He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type III, serial LM650, code KM-T).
10 January 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 181: During the evening, 5 B-17's drop 4.8 million leaflets on Orleans, Chateauroux, Rouen, Le Mans and Tours, France without loss. HQ 93d Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) transfers from Horsham St Faith to Elveden Hall, England.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): HQ 366th Fighter Group and 390th Fighter Squadron arrives at Membury, England from the US with P-47's; first mission is 14 Mar. 71st, 72d, 73d and 74th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 434th Troop Carrier Group, transfer from Welford Park to Fulbeck, England with C-47's.
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 182. Three aviation industry targets in Germany are hit; fierce opposition estimated at 500 Luftwaffe fighters is encountered and 60 bombers and 5 fighters are lost.
1. 177 B-17's are dispatched to Oschersleben; 139 hit the primary and 20 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 174-32-63 Luftwaffe aircraft; 34 B-17's are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 83 damaged; casualties are 9 KIA, 11 WIA and 349 MIA.
2. 114 B-17's are dispatched to Halberstadt; 52 hit the primary and 55 hit targets of opportunity; they claim 35-11-19 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-17's are lost, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 42 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 18 WIA and 81 MIA. 177 P-47's and 44 Ninth Air Force P-51's escort; they claim 29-11-14 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 P-47's are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 4 P-47's and 1 P-51 are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA and 2 MIA. Major James H Howard, a P-51 pilot of the 354th Fighter Group, shot down an Me 110 and then found himself the lone escort for a B-17 group being attacked by 30 Luftwaffe aircraft.
For the next 30 minutes, he kept turning into the enemy fighters and firing until only one gun was firing; by this time, he was credited with 2-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft and saved the B-17's. Major Howard was awarded the Medal of Honor.
3. 234 B-17's and 138 B-24's are dispatched to Brunswick; 47 B-17's hit the primary, 114 hit Osnabruck, 25 hit Bielefeld, 22 hit Peine, 10 hit Herford and 1 hit Nienburg; no B-24's hit the primary, 58 hit Meppen, 1 hits Lingen and 7 hit other targets; they claim 19-17-16 Luftwaffe aircraft; 16 B-17's and 2 B-24's are lost, 1 each damaged beyond repair and 47 B-17's and 7 B-24's damaged; casualties are 5 WIA and 176 MIA. This mission is escorted by 49 P-38's and 322 P-47's; they claim 2-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-38 and 2 P-47's are lost and 1 P-47 is damaged; casualties are 1 MIA.
Among the PFF aircraft are 4 B-24's, this being the first time B-24's are used in this capacity. HQ 96th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) is activated at Horsham St Faith, England.
20 Mosquitos: 10 to Berlin, 7 to Solingen, 2 to Koblenz, 1 to Krefeld. No losses.
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