He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type I, serial ME594, code BH-B).
22 July 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 488: 7 of 7 B-17s drop leaflets on Bremen, Hamburg and Kiel, Germany; 1 B-17s is damaged.
Escort is provided by 27 of 34 P-51s; 2 P-51s are damaged beyond repair; 1 airman is KIA.
Mission 489: 7 of 7 B-17s drop leaflets in France and the Netherlands during the night.
44 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, 1 group of A-20s and 2 groups of B-26s attack a rail bridge at Bourth and fuel dumps at Foret de Conches and Flers; 4 groups of fighter-bombers fly armed reconnaissance and rail cutting missions during the late evening; 1 group escorts the bombers; fighters of the IX Tactical Air Command escort 100+ C-47s on a supply- evacuation run to the Continent, and provide cover over the battle area; and HQ 367th Fighter Group moves from Ibsley, England to Beuzeville.
23 July 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 490: 280 bombers and 193 fighters are dispatched to attack airfields in France; 1 bomber is lost:
1. 78 of 82 B-17s hit Creil Airfield; 1 B-17 is lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 2 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA and 1 WIA.
2. Of 198 B-24s, 61 hit Laon/Couvron Airfield, 57 hit Laon/Athies Airfield and 48 hit Juvincourt Airfield; 3 B-24s are damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 2 WIA.
Escort for both groups above is provided by 177 P-38s and P-51s.
Mission 491: 6 of 6 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night.
21 of 25 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, 330+ A-20s and B-26s bomb rail bridges along the Argentan-Paris and Lisieux-Bernay-Evreux railroads, and hit fuel dumps at Foret de Conches; fighters escort bombers, attack rail lines, enemy installations, and movements in the Argentan-Alencon-Chartres- Evreux areas, and bomb bridges, strongpoints, and a supply dump in support of the US First Army.
48 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitos of 3 and 8 Groups bombed flying bomb sites at Forêt de Croc and Mont Candon through thick cloud. No aircraft lost.
Kiel: This was the first major raid on a German city for two months. 629 aircraft - 519 Lancasters, 100 Halifaxes, 10 Mosquitos - were dispatched. The elaborate deception and RCM operations combined with the surprise return to a German target completely confused the German fighter force and only 4 aircraft - all Lancasters - were lost, a rate of 0.6 per cent. The city suffered heavily in this first RAF raid since April 1943 and its heaviest RAF raid of the war. The bombing force appeared suddenly from behind a Mandrel jamming screen and the local radio warning system only reported it as being a force of minelaying aircraft. 612 aircraft then bombed in a raid lasting only 25 minutes. All parts of Kiel were hit but the bombing was particularly heavy in the port areas and all of the important U-boat yards and naval facilities were hit. The presence of around 500 delayed-action bombs or unexploded duds caused severe problems for the rescue and repair services. There was no water for 3 days; trains and buses did not run for 8 days and there was no gas for cooking for 3 weeks.
119 aircraft - 100 Halifaxes, 14 Lancasters, 5 Mosquitos - of Nos 6 and 8 Groups attacked an oil refinery and storage depot at Donges, near the mouth of the River Loire. This was the start of a new campaign against oil targets in the occupied Countries. The bombing took place in good visibility. The target was severely damaged and a tanker was hit and capsized. No aircraft lost.
116 aircraft - 102 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitos, 2 Lancasters - of Nos 4 and 8 Groups attacked 2 flying bomb sites with accurate bombing. 1 Halifax lost from the raid on the Les Hauts Buissons site.
Support and 180 aircraft of training units on diversionary sweep over the North Sea, 27 Mosquitos to Berlin and 5 to Düren, 39 RCM sorties, 45 Mosquito patrols, 6 Lancasters minelaying off Kiel and 2 Stirlings off Brest, 12 aircraft on Resistance operations, 8 OTU sorties. 1 Lancaster lost while minelaying near Kiel.
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