6 Bomber Group March 31, 1945
100 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 425, 426, and 432 Squadrons were joined by 100 Lancasters from 419, 424, 427, 428, 429, 431, 433, and 434 on an attack at the Blohm & Voss shipyards at Hamburg. The crews were over the target at between 17,000 and 19,500 feet, releasing 1,908,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, the target was cloud covered but extensive damage was caused in the industrial area of Hamburg. 6 Group was in the last wave of the attack and were attacked by many ME-262s. 8 crews failed to return, mostly due to attacks by these aircraft. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
469 aircraft - 361 Lancasters, 100 Halifaxes, 8 Mosquitoes - of I, 6 and 8 Groups attempted to attack the Blohm & Voss shipyards, where the new types of U-boats were being assembled, but the target area was completely cloud-covered. The local report describes 'considerable damage' to houses, factories, energy supplies and communications over a wide area of southern Hamburg and Harburg. 75 people were killed.
8 Lancasters and 3 Halifaxes were lost, a number being victims of an unexpected intervention by the Luftwaffe day-fighter force. This was Bomber Command's last double-figure aircraft loss of the war from a raid on one city.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Lancaster aircraft KB 859 was shot down near Hittfeld, Germany during daylight operations, a raid against Hamburg, Germany. F/Os M. Hartog, F.R. Alty, P.B. Dennison, J.J. Casey, Pilot Officer A. Dorey, and Sergeant L.J. Mercer (RAF) were killed. One Canadian, Flight Lieutenant Hurley, was taken Prisoner of War.
May have been shot down by Me262 of JG7, which claimed several Lancasters in that area at that time. ORB refers to attack by jets. (see also KB869).
