6 Bomber Group October 14, 1944
40 Lancasters from 419 and 428 squadron, were joined by 218 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, 431,432, 433, and 434 squadrons. They were ordered on a daylight attack of Duisberg. The crews were over the target at between 17,000 and 21,000 feet, releasing 2,080,000 lbs of high explosives and 300,000 lbs of incendiaries. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
This raid was part of a special operation which has received little mention in the history books. On 13 October, Sir Arthur Harris received the directive for Operation Hurricane: 'In order to demonstrate to the enemy in Germany generally the over-whelming superiority of the Allied Air Forces in this theatre ... the intention is to apply within the shortest practical period the maximum effort of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command and the VIIIth United States Bomber Command against objectives in the densely populated Ruhr.' Bomber Command had probably been forewarned of the directive because it was able to mount the first part of the operation soon after first light on 14 October. No heavy bombers had flown on operations for 48 hours and 1,013 aircraft - 519 Lancasters, 474 Halifaxes and 20 Mosquitoes - were dispatched to Duisburg with R.A.F. fighters providing an escort. 957 bombers dropped 3,574 tons of high explosive and 820 tons of incendiaries on Duisburg. 14 aircraft were lost - 13 Lancasters and 1 Halifax; it is probable that the Lancasters provided the early waves of the raid and drew the attention of the German Flak before the Flak positions were overwhelmed by the bombing.
For their part in Operation Hurricane, the American Eighth Air Force dispatched 1,251 heavy bombers escorted by 749 fighters. More than 1,000 of the American heavies bombed targets in the Cologne area. American casualties were 5 heavy bombers and 1 fighter. No Luftwaffe aircraft were seen.<source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
115 Squadron (Despite The Elements), Witchford, England. Lancaster aircraft ND 805 failed to return from daylight operations at Duisburg, Germany.
The crew: Flying Officer David Mayson Price RCAF pilot J/25375 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 248; Flying Officer Clyde George Redden RCAF J/35732 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 248; Sergeant F M French RAF POW camp not identified; Flying Officer Roy S Johnston RCAF J/15430 POW camp not identified; Pilot Officer Joseph Charles Brunning Canadian in RAF J/35732 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 248; Pilot Officer Douglas Stewart Haggis RCAF J/95154 KIA Runnymede Memorial Panel 250; Pilot Officer Dale McGowan Hamilton RCAF J/95155 KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery - grave 16. D. 2.
