Stuttgart
{{webimage,wardiaries.jpg,float:right;width:150px;,Book no longer in print}}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.
·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
431 Iroquois Squadron (The Hatiten Ronteriios) RAF Croft, Halifax BIII aircraft MZ 589 SE-H missing during night operations over Hamburg, Germany, lost without a trace. The bomber is believed to have crashed into the North Sea about 18 miles (25 km) east of Heligoland, Germany after being shot down by Lt Rolf Ebhardt in an 8/NJG 1 night-fighter
Pilot Officer WG Sorel (RCAF) Flying Officer JB Coliver (RCAF), Flying Officer N Bailey (RCAF), Flying Officer MER MacFarlane (RCAF), Pilot Officer RA Leman (RCAF), Pilot Officer NS Jermey (RCAF) and Sergeant WE Desborough (RAFVR) were all missing, believed killed in action
This aircrew have no known graves and are all commemorated on the Runnymede War Memorial
There were four other 431 Squadron Halifax III aircraft lost on this operation and date. Please see Sidebottom, GE for information on Halifax MZ 859 SE-A, Mills, AM for information on Halifax MZ 597 SE-B, Miller, RJ for information on Halifax LK 845 SE-J and Aldred, WM for information on Halifax LK 833 SE-RTwenty-two 6 Group aircraft and crews failed to return from this operation
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