He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type I, serial PA285, code GI-O).
19 April 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: 2 missions are flown.
Mission 961: 605 B-17s and 584 P-51s are dispatched to make visual attacks on rail targets in SE Germany and NW Czechoslovakia; they claim 18-1-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; 5 B-17s and 2 P-51s are lost:
1. 284 B-17s are sent to hit the marshalling yards at Elsterwerda (135) and Falkenberg (143); 27 are damaged.
Escorting are 191 of 204 P-51s; they claim 5-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
2. 321 B-17s are dispatched to hit the railroad industry and rail bridge at Pirna (115) and Karlsbad (87) and the marshalling yard at Aussig (109); they claim 6-1-2 aircraft; 5 B-17s are lost and 13 damaged; 46 airmen are MIA.
The escort is 197 of 206 P-51s; they claim 7-0-3 aircraft.
3. 138 of 154 P-51s fly a freelance mission in support of the B-17s.
4. 14 P-51s fly weather reconnaissance missions.
5. 6 P-51s escort 7 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
During the night of 19/20 Apr, 11 of 16 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions to Norway; 2 B-24s are lost.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In Germany, the 9th Bombardment Division hits marshalling yards at Ulm, Neu Ulm, and Gunzburg (primary targets), the city of Donauworth and a target of opportunity at Schelklingen; weather prevents 70+ of the 450+ dispatched aircraft from bombing targets; fighters fly escort to the bombers, carry out patrols and armed reconnaissance, bomb a radio station, and cooperate with the US VII Corps in the Halle-Dessau area, the XII Corps attacking SE from S of Bayreuth, the XX Corps in the Bamberg-Nurnberg area, preparing to drive toward Austria, and the XIX Corps along the Elbe River in the Magdeburg area.
The 31st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Ninth AF [attached to 9th Tactical Reconnaissance Group (Provisional)], moves from Maastricht, the Netherlands to Wiesbaden, Germany with F-6s.
20 April 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: Mission 962: 837 bombers and 890 fighters are dispatched to hit rail targets NNW to SSW of Berlin, Bavaria and Czechoslovakia; they claim 7-0-4 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is lost:
1. 319 B-17s are sent to hit the rail industry at Nauen (82) and marshalling yards at Wustermark (77), Neuruppin (57) and Oranienburg (82); 1 hits Neuruppin Airfield, a target of opportunity; 15 B-17s are damaged and 1 airman WIA.
Escorting are 258 of 271 P-51s; 1 is lost.
2. 289 B-17s are dispatched to attack marshalling yards at Brandenburg (137), Seddin (66) and Treuenbrietzen (82); 1 B-17 is lost and 10 damaged; 10 airmen are MIA.
The escort is 227 of 241 P-51s.
3. 223 B-24s are sent to hit a rail bridge and junction at Zwiesel (56); marshalling yard and rail junction at Muhldorf (53) and the railroad and rail junction at Irrenlohe (55) and Klatovy (54); 1 hits the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Straubing; no losses, damage or casualties.
228 P-47s and P-51s escort.
4. 100 of 108 P-51s fly a freelance fighter sweep for Forces 2 and 3 above; they claim 7-0-4 aircraft in the air.
5. 6 B-17s fly a screening mission.
6. 22 of 25 P-51s fly a scouting mission.
7. 11 P-51s escort 11 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
During the night of 20/21 Apr, 12 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions to Norway; 2 B-24s are lost.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
First Tactical Air Force (Provisional): HQ 50th Fighter Group and the 10th, 81st and 313th Fighter Squadrons move from Ochey Airfield, Toul, France to Giebelstadt, Germany with P-47s.
Ninth Air Force: In Germany, 564 A-20s, A-26s and B-26s strike oil storage at Deggendorf and Annaburg, marshalling yards at Memmingen and Wittenberg, ordnance depots at Nordlingen and Straubing, and other targets including flak positions; fighters escort the bombers, fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance, attack special targets, and cooperate with US ground forces including the VII Corps W of Dessau, the VIII Corps between Plauen and Chemnitz, the XII Corps in the Grafenwohr area, the XX Corps attacking toward the Danube River and Regensburg, and the XIX Corps in the Magdeburg-Barby area.
