He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type I, serial NG200, code AS-V).
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 728: 6 B-17s and 6 B-24s drop leaflets on the Netherlands and Germany during the night.
The 845th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 489th Bombardment Group (Heavy), departs Halesworth, England for the US; the squadron will transition to B-29s in 1945.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In Germany, the 9th Bombardment Division hits the defended villages of Birgel and Merken, a rail bridge at Sinzig, and a Billiger Forest ammunition dump; fighters fly escort, night intruder missions, and armed reconnaissance in the Kall-Trier area, and support the US 1st, 8th, and 104th Infantry Divisions as they take Langerwehe, Jungersdorf, Hurtgen, and the bridge at Inden.
341 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups despatched to Freiburg. 1 Lancaster lost. Freiburg was not an industrial town and had not been bombed before by the RAF It was attacked on this night because it was a minor railway centre and because many German troops were believed to be present in the town; American and French units were advancing in the Vosges, only 35 miles to the west. The marking of the medium-sized town was based on Oboe directed from caravans situated in France. Flak defences were light and 1,900 tons of bombs were dropped on Freiburg in 25 minutes. Photographs showed that the railway targets were not hit but that the main town area was severely damaged.
290 aircraft - 173 Halifaxes, 102 Lancasters, 15 Mosquitos - of Nos 1, 6 and 8 Groups to Neuss. 1 Mosquito lost. The central and eastern districts of Neuss were heavily bombed and many fires were started.
67 Mosquitos to Berlin, 7 each to Hallendorf and Ludwigshafen and 5 to Nuremberg, 35 RCM sorties, 61 Mosquito patrols, 18 Halifaxes and 12 Lancasters minelaying off Danish and Norwegian coasts. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 853 sorties, 2 aircraft (0.2 per cent) lost.
Essen: 316 aircraft - 270 Halifaxes, 32 Lancasters, 14 Mosquitos - of Nos 1, 4 and 8 Groups. No aircraft lost. Bomber Command documents claim further damage to industrial areas, including the Krupps works. An interesting little item in the local fire brigade report congratulates the team working in the burning headquarters of the local Gestapo for saving valuable documents.
145 Lancasters of No 3 Group and 8 Lancasters of No 1 Group carried out a mainly G-H attack on Neuss. No aircraft lost.
75 Mosquitos to Nuremberg and 9 to Hallendorf, 35 RCM sorties, 3 Mosquito patrols. 1 Mosquito lost from the Nuremberg raid.
Total effort for the night: 623 sorties, 1 aircraft (0.2 per cent) lost.
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