sorties, 62 Mosquito patrols, 10 Stirlings on Resistance operations. 1 Stirling on Resistance work and 1 Intruder Mosquito lost.

Total effort for the night: 686 sorties, 4 aircraft (0.6 percent) lost.

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USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack an oil refinery at Vienna and an oil refinery at Strasshof.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a highway bridge.

GERMANY: One hundred twenty-nine 1st Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Oberlahnstein; 135 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Bingen; and 160 3d Bombardment Division B-17s abort in the face of bad weather. Eleven B-24s are downed by GAF fighters west of the Rhine River, but there are no losses among 436 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts.

Two hundred ten 9th Bombardment Division bombers attack three defended towns in western Germany, and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack marshalling yards and bridges, and support U.S. Army ground forces, especially U.S. First Army units battling in the Huertgen Forest area.

One hundred thirty-three VIII Fighter Command fighters sweep areas of western Germany. Four fighters are lost.

Eighth and Ninth Air Force fighter pilots down 36 GAF aircraft over Germany between 1135 and 1525 hours. Maj Paul A. Conger, the commanding officer of the 56th Fighter Group’s 63d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two Bf-109s near Marburg between 1230 and 1310 hours.

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

HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Celldomolk.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack at least six bridges, and XXII TAC P-47s support U.S. Army ground forces.

During the night of December 2–3, XXII TAC A-20s attack light sources throughout the Po River valley.

BASE CHANGES
229 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Coltishall
451 Sqn RAAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Hawkinge

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
307 Sqn (Church Fenton) flies its first OM in the Mosquito NF30
318 Sqn (Bellaria) flies its first OM in the Spitfire IX

[warshipbuilder]

3-12-44
582 Sqn (Little Staughton – Lancaster III)
19 aircraft detailed for operations but later recalled. 16 aircraft detailed for operations against Heimbach Dam. All took off but “J” (Captain F/L Green (J.9548) was shot down by enemy aircraft. S/LGrillage. (86729) M-U Gunner was killed but remainder of crew later returned. A/S/L Grillage awarded Permanent award of P.F.F. Badge.

BOMBER COMMAND
3 December 1944
HEIMBACH
183 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitoes of 1 and 8 Groups to bomb this small town in the Eifel region, probably in support of an American ground attack in this area. The Master Bomber and the Pathfinders could not identify the target and the Lancasters were ordered to abandon the raid. No aircraft lost.

1 Hudson flew a Resistance operation.
________________________________________
3/4 December 1944
11 Oboe Mosquitoes bombed a steelworks at Hallendorf without loss.

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2nd TAF
During an early morning armed reconnaissance over the Quackenbruck area, 80 Squadron Tempest pilots were strafing a train when a lone Me 262 was seen - it was again an aircraft of I./KG 51, flown on this occasion by Oblt Joachim Valet. Flt Lt J.W. 'Judy' Garland, a Canadian pilot, saw the jet passing at right angles to him and at once set off in pursuit at full throttle. Valet cannot have seen the Tempest, for Garland gained on him quickly and opened fire from a range of 300-400 yards. The canopy flew off and the aircraft flick-rolled straight into the ground and blew up, Valet being killed instantly. Meanwhile Flt Lt R.W.A.MacKichan spotted a Bf 109 south of Rheine and claimed damage to this.

It seems that Spitfires of 412 Squadron were also over the front, flying north-west of Krefeld. Here Flg Off W.A.Aziz claimed damage to another Bf 109, apparently during an engagement with III./JG 26, in which Oblt Peter Reischer, Staffelkapitän of 11. Staffel, claimed a Spitfire shot down at 0925. Neither side in fact recorded any losses.

Shortly after midday Sqn Ldr Esli Lapp of 411 Squadron and Flt Lt E.T.Gardner spotted a pair of Bf 109s flying at 10,000 feet over Venlo, the two Canadians claiming one of these shot down between them. Their fellow Canadians in 143 Wing were kept busy, going out to dive-bomb the railway between Dorsten and Haltern, which they achieved despite heavy cloud. A rail sweep by 439 Squadron followed, during which four trains were strafed near Münster, although Flak from one of these was seen to be bracketing Flt Lt W.L.Sanders' aircraft, and he did not return. It is possible that he had in fact been intercepted by a Schwarm of Fw 190s from I./JG 26, Lt Günther claiming a Typhoon shot down in flames at 1210 in just this area. A couple of hours later a 440 Squadron aircraft was lost when Plt Off A.E.Sugden, a new pilot with the unit, overshot while landing at B.78 and crashed into a canal, losing his life. One of 430 Squadron's remaining Mustang Is was also lost when Flt Lt C.F.B.Stevens baled out near Venlo after it had been hit by Flak.

