DORTMUND
523 aircraft - 248 Halifaxes, 247 Lancasters, 28 Mosquitoes - of 3, 6 and 8 Groups. 6 Group provided 293 aircraft - 248 Halifaxes and 45 Lancasters, the greatest effort by the Canadian group in the war. This raid opened a phase which some works refer to as 'The Second Battle of the Ruhr'. 5 aircraft - 2 Halifaxes (of 6 Group), 2 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito - lost, less than 1 percent of the force raiding this Ruhr target on a clear night.
The Pathfinder marking and the bombing were both accurate and severe damage was caused, particularly to the industrial and transportation areas of the city, although residential areas also suffered badly. Civilian casualties were 191 dead, 38 missing and 418 injured.
BREMEN
246 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitoes of 1 and 5 Groups carried out the last of 32 major Bomber Command raids on this target during the war. 5 Lancasters lost.
The raid, based on the 5 Group marking method, was an outstanding success. 1,021 tons of bombs were dropped, of which 868 tons were incendiaries. A detailed local report is available. The local official who compiled this report after the war writes that the night was so clear, with a three-quarters-full moon, that, 'Bremen lay before the bombers like a presentation dish … the bomb aimers could not have wished for better conditions to carry out their task'. A huge fire area was started throughout the town centre and the surrounding areas but the effects of this were lessened by the extensive property damage caused in this area by the Bomber Command raid of 18/19 August. Classed as destroyed or seriously damaged were: 4,859 houses, 5 churches, 1 hospital, 18 schools and 16 public and historic buildings. Casualties were: 65 killed - a figure which again suggests many evacuations - 766 injured and 37,724 bombed out. Severe damage was also caused to the A.G. Weser shipyard, the two Focke-Wulf factories, the Siemens Schuckert electrical works and other important war industries. The 'transport network' was described as being seriously disrupted. (It is interesting to note the increased efficiency and hence destructive power of Bomber Command at this time. Bremen - with its shipyards and aircraft factories - had been the target for many carefully planned Bomber Command raids earlier in the war and was the target for one of the much publicized 1942 1,000-bomber raids. Now this raid by no more than a quarter of the total strength of Bomber Command, hardly mentioned in the history books, had finished off Bremen and this city need not be attacked by Bomber Command again.)
Two days later the Bremer Zeitung published this passage in typical German propaganda style: 'But we know that we must bear all misfortunes with courage, since this is the best way we can contribute to a speedy victory, a victory which will repay us for the blows we have suffered. A victory which will also see the walls of Bremen duly rebuilt providing us with a future in freedom within a new abode.'
Minor Operations: 22 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 11 to Ludwigshafen and 2 to Saarbrcken, 35 R.C.M. sorties, 76 Mosquito patrols, 19 aircraft minelaying off Texel and Heligoland and in the River Weser, 6 aircraft on Resistance operations. 2 Mosquitoes were lost - 1 from the Berlin raid and 1 Serrate aircraft.
Total effort for the night: 947 sorties, 12 aircraft (1.3 percent) lost.
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KLEVE
351 aircraft - 251 Halifaxes, 90 Lancasters, 10 Mosquitoes - of 3, 4 and 8 Groups to bomb this small German town which, together with Emmerich, stood on the approach routes by which German units could threaten the vulnerable Allied right flank near Nijmegen which had been left exposed by the failure of Operation Market Garden. Visibility was clear and the centre and north of the town were heavily bombed, although some crews bombed too early and their loads actually fell in Holland near Nijmegen. 2 Halifaxes lost.
EMMERICH
340 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes of 1, 3 and 8 Groups carried out an even more accurate attack on Emmerich. 3 Lancasters were lost. A local report says that 2,424 buildings in the town were destroyed and 689 damaged, with 680,000 cubic metres of rubble having to be cleared away after the raid. 641 German civilians and 96 soldiers were killed.
WALCHEREN
121 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitoes of 5 Group continued the attack, without any aircraft losses, on the sea walls which were breached near Flushing.
