6 Group Unavailable
760 aircraft - 498 Lancasters, 256 Halifaxes, 6 Mosquitoes - to continue Operation Thunderclap. The operation started badly when 9 aircraft of 6 Group crashed near their bases soon after taking off in icy conditions. 426 Squadron, at Linton-on-Ousc, lost 3 out of their 14 Halifaxes taking part in the raid in this way, with only I man surviving. 1 of the Halifaxes crashed in York, killing some civilians. 22 further aircraft were lost in the main operation - 14 Lancasters and 8 I·Ialifaxes
The city of Karl-Marx-Stadt was unable to supply any local details but it Is known that the centre and the south of the city suffered severe fire damage. Several important factories were situated in the fire area and the Siegmar factory, which made tank engines, was destroyed.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Lancaster BI aircraft NG 458 QB-H failed to return from night operations over Chemnitz, Germany. It is believed that the Lancaster crashed and exploded after a mid-air collision with an escorting fighter
On 1945-03-06, Squadron Leader A. Ross Dawson, the Chief Technical Officer with 424/433 Sqns at Skipton on Swale, wrote in his diary:
Chemnitz was the target last night & unfortunately we lost Flight Lieutenant Don Ross in "H" of 424. It sure is too bad since he was a swell guy & of course went though Riverdale Collegiate with me at home."
Diary of A Ross Dawson, courtesy CWMFlying Officer FE Seaby (RCAF) and Sergeant AK Rayner (RAFVR) were killed in action and are buried in Germany
Flying Officer HM Weaver (RCAF), Flying Officer AV Cash (RCAF)(USA), Flight Lieutenant DA Ross (RCAF) and Pilot Officer JM Atchison (RCAF) were missing, presumed killed in action. These aircrew have no known grave and are commemorated on the Runnymede War Memorial
FS CJ Antonek was the sole survivor of his crew and was taken Prisoner of War
Book- The Mystery of Frankenberg's Canadian Airman by Peter Hessel
RAF losses 5./6. March 1945 [Archive] - Luftwaffe and Allied Air...