The most dramatic loss of the day, however, was on a non-operational flight. A formation of six 184 Squadron Typhoons left Volkel for Warmwell APC but only one would arrive. Shortly after take-off Plt D.Smith had to make a wheels-up landing, only two miles from base, when his engine failed as he changed to the long-range tanks. Near Ghent Lt 'Derm' Quick, SAAF, also force-landed with engine failure, leaving four Typhoons led by Flt Lt 'Paddy' Haddow to cross the Channel in worsening visibility. The fourth man in the formation was Flt Lt Lou Parker, who just had time to pull back hard on the stick as he he saw three vivid flashes in the murk ahead; he called for an emergency homing and managed to land at Manston. The other three luckless pilots had flown into the cliffs at Shorncliffe Barracks, Kent.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: A total of 85 Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack an industrial area in Linz; marshalling yards at Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, and Villach; and a goods depot at Vienna.

FRANCE: The 9th Bombardment Division is grounded by bad weather.

GERMANY: Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers are able to support U.S. Army ground forces in western Germany.

ITALY: Despite bad weather that turns back many formations, Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are able to attack a bridge near Mantua, and the 350th Fighter Group is able to mount 60 effective sorties in support of the U.S. Fifth Army.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fourteen Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers drop supplies to partisan forces.

BASE CHANGES
350 Sqn (Spitfire XIV) moves to B.56 Evere

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
64 Sqn (Bradwell Bay) flies its first OM in the Mustang III

[warshipbuilder]

4-12-44
463 Sqn RAAF (Waddington – Lancaster I/III)
Bright sunny day. Very cold. 03. The target was the Railway and Engineering Centre of HEILBRONN. This town is additionally important to the enemy at this stage of the war since its is being used as a military servicing base for the collapsing enemy front between STRASBURG and the SAAR. No.5 GROUP attack, in which 21 aircraft of 463 3QUADRON took part, resulted in a methodical bombing the target in clear weather and good visibility. Good fires, giving off large volumes of smoke, were observed as was also one particularly violent explosion.

BOMBER COMMAND
4 December 1944
OBERHAUSEN
160 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H raid but no results could be seen because of cloud. 1 Lancaster lost.

A short local report says that heavy damage was caused in the centre of the town, around the railway station. 472 houses were destroyed and 483 seriously damaged and several industrial and public premises were hit. The number of casualties is difficult to determine; 266 people are recorded as being killed, 642 as injured and 169 as missing in a composite report for this part of Germany, Wehrkreis VI, but the casualties for an American raid on Soest are included in this figure.

URFT DAM
27 Lancasters and 3 Mosquitoes of 8 Group carried out the first of several raids on this large reservoir dam in the Eifel, the destruction of which was required so that the Germans could not release water to flood areas through which American troops wished to advance. The series of raids did blast 13 ft off the top of the dam but no large breach was ever made and the Germans were able to release large quantities of water whenever they wished to interfere with American advances being attempted further downstream.

No aircraft were lost from this raid.
________________________________________
4/5 December 1944
KARLSRUHE
535 aircraft – 369 Lancasters, 154 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitoes – of 1, 6 and 8 Groups. 1 Lancaster and 1 Mosquito lost.

The marking and bombing were accurate and severe damage was caused, particularly in the southern and western districts of the city. Among individual buildings destroyed were the important Durlacher machine-tool factory, the main Protestant church and the concert hall. 375 Germans and 39 foreigners were killed.

HEILBRONN
282 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. 12 Lancasters lost.

This was a crushing blow on Heilbronn which stood on a main north–south railway line but was otherwise of little importance. It was the first and only major raid by Bomber Command on this target. 1,254 tons of bombs fell in a few minutes and the post-war British Bombing Survey Unit estimated that 351 acres, 82 percent of the town’s built-up area, were destroyed, mainly by fire. Much investigation by various people resulted in the reliable estimate that just over 7,000 people died. Most of these victims would have died in fires so intense that there was probably a genuine firestorm.

Minor Operations: 54 Mosquitoes to Hagen and 12 to Bielefeld and Hamm (the figure was not subdivided), 47 R.C.M. sorties, 60 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.

