6 Bomber Group September 15/16, 1944
172 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, 431, 432, 433 and 434 Squadrons were joined by 28 Lancasters from 419 and 428 Squadrons on an attack at Kiel. The crews were over the target at between 16,500and 21,500 feet, releasing 442,000 lbs of high explosives and 913,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the weather was clear and severe damages were caused.
While some crews went to Kiel, 20 Halifaxes from 424, 427, and 429 squadrons were ordered on a mining operation to Kiel Bay and Oslo. The crews were over the garden at between 10,000 and 15,000 feet, sowing 76@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
490 aircraft- 3rn Lancasters, 173 Halifaxes, 7 Mosquitoes - of I, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 4 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters lost.
The evidence of returning crews and of photographs caused Bomber Command to record this as 'a highly concentrated raid' with 'the old town and modern shopping centre devastated'. The local report confirms this as a heavy attack, and records damage in the centre and port areas, but describes how much of the bombing fell outside Kiel. Unusually low numbers of 12 deaths and 28 people injured were recorded.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax aircraft NP 719 missing during a night trip, an attack against Kiel, Germany. P/O.s J.G.G.A. Labelle, D.R. MacCarthy, J.C. Gallagher, H.N. McLeod, C.D. Crowe, F/O. J.E. LeBlanc, and Sgt. C.F. Gill (RAF) were killed.
