RAF Bomber Command operations D-Day

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by Peter Clare, Jun 6, 2009.

  1. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    The Battle Of Normandy
    5/6 June 1944

    1,012 aircraft - 551 Lancasters, 412 Halifaxes, 49 Mosquitos - to bomb coastal batteries at Fontenay, Houlgate, La Pernelle, Longues, Maisy, Merville, Mont Fleury, Pointe du Hoc, Ouisterham and St Martin de Varreville. 946 aircraft carried out their bombing tasks. 3 aircraft were lost - 2 Halifaxes of No 4 Group on the Mont Fleury raid and 1 Lancaster of No 6 Group on the Longues raid. Only two of the targets - La Pernelle and Ouisterham - were free of cloud; all other bombing was entirely based on Oboe marking. At least 5,000 tons of bombs were dropped, the greatest tonnage in one night so far in the war.


    110 aircraft of Nos 1 and 100 Groups carried out extensive bomber-support operations: 24 'Airborne Cigar' (ABC)-equipped Lancasters of No 101 Squadron patrolled all likely night-fighter approaches, so that their German-speaking operators could jam the German controllers' instructions; No 100 Group flew 34 RCM sorties and 27 Serrate and 25 Intruder Mosquito patrols. 2 Intruders and 1 ABC Lancaster were lost.


    58 aircraft of Nos 3 and 5 Groups carried out a variety of operations to conceal the true location of the invasion for as long as possible. 16 Lancasters of No 617 Squadron and 6 G-H fitted Stirlings of No 218 Squadron dropped a dense screen of Window, which advanced slowly across the Channel, to simulate a large convoy of ships approaching the French coast between Boulogne and Le Havre, north of the real invasion coast. These flights required exact navigation; both squadrons had been practising for this operation for more than a month. The second diversion was carried out by 36 Halifaxes and Stirlings of Nos 90, 138, 149 and 161 Squadrons. These aircraft dropped dummy parachutists and explosive devices to simulate airborne landings over areas not being invaded. 2 Stirlings of No 149 Squadron were lost while carrying out this duty.
    31 Mosquitos bombed Osnabrück without loss.


    Total Bomber Command effort for the night: 1,211 sorties, 8 aircraft (0.7 per cent) lost. The number of sorties flown was a new record. British, American and Canadian divisions landed on five Normandy beaches early the next morning.
     
  2. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    6/7 June 1944

    1,065 aircraft - 589 Lancasters, 418 Halifaxes, 58 Mosquitos - to bomb railway and road centres on the lines of communication behind the Normandy battle area. All of the targets were in or near French towns. 3,488 tons of bombs were dropped on targets at Achères, Argentan, Caen, Châteaudun, Conde sur Noireau, Coutances, St Lô, Lisieux and Vire. Every effort was made to bomb accurately but casualties to the French civilians were inevitable. Cloud affected the accuracy of the bombing at many of the targets and, at Achères, the Master Bomber ordered the raid to be abandoned because of cloud and no bombs were dropped. 10 Lancasters and 1 Halifax were lost in these raids; 6 of the Lancasters were lost in the No 5 Group raid at Caen, where the main force of bombers had to wait for the target to be properly marked and then fly over an area full of German units and guns at bombing heights below 3,000ft. Some details are available of the effects of the bombing. At Argentan, Châteaudun and Lisieux, much damage was done to railways, although the towns, Lisieux in particular, were hit by many bombs. Important bridges at Coutances were badly damaged and the town centres of Caen, Conde sur Noireau, St-Lô and Vire were all badly bombed and most of the roads through those towns were blocked.


    32 Mosquitos to Ludwigshafen, 18 Serrate patrols, 19 aircraft minelaying in the Brest area, 26 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.


    Total effort for the night: 1,160 sorties, 11 aircraft (0.9 per cent) lost.
     
  3. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    This was one of the Lanc's!

    While researching these RAAF deaths on D-Day, I came across a couple of interesting crews.

    A highly decorated and seemingly experienced crew.

    All were lost without a trace and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

    Lancaster ND739 Information

    Type Lancaster Serial Number ND739 Squadron 97 X1D OF-Z Operation St.Pierre-de-Mont Date 1 5th June 1944 Date 2 6th June 1944
    Further Information

    "Serial range ND324 - NE181 This aircraft was one of 600 Lancaster Mk.111s ordered from A.V.Roe (Chadderton) and delivered from Dec43 to May44 with Merlin 38 engines. ND739 was delivered to 97 Sqdn Mar44. ND739 wore the ID's OF-E/Z ND739 also took part in the Key Raid against Schweinfurt 26/27Apr44, flown by W/C E.J.Carter DFC. ND739 was one of two 97 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation. See ND815. Airborne 0256 6Jun44 to bomb a Coastal Defence Battery at St.Pierre.


