6 Bomber Group October 25, 1944
198 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426,427, 429, 431, 432, 433, and 434 squadrons attacked the oil plant at Homberg. The crews were over the target between 16,000 and 19,000 feet releasing1,813,000 lbs of high explosives. The oil plant was cloud covered at the time of attack.
While the Halifaxes were attacking Homberg, 46 Lancasters from 419 and 428 squadrons attacked Essen. Crews were over the target at between 18,000 and 21,000 feet, releasing 184,000 lbs of high explosive and 321,000 lbs of incendiaries. The Krupps factories were hit hard on this raid. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
771 aircraft - 508 Lancasters, 25r Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitoes. 2 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters lost
The bombing was aimed at sky-markers, because the target area was covered by cloud. The Bomber Command report states that the attack became scattered but the local Essen report shows that more buildings were destroyed - 1163 - and more people were killed - 820 - than in the heavier night attack which had taken place 36 hours previously. The foreign workers, who were now present in large numbers ln German industrial cities and who usually had poorer air-raid shelters than the German people, once again suffered heavy casualties; 99 foreigners and 2 prlsoners of war were killed. A photographic reconnaissance flight which took place after this raid showed severe damage to the remaining industrial concerns in Essen, particularly to the Krupps steelworks. Some of the war industry had already moved lo small. dispersed factories but the coal mines and steelworks of the Ruhr were still important.
.The Krupps steelworks were particularly hard-hit by the two raids and there are references in the firm's archives to the 'almost complete breakdown of the electrical supply network' and to 'a complete paralysis'. The Borbeck pig-iron plant ceased work completely and there is no record of any further production from this importnnt section of Krupps.
Much of Essen's surviving industrial capacity was now dispersed and the cltyl lost its role as one of Germany's most important centres of war production.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax MZ945 Took off from Lissett at 12:20 in Halifax Mark III (Sqn code NP-W Bomber Command) on an operation to the Krupp Werks, Essen Germany. It was hit by flak and crashed at Bedburg, Germany
Killed: F/Lt Geoffrey Winston Woodward RAF KIA Flt Lt Woodward was initially buried in Vynen Cemetery as an unknown. Reinterred Rheinberg War Cemetery on 9 September 1948.Plot 10. Row D. Grave 22. (CWGC). Flt Lt Woodward and his crew were able to bale out of the flak damaged aircraft, he was last to leave and while on his parachute he was shot at and killed by ground forces. (Aircraft Accidents In Yorkshire)
Crew POW s Sergeant Emmett; Sergeant James Michael Currie; Sergeant Charles Henry Brookes RAF POW Stalag Luft L7, POW# 1094; Plt Off William Charles Wilson RNZAF - POW/Stalag Luft 3 Sagan & Belaria POW Number 8710. Flying Officer William Thomas John Clark RAF POW/Stalag Luft 3 Sagan & Belaria , Pilot Officer Leonard Cyril Packer RAF POW Stalag Luft L3, Sagan & Belaria, POW# 8713.
source: John Jones
