6 Bomber Group April 24/25, 1944
21 Lancasters from 408 and 426 squadrons were joined by 116 Halifaxes from 420, 424, 425, 427, 429, 431, 432, and 433 Squadrons on an attack at Karlsruhe. The crews were over the target at between 15,000 and 23,000 feet, releasing 248,000 lbs of high explosives and 401,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the target was cloud covered and bombing was scattered. All crews commented on the severe icing to this target.
18 Halifaxes from 419, 428 and 434 Squadrons were ordered on a mining operation to St. Malo, Cherbourg and the Frisian Islands. The crews were over the garden at between 10,000 and 12,000 feet, sowing 36@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
637 aircraft - 369 Lancasters, 259 Halifaxes, 9 Mosquitoes - of all groups except 5 Group. 19 aircraft - 11 Lancasters, 8 Hallfaxes - lost, 3·0 per cent of the force,
Cloud over the target und n strong wind which pushed the Pathfinders too far north spoiled this attack. Only the northern part of Karlsruhe was seriously damager und most of the bombs fell outside the city. It has been difficult to obtain details from this target. One report says that 23 people were killed, 133 were injured and mon than 900 houses were destroyed or badly damaged, but another report gives the number of people killed as I 18. Mannheim, 30 miles to the north, recorded a raid by approximately 100 aircraft on this night and Darmstadt, Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg were also hit by aircraft which failed to find the main target. It must be assumer that many bombs fell in open country between Karlsruhe and Mannheim; another German report says that bombs fell in 120 parishes.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax BIII aircraft LV 962 QB-X was returning from night operations over Karlsruhe, Germany when it was intercepted and shot down by the night fighter crew of Oberleutnant Werner Baake & Unteroffizier Rolf Bettaque of the 2/NJG 1 from Venlo airfield, Netherlands in He 219 A-0 G9+BK
The bomber crashed west of the Draepkilweg road at Werkendam, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Flying Officer JE Tinline (RCAF), Flying Officer DA Crosbie (RCAF), Pilot Officer LJH Boudreau (RCAF), Pilot Officer ZR Trudeau (RCAF) and Pilot Officer PM Maloney (RAAF) were all killed in action
Pilot Officer RW Brown (RCAF) and FS CA Phyall (RAFVR) survived and were taken as Prisoners of War
FS Phyall was severely injured and would be a POW for eleven months before being repatriated to England but succumbed to his injuries and died 1945-03-21There were two 424 Squadron Halifax III aircraft lost on this operation. Please see Hughi,Warrant Officer for information regarding Halifax HX 318 QB-O
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