    P/O Dunning and W/O Watson had their Awards published as recently as 2Jun44, while F/O Jeffery, flying as second Bomb aimer, had flown with No.9 Sqdn, his DFM being published 10Sep43.



    S/L M.Bryan-Smith was the Sqdn Gunnery Leader.

    W/C E.J.Carter DFC KIA

    P/O G.e.Dunning DFM KIA

    F/L R.J.Conley DFC RAAF KIA

    F/L H.W.Rieger RCAFKIA

    F/O H.W.E Jeffery DFM KIA

    F/L A.Chambers DFC & Bar KIA

    W/O F.R.Watson DFM KIA

    S/L M.Bryan-Smith DFC & Bar MiD "
     
  4. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    7/8 June 1944

    337 aircraft - 195 Halifaxes, 122 Lancasters, 20 Mosquitos - attacked railway targets at Achères, Juvisy, Massey Palaiseau and Versailles. Bombing conditions were better than on the previous night. All targets were accurately bombed and, although no details are available, it is probable that fewer civilians were killed. The targets were mostly more distant from the battle front than those recently attacked and German night fighters had more time to intercept the bomber forces. 17 Lancasters and 11 Halifaxes were lost, 8.3 per cent of the forces involved.

    112 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 5 and 8 Groups carried out an accurate attack on an important 6-way road junction half-way between Bayeux and St-Lô at Forêt De Cerisy. The surrounding woods were believed to contain fuel dumps and German tank units preparing to counter-attack the Allied landing forces. The nearest French village was several kilometres away. 2 Lancasters lost.
    32 Mosquitos to Cologne, 10 RCM sorties, 18 Serrate and 18 Intruder patrols, 22 Halifaxes and 3 Stirlings minelaying off Lorient and Brest, 24 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.


    Total effort for the night: 586 sorties, 30 aircraft (5.1 per cent) lost.
     
  5. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    8/9 June 1944

    483 aircraft - 286 Lancasters, 169 Halifaxes, 28 Mosquitos - attacked railways at Alençon, Fougères, Mayenne, Pontabault and Rennes to prevent German reinforcements from the south reaching Normandy. All of the raids appear to have been successful. 4 aircraft were lost, 2 Lancasters from the Pontabault raid and 1 Lancaster and 1 Mosquito from the Rennes raid.


    The first 12,000lb Tallboy bombs developed by Barnes Wallis were used on this night by No 617 Squadron in a raid on a railway tunnel near Saumur, 125 miles south of the battle area. The raid was prepared in great haste because a German Panzer unit was expected to move by train through the tunnel. The target area was illuminated with flares by 4 Lancasters of No 83 Squadron and marked at low level by 3 Mosquitos. 25 Lancasters of No 617 Squadron then dropped their Tallboys with great accuracy. The huge bombs exploded under the ground to create miniature 'earthquakes'; one actually pierced the roof of the tunnel and brought down a huge quantity of rock and soil. The tunnel was blocked for a considerable period and the Panzer unit was badly delayed. No aircraft were lost from this raid.


    17 Serrate and 19 Intruder patrols, 34 aircraft minelaying from the Scheldt to Lorient. No aircraft lost.


    Total effort for the night: 585 sorties, 4 aircraft (0.7 per cent) lost.
     
  6. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    9/10 June 1944

    401 aircraft - 206 Lancasters, 175 Halifaxes, 20 Mosquitos - of Nos 1, 4, 6 and 8 Groups bombed airfields at Flers, Le Mans, Laval and Rennes, all situated south of the Normandy battle area. Bomber Command documents do not give any reason for these raids; it is possible that the intention was to prevent these airfields being used for German reinforcements being brought in by air because the railways were blocked. All the attacks were successful. 2 Halifaxes were lost on the Laval raid.
    108 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitos of No 5 Group, with 5 Pathfinder Mosquitos, attempted to bomb a railway junction at Étampes, south of Paris. 6 Lancasters lost. The marking was accurate but late and the bombing spread from the railway junction into the town.
    36 Mosquitos to Berlin, 13 RCM sorties, 2 Serrate patrols, 24 Halifaxes and 4 Stirlings minelaying off Brest. No aircraft lost.
    Total effort for the night: 597 sorties, 8 aircraft (1.3 per cent) lost.
     
  7. christowilson

    christowilson Junior Member

    Can you help? I'm a biographer stuck on a piece of research. One of the characters who emerges in my narrative is P/O Ethan Allen RCAF, attached to 224 Squadron and, presumably, flying Liberators. He died on 7 June 1944 - can you tell me what sorties were assigned to 224 that day? And how I might find more detailed info on P/O Allen? I'd be very much obliged for any help or advice.
     
