Allied mission 23th August 1944 ?

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello,

According to a war diary of a local director of the technical department of my hometown, Venlo airfield was bombed on August, the 23th 1944 at 18.00 hours.

So far, I do know that from the RAF only a few Mosquito's attacked Venlo airfield twice that same evening and in the night of 23/24th August but which bombers could have bombed Venlo airfield at 18.00 hours?

So far, I have not been able to determine which aircraft were involved, perhaps somebody else?

All the best, Marcel Hogenhuis
www.fliegerhorst-venlo.net

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Marcel,
I do have some Mosquito Squadron´s ORBs and will check for you at night, while home, ok? I also contacted some former Mosquito airmen...will check their missions also...maybe I can be of help for you.
Please wait a further contact.
Yours
Adriano Baumgartner

[Dave Wallace]

I can give you two of the Mosquitos that attacked Venlo later that evening. 109 Squadron's F/O A.C. Relph & F/O K.R. Davis in Mosquito MM.154 took off at 21:25, F/L C.M. Rostron & W/O J. Garratt followed in ML.989 at 21:35 to do an Oboe attack on the airfield at Venlo. Both experienced technical failures with the Oboe transmissions and ended up bombing on dead reckoning from 28,000 feet. Relph landed at 00:10, Rostron at 00:15.
Regards
Dave Wallace

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello Adriano and Dave,

Many thanks for your swift and much appreciated help! It would be interesting to read those reports of the Mosquitos involved in the OBOE-attacks.

I still do like to know which bombers could have bombed Venlo airfield at 18.00 hours, some hours before the Mosquito's of 109 Sqd.RAF arrived.

All info is much appreciated ! Many thanks for that ! All the best,

Marcel

[Adriano Baumgartner]

MARCEL,
Watched the ORB´s for 571 and 692, as well as some logbooks from Mosquito airmen for you last night, at home.
571 was in action against COLOGNE. Take-off time was around 21:16hs...NOT related to your focus
692 was in action against BERLIN. Take-off time was around 21:50-55hs..NOT related to your focus. One of their aircraft crashed on the return, on UK soil.
409 Squadron was in action much later ( around midnight ) and one crew claimed a Luftwaffe aircraft.
BUT, while researching the book "Confound and Destroy" by Martin Streetly, I observed THAT 199 Squadron was in action ( Mandrel Operation ) that night. HOWEVER I do not know WHERE, neither the time they took-off or were in action that night. They did possess some Mosquitos FB.VI and B.IV...so they "could" have been in action around VENLO that night.
SORRY for not founding anything related to your research.
Yours very friendly
Adriano Baumgartner

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello Adriano,

Many thanks for your 'nighttime operations' to find out that interesting info ! Though it might not solve directly my question marks, your info does narrow down the amount of possible solutions.

If the diary entry about 23th August 1944, 18.00 hours is correct, I must seek the answer more likely in the operations of the USAAF. Perhaps there was a smaller raid which flight routes did come near Venlo that day. Venlo airfield might have been a 'target of opportunity' for a sole bomber.

Again many thanks for helping me ! Marcel

[Adriano Baumgartner]

MARCEL,
By the way...have searched the "2nd TAF" 3 volumes as well...NO MATCH attack on Venlo at 18:00hs either! So..you can also narrow down this side of your research...However, I would try to have a look at the ADGB Squadrons...my particular guess, maybe a 515 or 418 Squadron machine...
Yours
Adriano

[Sureduts]

Adriano,
From the posts you apparently have copy of, or access to, the 692 Sqn ORB. My late father-in-law (Sqn Ldr Roy Bailey AFC (43828)) served on 692 as a Flt Lt from Jan - Sep 1945. His family are aware that during his time with 692 he was returning on Pathfinder operational duty and his aircraft (Ser No unknown) had to make a forced landing in Belgium. Both he and his navigator (Tom Sawyer) returned safely to England, although it was some 2 weeks before his wife was told that he was missing. It is understood (but not confirmed) that this was around the time of the liberation of Belgium. Are you able to let me have a copy of the ORB, or can you research it to see if such an incident was recorded, please?
Regards, Geoff Studerus

[Jaap Woortman]

Marcel,

Looking at the date and the time, I would say that it could not have been a RAF intruder. At August 23rd, 1944 at 1800 hours, German time, it is broad daylight. Have you looked in the operations of 8th USAAF?
Maybe it was one of the P-47 of 56FG, 78 FG, 353 FG or 356 FG who were flying fighter-bomber operations to the St.Omer - Reims area?
Roger Freeman makes a remark for that day:
Weather continued to prevent bomber operations.
Maybe some of the 163 P-47s have lost its way over Belgium and saw Venlo airfield through an opening in the clouds.
Just a thought on a cloudy sunday afternoon.

Jaap

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Geoff,
Sent you a PM...check your email.
Yours
Adriano Baumgartner