WW2 Lancaster Bombing run 1944
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Re post #19
635 Sqn
No losses recorded between 5th and 10th Aug. There were Lancasters shot down on 4 Aug. The pilot of one was Sqn Ldr IW Bazalgette DFC. He was awarded the VC on 17 Aug 1944
5 Aug 1944
7 Aug 1944
10 Aug 1944
635 Sqn
No losses recorded between 5th and 10th Aug. There were Lancasters shot down on 4 Aug. The pilot of one was Sqn Ldr IW Bazalgette DFC. He was awarded the VC on 17 Aug 1944
5 Aug 1944
Flying bomb sites. 742 aircraft - 469 Halifaxes, 257 Lancasters, 16 Mosquitoes of 4, 5, 6, and 8 Gpos, attacked the Foret de Nieppe and St-Leu-d'Esserent storage sites. Bombing conditions were good. 1 Halifax lost from St-Leu-d'Esserent raid.
31 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitoes of 8 Gp attempted to carry out small "Oboe leader" raids on 4 launching sites but only 9 aircraft succeed in bombing. None lost.
Oil Storage Depots
306 Lancasters of 1, 3 and 8 Gps attacked targets on the River Gironde at Blaye. Bordeaux and Pauillac with excellent results. 1 Lancaster lost. 30 Mosquitoes of 100 Gp escorted these forces without loss.
Brest
15 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitoes of 617 Sqn attacked the U-Boat pens and scored 6 direst hits with Tallboys. 1 Lancaster shot down by flak.
Etaples
14 Lancasters of 5 Gp attacked the railway bridge but the target was obsucered by smoke and dust and no results could be seen.
Total effort for the day 1,148 sorties, 3 aircraft (0.3 percent) lost
31 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitoes of 8 Gp attempted to carry out small "Oboe leader" raids on 4 launching sites but only 9 aircraft succeed in bombing. None lost.
Oil Storage Depots
306 Lancasters of 1, 3 and 8 Gps attacked targets on the River Gironde at Blaye. Bordeaux and Pauillac with excellent results. 1 Lancaster lost. 30 Mosquitoes of 100 Gp escorted these forces without loss.
Brest
15 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitoes of 617 Sqn attacked the U-Boat pens and scored 6 direst hits with Tallboys. 1 Lancaster shot down by flak.
Etaples
14 Lancasters of 5 Gp attacked the railway bridge but the target was obsucered by smoke and dust and no results could be seen.
Total effort for the day 1,148 sorties, 3 aircraft (0.3 percent) lost
Minor Operations
25 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitoes of 5Gp recalled form a raid on U-Boat pens at Lorient with out bombing. 1 Wellington flew an RCM sorties. No aircraft lost.
25 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitoes of 5Gp recalled form a raid on U-Boat pens at Lorient with out bombing. 1 Wellington flew an RCM sorties. No aircraft lost.
Dugny
98 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitoes of 1 and 8 Gps attacked aviation - fuel storage tanks at Dugny, near Paris. The bombing started badly but then became concentrated. No aircraft lost.
Ferme-Du-Forestal
60 Lancasters of 1Gp and 20 Pathfinder Mosquitoes attempted to bomb a flying bomb site but cloud caused difficulties and only 17 Mosquitoes and 13 Lancasters attacked, possibly because the 1Gp aircraft were unused to Oboe-leader technique. No aircraft lost.
4 Wellingtons flew RCM sorties without loss.
98 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitoes of 1 and 8 Gps attacked aviation - fuel storage tanks at Dugny, near Paris. The bombing started badly but then became concentrated. No aircraft lost.
Ferme-Du-Forestal
60 Lancasters of 1Gp and 20 Pathfinder Mosquitoes attempted to bomb a flying bomb site but cloud caused difficulties and only 17 Mosquitoes and 13 Lancasters attacked, possibly because the 1Gp aircraft were unused to Oboe-leader technique. No aircraft lost.
4 Wellingtons flew RCM sorties without loss.
Last edited by November4; 5th Jan 2013 at 14:12.
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And the entry for 635 Sqd reads
Formed as a Pathfinder squadron in 8 Group on 20 March 1944 and flew Lancasters from Downham Market until the end of the war.
635 Squadron flew 2,225 Lancaster sorties and lost 34 aircraft (1.5 per cent) in 189 raids. 7 further Lacasters were destoryed in crashes.
Points of interest.
Victoria Cross: Squadron Leader I.W. Bazagette, DFC, posthumously, Trossy-St-Maxin flying bomb site, 4th August 1944.
Carroed out first operational trials of Lancaster Mark VI from July to November 1944.
unquote
November4, thanks for covering the raid details.
Formed as a Pathfinder squadron in 8 Group on 20 March 1944 and flew Lancasters from Downham Market until the end of the war.
635 Squadron flew 2,225 Lancaster sorties and lost 34 aircraft (1.5 per cent) in 189 raids. 7 further Lacasters were destoryed in crashes.
Points of interest.
Victoria Cross: Squadron Leader I.W. Bazagette, DFC, posthumously, Trossy-St-Maxin flying bomb site, 4th August 1944.
Carroed out first operational trials of Lancaster Mark VI from July to November 1944.
unquote
November4, thanks for covering the raid details.
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All in all though I think night bombing was only deemed 3% accurate against military manufacturing and only 20% accurate against even hitting the manufacturing city early in the war.
The National Archives Learning Curve | World War II | Western Europe 1939-1945: Hamburg | Why did the RAF bomb cities?
The National Archives Learning Curve | World War II | Western Europe 1939-1945: Hamburg | Why did the RAF bomb cities?
N4, if it is of any interest, one of the Pavilions at Wyton bears Sqn Ldr Bazalgettes name (the others are named Swales, Palmer and Bennett) in honour of the PFF.
