PRISONER-OF-WAR CAMPS
30 Mosquitoes and 7 Lancasters dropped leaflets on 8 camps in which British prisoners-of-war were waiting to be liberated. Medical supplies were also dropped at the Neubrandenburg camp, north of Berlin. No aircraft were lost.
Minor Operations: 40 Mosquitoes to Schleissheim airfield, 38 to Pasing airfield and 17 to Kiel, 27 R.C.M. sorties, 19 Mosquito patrols. 1 Mosquito from the Schleissheim raid crashed in Belgium.
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WANGEROOGE
482 aircraft - 308 Halifaxes, 158 Lancasters, 16 Mosquitoes - of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 5 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters lost.
The raid was intended to knock out the coastal batteries on this Frisian island which controlled the approaches to the ports of Bremen and Wilhelmshaven. No doubt the experience of Antwerp, when guns on the approaches had prevented the port being used for several weeks, prompted this raid.
The weather was clear and bombing was accurate until smoke and dust obscured the target area. A good local report is available (from Hans-Jrgen Jrgens, proprietor of a restaurant at the present-day holiday resort). The areas around the batteries were pitted with craters but the concreted gun positions were 'hardly damaged'; they were all capable of firing within a few hours. Part of the bombing hit a camp for forced workers and the holiday resort and many buildings were destroyed, including several hotels and guest houses, the Catholic church and two children's holiday homes, although these do not appear to have been occupied at the time of the bombing. Detailed casualty figures are provided. 306 people died: 59 civilians, 132 service personnel - including 6 female naval auxiliaries - 95 foreign workers (48 Dutch, 36 Belgian, 11 Polish) and 20 prisoners of war (16 French and 4 Moroccan).
6 of the 7 bombers lost were involved in collisions - 2 Halifaxes of 76 Squadron, 2 Lancasters of 431 Squadron and 2 Halifaxes of 408 and 426 Squadrons (both from Leeming airfield). There was only 1 survivor, from one of the 76 Squadron aircraft. 28 Canadian and 13 British airmen were killed in the collisions. The seventh aircraft lost was a Halifax of 347 (Free French) Squadron, whose crew were all killed.
BERCHTESGADEN
359 Lancasters and 16 Mosquitoes of 1, 5 and 8 Groups. 2 Lancasters lost.
This raid was against Hitler's 'Eagle's Nest' chalet and the local S.S. guard barracks. Among the force were 16 Lancasters of 617 Squadron dropping their last Tallboys. 8 Oboe Mosquitoes were also among the bombing force, to help with the marking, but mountains intervened between one of the ground stations transmitting the Oboe signals and the Mosquitoes could not operate even though they were flying at 39,000 ft! There was some mist and the presence of snow on the ground also made it difficult to identify targets, but the bombing appeared to be accurate and effective. No other deatils are available.
Total effort for the day: 857 sorties, 9 aircraft (1.0 percent) lost. Most of the squadrons taking part in the raids on this day were flying their last operations of the war.
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TONSBERG
107 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitoes of 5 Group attacked the oil refinery in this town in Southern Norway in the last raid flown by heavy bombers. The attack was accurately carried out and the target was severely damaged. A Lancaster of 463 Squadron came down in Sweden, the last of more than 3,300 Lancasters lost in the war; Flying Officer A. Cox and his all-British crew all survived and were interned in Sweden until the end of the war - only a few days away.
Minor Operations: 82 Mosquitoes to Pasing airfield and 18 to Kiel, 9 R.C.M. sorties, 35 Mosquito patrols, 14 Lancasters minelaying in Oslo Fjord (the last minelaying operation of the war), 12 Mosquitoes of 8 Group dropping leaflets over prisoner-of-war camps.
26 April to
