He flew with a de Havilland Mosquito (type XVI, serial MM139, code P3-).
26 June 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): 72 B-17s leave Poltava and Mirgorod, USSR, rendezvous with 55 P-51s from Piryatin, bomb the oil refinery and marshalling yard at Drohobycz, Poland (1 returns to the USSR because of mechanical trouble), and then proceed to Italy; Fifteenth Air Force P-51s meet the formation 1 hour after the attack and escort the B-17s to Foggia; it is planned to return the B-17s to bases in the UK on 27 Jun but bad weather delays this move until 5 Jul.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, weather cancels all operations save a few fighter sorties which result in claims against a few military vehicles and 3 aircraft as US ground forces capture Cherbourg; 3 US fighters are lost.
27 June 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force): Mission 443: 251 bombers and 191 fighters are dispatched to hit CROSSBOW (V-weapon) supply sites around Pas de Calais, Criel and Chantilly, France; 195 B-17s hit the Pas de Calais area, 12 B-24s hit targets of opportunity and 11 B-24s hit Criel Airfield; 5 B-24s are downed by AA fire, 2 B-24s are damaged beyond repair and 104 B-24s and 8 B-17s are damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 7 WIA and 51 MIA.
Escort is provided by 149 of 191 P-51s; they claim 6-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft and lose 2 (pilots MIA); 1 P-51 is damaged; after completing the escort, the P-51s bomb and strafe targets of opportunity, including marshalling yards, bridges, railroads, transportation and airfield installations, and dispersal areas.
VIII Fighter Command fighter-bomber missions:
1. 46 of 193 P-38s attack Connantre Airfield; 3 are lost (pilots MIA), 3 are damaged beyond repair; 1 pilot is WIA.
2. 36 of 156 P-47s bomb Villeneuve/Zertes Airfield claiming 10-0-8 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air without loss.
3. 32 of 49 P-51s attack Coulommiers Airfield and 246 others attack transport in the Paris area; they claim 1-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground without loss.
Mission 444: 4 of 4 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night.
16 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER missions in France.
A B-24 on a training flight in England is shot down by an intruder.
TACTICAL OPERATIONS
(Ninth Air Force): In France, bad weather precludes bomber operations; 700+ fighters take part in various operations; most of them fly high cover over the assault areas and bomb and strafe rail and road traffic and communications centers; and 386th and 387th Fighter Squadrons, 365th Fighter Group, move from Beaulieu, England to Azeville with P-47s.
15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Photographic Group (Reconnaissance), moves from Middle Wallop to Chalgrove, England with F-6s.
35 Mosquitos of No 8 Group attacked Göttingen with the intention of hitting railway workshops. The raid was carried out from medium altitude - 4,000 to 10,000ft - but the marker aircraft experienced difficulties in locating the target and bombing was scattered. 1 Mosquito lost. This may have been an experimental raid, to try out the No 8 Group Mosquitos a precision bombing role, but this type of operation was not repeated.
8 Halifaxes of No 6 Group laid mines off French ports without loss.
104 Halifaxes of No 4 Group with 5 Mosquitos and 2 Lancasters of the Pathfinders attacked the V-weapon site at Mimoyecques without loss. Bombing conditions were good and two large explosions were seen on the ground.
721 aircraft - 477 Lancasters, 207 Halifaxes, 37 Mosquitos - attacked 6 flying bomb sites. All raids were believed to have been successful. 3 Lancasters lost.
214 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 5 and 8 Groups attacked Vaires and Vitry railway yards. The No 8 Group raid on Vaires was particularly accurate; the Vitry yards were hit only at the western end. 4 Lancasters lost, 2 from each raid.
22 RCM sorties, 61 Mosquito patrols, 8 Halifaxes minelaying off Biscay ports, 14 Halifaxes on Resistance operations. 2 Mosquitos were lost but other Mosquitos claimed 6 German night fighters destroyed.
Total effort for the night: 1,049 sorties, 9 aircraft {0.9 per cent) lost.
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