Unit moves in Germany: HQ 370th Fighter Group and 401st Fighter Squadron from Zwartberg, Belgium to Gutershoh with P-51s; HQ 373d Fighter Group and 410th Fighter Squadron from Venlo, the Netherlands to Lippstadt with P-47s; 39th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Ninth AF [attached to 9th Tactical Reconnaissance Group (Provisional)], from Maastricht, the Netherlands to Wiesbaden, Germany with F-5s; 573d and 575th Bombardment Squadrons (Medium), 391st Bombardment Group (Medium), from Amy Airfield, Roye, France to Assche, Belgium with B-26s.
21 April 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: 2 missions are flown.
Mission 963: 532 bombers and 444 fighters attack jet fighter airfields and rail targets in SE Germany; 2 bombers and 2 fighters are lost:
1. 111 of 113 B-17s hit the marshalling yard at Munich, a target of last resort, with H2X radar; 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 5 damaged.
Escorting are 90 P-51s; 1 is damaged beyond repair.
2. 186 B-24s are sent to hit the Salzburg marshalling yard and rail bridge but abort the mission due to 10/10 cloud cover; 1 B-24 is lost and 4 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 12 MIA.
The escort is 99 of 109 P-51s.
3. 6 of 232 B-17s hit the secondary target, the Amlech Airfield at Landsberg; 212 hit a target of last resort, the town of Ingolstadt; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 8 airmen are KIA and 7 MIA.
144 of 160 P-51s escort; 2 are lost (pilots MIA).
4. 1 B-17 and 23 P-51s fly scouting missions.
5. 48 of 57 P-47s fly a fighter sweep in the Salzburg area.
6. 4 of 5 P-51s escort 3 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
Mission 964: During the night of 21/22 Apr, 10 of 11 B-24s drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): Brigadier General Ralph F Stearley takes over as Commanding General, IX Fighter Command, and also takes command of the IX Tactical Air Command.
In Germany, 121 bombers hit the Attnang- Puchheim marshalling yard; fighters fly escort, patrols, armed reconnaissance and cooperate with the US VIII Corps as elements of the 6th Cavalry Group cross the Czechoslovakian border to reach Hranice and Trojmezi, the XII Corps in the Grafenwohr-Weiden area, and the XX Corps E of Nurnberg.
Unit moves in Germany: HQ 36th Fighter Group and 22d and 23d Fighter Squadrons from Niedermennig to Rothwesen Airfield, Kassel with P-47s; 162d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command [attached to 9th Reconnaissance Group (Provisional)] from Haguenau, France to Wiesbaden with F-6s; 391st Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Group, from Asch, Belgium to Handorf Airfield, Munster with P-47s.
114 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitos of No 5 Group attacked the railway yards in the Czechoslovak town of Komotau (now known as Chomutov). This was the last major raid in the long communications offensive to which No 5 Group had made a particularly effective contribution. The raid was completely successful and all the aircraft involved returned safely.
57 Mosquitos to Berlin and 36 to Schleissheim airfield near Munich, 35 RCM sorties, 33 Mosquito patrols. 1 Mosquito of No 141 Squadron was lost while carrying out a napalm attack on an airfield in Northern Germany; this was a new form of weapon being used by the Mosquito squadrons of No 100 Group.
49 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H raid on the Pasing railway yards, Munich. The bombing appeared to be concentrated. No aircraft lost.
36 Lancasters of 9 and 617 Squadrons attacked coastal battery positions at Heligoland with Tallboy bombs. All targets were hit and no aircraft were lost.
79 Mosquitos to Berlin, 35 to Wittstock airfield and 8 to Schleswig airfield, 34 RCM sorties, 40 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.
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