He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type I, serial NF926, code HA-X).
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): 2 missions are flown.
Mission 772: 1,327 bombers and 785 fighters hit both strategic and tactical targets in Germany; they encounter about 150 Luftwaffe fighters, mostly in the Hamburg area, and claim 88.
5-11-21 aircraft; 27 bombers and 10 fighters are lost:
1. 526 B-17s are dispatched to hit oil industry targets at Hamburg (68), the Wilhemsburg refinery at Hamburg (92), the Grassbruk refinery at Hamburg (71) and the Misburg refinery (96), and the industrial area at Wenzendorf (62) and Hamburg (72); targets of opportunity are Stade (13) and Nordholz (9) Airfields, Heligoland Island (1) and other (17); they claim 26-8-16 aircraft; 27 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 288 damaged; 5 airmen are KIA, 29 WIA and 248 MIA.
316 P-47s and P-51s escort and claim 59.
5-2-5 aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on the ground; 2 P-47s and 7 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA).
2. 418 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Neuss (109) and Krefeld- Urdingen (83), the Kordel railroad at Ehrang (69), communications targets at Buzburg (34), Prum (37), and Blumenthal (34), the Lutzweiler Bridge at Koblenz (48) and the Remagen Bridge (54); 22 hit the secondary target at Monchen-Gladbach; and 2 hit a target of opportunity; 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair and 29 damaged; 1 airman is WIA.
Escorting are 162 of 171 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft without loss.
3. 371 B-24s are sent to hit bridges at Engers (60) and Irlich (56) and the Gus Rail Bridge at Koblenz (62) and the rail junction and rail bridge at Euskirchen (30); 10 hit the secondary, the Bingen marshalling yard and 36 hit a target of opportunity; they claim 0-1-0 aircraft; 3 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 49 damaged; 1 airman is WIA.
Escort is provided by 198 of 211 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair.
4. 13 of 16 P-51s escort 7 F-5s and 2 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance of the Berlin area without loss.
5. 32 of 33 P-51s fly a scouting mission claiming 1-0-0 aircraft.
Mission 773: 8 B-24s and 2 B-17s drop leaflets in France, Germany and Belgium.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): Weather grounds the bombers; fighters fly sweeps and armed reconnaissance, attacking numerous ground targets; the XIX Tactical Air Command supports the US III, VIII, and XX Corps around Bastogne, Belgium and between the Mosel and Saar Rivers, in Germany in the Merzig area.
The 14th Liaison Squadron, XIX Tactical Air Command (attached to Twelfth Army Group) moves from Nancy, France to Luxembourg City, Luxembourg with L-5s.
The 387th Fighter Squadron, 365th Fighter Group, moves from Chievres, Belgium to Metz, France with P-47s.
Cologne: 470 aircraft - 356 Halifaxes, 93 Lancasters, 21 Mosquitos - of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups to attack the area in which the Kalk-Nord railway yards were situated. 1 Halifax and 1 Lancaster lost. The presence of cloud caused difficulties for the Pathfinders and the outcome of the raid could not be observed. But the local report shows that the Kalk-Nord yards, as well as the 2 passenger stations near by, were severely damaged. At least 2 ammunition trains blew up. Nearby Autobahns were also badly damaged, all adding to the effect upon the German transportation system.
154 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitos of No 5 Group attacked a German supply bottleneck in a narrow valley at Houffalize. The results of the raid are not known. 1 Lancaster crashed in France.
68 Mosquitos to Hannover, 9 to Bochum and 8 to Duisburg, 32 RCM sorties, 36 Mosquito patrols, 11 Lancasters minelaying off Heligoland, 21 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 821 sorties, 3 aircraft (0.4 per cent) lost.
155 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H raid on the railway yards at Vohwinkel, near Solingen. A strong wind carried much of the bombing south of the target.2 Lancasters lost.
12 Mosquitos of No 627 Squadron, No 5 Group, set out to bomb the Gestapo Headquarters in Oslo. 8 aircraft actually bombed, in 2 waves, and hits were believed to have been scored. No aircraft lost.
149 Lancasters and 17 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups to attack the railway yards at Osterfeld. The only details available are Bomber Command's estimates that the railway sidings were 35 per cent damaged and the 'facilities' 20 per cent damaged. 2 Lancasters lost.
28 Lancasters of No 5 Group attacked cruisers in Oslo Fjord but no hits were scored. 1 Lancaster lost.
77 Mosquitos to Berlin and 12 to Ludwigshafen, 33 RCM sorties, 33 Mosquito patrols, 16 Halifaxes and 10 Lancasters minelaying in the Kattegat. 1 minelaying Lancaster lost.
This record can also be found on the maps of WW2 History Europe with Google coordinates. You can find the maps by clicking on this link on this location.
There are several possibilities to investigate the flight records on WW2 History Europe. All the flights are plotted on maps, sorted "day by day", "by squadron", "by type aircraft", "by year or month", "by location" and much more! Don't miss this!!!
If you have any information that you want to share, please add your comment at the bottom of this record. Or send your information to [email protected]. This information will be added to the record.
Your photos and your information are very welcome! The young do care and with your help we keep up the good work.
