He flew with a Handley Page Halifax (type III, serial NR126, code PT-X).
17 February 1945
AIRBORNE OPERATIONS
(IX Troop Carrier Command):
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: Mission 834: 895 bombers and 183 fighters are dispatched to hit synthetic oil plants in Germany and the Frankfurt marshalling yard; deteriorating weather forces the recall of 261 B-17s and 288 B-24s; the weather was so bad that some aircraft controls froze and several had to jettison their bombs during assembly; 3 B-17s and 2 of the recalled B-24 force are lost in addition to 1 P-51.
346 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yard at Frankfurt (260); targets of opportunity are the Giessen marshalling yard (45), Aschaffenburg (12), Hanau (10) and other (4); 3 B-17s and 2 B-24s are lost, 1 B-17 and 1 B-24 are damaged beyond repair and 106 B-17s damaged; 17 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 38 MIA.
The escort is 151 of 167 P-51s; 1 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair.
12 P-51s fly a scouting mission and 4 escort photo reconnaissance aircraft over Germany.
The 862d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 493d Bombardment Group (Heavy) (attached to 3d Air Division), moves from Debach to Wormingford, England and begins flying weather reconnaissance missions with B-17s and P-51s.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 31 B-26s strike the Mayen rail bridge and a target of opportunity at Reinfeld; fighters of the IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance; the XXIX Tactical Air Command (Provisional) cancels operations due to bad weather.
18 February 1945
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 60+ B-26s bomb the Dottesfeld rail bridge, a target of opportunity at Daun, and 5 other targets of opportunity as the 9th Bombardment Division starts a campaign to isolate the Ruhr; the XIX Tactical Air Command escorts the B-26s and flies weather reconnaissance and armed reconnaissance; the IX and XXIX Tactical Air Commands are grounded because of weather.
Wesel: 298 aircraft - 247 Halifaxes, 27 Lancasters, 24 Mosquitos - of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups. The target area was covered in cloud and the Master Bomber ordered the raid to be stopped after only 8 Halifaxes had bombed. No aircraft were lost but 3 Halifaxes crashed in England.
6 Oboe Mosquitos attacked the Deschimag shipyard in Bremen but no results were seen because of ground fog. No aircraft lost.
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