Lancaster R5572 Mk.I - Bombing Gelsenkirchen Germany - 1943-06-25 to 1943-06-26
Squadron: (B) Sqn (RAF)
Start Date: 1943-06-25
Completion Date: 1943-06-26
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Gelsenkirchen Germany
Target Specific:
Base: RAF Syerston
Take Off Time: 22.50
Squadron Code:
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Nr Baak, Netherlands
Crash Specifics:
Crash Latitude: 6.13546000
Crash Longitude: 52.03429000
Crash Reason: fighter
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim: Nightfighter, Oblt. Werner Husemann, Stab NJG1 5km SSE Zutphen
War Diary Unavailable

6 Bomber Group June 25/26, 1943

29 Halifaxes from 408, 419, 427, and 428 Squadrons were joined by 11 Wellingtons from 429, 431, and 432 Squadrons on an attack at Gelsenkirchen. The crews were over the target at between 16,000 and 23,000 feet, releasing 68,000 lbs of high explosives and 129,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the target was cloud cover and bombing was scattered.

While most of the group went to Gelsenkirchen, 4 Wellingtons from 431Squadron were ordered on a mining operation to St. Nazaire. The crews were over the garden at between 700 and 1,000 feet, sowing 8@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)

473 aircraft - 214 Lancasters, 134 Halifaxes, 73 Stirlings, 40 Wellingtons, 12 Mosquitoes. This was the first raid to Gelsenkirchen since 1941, when it had been one of Bomber Command's regular 'oil targets', although, being in the middle of the Ruhr, this town had often been hit when other targets were attacked. 30 aircraft - 13 Lancasters, 7 Halifaxes, 6 Stirlings, 4 Wellingtons - were lost, 6.3 per cent of the force.

The target was obscured by cloud and the Oboe Mosquitoes, for once, failed to produce regular and accurate marking since 5 of the 12 Oboe aircraft found that their equipment was unserviceable. The raid was not a success. Diisseldorf reports 24 buildings destroyed and 3,285 damaged but 2,937 of these suffered only superficial blast damage. 20 industrial premises were hit and 4 of them suffered total production loss but no large fires were involved and the loss in production lasted for no longer than 2 weeks. 16 people were killed.

Bombs probably fell on many other Ruhr towns. Solingen, nearly 30 miles from Gelsenkirchen, recorded 21 people killed and 58 injured on this night. source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

Lancaster R5572 delivered to 97 Squadron (OF-F)15th May 1942, Transferred to 106 Squadron (ZN-M) April 1943. Took of from RAF Syerston 22.50. Crashed Baak Netherlands on operation to Gelsenkirchen 25/26 June 1943. 424 Operational Hours. The enemy claim was by Nightfighter, Oblt.  Werner Husemann, Stab NJG1  5km SSE Zutphen

Monument to the crew of Lancaster R5572
This is the crew of Lancaster R5572

General Crash Location

General RAF Commands