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     Düsseldorf,      
November 11, 1943
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November 19, 1943







Target:
Mannheim
Battle of Berlin day 1

 November 1943

 18th

This was the first bombing run for William Uyen over enemy territory and the  beginning  of the battle of Berlin.

 

395 aircraft,- 248 Halifaxes, 114 Sterlings and 33 Lancasters – of 3, 4, 6 and 8 groups  were on this major diversionary raid. German fighters successfully engaged the  bomber force and 23 aircraft - 12 Halifaxes, 9 Sterlings, 2 Lancasters were lost.

 

The Lancaster squadron all bombed Berlin, whilst the Sterlings and Halifaxes bombed Mannheim.

The reason for this was that the Lancasters were capable of carrying more load and had a better ceiling and speed.

 

Cloud was present over the target area and much of the bombing was scattered.

Mannheim reports that the majority of the damage was in the north of the city.

4 industrial buildings were destroyed and 11 seriously damaged, the most serious being the Daimler-Benz car factory witch suffered a 90% production loss for 'a  unknown period'.

 

325 other buildings were destroyed and 335 seriously damaged, including

2 churches and 3 schools. 4 army barracks and the airfield at Sandhofen were all hit.

21 people were killed, 154 injured and 7,500 bombed out. Many bombs fell outside  the city and the local report lists much damage and loss at farms.

 

 No.78 Squadron

17 aircraft detailed for operations, Target Mannheim

JD373, LW235, JD173, LW226, LW313, LW300, LW319, JP117, LW330, LW223, LW338, LW318, LW271, HR748, JD376, LW234 and LW320 were made operational.

Weather: Fair to cloudy, occasional showers of hail, rain and sleet.

 

All aircraft of No. 78 Squadron returned safely.
Raid over Mannheim

Returned early

JD173

F/S Gordon-Davis departed Breighton at 4:40 PM.   Returned within an hour due to rear turret failure at 52.20N/00.55W, bombs were dropped safely.        Arrive back at Breighton at 7:10 PM.

Returned early

JD376

W/O Bradley took to the air at 17:03 from Breighton. The navigator asked to turn back because he thought he was lost. She landed back at Breighton airfield at 9.25pm.

Dameged

LW226

F/L Carve departed Breighton Air Base at 4:33 PM. P/O Allen took control and dropped the bombs at 8:39 PM.   Some of the bombs were returned after the plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire, blowing away the hydraulic parts.        Landed at Breighton at 11:57 PM.

 

Handley Page Halifax BII

 

 JP117 EY-Y

 
Target was attacked and bombed from a height of 16000 ft. at 20:51 hour being identified by PFF. Green TI markers. TI's were widespread slightly off the mark. Concentrated fires were seen along the river, also three large yellowish explosions seen in the target area.

November  18th 1943

 Target Mannheim

 Airborn:

 16:47 hour, Breighton Yorkshire.

 

 Bombing on:

 16.000ft at 20:51 hour.


 Landed:

 00:39 hour, Breighton Yorkshire.

 

 

 

 

 Crew JP117 EY-Y

F/O Hudson, H.

(Capt)

 F/O Robertson, W.J.

 (Nav)

 P/O Uyen, William

 (Bomb)

 Sgt. Monks, H.

 (W/Op)

 Sgt. Hillas, J.

 (F/Eng)

 

 P/O Lane, Jack

(RG)

 

 

 Sgt. Morris, J.

(MU)

 
Watch the crew climb aboard a Halifax Aircraft then start the engines before takeing off and doing a beat up before setting course.
William Uyen
November 18, 1943           HisStory during the Air-battle of Berlin           March 31, 1944
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