6 Group Unavailable
Thursday the 20th of January 1944, at 16:20 Halifax Mk.V EB246 took off from RAF Leeming, the target was Berlin and the RAF dispatched 769 aircraft. Records show that 35 aircraft were lost (4.6%) this was considered an acceptable loss rate at this stage of the war. The 472 Squadron aircraft apparently took off in the late afternoon/early evening, and on arrival (possibly at about 8pm) over Berlin the target was completely cloud covered. Pathfinders thus used a sky marking system to mark the target using red flares and green stars, this system was code named as ‘Wanganui’ and the target position was determined using H2S a ground scanning radar. A google search on WWW.427squadron.com supplies very useful anecdotal information an all of 427 squadron operations and is worth examining.
RAF records could not determine if any damage was caused to the target, the Eastern area of Berlin, but note Luftwaffe night fighters were very active. The records available from the RAF give little help on the loss of Sierra Sue, however Luftwaffe records which tended to be very accurate now give some insight into the raid from a German point of view.
The Luftwaffe records (OKL/RLM) are crucial to understanding the situation over Berlin that night, they record the raid occurred between 1910 and 2000 hours on the evening of the 20th of January. Causing damage to the East of the city in the areas of Neubrandenburg and Eberswalde. As these names are of German towns many miles from Berlin it would be reasonable to assume they are referring to streets of those names within the city area geographically. Also damage was caused to areas to the South of Berlin. With the last RAF bomber leaving German airspace at 2243. Because of the extreme weather conditions the Luftwaffe only utilised their most experienced crews from 1 Fighter Corp, flying JU88, ME109 and ME110 night fighters. It should be noted that German aircraft were very heavily armed with cannon invariably 20mm, with some of the twin engine aircraft having 30mm. 98-night fighters were deployed using the Y Gerat radio beam system to locate the RAF bombers. The Luftwaffe note they brought down 33 bombers over occupied territory and lost 7 fighters including 1 to friendly anti-aircraft fire, with 5 aircrew dead and 6 wounded. The two additional aircraft lost by the RAF probably crashed as result of damage caused during the attack by either flak or fighters, into the sea on the return flight?
Further research has now revealed that EB246, ‘Siera Sue’. was in a stream of bombers approaching initially from the West but then turning South to South East into the city. From what occurred a few minutes later it is fair to assume that Bruce’s plane satisfactorily bombed on the sky markers, then followed the designated departure route South of Berlin for some miles before turning South West. With the intention of then turning East to East North East on the home track. We now know that as the bomber stream departed South of the city, they were tracked by radar and night fighters alike. Five Junkers 88, night fighters tracking the bombers dropped red sky marking flares for other fighters to be drawn on.
Before the crew had the opportunity to make the final homeward track they were intercepted by Hauptman Leopold (Poldi) FELLERER of Stab 2 NJG 5 and his crew, Fw (NCO) HATSCHER (radio and radar operator) and Uffz (Junior NCO) SCHOPF (air gunner). They were flying a Messerschmidt BF110 G-4 Wrk.No740039 C9+AC (they were pictured with this aircraft shortly before the 20th January raid).
This night fighter was equipped with radar and armed with two oblique cannon firing through the rear of the cockpit, code named as Schrage-Musik. These were magazine fed by the gunner and supplemented the forward firing cannon and machine guns. The oblique canons installed are attributed with bringing down as many as 50% of bombers lost during the later part of the RAF night bombing campaign.
The actions of Fellerer and his crew are notable. Having joined the bomber stream at 1940hrs he shot down a Halifax LK958 of 76 squadron still carrying its bomb load. At 1950hrs he brought down Halifax LL141 of 434 squadron, at 1958hrs a third Halifax LL179 also of 434 squadron was shot down by this crew. By now the departing aircraft stream was South of Berlin when at 2005hrs Fellerer came upon ‘Sierra Sue’ he made short work of his attack and Bruce and his crew crashed near Trebitz, there is nothing to indicate they had any opportunity to escape the crashing Halifax. Still not finished with his nights work at 2011hrs Fellerer shot down his fifth aircraft of the night a further 76 squadron Halifax LK921 (initially mistaken as a Lancaster).
All of Fellerer’s victims were confirmed by scrupulous German record keeping giving him the dubious honour of an ‘Ace in a day’ He was awarded the Knights Cross and German cross in gold. The location that ‘Sierra Sue’ crashed is noted as Trebitz, Wittenberg, Germany, Trebitz is a very small village in Saxony region just over 80 miles from Berlin. From Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) records we know that the crew remains were recovered from the aircraft or its vicinity and buried locally in the village by the Germans. Consequently, we know now that the dates of death held by the CWGC are incorrect as the aircraft crashed shortly after 2000 hrs on the 20th of January.This account of EB246's last mission was researched by Geoff Moore a relative of Flight Sergeant Bruce Findlay
Luftwaffe records for January 20 1944 from Nachtjagd Combat Archive by Theo Boiten
