FRANKFURT
{{webimage,wardiaries.jpg,float:right;width:150px;,Book no longer in print}}846 aircraft - 620 Lancasters, 209 Halifaxes, 17 Mosquitoes. The German fighter force was again split. One part was lured north by the Heligoland mining operation but the second. part waited in Germany and met the bomber stream just before the target was reached, although cloud made it difficult for these fighters to achieve much success. 22 aircraft- 12 Halifaxes, IO Lancasters -were lost, 2·6 per cent of the force.
The Pathfinders marked the target accurately and this led to heavy bombing of eastern, central and western districts of Frankfurt. The later phases of the bombing were scattered but this was almost inevitable with such a large force; new crews were usually allocated to the final waves. Extensive destruction was caused in Frankfurt. The local report gives a long list of 'cultural buildings', including the Opera House and the preserved medieval quarter, destroyed. Most of the report consists of statistics: 5,495 houses, 99 industrial firms, 412 small businesses, 56 public buildings= all destroyed or seriously damaged; many other buildings were lightly damaged. 421 civilians were killed and 55,500 were bombed out. A military train was hit and 20 soldiers in it were killed and 80 wounded but this may have been by the action of a Fighter Command Intruder aircraft; the Frankfurt report says that the train was shot up by cannon-fire.
6 Bomber Group March 18/19, 1944
25 Lancasters from 408 and 426 Squadrons were joined by 94 Halifaxes from 420, 424, 425, 427, 429, 432, and 433 Squadrons on an attack at Frankfurt. The crews were over the target at between 18,000 and 23,000 feet, releasing 73,000 lbs of high explosives and 411,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, target marking was accurate and serious damage was caused.
While the Frankfurt attack was taking place, 39 Halifaxes from 419,428, 431 and 434 squadrons were ordered on a mining operation to Heligoland. The crews were over the garden at between 11,000 and 12,000 feet, sowing74@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
846 aircraft - 620 Lancasters, 209 Halifaxes, 17 Mosquitoes. The German fighter force was again split. One part was lured north by the Heligoland mining operation but the second. part waited in Germany and met the bomber stream just before the target was reached, although cloud made it difficult for these fighters to achieve much success. 22 aircraft- 12 Halifaxes, I0 Lancasters -were lost, 2·6 per cent of the force.
The Pathfinders marked the target accurately and this led to heavy bombing of eastern, central and western districts of Frankfurt. The later phases of the bombing were scattered but this was almost inevitable with such a large force; new crews were usually allocated to the final waves. Extensive destruction was caused in Frankfurt. The local report gives a long list of 'cultural buildings', including the Opera House and the preserved medieval quarter, destroyed. Most of the report consists of statistics: 5,495 houses, 99 industrial firms, 412 small businesses, 56 public buildings= all destroyed or seriously damaged; many other buildings were lightly damaged. 421 civilians were killed and 55,500 were bombed out. A military train was hit and 20 soldiers in it were killed and 80 wounded but this may have been by the action of a Fighter Command Intruder aircraft; the Frankfurt report says that the train was shot up by cannon-fire
424 Tiger Squadron (Castigandos Castigamus) RAF Skipton on Swale. Halifax BIII aircraft LW 460 QB-U, on a raid against targets in Frankfurt, Germany was hit by flak and abandoned. The Halifax crashed at Wolf, Germany on the Mosel River
Flying Officer RA Turner (RCAF), Flying Officer JCG Barry (RCAF), Pilot Officer JRA Bedard (RCAF), Pilot Officer JM Dalgleish (RCAF), Flying Officer JA Dwyer (RCAF), Sergeant WE Addison (RAF) and Sergeant DJ Clouston (RAF) all survived and were taken as Prisoners of War
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
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