Total effort for the night: 1,000 sorties, 14 aircraft (1.4 percent) lost.

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2nd TAF
Now the rest of the Spitfire XIV units flew over from England to join 2nd TAF. 350 (Belgian) Squadron flew in to B.56, Evere, on 3rd, followed on 4th by 41 and 610 Squadrons. 41 Squadron joined 125 Wing at B.64, Diest, next day, while 350 and 610 Squadrons went to 127 Wing. They would both join 125 Wing at the end of the month, bringing it up to five squadrons of these potent fighters to match the five Tempest squadrons of 122 Wing.

During the day one of 414 Squadron's TacR Spitfire IXs was shot down by Allied AA over the Hürtgen Forest whilst it was on a sortie to photograph a dam at Gemmal; Flg Off G.G.McLean crash-landed but was killed.

After dark a Mosquito VI of 487 Squadron was lost on an intruder sortie, Flt Lt F.H.Holmes/ Flg Off P.W.Christopherson failing to return. Nearing midnight, a 69 Squadron Wellington was also shot down with the loss of Flt Lt G.Andrews and his crew. However, Flt Lt Leslie Stephenson/Flt Lt G.A.Hall of 219 Squadron claimed a Bf 110 shot down north-west of Krefeld.

USAAF
GERMANY: One hundred eighty-eight of 419 1st Bombardment Division B-17s dispatched attack marshalling yards Kassel and Soest; 199 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Bebra (primary); 99 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack marshalling yards at Giessen and Koblenz (targets of opportunity); 221 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Mainz; 62 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Giessen; 119 3d Bombardment Divi-sion B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Friedburg (target of opportunity); and 41 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack various targets of opportunity. Three heavy bombers and three of 939 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

The 9th Bombardment Division is grounded by bad weather, but Ninth Air Force fighters support U.S. Army ground forces in western Germany.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force bombers are grounded by bad weather; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack an ammunition dump and two defended towns; and XXII TAC P-47s support the U.S. Fifth Army and attack lines of communication.

YUGOSLAVIA: Twenty-six Fifteenth Air Force P-38s bomb a rail bridge.

BASE CHANGES
40 Sqn SAAF TR (Spitfire IX) moves to Forli
175 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.80 Volkel
241 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Bellaria
318 Sqn (Spitfire VB/VC/IX) moves to Forli
403 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFXVI) moves to B.56 Evere
421 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.56 Evere
601 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Bellaria
604 Sqn (Mosquito NFXIII) moves to Odiham
610 Sqn (Spitfire XIV) moves to B.56 Evere

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
220 Sqn (Lagens) flies its first OM in the Liberator VI

[warshipbuilder]

5-12-44
426 Sqn RCAF (Linton-on-Ouse – Halifax VII)
Fourteen aircrafts wore detailed to carry out a raid on Soest Marshalling Yards, One aircraft L.W. 200 "N” piloted by Can/J35424 F/0 A.V. Carter collided with another aircraft on the trip out and all the crew are reported killed. Aircraft L.W. 204 “K” piloted by Can/J6271 F/L P.G. Chipman failed to return from this operation.

ADDENDUM – 426 Sqn RCAF Halifax VII LW200 OW-N collided with 428 Sqn RCAF Lancaster X KB768 NA-E. Both crews killed.

Halifax VII LW204 OW-K. Crew: F/L PG Chipman RCAF POW, Sgt H Rhodes POW, F/O CL Shipman RCAF POW, F/O PH Harris RCAF POW, Sgt DN McLaren RCAF POW, Sgt J Knoke RCAF KIA, F/S J Popadiuk RCAF POW. T/o 1753 Linton-on-Ouse. Shot down by flak. Sgt Knoke is buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery.

BOMBER COMMAND
5 December 1944
HAMM
94 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H raid through cloud. No aircraft lost.

The British Bombing Survey Unit estimated that 140 acres, 39 percent of Hamm’s built-up area, were destroyed by this attack.

SCHWAMMENAUEL DAM
56 Lancasters of 3 Group attempted to bomb this dam on the River Roer (sometimes called the River Rur) to help the American Army, but the target was covered by cloud and only 2 aircraft bombed. No aircraft lost.
1 Hudson flew a Resistance operation.
________________________________________
5/6 December 1944
SOEST
497 aircraft – 385 Halifaxes, 100 Lancasters, 12 Mosquitoes – of 1, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 2 Halifaxes lost.

