KOBLENZ
166 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitoes, mostly from 1 Group but with some Pathfinders. No aircraft lost.
The aiming point was the Mosel railway yards. There was some cloud in the target area and the local report says that the main weight of the attack fell in farming areas between 2 and 4 kilometres to the west, where the villages of Gls and Rbenach were badly hit. But the fringes of the bombing fell on the railway yards, several main lines and 2 important road bridges. Fatal casualties were: 40 people in Koblenz (including 34 policemen and air-raid workers and a French labourer), 90 in Gls and 19 in Rbenach.
BINGEN
106 aircraft - 90 Halifaxes of 4 Group and 14 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitoes of 8 Group. 2 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster lost.
The railway yards were again the objective of the raid. The attack was extremely accurate and all the bombs fell into the yards or into the nearby Rhine, where 2 barges were sunk. All movement of supplies by rail through Bingen to the Ardennes battle front ceased. About 150 houses in the town suffered blast damage but not one civilian was killed or injured. The town wine store was, however, hit.
Minor Operations: 44 aircraft of 100 Group flew R.C.M. sorties and Mosquito patrols (the figure cannot be broken down). No aircraft lost.
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TRIER
153 Lancasters of 3 Group attempted to attack the railway yards through cloud. The bombing appeared to be accurate and concentrated but Trier could only report that it was the town's worst raid of the war. 1 Lancaster lost.
COLOGNE/GREMBERG
27 Lancasters and 3 Mosquitoes of 8 Group to attack the Gremberg railway yards.
The raid went very badly. The force was split into 3 formations, each led by an Oboe-equipped Lancaster with an Oboe Mosquito as reserve leader. During the outward flight, 2 Lancasters of 35 Squadron collided over the French coast and their crews were all killed. On approaching the target, it was found that the cloud which had been forecast had cleared and it was decided to allow the bombers to break formation and bomb visually; this move was made because the formations would have been very vulnerable to Cologne's Flak defences during the long, straight Oboe approach. Unfortunately the order to abandon the Oboe run did not reach the leading Lancaster, a 582 Squadron aircraft piloted by Squadron Leader R. A. M. Palmer, D.F.C. (on loan from 109 Squadron), who continued on with his designated role, even though his aircraft was already damaged by Flak. German fighters, who were being directed to intercept an American bomber force, also appeared and attacked. The bombs from Squadron Leader Palmer's aircraft were eventually released and hit the target but his plane went down out of control and only the tail gunner escaped, by parachute. Squadron Leader Palmer, on his 110th operation, was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross, the only Oboe V.C. of the war; his body is buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery with the other men who died in the Lancaster.
The formation suffered further losses when another Lancaster and a Mosquito were shot down by Flak and fighters and a further Lancaster had to be abandoned by its crew over Belgium. The losses were thus 6 aircraft out of the 30 dispatched.
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MINOR OPERATIONS
52 Mosquitoes to Limburg railway yards, 40 to Siegburg and 7 on 'training flights' to Bremen, Hannover, Mnster and Osnabrck, 62 aircraft of 100 Group on R.C.M. and Mosquito operations (the figures cannot be broken down), 6 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft were lost. Each of the Mosquitoes shown as being on 'training flights' visited all 4 targets and dropped 1 bomb on each; these operations later became known as 'siren-sounding tours'.
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; Squadron Leader Palmer was flying in a Lancaster of 582 Squadron in this raid.
110 (HYDERABAD) SQUADRON
SERVICE
In 2 Group on the outbreak of war, flying Blenheims from Wattisham. Numerous small detachments to other airfields and once to Malta in the summer of 1941. Posted to India in March 1942 and flew operations in India and Burma until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
Blenheims - 175 bombing and sweeps
Sorties and Losses
Blenheims - 1,402 sorties, 38 aircraft lost (2.7 percent), 10 aircraft destroyed in crashes.
POINTS OF INTEREST
An original squadron on the outbreak of the war; carried out operations against German warships on the second day of the war and suffered casualties.
114 (HONG KONG) SQUADRON
SERVICE
In 2 Group, at Wyton, from September to December 1939 but did not fly operations and was posted to the Advanced Air Striking Force in France. Returned to 2 Group from France in May 1940. Flew Blenheims from Horsham St Faith, Oulton and West Raynham. Suffered heavy casualties in shipping attacks and was frequently detached to Coastal Command between March 1941 and August 1942 for recuperation. The last operations for Bomber Command were flown at the end of July 1942 and the squadron was posted to North Africa in November.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
Blenheims - 124 bombing, sweeps and Intruder, 7 weather recce, 1 photo recce = 132 raids
Sorties and Loses
Blenheims - 731 sorties, 39 aircraft lost (5.3 percent)
POINTS OF INTEREST
Suffered the highest percentage losses in 2 Group and the highest percentage losses in any Blenheim squadron.
115 SQUADRON
SERVICE
In 3 Group from the outbreak until the end of the war. Flew Wellingtons and Lancasters from Marham, Mildenhall, East Wretham, Little Snoring and Witchford. Detached to Coastal Command for one short period in April 1940.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown
Wellingtons - 332 bombing, 54 minelaying, 4 leaflet
Lancasters - 261 bombing, 27 minelaying
Total - 593 bombing, 81 minelaying, 4 leaflet = 678 raids
Sorties and Losses
Wellingtons - 3,075 sorties, 98 aircraft lost (3.2 percent)
Lancasters - 4,678 sorties, 110 aircraft lost (2.4 percent)
Total - 7,753 sorties, 208 aircraft lost (2.7 percent)
22 Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.
POINTS OF INTEREST
115 Squadron had one of the finest records of operational service in Bomber Command.
An original squadron on the outbreak of war and, except for one very short period of detachment to Coastal Command, served continuously until the end of the war.
Carried out the first Gee trials in August 1941.
Carried out the third highest number of bombing raids in Bomber Command heavy squadrons and the most raids in 3 Group.
Flew the second highest number of sorties in Bomber Command.
Probably dropped the second greatest tonnage of bombs, approximately 23,000 tons, in Bomber Command; dropped more bombs than any other squadron in 3 Group.
Suffered the most losses in the whole of Bomber Command; the only squadron to lose more than 200 aircraft in the war.
Carried out most raids, flew most sorties and suffered most losses of any Wellington squadron in Bomber Command.
Carried out most raids, flew most sorties, suffered most losses and the highest percentage loss rate in any Lancaster squadron in 3 Group.
128 SQUADRON
SERVICE
A maritime squadron in West Africa from October 1941 to March 1943 but then disbanded. Re-formed as a Mosquito squadron in 8 Group's Light Night Striking Force on
