Bomber Command Routes in WW2

[Victor 102]

While living in Dunstable Beds Bomber Command would fly across the A5 in the evening they crossed North-East to South- West all of them would be climbing hard with the Stirlings struggling a bit, as is well known East Anglia was the usual route & I have often wondered what the targets might have been these were heavy weight targets with well over 400 aircraft employed, if memory serves me right it would be 1943-1945.

[jumpseater]

North and western France would be likely, for example U Boat pens on the Biscay coast and Troop concentrations and infrastructure in Northern France in the run up and after D-Day.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

I recently heard that Bomber Command routinely recovered from Germany via Kent, Essex to avoid conflicts with USAAF launching East. It might be bollox but I can't understand it.

[mmitch]

A Bomber Command Memorial stone was erected on Beachy Head last year.
The outward bound RAF stream was indeed routed via Beachy Head to avoid the USAAF returning to East Anglia. For so many it was the last sight of home....
mmitch.

[gooddaysir]

all I know is that in The Dambusters film they used Lincoln cathedral as the reference point to turn right, and thatd put them somewhere over the north sea.


I wouldn't be surprised if the returning bomber stream had absolute priority to come back in a straight line and as fast as possible depending on what their targets were and where the flak sites were. But what do I know im not a history professor or anything

[Lancman]

I've just been re-listening to a recording that my brother made about when he flew on ops from RAF Eastmoor with 432 Sqdn RCAF in 1944 in Lancasters and Halifaxes. He describes the outbound and inbound routes as being from base to overhead Oxford and then over Beachy Head, and vice-versa. What really ticked them off was having to overfly the Lincolnshire area and having to flog on northwards to North Yorkshire.

[DC10RealMan]

One should also realize that RAF Bomber Command did not fly direct to their target but would often fly a circuitous route so as to make the actual target less obvious to the defenders and on some occasions actually flying past their intended target before attacking or sending out other aircraft in a "spoof" bomber stream in an effort to confuse the nightfighter defenders.

[Mr Mac]

A lot depends on where in Germany they were going as it is a fare size country by European standards and indeed was even bigger then. The bomber routes would vary as has been said due to location of target and also the needs of Bomber command to avoid flak concentration and night fighter beacons, and stations if possible. Indeed during the Battle of Berlin bombers were routed over Denmark and even Sweden in an effort to avoid German defences on some raids. My father was shot down on a raid to Kassel, and their route was straight in from Yorkshire leaving the coast near Bridlington, and meeting the stream mid North Sea and on into Germany. I find it quite quaint that I now fly the same route on a regular basis, although leaving over mid Lincolnshire on my flight from Man to DXB, and often over fly Kassel, and the area he was shot down.


Exit routes were often over France again to avoid German defences, although the North Sea is the grave of many aircraft who flew direct routes trying to make it home, and crashing due to battle damage or night fighter. Some experienced pathfinders apparently used to ignore bomber streams and were known to fly direct to targets, and then alter their log books afterwards. If you are interested in this subject Martin Middlebrooks books are very good and informative reading.


Regards
Mr Mac

[Kitbag]

Well worth watching Night Bombers available on YT

[GrumpyOldFart]

Yes - I think the URL has to be in the w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m format, and not y o u t u . b e used in your link.

[T-21]

Reading,Berks was a nav way point to clear the London barrage balloon and ack ack corridor.

[LowNSlow]

Dad regulary was on raids that used Beachy Head as their turning point en route from Lisset to the target.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

It's also probably worth remembering that for a big chunk of '44, control of Bomber Command was given to Eisenhower for tactical mud moving. That would Place many targets on that routing.