Lancaster KB750 Mk.X - Bombing Wiesbaden Germany - 1945-02-02 to 1945-02-03
Squadron: 419 (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1945-02-02
Completion Date: 1945-02-03
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Wiesbaden Germany
Target Specific:
Base: Middleton St. George
Take Off Time: 20.41
Squadron Code: VR N
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Wolf, Germany.
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: flak
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable

6 Bomber Group February 2/3 1945

109 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 425, 426, 427, 429, and 432 squadronswere ordered on an attack at Wanne-Eickel. The crews were over the target between 17,000 and 20,000 feet, releasing 675,000 lbs of high explosives.According to reports, the target was cloud covered and bombing missed the oil refinery. There was, however some damage to a coal mine.

While the Halifaxes from 6 group attacked Wanne-Eickel, 65 Lancasters from 419, 424, 428, 431, 433, and 434 squadrons were ordered on an attack at Weisbaden. The crews were over the target at between 12,000 and 20,000feet, releasing 368,000 lbs of incendiaries and 248,000 lbs of high explosives.According to reports, bombing took place through heavy cloud with serious damage being done. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)

495 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitoes of 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups. 3 Lancasters crashed ln France.

This was Bomber Command's one and only large raid on Wiesbaden. There was complete cloud cover but most of the bombing hit the town. A brief local report states that 520 houses and about 30 other buildings were destroyed, and 400 houses and 50 other buildings were seriously damaged. 5 important war industries along the banks of the Rhine were untouched but the railway station was damaged. Casualties were recorded as 'approximately 1,000 killed and 350 injured'.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita). Target - Wiesbaden, Germany. The crew of Lancaster aircraft KB 750 had completed their night bombing run and were homeward bound when their aircraft was hit by flak. The Lancaster went down near Wolf, Germany. F/Os R.W.Hodgson, B.W. Martin, J.A. McDonald, P/Os P.F. English, R.A. Nisbet, and Sergeant J. McAfee (RAF) were killed. The rear gunner, FS McTaggart, was the only member of the crew to get out of the stricken aircraft and he was taken Prisoner of War as soon as he landed. For all the members of this crew this was their 16th operation.

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