6 Bomber Group June 24/25, 1943
37 Halifaxes from 408, 419, 427, and 428 Squadrons were joined by 38 Wellingtons from 429, 431, and 432 Squadrons on an attack at Wuppertal. The crews were over the target at between 12,000 and 20,000 feet, releasing 96,000 lbs of high explosives and 188,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, bombing was accurate and severe damage was caused. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
630 aircraft - 251 Lancasters, 171 Halifaxes, IOI Wellingtons, 98 Stirlings, 9 Mos-quitoes. 34 aircraft - IO Halifaxes, IO Stirlings, 8 Lancasters, 6 Wellingtons - lost, s- 4 per cent of the force.
This attack was aimed at the Elberfeld half of Wuppertal, the Barmen half of the town having been devastated at the end of May, The Pathfinder marking was accurate and the Main Force bombing started well but the creepback became more pronounced than usual. 30 aircraft bombed targets in more western parts of the Ruhr; Wuppertal was at the eastern end of the area. These bombing failures were probably a result of the recent run of intensive operations incurring casualties at a high level: However, much serious damage was again caused to this medium-sized Ruhr town. The post-war British survey estimated that 94 per cent of the Elberfeld part of Wuppertal was destroyed on this night and Wuppertal's own records show that more bombs fell in Elberfeld than had fallen in Barmen on the last raid. 171 industrial premises and approximately 3,000 houses -were destroyed; 53 industrial premises and 2,500 houses were severely damaged. Approximately 1,800 people were killed and 2,400 injured.
There was a dramatic incident in Gelsenkirchen, 20 miles north of Wuppertal, when an R.A.F. 4-engined bomber crashed into the hall of a building which had been taken over by the Wehrmacht. The bomber blew up 'with a terrific explosion'. A German officer, 13 soldiers, the caretaker of the building and 5 Dutch trainee postal workers were killed and 2 more soldiers died later.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) Middleton St George, Halifax II aircraft JD 147 VR-C, on a raid to Wuppertal, Germany and turning toward the target when it was hit by cannon fire from night fighter pilot Oberfeldwebel Reinhard Kollak of the 7/NJG 4 (detached to II/NJG 1), flying Bf 110 G-4 3C+ER from St Trond (Sint-Truiden) airfield, Belgium. The Halifax caught fire, the bomb load was jettisoned and the aircraft was turned for home. The fire could not be extinguished and pilot Squadron Leader Jost ordered the crew to bale out
Flying Officer ROE Goodwin (RCAF) baled and was killed when his parachute failed to open Sergeant RE Austin (RAF), FS L Barker (RAF), FS AWA Bruce (RAF) and Sergeant EB Pope (RAF) all baled and survived to be taken as Prisoners of War Squadron Leader BN Jost DFC (RCAF) and flight engineer Sergeant JB Johnson (RCAF) stayed at the controls of the burning aircraft to allow the rest of the crew to bale and turn it away from town. They were too low to bale and were both killed in the crash of bomber near Herten, Limburg, Netherlands
There was a second 419 Squadron Halifax II aircraft lost on this operation. Please see Neale, GV for information on Halifax JD 214 VR-U
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