Essen
{{webimage,wardiaries.jpg,float:right;width:150px;,Book no longer in print}}106 aircraft- 40 Wellingtons, 39 Halifaxes, 15 Lancasters, 12 Stirlings. 8 aircraft - 4 Halifaxes, 3 Wellingtons, I Stirling - lost. Only 16 crews reported that they had identified Essen; 56 bombed alternative targets, 45 of them attacking Bonn. Essen reports only 3 high-explosive and 400 incendiary bombs in the city with one person being wounded.
This raid concluded the present series of 5 raids on Essen in 16 high nights. 1,607 sorties had been dispatched and 84 aircraft (5'2 per cent) lost. No industrial damage was caused in Essen on any of these raids; a few houses were destroyed and 38 civilians were killed. Bomber Command now temporarily abandoned its campaign against Essen which would not be visited in strength for 3 months.
6 Group Unavailable
106 aircraft - 40 Wellingtons, 39 Halifaxes, 15 Lancasters, 12 Stirlings. 8 aircraft¬I lullfaxes, 3 Wellingtons, 1 Stirling - lost
.Only 16 crews reported that they had identified Essen; 56 bombed alternative targets, 45 of them attacking Bonn. Essen reports only 3 high-explosive and 400 incendiary bombs in the city with one person being wounded
.This raid concluded the present series of 5 raids on Essen in 16 nights. 1607 sorties had been dispatched and 84 aircraft (5·2 per cent) lost. No industrial damage was caused in Essen on any of these raids; a few houses were destroyed and 38 civilians were killed. Bomber Command now temporarily abandoned its campaign against Essen which would not be visited in strength for 3 months. /p>
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Mildenhall. Wellington III aircraft X 3359 VR-N had the starboard engine fail and the pilot was forced to jettison the bomb load in an attempt to maintain altitude and return to base during an operation to Essen, Germany. The aircraft could not get above 3,000 feet and fell victim to the heavily defended city of Antwerp, Belgium. The pilot, FS CE LeBlanc (RCAF), maintained control of the aircraft long enough for his crew to bail out, he waited too long and went down with the aircraft, killed in action
Two of the crew, Sergeant EA Winkler (RCAF) and Sergeant NW Bradley (RCAF), survived and were taken as Prisoners Of War
The other two crew members Pilot Officer JH Watson (RCAF) and Sergeant Angers MiD (RCAF) survived, evaded capture and were returned safely to England
419 Squadron RCAF 1941 to 1945 Crew of Wellington X3359
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