The Kembs Dam
This was another 617 Squadron special operation. The Kembs Dam on the Rhine, just north of Basle, held back a vast quantity of water and it was feared that the Germans would release this to flood the Rhine valley near Mulhouse, a few miles north, should the American and French troops in that area attempt an advance. 617 Squadron was asked to destroy the lock gates of the dam. 13 Lancasters were dispatched. 7 aircraft were to bomb from 8,000 ft and draw the Flak, while the other 6 would come in below 1,000 ft and attempt to place their Tallboys, with delayed fuzes, alongside the gates. American Mustang fighters would attempt to suppress Flak positions during the attack. The operation went according to plan. The gates were destroyed but 2 Lancasters from the low force were shot down by Flak.
Minor Operations: 5 R.C.M. sorties, 2 Ranger patrols, 2 Hudsons on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the day: 846 sorties, 7 aircraft (0.8 percent) lost.
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FEINT ATTACK
46 aircraft of 100 Group flew an operation in which various electronic devices and Window were used in an attempt to lure the German night-fighter force into the air to waste its fuel. The feint was made in the direction of Bremen, using the same route as had been used in the raid carried out the previous night. Radio listening stations in England heard the German controllers plotting the supposed force 'vigorously', but few night fighters were scrambled. Mosquito Intruders and Serrate aircraft, which were part of the 100 Group force, then flew on towards Bremen and claimed an Me 110 destroyed and a Ju 88 damaged. 1 further R.C.M. Halifax flew a signals listening patrol. No aircraft were lost on this night.
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and flew from Kirmington (briefly) and Scampton until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
Lancasters - 70 bombing, 5 minelaying = 75 raids
Sorties and Losses
Lancasters - 1,041 sorties, 22 aircraft lost (2.1 percent), 4 aircraft destroyed in crashes.
156 SQUADRON
SERVICE
Formed in February 1942 as a Wellington squadron in 3 Group, flying from Alcon-bury. Transferred to 8 Group in August 1942 and flew as a Pathfinder squadron until the end of the war, converting to Lancasters in January 1943. Based at Warboys and Upwood while with 8 Group.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
3
Group Wellingtons - 38 bombing, 4 minelaying, 1 leaflet
8
Group Wellingtons - 40 bombing
8
Group Lancasters - 230 bombing
Total - 308 bombing, 4 minelaying, 1 leaflet = 313 raids
Sorties and Losses
3
Group Wellingtons - 346 sorties, 22 aircraft lost (6.4 percent)
8
Group Wellingtons - 305 sorties, 17 aircraft lost (5.6 percent)
8
Group Lancasters - 3,933 sorties, 104 aircraft lost (2.6 percent)
Total - 4,584 sorties, 143 aircraft lost (3.1 percent)
16 Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Suffered heavy losses while flying Wellingtons.
An original Pathfinder squadron.
Flew most overall sorties and most Lancaster sorties in Pathfinder heavy squadrons.
Lost four commanding officers in four months, January to April 1944.
157 SQUADRON
SERVICE
This Mosquito night-fighter squadron was posted to 100 Group in May 1944 for bomber-support duties. Based at Swannington and flew Intruder operations until the end of the war, except for two periods in the summer of 1944 when anti-flying-bomb patrols were flown from West Mailing.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Flew 1,122 bomber-support sorties in 174 separate operations, losing 5 aircraft (0.4 percent), and 214 anti-flying-bomb sorties with the loss of 1 aircraft (0.5 percent). All operations were with Mosquitoes. Claimed 37 German aircraft destroyed (18 Ju 88s, 14 Me 110s, 2 Ju 188s, 2 He 119s, 2 FW 190s) and 13 others damaged; claimed 39 flying bombs destroyed and 1 damaged.
158 SQUADRON
SERVICE
Formed in 4 Group on
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and flew Lancasters from Bardney, Balderton and Strubby until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
227 Squadron flew 815 Lancaster sorties and lost 15 aircraft (1.8 percent) in 61 bombing raids. 2 Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.
239 SQUADRON
SERVICE
A home-based Mosquito night-fighter squadron which was transferred to 100 Group on
