6 Bomber Group May 29/30, 1943
38 Halifaxes from 408, 419, and 427 Squadrons were joined by 55 Wellingtons from 426, 428, 429, 431, and 432 Squadrons on an attack at Wuppertal. The crews were over the target at between 12,000 and 19,000 feet, releasing 98,000 lbs of high explosives and 213,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, bombing was accurate and severe damage was done. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
719 aircraft- 292 Lancasters, 185 Halifaxes, II8 Stirlings, II3 Wellingtons, II Mosquitoes. 33 aircraft - IO Halifaxes, 8 Stirlings, 8 Wellingtons, 7 Lancasters - lost, 4·6 per cent of the force.
This attack was aimed at the Barmen half of the long and narrow town of Wuppertal and was the outstanding success of the Battle of the Ruhr, Both Pathfinder and Main Force bombing was particularly accurate and a large fire area developed in the narrow streets of the old centre of the town. It is probable that the fire was so severe that the first, small form of what would later become known as 'firestorm' developed. Because it was a Saturday night, many of the town's fire a air-raid officials were not present, having gone to their country homes for the week end, and the fire services of the town - in their first raid - were not able to control the fires.
Approximately 1,000 acres - possibly 80 per cent of Barmen's built-up area was destroyed by fire. 5 out of the town's 6 largest factories, 211 other industrial premises and nearly 4,000 houses were completely destroyed. The number of buildings classed as seriously damaged - 71 industrial and 1,800 domestic - indicates the high proportion of complete destruction. Various figures were given for the number people killed but our expert on Ruhr raids, Norbert Kriiger, advises that the figure 'approximately 3,400' is the nearest reasonable estimate.
The above figures indicate that the property damage in this raid was about twice as severe as any previous raid on a German city, while the number of people killed in this comparatively unprepared backwater of the Ruhr, was about 5 times greater than any previous city raid.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
There were two 419 Sqdn. aircraft lost this night. Please see FS R.M. Ricketts for information regarding the other crew and aircraft.
Bomber Command Museum Monthly ORB
