6 Bomber Group September 23, 1943
4 Wellingtons from 432 squadron were sent out on a sea search. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
628 aircraft- 312 Lancasters, 193 Halifaxes, II5 Stirlings, 8 Mosquitoes. 5 B-r7s also took part. 32 aircraft- 18 Lancasters, 7 Halifaxes, 7 Wellingtons - lost, 5·1 per cent of the force.
This raid was intended to destroy the northern part of Mannheim, which had not been so severely hit in the successful raid earlier in the month. The Pathfinder plan worked well and concentrated bombing fell on the intended area, although later stages of the raid crept back across the northern edge of Ludwigshafen and out into the open country. The following buildings were destroyed in Mannheim: 927 houses, 20 Industrial premises, 11 schools, 6 public buildings and a church, A large number of other buildings were damaged and approximately 25,000 people were bombed out of their homes. 102 people were killed and 418 were injured. There were more than 2,000 fires. Local records (provided on this night by Herr Erwin Folz and not from the local authorities) show that the later stages of the bombing crept back across the Rhine to the northern part of Ludwigshafen, where the LG. Farben factory was severely damaged, and then to the smaller outlying towns of Oppau and Frankenthal. Ludwigshafen suffered 47 people killed and 260 injured. A further 8,000 people were bombed out, of whom 4,289 were foreign workers. The centre of the small town of Frankenthal was completely burnt out and 38 people were killed there.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Bomber Command Museum Monthly ORB
