Dallachy Strike Wing and their escort losses (?) on 16 Feb 1945

[Stephen M. Fochuk]

ORB entries from No.404 Squadron, RCAF for the 16th:

540: A very mild day with few scattered showers. W/C E.W. Pierce led eight Squadron aircraft in a large formation of thirty-nine other aircraft, Beaufighters and Mosquitos, together with twelve Mustangs. Owing to bad weather enroute, the Mosquitos flew below cloud with the Mustangs, and the Beaufighters started above cloud, but on arrival on the Norge Coast the weather was very bad ad cloud covered the hills completely. No opening could be found but the target was located by the Mosquitos, however, could not be attacked owing to the poor visibility and the position of the ships, so the leader ordered the return to base. The Mosquitos were then engaged by approximately forty enemy single-engined fighters who were in turn engaged by the Mustangs. Fortunately, our force was not attacked. All our aircraft returned safely to base. F/L B.J.H. Daventry, RAF, from Air Ministry (PR3) arrived to take some pictures of the Coastal Command boys.

541: Time up & down: 1225-1722 hrs. 8 Beaus. of 404 accompanied by 13 Beaus. of 144, 455 and 489 Squadrons, 12 Mosquitos of the Banff Wing, 12 Mustangs of 65 Squadron, from Peterhead, and 2 A.S.R. Warwicks of 279 Squadron, were ordered on a shipping strikes in Norange Fjord. Wing Commander E.W. Pierce led our Squadron. Rendezvous was made at Banff with their 12 aircraft and these together with the Mustangs flew below cloud while the Beaufighters started out above the cloud. At estimated time of arrival, on coast, land could not be seen and although an opening was searched for almost the entire coast was covered and formation had to return to base, sortie being abortive.