12 Mosquitoes of 100 Group flew anti-flying-bomb patrols. (The Germans were releasing flying bombs from aircraft over the North Sea.) No interceptions made.
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BONN
This was the first major operation by 3 Group in the new independent role which its commander, Air Vice-Marshal R. Harrison, had been granted. Approximately one third of the group's Lancasters were now fitted with the G-H blind-bombing device and 3 Group were to operate on days when the ground was concealed by cloud but when the cloud tops did not exceed 18,000 ft. Aircraft with G-H had their tail fins painted with a prominent design; aircraft without G-H found a G-H 'leader' to follow into the target area and bombed when that aircraft bombed. G-H was a relatively accurate, easy-to-operate and very useful device and 3 Group were to make good use of it in the remaining months of the war. The device had been used before, but not by a large force.
Air Vice-Marshal Harrison requested that the almost unbombed and unimportant town of Bonn should be the target for this first operation, possibly so that post-raid reconnaissance photographs could show the results of the first G-H raid without the effects of other bombing confusing the interpretation of the photographs. 128 Lancasters were dispatched; the raid appeared to go well and only 1 aircraft was lost.
The attack was a complete success. The heart of old Bonn was destroyed, with its university, many cultural and public buildings and a large residential area being burnt out. The local report says that the home in which Beethoven lived was saved 'by the courageous actions of its caretakers'. 700 buildings were destroyed and 1,000 were seriously damaged. 313 people were killed.
Minor Operations: 4 R.C.M. sorties, 1 Hudson on a Resistance operation. No losses.
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MOSQUITO OPERATIONS
19 Mosquitoes to Hannover, 18 to Mannheim, 8 to DÜSSELDORF, 5 to Pforzheim and 4 to Wiesbaden. 1 aircraft lost from the Pforzheim raid.
