He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type I, serial PB768, code XH-B).
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):: 2 missions are flown.
Mission 776: 1,011 bombers and 503 fighters are dispatched to attack communications and tactical targets in W Germany visually and using Gee-H; 4 bombers and 3 fighters are lost:
1. 299 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Gerolstein marshalling yard (74) and communications centers are Mayen (68), Prum (34), Daun (34), Kyllburg (37) and Bitburg (36); 3 others hit a target of opportunity; 70 B-17s are damaged.
Escorting are 128 of 130 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair.
2. 296 B-24s are dispatched to hit the Lutzel (65) and Guls (59) rail bridges at Koblenz plus rail bridges at Irlich (59), Remagen (56) and Engers (43); 3 others hit a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair and 26 damaged.
The escort is 215 P-47s and P-51s without loss.
3. 410 B-17s are sent to hit marshalling yards at Bad Kreuznach (73) and Ehrang (66), a rail junction at Bad Kreuznach (67), a rail bridge at Kaiserslautern (34) and tank concentrations at Lebach (128); targets of opportunity are marshalling yards at St Wendel (11) and Trier (3) and other (3); 4 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 36 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 37 MIA.
Escort is provided by 125 of 127 P-51s; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA).
4. 6 of 6 B-17s fly a screening force mission.
5. 23 P-51s escort 6 F-5s and a Spitfire on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.
Mission 777: 2 B-17s and 6 B-24s drop leaflets in France and Germany during the night.
HQ VIII Air Force Services Command (Advanced) is established in Brussels, Belgium, along with a "Far Shore" staff division; through this HQ, the Commanding General Air Force Services Command can administer his command and closely communicate with other commands operating on the Continent; this arrangement functions until 29 Apr 45 when it is relieved by the 5th Strategic Air Depot at Merville, France.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
First Tactical Air Force (Provisional): The 314th, 315th and 316th Fighter Squadrons, 324th Fighter Group, move from Tavaux to Luneville, France with P-47s.
(Ninth Air Force): 135 A-20s, A-26s, and B-26s hit rail bridges and communications centers in Belgium and Germany; fighters escort the 9th Bombardment Division, fly patrols, sweeps, and armed reconnaissance and support the US III and VIII Corps in the Bastogne, Belgium area and the XII Corps S of the Clerf River, Luxembourg, and W of the Sauer River in Germany.
The 72d Liaison Squadron, Ninth AF (attached to Sixth Army Group), moves from Buhl to Epinal, France with L-5s.
152 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos of No 5 Group carried out an accurate attack on the Gravenhorst section of the Mittelland Canal. Half a mile of banks were pitted with bomb craters and some parts were breached. No aircraft lost.
146 aircraft of No 3 Group successfully attacked the railway yards at Vohwinkel. 1 Lancaster lost.
105 Halifaxes of No 4 Group and 18 Lancasters and 16 Mosquitos of No 8 Group attempted to bomb a benzol plant at Dortmund but the attack was scattered and the plant was not hit. No aircraft lost.
28 Mosquitos to Hanau and 27 to Hannover (both 'spoof' raids), 42 RCM sorties, 59 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost. The No 100 Group Mosquitos claimed 6 German night fighters destroyed.
Total effort for the night: 598 sorties, 1 aircraft (0.2 per cent) lost; 5 aircraft crashed in England.
2 Hudsons flew on Resistance operations without loss.
Nuremberg: 514 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups. 4 Lancasters were lost and 2 crashed in France. Nuremberg, scene of so many disappointments for Bomber Command, finally succumbed to this attack. The Pathfinders produced good ground-marking in conditions of clear visibility and with the help of a rising full moon. The centre of the city, particularly the eastern half, was destroyed. The castle, the Rathaus, almost all the churches and about 2,000 preserved medieval houses went up in flames. The area of destruction also extended into the more modern north-eastern and southern city areas.The industrial area in the south, containing the important MAN and Siemens factories, and the railway areas were also severely damaged. 415 separate industrial buildings were destroyed. It was a near-perfect example of area bombing.
Ludwigshafen: 389 aircraft - 351 Halifaxes, 22 Lancasters, 16 Mosquitos - of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 1 Halifax which crashed in France was the only loss. The aiming point for this raid was the area of the two IG Farben chemical factories. The bombing was accurate, with severe damage to the main IG Farben factory and to the same firm's factory at nearby Oppau. Estimated totals of 500 high-explosive bombs and 10,000 incendiaries fell inside the limits of the 2 factories, causing much damage. 10 large, 30 medium and 200 small fires were recorded at the main factory. Production failure at both plants was complete because of 'loss of power'. 13 other industrial firms and several railway installations were also hit; the train of a railway repair unit was destroyed.
53 Mosquitos to Berlin, 9 to Castrop-Rauxel and 7 to Hanau, 49 RCM sorties, 41 Mosquito patrols. 2 Mosquitos were lost, 1 each from the Berlin and Castrop-Rauxel raids.
Total effort for the night: 1,069 sorties, 9 aircraft (0.8 per cent) lost.
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