He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type II, serial JN973, code NA-U).
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 306 Part 1: 776 bombers and 634 fighters are dispatched to hit airfields and aviation industry targets in Germany; the AAF claims 33-5-19 Luftwaffe aircraft; 19 bombers and 5 fighters are lost; due to poor weather, several units bomb targets of opportunity in the Berlin area; details are:
1. 275 of 280 B-17s hit aviation industry targets at Oranienburg, Perleberg Airfield, Wittenberge and targets of opportunity; 3 B-17s are lost and 90 damaged; 29 airmen are MIA
2. 210 of 221 B-17s hit Oranienburg, Brandenburg, Luneburg Airfield, Rathenow and targets of opportunity; 14 B-17s are lost and 94 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 12 WIA and 139 MIA.
3. 248 of 275 B-24s hit Brandenburg, Rathenow, Cuxhaven, Wittenberge and targets of opportunity; 2 B-24s are lost and 20 damaged; 5 airmen are WIA and 20 MIA.
Escort is provided by 119 P-38s, 296 P-47s and 219 Eighth and Ninth Air Force P-51s; 1 P-38, 1 P-47 and 3 P-51s are lost; 3 P-38s are damaged beyond repair and 7 P-38s, 3 P-47s and 18 P-51s are damaged; 4 pilots are MIA.
Mission 306 Part 2: 12 of 12 B-24s hit V-weapon sites at Watten, France; 1 B-24 is damaged; escort is provided by 36 P-47s without loss.
Mission 307: 5 of 5 B-17s drop 2.56 million leaflets on Stavanger, Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim, Norway at 2336-0041 hours without loss.
HQ 492d Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrives at North Pickenham, England from the US.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): 277 B-26s, including 24 dropping Window, and 37 A-20s bomb gun positions and marshalling yards at Dunkirk, Calais, and Charleroi/Saint Martin, France.
XIX Air Support Command is redesignated XIX Tactical Air Command and becomes operational and IX Air Support Command is redesignated IX Tactical Air Command.
Unit moves in England: HQ 440th Troop Carrier Group from Bottesford to Exeter; 423d Night Fighter Squadron, IX Tactical Air Command, arrives at Chormy Down from the US with A-20s, the squadron mission will change to photo recon and they will fly their first mission on 6 Jun and be redesignated 155th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 22 Jun.
26 Mosquitos to Cologne; none lost.
2 Mosquitos to Le Mans railway yards, 2 Serrate patrols, 14 Halifaxes and 6 Stirlings minelaying in Kiel Bay and the Frisians, 4 OTU sorties. 1 Halifax minelayer lost.
273 Lancasters and 16 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3 and 8 Groups to Rouen. No aircraft lost. Bomber Command claimed a concentrated attack on the railway yards, with much destruction.
202 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos of No 5 Group with 3 Oboe Mosquitos of No 8 Group to railway targets at Juvisy. 1 Lancaster lost. The attack appeared to be completely successful.
181 aircraft - 112 Halifaxes, 61 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitos of Nos 6 and 8 Groups to railway yards at Noisy-Le-Sec. The Mosquitos also operated against Tergnier. 4 Halifaxes lost. The local report describes results which were typical of these railway-target raids. The marshalling yards, the engine-sheds and the railway workshops suffered great damage. Approximately 200 delayed-action bombs continued to explode in the week after the raid. A through line was established several days later but the marshalling yards were not completely repaired until 6 years after the war. In addition to this railway damage, however, the bombing area was measured as 6km long and 3km wide. 750 houses were destroyed and more than 2,000 damaged. 464 French people were killed and 370 injured.
171 aircraft - 139 Halifaxes, 24 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitos of Nos 3, 4 and 8 Groups - to Tergnier. 6 Halifaxes lost. 50 railway lines were blocked but most of the bombing fell on housing areas south-west of the railway yards.
Minelaying Operation: 168 aircraft - 88 Halifaxes, 44 Stirlings, 36 Lancasters - to Swinemünde, Kiel Bay and to the Danish coast. 2 Stirlings and 1 Halifax lost.
Mosquitos - 24 to Berlin, 2 to Osnabrück and 2 to Le Mans, 9 RCM sorties, 32 Serrate patrols, 46 OTU sorties. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 1,125 sorties, 14 aircraft (1.2 per cent) lost. The total number of sorties on this night was a new Bomber Command record.
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