6 Bomber Group November 18, 1943
4 Lancasters from 432 squadron were ordered on a sea search. They were unsuccessful and returned to base. This was the first time 432 had been out with their Lancaster IIs since converting from the Wellington. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
395 aircraft - 248 Halifaxes, 114 Stirlings, 33 Lancasters - of 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups were on this major diversionary raid. German fighters successfully engaged the bomber force and 23 aircraft- 12 Halifaxes, 9 Stirlings, 2 Lancasters -were lost, y8 per cent of the force.
Cloud was present over the target area and much of the bombing was scattered. Mannheim reports that the majority of the damage was in the north of the city. 4 industrial buildings were destroyed and 11 seriously damaged, the most serious being the Daimler-Benz car factory which suffered a 90 per cent production loss for 'an unknown period'. 325 other buildings were destroyed and 335 seriously damaged, including 2 churches and 3 schools. 4 army barracks and the airfield at Sandhofen were all hit. 21 people were killed, 154 injured and 7,500 bombed out. Many bombs fell outside the city and the local report lists much damage and loss at farms.This was the last major raid on the much-bombed city of Mannheim for 15 months.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. Halifax BII aircraft LW 239 VR-K missing during an attack against Mannheim, Germany, shot down by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Albert Walter of the 1/NJG 6, flying a Bf 110 G-4 from Mainz-Finthen airfield. The bomber crashed east of Brodenbach, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Flying Officer JS Smith (RCAF), Flying Officer ED Fogg (RCAF), Flying Officer GL McLaughlin (RCAF), Sergeant DJ MacDonald (RCAF), Sergeant WJ Gerow (RCAF), Sergeant KA Farmer (RCAF), and Sergeant FJ Davidson (RAFVR) were all killed in action
The bodies of this crew were not located until four years after they were lost, in November 1947
There were two 419 Squadron Halifax II aircraft lost on this operation. Please see Sedgwick, AL for information on Halifax LW 328 VR-L
Bomber Command Museum Monthly ORB
