6 Bomber Group September 11/12, 1944
18 Halifaxes from 424, 429, and 433 squadrons were ordered on a mining operation to Kiel Bay. The crews were over the garden at 15,000 feet, sowing68@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
226 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. 12 Lancasters lost, 5ยท3 per cent of the Lancaster force.
A previous 5 Group attack in August had failed to harm Darmstadt but, in clear weather conditions, the group's marking methods produced an outstandingly accurate and concentrated raid on this almost intact city of 120,000 people. A fierce fire area was created in the centre and in the districts immediately south and east of the centre. Property damage in this area was almost complete. Casualties were heavy. The deaths of 8,433 people were actually reported to police stations. This figure was made up of: German civilians - 1,766 men, 2,742 women and 2, children, 936 service personnel, 492 foreign workers and 368 prisoners of war. United States Strategic Bombing Survey,* which quotes these figures, adds that actual death figure may have been 5,000 more, because many deaths were not immediately reported by the 49,200 homeless people who were evacuated from Darmstadt most of whom did not return until after the war, if at all. A present-day Darmstadt city guide says: '12,300 dead, 70,000 homeless.'
The Darmstadt raid, with its extensive fire destruction and its heavy casualties was held by the Germans to be an extreme example of R.A.F. 'terror bombing' and is still a sensitive subject because of the absence of any major industries in the city. Bomber Command defended the raid by pointing out the railway communications: passing through Darmstadt; the directive for the offensive against German communications had not yet been issued to Bomber Command, although advance notice of the directive may have been received. Darmstadt was simply one of Germany's medium-sized cities of lesser importance which succumbed to Bomber Command's improving area-attack techniques in the last months of the war when many of larger cities were no longer worth bombing. The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt207 Squadron (Sernper Paratus). Lancaster aircraft LM 261 went down near Fosses, Belgium during a night raid against Darmstadt, Germany. F/Os E.J. Brian, R.B. Gowan, Pilot Officers J.J. Milne, W.L. Moxley,(RCAF), Warrant Officer J.M. Bingham (RAF), Flying Officer D.C. Cooke (RAF), and Sergeant A.H. Davies (RAF) were all killed.
