6 Bomber Group October 8/9, 1943
16 Lancasters from 408 and 426 squadrons were joined by 70 Halifaxes from 419, 427, 428, 429, 431, and 434 squadrons and 14 Wellingtons from 432 squadron on an attack at Hannover. The crews were over the target at between 18,000 and 22,000 feet, releasing 272,000 lbs of high explosives and 294,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the sky was clear and an accurate attack was made with severe damage being caused. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
504 aircraft- 282 Lancasters, 188 Halifaxes, 26 Wellingtons, 8 Mosquitoes. This was the last Bomber Command raid in which Wellingtons took part. 300 (Polish) and 432 (Canadian) Squadrons provided the 26 Wellingtons which operated on this night; they all returned safely. The German controller guessed correctly that Hannover was the target and many night fighters arrived before the attack was over. 27 aircraft- 14 Lancasters and 13 Halifaxes - were lost, 5.4 per cent of the force.
Conditions over Hannover were clear and the Pathfinders were finally able to mark the centre of the city accurately; a most concentrated attack followed with a creepback of only 2 miles, all within the built-up area. This was probably Hannover's worst attack of the war. The local report describes extensive damage in the centre of. the city and in many other parts except the west. The telephone system and electricity supply failed at the beginning of the raid and many water mains were quickly broken. A large area of fire quickly developed in the centre and south-central districts. Acting upon instructions from the Party Headquarters and from district air-raid posts, the population were shepherded to collecting places in open areas between the fires. This action is believed to have saved many lives but 1,200 people were killed and 3,345 were injured, 449 seriously so. A further 6,000-8,000 people received eye injuries because of smoke and heat. 3,932 buildings were completely destroyed and more than 30,000 were damaged in varying degree, but no individual buildings are named. R.A.F. reconnaissance, however, showed that the important Continental rubber factory and the Hanomag machine works were badly hit.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
431 (Iroquois) Squadron RCAF (The hatiten ronteriios), RAF Tholthorpe. Halifax V aircraft LK 657 SE-K was coned by searchlights from 2/Reserve Flakscheinwerfer Abteilung 139 (Werfer 59) and shot down by Flak batteries 1, 2,& 4 Schwere Abteilung 801, during an operation against targets in Hanover, Germany. The Halifax crashed at Klein-Burgwedel, NE of Hanover at 1:46 AM with the loss of all but one aircrew member
Warrant Officer 1st Class John Edward Ryan (RCAF), Sergeant Francis Rudd (RCAF), Sergeant Donald Albert Adams (RAFVR), Sergeant Thomas Alfred Ashcroft (RAFVR), Flying Officer Robert Edward Baker (RAFVR), Flying Officer Ronald Victor Fisher (RAFVR) and Warrant Officer Peter John Hay (RAFAAF) were all killed in action.
Canadian Flying Officer Albin Rollack (RCAF) was the lone survivor from the crew and survived to become a Prisoner of War
There were two 431 Squadron aircraft lost on this date. Please see aircraft serial DK 265 SE-C for information regarding the other aircraft and crew.
Nachtjagd Combat Archive, 1943 Part 3, 23 September - 31 December by Theo Boiten, page 38
Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database