This was a successful raid, with the local report confirming that most of the bombing was in the northern part of the town where the railway installations were situated. Approximately 1,000 houses and 53 other buildings were completely destroyed and 198 Germans and 88 foreign workers were killed.

Minor Operations: 53 Mosquitoes to Ludwigshafen, 32 to Nuremberg and 4 to Duisburg, 36 R.C.M. sorties, 40 Mosquito patrols, 1 Stirling on a Resistance operation. No aircraft lost.

Total effort for the night: 663 sorties, 2 aircraft (0.3 percent) lost.

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2nd TAF
609 Squadron lost another Belgian commanding officer when Sqn Ldr Charles Demoulin was forced to bale out over Ede after his Typhoon was hit by Flak while leading his unit to attack an oil storage depot at Schoonebeek; the Typhoons were armed with phosphorus-headed RPs. Fortunate to escape from his crippled aircraft, he landed just the wrong side of the lines and became a PoW.

Eight Typhoons of 182 Squadron set off at 0930 to attack trains in the Detmold- Osnabruck area, where several were strafed, resulting in claims for the destruction of six locomotives and three motor vehicles, as well as a high tension cable being cut. Whilst returning to base some 30 Bf 109s and Fw 190s were seen and ten of these were engaged, Sqn Ldr G.J.Gray and Flt Sgt R.Lockyer claiming one Bf 109 shot down 15 miles south of Münster, another pilot claiming a second damaged.

Later in the morning six Spitfires of 412 Squadron undertook dive-bombing attacks on railway targets, and the pilots of these spotted an estimated 50-plus Bf 109s south of Wesel at 17,000 feet. Flt Lt Wilfred Banks attacked a straggler, seeing the cockpit 'explode' under his fire. He then obtained similar results with a second, believing that he had killed both pilots. However, as neither was seen to crash in the very cloudy conditions pertaining, he was allowed only 'probables'.

Flt Lt Fred Murray hit one which went down smoking, but then sent down two in flames. Flg Off C.W.H.Glithero was also believed to have shot down a Messerschmitt and was allocated a probable when he did not return. He had been shot down, force-landing near Wachenbruch where he was captured. It appears that the Canadians' opponents were from JG 27, a pilot of I. Gruppe claiming a Spitfire at 1143, while Uffz Roesinger of 15. Staffel claimed another 12 minutes later. Certainly, this Geschwader was heavily engaged during the day, I. Gruppe losing three Bf 109s, II. Gruppe five, III. Gruppe one, and IV. Gruppe three, most of them in the Dorsten-Gladbeck area. However, the Geschwader appears also to have been engaged with British-based Spitfires which were escorting a Lancaster raid on Hamm, claiming two victories for the loss of one Spitfire and one or two more damaged. Pilots from this Geschwader may also have been responsible for shooting down a 137 Squadron Typhoon from which Flg Off J.Gates baled out to become a PoW. At 1425 Tempests of 274 Squadron were after an Me 262 again, Flt Lt Bob Cole and Flg Off G.Mann claiming damage to it. It will have been noted that there were several pilots named Cole around at this time. This one was Robert Bruce Cole, and he should not be confused with 3 Squadron's Plt Off Robert W. Cole who had recently become a PoW (26 November 1944), nor indeed Flt Sgt R.C.Cole who had also been taken prisoner on 7 November! To confuse matters further, R.B.Cole would later serve with 3 Squadron!


USAAF
GERMANY: One hundred eighty-seven 1st Bombardment Division B-17s and 217 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack the Berlin/Tegel tank factory and munitions works; 114 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Munster; and 23 heavy bombers attack targets of opportunity. Twelve heavy bombers and 17 of 796 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

One hundred seventy-two 9th Bombardment Division bombers attack eight defended positions, a fuel dump, a road junction, and a marshalling yard; and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers support U.S. Army ground forces.

