Stuttgart
{{webimage,wardiaries.jpg,float:right;width:150px;,Book no longer in print}}494 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitos of 1,3,5, and 8 Groups in the last raid of the current series on the target. German fighters intercepted the bomber stream while over France on the outward flight; there was a bright moon and 39 Lancasters were shot down. 7.9% of the force.
6 Bomber Group July 28/29, 1944
46 Lancasters from 408, 419, and 428 Squadron were joined by 186 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 425, 427, 429, 431, 432, 433, and 434 Squadrons on an attack at Hamburg. The crews were over the target at between 16,000 and 22,000 feet, releasing 2,019,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, some bombing fell into the port area, otherwise the attack was scattered. On this attack, 6 Group suffered their highest losses. 22 crews failed to return.
As well as the crews that went to Hamburg, 5 Halifaxes from424 Squadron were ordered on a mining operation to Heligoland. The crews were over the garden at between 12,000 and 15,000 feet, sowing 20@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
415 Swordfish Squadron (Ad Metam) RAF East Moor. Halifax BIII aircraft LW 595 6U-Q, named "Queen of Them All" was lost during a night attack on targets in Hamburg, Germany. The bomber was shot down by night fighter pilot Leutnant Bruno Heilig of Stab IV/NJG3 and crashed at Stotel, south of Bremerhaven, Germany
Flying Officer Dugald Morrison (RCAF), Pilot Officer Walter Dennis Robertson (RCAF), Pilot Officer Lloyd William McElroy (RCAF) and Pilot Officer George Campbell Reason (RCAF) were all killed in action
Flying Officer Arthur George Stein (RCAF), Flying Officer George Kenneth Renaud (RCAF), Pilot Officer Arthur Wilfred Prosofsky (RCAF), and Sergeant Angus McLeod Maclver (RAFVR) were all missing, presumed killed in action and had no known grave. These four crew members were originally commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial until 1956, when their graves was identified at Stotel and re-interred at Sage War Cemetery in Germany
Only one crew member, Bomb Aimer Sergeant Robert Alfred Harvey (RCAF) survived and was taken Prisoner of War (R Koval)
Another 415 Squadron aircraft on this operation, Halifax III MZ 686 6U-U had an engine failure on take-off, swerved off the runway an crashed. Miraculously, the crew escaped, safe
Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 Part 4 24 July - 15 October by Theo Boiten, page 20
6 Group Bomber Command, An Operational Record by Chris Ward, page 153
RAF & RCAF Aircraft Nose Art in World War II by Clarence Simonsen, page 48
Metal Canvas, Canadians and World war II Aircraft Nose Art by Stephen M Fochuk, page 122
Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database
Aircraft Accidents in Yorkshire
Halifax - LW595....Confusion - WARTIMES.ca
