Wellington HE440 B. Mk. X - Bombing Duisburg Germany - 1943-05-12 to 1943-05-13
Squadron: (B) Sqn (RCAF)
Start Date: 1943-05-12
Completion Date: 1943-05-13
Mission: Bombing
Operation: Battle of the Ruhr
Target City: Duisburg Germany
Target Specific:
Base: Burn
Take Off Time: 23.45
Squadron Code: SE Y
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Huppel (Gelderland)
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: fighter
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim:
War Diary Unavailable

6 Bomber Group May 12/13, 1943

19 Halifaxes from 408 and 419 Squadrons were joined by 51 Wellingtons from 426, 428, 429, and 431 Squadrons on an attack at Duisberg. The crews were over the target at between 13,000 and 20,000 feet, releasing 70,000 lbs of high explosives and 153,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the weather was clear and severe damage was caused to the port area and industrial sector, including the Thyssen steel works. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)

572 aircraft - 238 Lancasters, 142 Halifaxes, 112 Wellingtons, 70 Stirling», 10 Mosquitoes. 34 aircraft 10 Lancastcrs, 10 Wellingtons, 9 Halifaxes, 5 Stirlings lost 5·9 per cent of the force.

This was the fourth raid on Duisburg so far during the Battle of the Ruhr, the first 3 raids having been only partially successful. The Pathfinder marking on this night however, was near perfect and the Main Force bombing was particularly well concentrated. The centre of Duisburg and the port area just off the River Rhine, the larges inland port in Germany, suffered severe damage. I ,596 buildings were totally destroyer and 273 people were killed. 4 of the August Thyssen steel factories were damaged Nearly 2,000 prisoners of war and forced workers were drafted into Duisburg to repair windows, roofs and other bomb damage. In the port area, 21 barges and 13 other ship totalling 18,921 tons were sunk and 60 further ships of 41,000 tons were damaged. lt was not deemed necessary to attack Duisburg again during this period.

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

Wellington BX aircraft HE 440 SE-Y was lost over Holland, shot down by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Manfred Meurer of the 3/NJG 1, flying a Bf 110 G-4 from Venlo airfield, Netherlands, while on an operation against the port area, industrial targets and the Thyssen steel works at Duisburg, Germany

The Wellington crashed at Huppel F20, northeast of Winterswijk, Gelderland with the loss of the entire crew

Sergeant GRY Wood (RAF), Sergeant S Cresswell (RAFVR), Sergeant EL Gummer (RAFVR), Sergeant IE Mobley (RAF) and Sergeant TH Smith (RAFVR) were all killed in action

unvetted Source search T/R number

General RAF Commands