6 Bomber Group November 18/19, 1943
29 Lancasters from 408 and 426 squadrons were ordered on an attack at Berlin. The crews were over the target at between 20,000 and 23,000 feet, releasing 100,000 lbs of high explosives and 30,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the target was cloud covered and bombing was scattered.
While the attack on Berlin was going on, 94 Halifaxes from 419, 427,428, 429, 431, and 434 were ordered on an attack at Mannheim. The crew were over the target at between 18,000 and 21,000 feet, releasing 164,000 lbs of high explosives and 242,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the target was cloud covered, but severe damage was caused to some industrial complexes. This attack was ordered to split the fighter defences. Most of the fighters followed this attack and 7 crews were lost. 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, 5·8 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. ORB identifies the target as Ludwigshaven
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax V aircraft LK 640 SE-Q was returning from a mission to Mannheim, Germany when it was hit by flak over Abbeville, France. The Halifax crashed in the English Channel and the entire crew was lost
Flying Officer GO Carefoot (RCAF), Sergeant EE Case (RCAF), Pilot Officer CE McGillivray (RCAF), Sergeant RWM Cowan (RAFVR), Sergeant PS Lowry (RAFVR) and Sergeant JK Shipp (RAFVR) were killed in action
These air crew members are buried at various cemeteries in England and France, indicating that they drifted in the current and washed ashore in various locations after the crash
Sergeant AE Roden (RCAF),missing, believed killed in action and commemorated on the Runnymede War Memorial
There was a second 431 Squadron Halifax V lost on this same operation. Please see Gilchrist, F for information on Halifax LK 632 SE-M
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