TURIN
295 Lancasters of 1, 5 and 8 Groups. 13 Lancasters lost, 4.4 percent of the force.
The main weight of this raid fell just north of the centre of Turin in clear weather conditions. The only report obtainable from Italy states that 792 people were killed and 914 injured. This was Turin's highest number of air-raid fatalities during the 10 raids made on the city by Bomber Command during the war.
Among the R.A.F. casualties on this night was Wing Commander J. D. Nettleton, commander of 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron, who had won the Victoria Cross for the low-level daylight raid on Augsburg in April 1942. Nettleton's Lancaster was shot down by a German night fighter over the Channel while returning from Turin. He and his crew all died and their names are on the Runnymede Memorial.
Minor Operations: 22 Wellingtons minelaying off Brest, Lorient and St-Nazaire, 19 O.T.U. sorties. No losses.
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AACHEN
374 aircraft - 214 Halifaxes, 76 Wellingtons, 55 Stirlings, 18 Lancasters, 11 Mosquitoes; 5 Group did not take part in this raid. 20 aircraft - 15 Halifaxes, 2 Lancasters, 2 Wellingtons, 1 Stirling - lost, 5.3 percent of the force.
A strong tail wind brought the first waves of the Main Force into the target area before Zero Hour with the result that, when the first Pathfinder markers were released, an unusually large number of aircraft bombed in the first minutes of the raid. The visibility was good and large areas of Aachen appeared to burst into flame at once. In the words of the report from Aachen, 'A Terrorangriff of the most severe scale was delivered.' 2,927 individual buildings were destroyed. These contained 16,828 flats/apartments and there was the familiar list of public and cultural buildings hit. Among those classed as severely damaged were the cathedral, the Rathaus, the town theatre, the police headquarters, the local prison, the main post office, two infantry barracks and an army food depot, and 8 large industrial premises including an aero-engine factory, a rubber factory, a tyre factory and a wagon works. 294 people were killed and 745 injured and 28,500 people appear to have fled the town and were still absent when new ration cards were issued nearly 7 weeks later.
Minor Operations: 2 Oboe Mosquitoes carried out a diversion for the Aachen raid by dropping target indicators over Cologne. 8 O.T.U. Wellingtons carried out leaflet flights to France. 1 Wellington crashed in the sea.
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Had two holders of the Victoria Cross - Wing Commander Learoyd and Wing Commander Nettleton - as squadron commanders.
Suffered third highest overall losses in Bomber Command (sharing this distinction with 78 and 102 squadrons).
Suffered heaviest Lancaster losses and highest percentage Lancaster losses both in 5 Group and in Bomber Command.
Suffered heaviest overall losses in 5 Group.
49 SQUADRON
SERVICE
With 5 Group from the outbreak until the end of the war, except for two periods of squadron detachment to Coastal Command in early 1940. Equipped with Hampdens, Manchesters and Lancasters and based at Scampton, Fiskerton and Fulbeck.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
Hampdens - 241 bombing, 82 minelaying, 19 leaflet
Manchesters - 4 bombing, 2 minelaying, 4 leaflet
Lancasters - 298 bombing, 21 minelaying, 3 leaflet
Total - 543 bombing, 105 minelaying, 26 leaflet = 674 raids
Sorties and Losses
Hampdens - 2,636 sorties, 55 aircraft lost (2.1 percent)
Manchesters - 47 sorties, 6 aircraft lost (12.8 percent)
Lancasters - 3,818 sorties, 102 aircraft lost (2.7 percent)
Total - 6,501 sorties, 163 aircraft lost (2.5 percent)
18 Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.
POINTS OF INTEREST
An operational squadron on the outbreak of war; 3 Hampdens flew a shipping search over the North Sea on the first day of the war.
Except for two short periods, continuous service in Bomber Command until the end of the war.
Flew more Hampden sorties than any other squadron.
Victoria Cross: Flight Lieutenant R. A. B. Learoyd, Dortmund-Ems Canal,