Beginning with the downing of an He-111 by a 422d Night Fighter Squadron crew at 0040, USAAF pilots down 91 GAF aircraft over Germany through 1350 hours. Capt Merle M. Coons, a P-51 pilot with the 55th Fighter Group’s 38th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs an FW-190 and a Bf-109 near Berlin at 1045 hours; Capt Clarence E. Anderson, Jr., a P-51 ace with the 357th Fighter Group’s 363d Fighter Squadron, brings his final personal tally to 16.25 confirmed victories when he downs two FW-190s near Berlin at 1050 hours; Maj William J. Hovde, a P-51 ace and the commanding officer of the 355th Fighter Group’s 358th Fighter Squadron, brings his final personal tally for World War II to 10.5 victories when he downs a Bf-109 and four FW-190s, and shares in the downing of a fifth FW-190, over Berlin at about 1100 hours; Capt William F. Wilson, a P-51 pilot with the 364th Fighter Group’s 385th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two FW-190s near Berlin at 1105 hours; Capt Wilbur R. Scheible, a flying staff officer with the 356th Fighter Group, in P-51s, achieves ace status when he downs two FW-190s near Eberswalde between 1105 and 1120 hours; Capt Donald J. Strait, a P-51 pilot with the 356th Fighter Group’s 361st Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two FW-190s near Eberswalde between 1105 and 1120 hours; Maj Howard D. Hively, a P-51 ace and the commanding officer of the 4th Fighter Group’s 334th Fighter Squadron, brings his final personal tally to 12 confirmed victories when he downs an FW-190 near Nordhorn at 1115 hours; LtCol John H. Lowell, the commanding officer of the 364th Fighter Group’s 384th Fighter Squadron, in P-51s, achieves ace status when he downs three FW-190s near Berlin at noon; and Capt William F. Tanner, a P-51 pilot with the 353d Fighter Group’s 350th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs an FW-190 near Steinhuder Lake at 1300 hours.

ITALY: Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Force bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s are able to support the U.S. Fifth Army south of Bologna and attack rail targets in the Po River valley.

BASE CHANGES
41 Sqn (Spitfire XIV) moves to B.64 Diest/Schaffen
218 Sqn (Lancaster I/III) moves to Chedburgh
417 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire VIII) moves to Bellaria

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
179 Sqn (St. Eval) flies its first OM in the Warwick V
540 Sqn (Benson) flies its first OM in the Mosquito PR32

[warshipbuilder]

6-12-44
419 Sqn RCAF (Middleton St. George – Lancaster X)
16 aircraft were required for an attack on Osnabruk. The weather conditions during this attack were very bad, and severe icing was experienced by most of the aircraft. 13 aircraft attacked the primary in 10/10ths cloud, all bombing on GEE fixes. Bombing heights were from 19,000 to 21,000 feet. Owing to the severe icing, there were no less than 18 bomb hang-ups. One aircraft did not bomb, being unable to fix their position. One crew was missing from this attack, "B" KB779, Pilot F/O Hyndman, D.E. (J35209). This was F/O Hyndman's eighth sortie. Timing on the attack was only fair, and it is not expected that the results will be good.

ADDENDUM – Lancaster X KB779 VR-B. Crew: F/O DE Hyndman RCAF KIA, Sgt RD Ovis KIA, F/O GR Cheesman RCAF KIA, Sgt GE Smith RCAF KIA, Sgt LT Graham RCAF KIA, Sgt DL Marcellus RCAF KIA, F/S EM Hansen RCAF KIA. T/o 1640 Middleton St. George. Lost without a trace. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Their average was 21.

BOMBER COMMAND
LEUNA
475 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitoes of 1, 3 and 8 Groups. 5 Lancasters lost.

This was the first major attack on an oil target in Eastern Germany; Leuna, near the town of Merseburg, just west of Leipzig, was 250 miles from the German frontier and 500 miles from the bombers’ bases in England. There was considerable cloud in the target area but post-raid photographs showed that considerable damage had been caused to the synthetic-oil plant.

OSNABRÜCK
453 aircraft – 363 Halifaxes, 72 Lancasters, 18 Mosquitoes – of 1, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 7 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster lost.

This was the first major raid on Osnabrück since August 1942. The raid was only a partial success. The railway yards were only slightly damaged but 4 factories were hit, including the Teuto-Metallwerke munitions factory, and 203 houses were destroyed. 39 people were killed.

GIESSEN
255 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. 8 Lancasters lost.

There were two aiming points for this raid. 168 aircraft were allocated to the town centre and 87 to the railway yards. Severe damage was caused at both places but the town of Giessen was unable to provide a local report.

Minor Operations: 42 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 10 to Schwerte and 2 to Hanau, 37 R.C.M. sorties, 47 Mosquito patrols. 2 Mosquitoes lost – 1 from the Berlin raid and an Intruder aircraft which crashed in France.

Total effort for the night: 1,343 sorties, 23 aircraft (1.7 percent) lost.

