Halifax MZ859 B.Mk.III - Bombing Hamburg Germany - 1944-07-28 to 1944-07-29
Squadron: (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1944-07-28
Completion Date: 1944-07-29
Mission: Bombing
Operation: Battle of Normandy
Target City: Hamburg Germany
Target Specific:
Base: Croft
Take Off Time: 22.32
Squadron Code: SE A
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Büsumer Deichhausen, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: fighter
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:

Stuttgart

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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)

307 aircraft - 187 Halifaxes, ro6 Lancasters, 14 Mosquitoes - from 1, 6 and 8 Groups. German fighters again appeared, this time on the homeward flight, and 18 Halifaxes and 4 Lancasters were lost, 7·2 per cent of the force. The Halifax casualties were 9·6 per cent; 431 (Canadian) Squadron, flying from Croft airfield in Co. Durham, lost 5 of its 17 aircraft on the raid.

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This was the first heavy raid on Hamburg since the Battle of Hamburg just a year earlier. The bombing on this raid was not well concentrated. The Germans estimated that only 120 aircraft bombed in the city area, with no recognizable aiming point, though western and harbour areas received the most bombs. A large proportion of the attack fell on areas devastated in 1943 but 265 people were killed and more than 17,000 had to be evacuated from homes damaged in this raid, many of which were probably only temporary wooden accommodation at this stage of the war. Brunswig (p. 339) describes how a panic developed at the large Reeperbahn air-raid shelter when a lone aircraft came in to bomb after the all clear had sounded and nearby Flak guns opened fire. 2 women were trampled to death and others were badly hurt.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

Halifax BIII aircraft MZ 859 SE-A was lost during a night operation, an attack against Hamburg, Germany. Homeward-bound, the Halifax was shot down by night fighter pilot Leutnant Rolf Ebhardt of the 8/NJG 1,out of Twente airfield in the Netherlands, flying Bf 110 G-4 G9+ES. The bomber crashed at Büsumer Deichhausen, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Pilot Officer GE Sidebottom (RCAF), Flying Officer GR Miles (RCAF), Pilot Officer GR Baumann (RCAF), Pilot Officer J Smith (RCAF), Sergeant WF Windsor (RCAF), and Pilot Officer JT Evans (RAFVR) were killed in action

A single crew member, Sergeant GL Cuffe (RCAF), survived and was taken Prisoner of War

There were four other 431 Squadron Halifax III aircraft lost in the same area on this date. Please see Aldred, WM for information on Halifax LK 833 SE-R, Sorel, WG for information on Halifax MZ 589 SE-H, Miller, RJ for information on Halifax LK 845 SE-J and Mills, AM for information on Halifax MZ 597 SE-B

Twenty-two 6 Group aircraft and crews failed to return from this operation

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