6 Bomber Group April 27/28, 1944
19 Lancasters from 408 and 426 Squadrons were ordered on an attack at Friedrichshafen. The crews were over the target at between 20,000 and 21,000 feet, releasing 48,000 lbs of high explosives and 77,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, this attack was accurate with severe damage being caused. A factory making tank gearboxes was totally destroyed.
While the Lancasters went to Freidrichshafen, 47 Halifaxes from 419,431, 432, and 434 Squadrons were joined by 8 Lancasters from 419 Squadron on an attack of the rail yards at Montzen. The crews were over the target at between 13,000 and 15,000 feet, releasing 591,000 lbs of high explosives.According to reports, the attack was scattered and only half of the yards were damaged. This attack was intercepted by German Night fighters and 10 crews failed to return.
90 Halifaxes from 420, 424, 425, 427, 428, 429, and 433 Squadrons were ordered on an attack of the rail yards at Aulnoye. The crews were over the target at between 3,000 and 7,000 feet, releasing 942,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, the target was accurately bombed with severe damage.
8 Halifaxes from 428 Squadron were ordered on a mining operation toCherbourg. The crews were over the garden at between 12,000 and 15,000feet, sowing 16@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
144 aircraft- 120 Halifaxes, 16 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitoes - of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. The bombing force, particularly the second of the 2 waves, was intercepted by German lighters and 14 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster were shot down. Only one part of the railway yards was hit by the bombing.
The only Lancaster lost was that of Squadron Leader E. M. Blenkinsopp, a Canadian pilot of 405 Squadron who was acting as Deputy Master Bomber. Blenklnsopp managed to team up with a Belgian Resistance group and remained with them until captured by the Germans in December 1944. He was taken to Hamburg to work as a forced labourer and later died in Belsen concentration camp of "heart failure". He has no known grave.
419 Moose Sqn (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. Halifax II aircraft JN 954 VR-R shot down by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Hans-Heinz Augenstein of the 12/NJG 1, who was flying a Bf 110 G-4 from St Trond (Sint-Truiden) airfield in Belgium
The Halifax crashed at Heer in the SE suburbs of Maastricht, Limburg, Holland on an operation to bomb the railyards at Montzen, Belgium
Pilot Officer KD Tucker (RCAF), Pilot Officer SH Goulding (RCAF), Pilot Officer ER Dujay (RCAF), Pilot Officer RA McIvor (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 2 JD Bremner (RCAF), Warrant Officer WT Claridge (RCAF), and Sergeant SJ Rigden (RCAF) were all killed in action
This was the last operation with Halifax aircraft for 419 Squadron
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
[Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
27/28.04.1944 No.419 Squadron Halifax II JN954 VR-R Pilot Officer Roderick...
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