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2nd TAF
A Spitfire from 308 (Polish) Squadron and a reconnaissance Mustang II of 2 Squadron were lost and the pilots killed bad weather. 126 Wing moved to B.88 at Heesch, while after dark another of 487 Squadron's intruder Mosquitoes failed to return.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack Graz Airdrome.

GERMANY: Two hundred forty-four 1st Bombardment Division B-17s and 202 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack the Leuna synthetic-oil plant at Merseburg; 112 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Bielefeld; 140 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack an aqueduct at Minden; and 64 heavy bombers attack various targets of opportunity. Four B-17s and one of 747 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

One hundred fifty-four 9th Bombardment Division bombers attack four towns, and Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers attack gun emplacements and bridges, and support U.S. Army ground forces.

HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack marshalling yards at Sopron and Szombathely.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s are able to mount nearly 100 effective sorties against communications targets.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack a rail bridge at Brod and the marshalling yard at Zagreb.

BASE CHANGES
401 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.88 Heesch
411 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFIXE) moves to B.88 Heesch
412 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFIXE) moves to B.88 Heesch
442 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFIXE) moves to B.88 Heesch

[warshipbuilder]

7-12-44
401 Sqn RCAF (B.88 Heesch – Spitfire LFIXB)
Rain and plenty of it initiated the new Strip. W/C Russell got in the only flight during the day, a short local trip.

More films in the afternoon helped to pass the time away and both ground crew and pilots took advantage of the weather to get settled in and make a million and one improvements in barracks and dispersal.

BOMBER COMMAND
1 Hudson flew a Resistance operation.
________________________________________
7/8 December 1944
MINOR OPERATIONS
53 Mosquitoes to Cologne and 7 to Hanau, 3 R.C.M. sorties. No losses.

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2nd TAF
2nd TAF greeted a new arrival when 322 (Dutch) Squadron, newly-equipped with Spitfire XVIS, arrived from Biggin Hill to join 135 Wing. Their stay was brief however, as it transpired that this Wing was scheduled to begin re-equipping with Tempests. Consequently, on 11th 322 would move on to 132 Wing instead.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Before dawn, small numbers of Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack an industrial area at Klagenfurt, and marshalling yards at Innsbruck and Salzburg. Also, Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack marshalling yards at Klagenfurt and Salzburg.

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

GERMANY: Before dawn, several Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack a benzol plant at Spittal.

GREECE: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s conduct a resupply mission to Athens.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack numerous road and rail targets.

BASE CHANGES
15 Sqn SAAF (Baltimore IIIA/IV/V) moves to Casenatico
454 Sqn RAAF (Baltimore IV/V) moves to Casenatico

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
229 Sqn (Coltishall) flies its last OM in the Spitfire IX

[warshipbuilder]

8-12-44
608 Sqn (Downham Market – Mosquito BXXV)
8 aircraft detailed to take part in Oboe led raid on Duisburg.

8 aircraft attacked dropping 3x500 GP and 1X500 MC between 1500.30hrs. and 1501.35hrs. From 26,500ft. to 27,000ft. 5/10 to 10/10 St/cu tops 5-12,000ft. All aircraft bombed on leading aircrafts release and no results were observed. "X" was heard in difficulties at 1511hrs. and later landed at Brussels. Flak, predicted and accurate.

BOMBER COMMAND
URFT DAM
205 Lancasters of 5 Group; 1 aircraft lost. Bombing was affected by 9/10ths cloud and no results were seen.

DUISBURG
163 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H raid through cloud on the railway yards. 30 Mosquitoes of 8 Group attacked the Meiderich oil plant near Duisburg, probably using the Oboe-leader technique. No aircraft lost.

1 Hudson flew a Resistance operation.

2nd TAF
Mid-morning eight 181 Squadron Typhoons flew a reconnaissance over the Quackenbruck- Osnabruck area, seeing four Fw 190s 1,000 feet below them near the Dummersee (Lake). Capt H.R.Isaachsen, a Norwegian pilot, dived on the tail of the last in the formation and the enemy aircraft blew up - the Squadron's first victory. However, the rest escaped and Flg Off H.K.Lyle failed to return, shot down by Lt Puckrun of IV./JG 54 at 1050; the Typhoon crashed at Meyerhofen, north of the lake. An hour or so later 127 Squadron, now led by Sqn Ldr Sampson, undertook an armed reconnaissance over the Enschede-Münster-Dorsten area with 66 Squadron, bombing a factory and railway. A Bf 109 attacked one section of Spitfires, but was shot down by Flt Sgts Griffin and Attwooll near Neede. Their victim may have been from II./JG 27, this unit claiming one Spitfire shot down at 1215.

