Operation - Kiel - 23/24 July 1944.
This was the first major raid on a German city for two months and turned out to be an outstanding attack which produced excellent results. 629 aircraft - 519 Lancasters, 100 Halifaxes, 10 Mosquitos - were dispatched. The elaborate deception and RCM operations combined with the surprise return to a German target completely confused the German fighter force and only 4 aircraft - all Lancasters - were lost, a rate of 0.6 per cent. The city suffered heavily in this first RAF raid since April 1943 and its heaviest RAF raid of the war.
...................
103 Squadron and 576 Squadron participated with both contributing 19 aircraft each with an all HE bomb load. For 103 Sqn F/L Broadbent and crew were first away in NE117 at 2215. For 576 Sqn S/L Slater and crew and W/O H D Murray and crew were first away also at 2215. The weather for take off was fair at Elsham Wolds - low cloud withbase at 1500ft rising to 6000ft. This persisted all the way to Kiel and over the target and also during the return. The bombing force appeared suddenly from behind a Mandrel jamming screen and the local radio warning system only reported it as being a force of minelaying aircraft. 612 aircraft then bombed in a raid lasting only 25 minutes. All parts of Kiel were hit but the bombing was particularly heavy in the port areas and all of the important U-boat yards and naval facilities were hit. The presence of around 500 delayed-action bombs or unexploded duds caused severe problems for the rescue and repair services. There was no water for 3 days; trains and buses did not run for 8 days and there was no gas for cooking for 3 weeks.
Returning crews reported the markers used were rather scattered and green Wanganui sky markers were used The Master Bomber was very helpful although rather inclined to give orders and later contradict them for new ones. Flak over the target was in barrage form and intense to moderate. A few fighters were seen. P/O Westcott and crew of 103 Sqn was attacked by a Ju88 but evaded. For 576 Sqn F/O Rainey and crew reported one combat and claimed their attacker as destroyed. From 103 Sqn F/L Marsden and crew were an early return with an engine failure. For 576 Sqn F/O MacDonald and crew were first back at 0325 and for 103 Sqn F/L Broadbent and crew touched down at 0335.
Neither Squadron lost any crews in what turned out to be an outstandingly well planned and successful attack.
..................
Other operations that night
119 aircraft - 100 Halifaxes, 14 Lancasters, 5 Mosquitos - of Nos 6 and 8 Groups attacked an oil refinery and storage depot at Donges, near the mouth of the River Loire. This was the start of a new campaign against oil targets in the occupied Countries. The bombing took place in good visibility. The target was severely damaged and a tanker was hit and capsized. No aircraft lost.
116 aircraft - 102 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitos, 2 Lancasters - of Nos 4 and 8 Groups attacked 2 flying bomb sites with accurate bombing. 1 Halifax lost from the raid on the Les Hauts Buissons site.
Support and 180 aircraft of training units on diversionary sweep over the North Sea, 27 Mosquitos to Berlin and 5 to Duren, 39 RCM sorties, 45 Mosquito patrols, 6 Lancasters minelaying off Kiel and 2 Stirlings off Brest, 12 aircraft on Resistance operations, 8 OTU sorties. 1 Lancaster lost while minelaying near Kiel.
Total effort for the night: 1,188 sorties, 5 aircraft (0.4 per cent) lost. An extremely good and profitable night's work for Bomber Command.
Compiled by David Fell mostly from 103 and 576 Squadron ORBs, 1 Group ORB, By Day and by Night: Bomber War in Europe, 1939-45. Ken Merrick, Middlebrook's Bomber Command War Diaries.
....................
|
