6 Bomber Group August 2/3, 1943
54 Halifaxes from 408, 419, 427 and 428 Squadrons were joined by 19 Wellingtons from 429 and 432 Squadrons on an attack at Hamburg. The crews were over the target at between 15,000 and 20,000 feet, releasing 40,000 lbs of high explosives and 110,000 lbs of incendiaries. This attack was a failure due to severe icing and thunder storms to and from the target. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
740 aircraft - 329 Lancasters, 235 Halifaxes, 105 Stirlings, 66 Wellingtons, 5 Mos-quitoes. 30 aircraft- 13 Lancasters, IO Halifaxes, 4 Wellingtons, 3 Stirlings - lost, 4·1 per cent of the force.
The bombing force encountered a large thunderstorm area over Germany and the raid was a failure. Many crews turned back early or bombed alternative targets. At least 4 aircraft, probably more, were lost because of icing, turbulence or were struck by lightning. No Pathfinder marking was possible at Hamburg and only scattered bombing took place there. Many other towns in a 100-mile area of Northern Germany received a few bombs. A sizeable raid developed on the small town of Elmshorn, 12 miles from Hamburg. It is believed that a flash of lightning set a house on fire here and bomber crews saw this through a gap in the storm clouds and started to bomb the fire. 254 houses were destroyed in Elmshorn and 57 people were killed, some of them refugees from recent raids on Hamburg.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Wellington aircraft HE 906 failed to return from a night operation over Hamburg, Germany. All were killed.