403 and 416 Squadrons undertook two sweeps together, on the second of which three Bf 109s were sighted near Wesel, where Flt Lt Livingston Foster of 403 Squadron claimed one shot down. The 416 pilots then saw two more, Sqn Ldr Mitchner claiming one and Flg Off A.G.Borland adding a second as damaged. However, Flg Off W.J.Simpson was shot down and became a prisoner. Again the opposition seems to have come from II./JG 27, this unit's pilots claiming two Spitfires at 1457 and 1500 respectively.

Close behind them came ten Spitfire XIVs of 130 Squadron, reconnoitring Dulmen-Münster. While strafing, they were engaged by 12-plus Bf 109s and Fw 190s. Flt Lt Harry Walmsley and Flg Off F.C.Riley each claimed a Messerschmitt, while Flg Off K.M.Lowe claimed a Focke-Wulf; Wt Off J.W.Turnbull claimed two Bf 109s damaged, and a third was claimed by Flt Sgt G.W.Hudson. However, Flt Lt D.J.Wilson was shot down and killed over Burgsteinfurt-possibly II./JG 27's claim at 1500 hours. The Tempests were also active during the afternoon. 56 Squadron undertook an armed reconnaissance, meeting 14 Fw 190s north of Rheine, one of these claimed shot down by Flg Off K.Watts and a second by Wt Off D.C.H.Rex. Six more Tempests from 80 Squadron undertook a similar operation during which Flt Lt J.M.Weston RCAF, spotted a lone Bf 109 over the Dummersee and claimed this shot down at 1615. He and Sqn Ldr R.L.Spurdle then strafed Ju 88s on the ground at Bielefeld, claiming three of these damaged.

A combination of weather, low-level operations and combat load was now unexpectedly reducing the range performance of Typhoon formations in particular. Three of 175 Squadron's Typhoons were forced to make wheels-up landings in the vicinity of their base at Volkel for this reason. Fortunately none of the pilots was seriously hurt and two of the aircraft were repairable.

41 and 350 Squadrons undertook their initial patrols during the day, the former unit's pilots spotting Me 262s, but without result. Two of 16 Squadron's Spitfire XIs were attacked by the jets during the day, but escaped in cloud. However, 198 Squadron was unfortunate in losing two Typhoons to Flak in the Hoevelaken area, both pilots being killed.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Before dawn, small numbers of Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack rail targets around Graz, Klagenfurt, Villach, and Volkermarkt, and an oil- industry target near Vienna.

GERMANY: Twenty-nine 9th Bombardment Division A-26s attack a rail bridge at Sinzig, and Ninth Air Force fighters support U.S. Army ground forces.

ITALY: The Twelfth Air Force is grounded by bad weather, but four XXII TAC P-47s on a weather-reconnaissance mission destroy four locomotives and an estimated 100 rail cars.

BASE CHANGES
1 Sqn SAAF (Spitfire VIII) moves to Forli
2 Sqn SAAF (Spitfire IX) moves to Forli
4 Sqn SAAF (Spitfire IX) moves to Forli
7 Sqn SAAF (Spitfire IX) moves to Forli
26 Sqn (Non-Op) moves to Exeter

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
126 Sqn (Bradwell Bay) flies its last OM in the Spitfire LFIXB

[warshipbuilder]

BOMBER COMMAND
MINOR OPERATIONS

60 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 8 to Koblenz and 4 to Meiderich (Duisburg) oil plant, 36 R.C.M. sorties, 28 Mosquito patrols. 1 R.C.M. Halifax lost.

USAAF
GERMANY: One hundred seventy-three 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Bingen, and 277 3d Bombardment Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Koblenz. One of 535 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts is downed.

Nearly 130 9th Bombardment Division B-26s attack two defended towns, and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack numerous ground targets and support U.S. Army ground forces.

More than 550 Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers on their way to attack oil-industry targets in Germany are recalled in the face of bad weather.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack rail targets and a barracks, as well as defended positions in support of the British Eighth Army. Also, XXII TAC P-47s attack communications targets in the battle area.

During the night of December 10–11, XXII TAC A-20s attack rail lines, roads, and pontoon bridges in the Po River valley.