6 Bomber Group August 12/13, 1944
36 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426, 432, and 433 Squadrons were joined by 12 Lancasters from 408, 419, and 428 Squadrons on an attack of enemy troop positions at Falaise. The crews were over the target at between 7,000 and 8,000 feet, releasing 392,000 lbs of high explosives.According to reports, this attack was effective.
While some crews attacked Falaise, 48 Halifaxes from 415, 424, 427,429, 431, 432, and 434 Squadrons were joined by 21 Lancasters from 419 and 428 Squadrons on an attack at Brunswick. The crews were over the target at between 19,000 and 20,000 feet, releasing 379,000 lbs of high explosives and 120,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, this attack was not marked by pathfinders and was scattered.
40 Halifaxes from 427, 429, 431, and 434 Squadrons were ordered on attacks of 2 V-1 sites at La Breteque and La Neuville. The crews were over the targets at between 9,000 and 10,000 feet, releasing 316,000 lbs of high explosives.
While the above attacks were taking place, 4 Halifaxes from 424 and433 Squadrons were ordered on a mining operation to Brest. The crews were over the garden at 13,000 feet, sowing 16@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
242 Lancasters and 137 Halifaxes. 17 Lancasters and 10 Halifaxes lost, 7·1 per cent of the force. This was an experimental raid. No Pathfinder aircraft took part and there was no marking. The intention was to discover how successfully a force of aircraft could carry out a raid with each crew bombing on the indications of its own H2S set. The raid was not successful and there was no concentration of bombing, The Brunswick report calls it a heavy raid but only states that bombs fell In the central and Statdtpark area and that 99 people were killed. Other towns, up to 20 miles distant were mistaken for Brunswick and were also bombed.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
. Halifax aircraft missing during night operations against Brunswick, Germany. Pilot Officer W. L. Harris was killed, F/Os W.H. Cram, W.C. Barrett, Campbell, Sergeants . Harvey, and R.A. Austin were taken Prisoners of War. One Canadian, Sergeant Maki, was an Evader