  8. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Hi Chris,

    Welcome to the forum.

    I have managed to come up with the following regarding the loss of F/O. Allen.

    There was some confusion surrounding Coastal Command aircraft losses on D-Day and the following days as the German U-boat crews had some difficulty in identifying attacking Allied aircraft.

    But it seem that in this case the Germans did if fact ID the attacking aircraft as a Liberator which would make it Liberator GR.V BZ942 M/244. shot down by flak from the U 256.

    Liberator aircraft BZ942 (F/O E.ALLEN DFC). took off from St Eval at 2159 hours on 6th June, 1944 to carry out an A/S Patrol in the English Channel. No message received from this aircraft since take-off and nothing further has been seen or heard of this aircraft.


    The crew consisted of .....

    F/O. E. Allen DFC RCAF
    P/O. M E. Maynard RCAF
    F/L. W J. Esler RAAF.
    P/O. H E. Pugaley.
    W/O. H. McLllaney.
    Sgt. D E. Froggatt.
    Sgt. A R. Croft.
    Sgt. J. Mitchell.
    Sgt. J B G. Gray.
    Sgt. A. McLaughlin.
    F/L. L R. Aust DFC DFM.

    224 Squadron were involved in 'Operation Cork' the exclusion of German submarines from the English Channel and invasion area.

    Liberator GR.V BZ942. M/244

    Ex 42-64019.
    Delivered Dorval 31 October 1943.
    Dorval to Gander 5 November 1943.
    Gander to Prestwick 6 November 1943.
    Scottish Aviation Ltd 7 November 1943.
    Scottish Aviation Ltd to 224 squadron 30 November 1943.

    Regards
    Peter - Ross - Col.
     
  9. christowilson

    christowilson Junior Member

    Hi Peter,

    That is the most impeccable answer, I could not wish for more. Except.... !!

    Do you think the National Archive, or any other library or archive, would have details of his widow, family, address, etc. He was a US citizen in the RCAF, fighting in British waters - makes things complicated!

    Many thanks again for such a comprehensive and authoritative answer.

    Christopher



    Hi Chris,

    Welcome to the forum.

    I have managed to come up with the following regarding the loss of F/O. Allen.

    There was some confusion surrounding Coastal Command aircraft losses on D-Day and the following days as the German U-boat crews had some difficulty in identifying attacking Allied aircraft.

    But it seem that in this case the Germans did if fact ID the attacking aircraft as a Liberator which would make it Liberator GR.V BZ942 M/244. shot down by flak from the U 256.

    Liberator aircraft BZ942 (F/O E.ALLEN DFC). took off from St Eval at 2159 hours on 6th June, 1944 to carry out an A/S Patrol in the English Channel. No message received from this aircraft since take-off and nothing further has been seen or heard of this aircraft.


    The crew consisted of .....

    F/O. E. Allen DFC RCAF
    P/O. M E. Maynard RCAF
    F/L. W J. Esler RAAF.
    P/O. H E. Pugaley.
    W/O. H. McLllaney.
    Sgt. D E. Froggatt.
    Sgt. A R. Croft.
    Sgt. J. Mitchell.
    Sgt. J B G. Gray.
    Sgt. A. McLaughlin.
    F/L. L R. Aust DFC DFM.

    224 Squadron were involved in 'Operation Cork' the exclusion of German submarines from the English Channel and invasion area.

    Liberator GR.V BZ942. M/244

    Ex 42-64019.
    Delivered Dorval 31 October 1943.
    Dorval to Gander 5 November 1943.
    Gander to Prestwick 6 November 1943.
    Scottish Aviation Ltd 7 November 1943.
    Scottish Aviation Ltd to 224 squadron 30 November 1943.

    Regards
    Peter - Ross - Col.
     
  10. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

  11. christowilson

    christowilson Junior Member

    A big thank you - very much appreciated!!!
     
  12. Matthew Eyre

    Matthew Eyre Member

    Hi Peter,
    Thought this may be relevant.
    This is an account from the night of 6/7th June, a Special Operations resistance drop by a Stirling from 149 Squadron piloted by Reg Redman. The page is from "Enemy Below" by Ted Sweet, and details Jack the RG seeing Violet Szabo parachuting in from a USAF Liberator
     

    Attached Files:

    • je5.jpg
      je5.jpg
      File size:
      80.8 KB
      Views:
      3
    Peter Clare likes this.
  13. AlanW

    AlanW Senior Member

Share This Page