Both types of operations continued, with Wellingtons and Hampdens increasingly joining in the leaflet raids and with Hampdens taking over the seaplane-base patrols. At least 1 of these 2 types of operations was flown on 37 out of 52 nights in this period but the number of aircraft dispatched was usually small.
A total of 228 leaflet sorties - 102 by Wellingtons, 64 by Hampdens and 62 by Whitleys - were dispatched between 17/18 February and 6/7 April. The only new feature was the inclusion of Poland in locations where leaflets were dropped, Poznan on 7/8 March and Warsaw on the 15/16th. One of the Whitleys returning from Warsaw - Flight Lieutenant Tomlin's aircraft of 77 Squadron - was running short of fuel and landed in a field as soon as he thought he had reached French territory. Members of the crew left the aircraft and asked the first person they met where they were. They soon realized they were in Germany and German soldiers were observed appearing. The crew managed to take off and were not fired upon until they were clearing the hedge of the field. They hedge-hopped safely over the Siegfried Line and landed in France. Only 6 of the leaflet-dropping planes were lost - 3 Wellingtons, 2 Whitleys and 1 Hampden. One of the Whitleys - again from 77 Squadron - was shot down by Dutch anti-aircraft fire while flying over Holland on 27/28 March; 1 crew member was killed and 4 interned. 7 more leaflet-operations planes crashed in England.
Anti-minelayer patrols were flown over German seaplane bases from 23/24 February until 8/9 April. The total number of sorties flown was 61 - 54 by Hampdens and 7 by Whitleys. No aircraft were shot down by the Germans but 4 Hampdens crashed in England.
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(219 days/nights)
Number of day raids when bombs dropped: 18
Number of days with other operations: 75
Number of night raids when bombs dropped: 3
Number of nights with other operations, mostly leaflets: 69
Number of daylight sorties: 996, from which 48 aircraft (4.8 percent) were lost
Number of night sorties: 531, from which 14 aircraft (26 percent) were lost
Total sorties: 1,527, from which 62 aircraft (4.1 percent) were lost
Approximate bomb tonnage dropped in period: 71 tons
Averages per 24-hour period: 7.0 sorties, 0.3 aircraft lost, 0.3 tons of bombs dropped
Some of the details of the 2 Group operations comes from the very useful reference book, 2 Group R.A.F., by Michael J. F. Bowyer, Faber & Faber, 1974.
German forces invaded Denmark and Norway at dawn on
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. The move into Denmark was by land and, being virtually uncontested, that small country was occupied within hours. The attack on Norway, however, had to be carried out by sea and air landings and was opposed by Norwegian forces. Britain and France immediately declared support for the two countries. Nothing could be done to help Denmark but Bomber Command was ordered to do what it could to slow down the German advance in Southern Norway while an Anglo-French expeditionary force was landed at Narvik in the north.
The bomber squadrons were ill-fitted for their new task. The distance to the scene of operations, with round trips of up to 1,000 miles entirely over sea, was a severe handicap. There was no fighter escort of any kind. Only targets in Southern Norway - where the Germans were soon in full command - could be reached. Nothing could be done to give direct support to the British and French troops who landed in the north at Narvik. The early restrictions against bombing land targets in Germany were not relaxed, so the ports and communications in Northern Germany which were well within range of Bomber Command and which could have been attacked in relative safety at night were left untouched throughout the Norwegian campaign.
Bomber Command entered into its Norway operations with enthusiasm but almost immediately suffered a setback when nine Hampdens and Wellingtons were shot down, most of them by German fighters, in a daylight raid on shipping in the Stavanger area. These losses finally convinced Bomber Command that the self-defending daylight bomber formation theory was not valid and this day,
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GERMAN SHIPPING OFF NORWAY
24 Hampdens searched for German warships off Bergen. 12 aircraft recalled; 2 of remaining 12 bombed a cruiser and claimed hits. 8 Blenheims carried out reconnaissance patrols. No losses.
