6 Bomber Group April 27/28, 1944
19 Lancasters from 408 and 426 Squadrons were ordered on an attack at Friedrichshafen. The crews were over the target at between 20,000 and 21,000 feet, releasing 48,000 lbs of high explosives and 77,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, this attack was accurate with severe damage being caused. A factory making tank gearboxes was totally destroyed.
While the Lancasters went to Freidrichshafen, 47 Halifaxes from 419,431, 432, and 434 Squadrons were joined by 8 Lancasters from 419 Squadron on an attack of the rail yards at Montzen. The crews were over the target at between 13,000 and 15,000 feet, releasing 591,000 lbs of high explosives.According to reports, the attack was scattered and only half of the yards were damaged. This attack was intercepted by German Night fighters and 10 crews failed to return.
90 Halifaxes from 420, 424, 425, 427, 428, 429, and 433 Squadrons were ordered on an attack of the rail yards at Aulnoye. The crews were over the target at between 3,000 and 7,000 feet, releasing 942,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, the target was accurately bombed with severe damage.
8 Halifaxes from 428 Squadron were ordered on a mining operation toCherbourg. The crews were over the garden at between 12,000 and 15,000feet, sowing 16@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
144 aircraft- 120 Halifaxes, 16 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitoes-of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. The bombing force, particularly the second of the 2 waves, was intercepted by German fighters and 14 Halifaxes and I Lancaster were shot down. Only one part of the railway yards was hit by the bombing. The only Lancaster lost was that of Squadron Leader E M Blenkinsopp, a Canadian pilot of 405 Squadron who was acting as Deputy Master Bomber. Blenkinsopp managed to team up with a Belgian Resistance group and remained with them until captured by the Germans in December 1944. He was taken to Hamburg to work as a forced labourer and later died in Belsen concentration camp of 'heart failure'. He has no known grave.
432 Leaside Squadron ((Saeviter ad Lucem) RAF East Moor. Halifax BIII aircraft MZ588 QO-W missing from operations against the rail yards in Montzen, Belgium, shot down by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of the Stab IV/NJG 1 from St Trond (Sint-Truiden, Belgium) in Bf 110 G-4 G9+DF. The Halifax crashed in the Verviers area, province of Liege, Belgium
Flying Officer GH Parker (RCAF), Flying Office LD DeLoughry (RCAF), Flying Officer JM McLay (RCAF), Flying Officer JW Kerr (RCAF), Pilot Officer HW Davis (RCAF), and Sergeant J Shearer (RAFVR) were all killed in action
Pilot Officer RL Small (RCAF) and Pilot Officer GG Farrell (RCAF) survived and were taken as Prisoners of War
There were three 432 Squadron Halifax III aircraft lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serials LK 807 QO-J and LW 592 QO-A for additional information
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
432 Squadron Halifax III MZ588 QO:W Fg.Off. Deloughry,
"Belgians Remember Them": The Airmen fallen in action in WW2 in...
