6 Bomber Group December 29/30, 1943
39 Lancasters from 408, 426, and 432 Squadrons were joined by 90 Halifaxes from 419, 427, 428, 429, 431, and 434 squadrons on an attack at Berlin. The crews were over the target at between 18,000 and 24,000 feet, releasing 300,000 lbs of high explosives and 432,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, there was thick cloud over the target with some damage. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
,p>712 aircraft - 457 Lancasters, 252 Halifaxes, 3 Mosquitoes. A long approach route from the south, passing south of the Ruhr and then within 20 miles of Leipzig, together with Mosquito diversions at Diisseldorf, Leipzig and Magdeburg, caused the German controller great difficulties and there were few fighters over Berlin. Bad weather on the outward route also kept down the number of German fighters finding the bomber stream. 20 aircraft - I I Lancasters, 9 Halifax es - were lost, 2 · 8 per cent of the force.
Berlin was again cloud-covered. The Bomber Command report claiming a concentrated attack on sky-markers is not confirmed by the local report. The heaviest bombing was in the southern and south-eastern districts but many bombs also fell to the east of the city. 388 houses and other mixed property were destroyed but no item of major interest is mentioned. I 82 people were killed, more than 600 were injured and over 10,000 were bombed out.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Bomber Command Museum Monthly ORB
