February  1944

 15th

Tonight is Williams Ninth operation.

After a rest of more than 2 weeks for the regular bomber squadrons, 891 aircraft - 561 Lancasters, 314

Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitos - were dispatched to Berlin. This was the largest force sent to Berlin and the largest non-1,000 bomber force sent to any target. It was also the first time that more than 500 Lancasters and more than 300 Halifaxes were dispatched. The German controllers were able to plot the bomber stream soon after it left the English coast but the swing north over Denmark for the approach flight proved too far distant for many of the German fighters.

The German controller ordered the fighters not to fly over Berlin,  leaving the target area free for the flak, but many fighters ignored him and attacked bombers over the city.

The diversion to Frankfurt-on-Oder failed to draw any fighters.

43 aircraft - 26 Lancasters, 17 Halifaxes -were lost,

23 Oboe Mosquitos attacked 5 night-fighter airfields in Holland, 43 Stirlings and 4 Pathfinder Halifaxes  carried out mine laying in Kiel Bay, 24 Lancasters of No 8 Group made a diversion raid on

Frankfurt-on-Oder, 9 aircraft made RCM flights and 14 Mosquitos carried out Serrate patrols.

A Serrate Mosquito was the only aircraft lost.

2 Mosquitos to Aachen, 6 Stirlings and 6 Wellingtons mine laying off Bayonne and Lorient, 48 aircraft on resistance operations. 1 Stirling lost from a Resistance flight.

Berlin was covered by cloud for most of the raid. Heavy bombing fell on the center and south-western districts and some of Berlin's most important war industries were hit, including the large Siemensstadt area.

No.78 Squadron

26 aircraft detailed for operations, 1 aircraft did not take off.

For this operation the ground crew had to work with more speed due to the number

of aircraft that was detailed.

The LV815, LV814, HX355, LV788, LV820, LW589, LV799, LV798?, LW367, LV816, LV816?,  LV794, HX241, LW547, LW520, LW507, LX748, LW518, LW510 (with Sgt. LeBlanc), LW511, LW517, LK762, LV813, LW519, LK763 and LV798 were detailed for this operation.

No losses over enemy territory, but one over England.

Handley Page Halifax BIII

 LV798 EY-A

 February 15th 1944

 Target Berlin

 Airborn:

 17:18 hour, Breighton Yorkshire.

 Bombing on,

 22.000ft. at 21:29 hour

 Crashed:

 into the sea off scarborouch.

 Crew LV798 EY-A

155256

F/L Shard, Robert Nathan.

(Capt)

 Runnymade Memorial panel 203

 R/136319

 W/O Fowlers, James

 (Nav)

 Blantyre Cemetery Scotland

 J/23464

 F/O Uyen, William

 (Bomb.)

Survived

 1198516

 Sgt. Forder, J.R.

 (W/Op)

 Runnymade Memorial panel 203

1605215

 Sgt. Clark, Kenneth Edward

 (F/Eng)

 Runnymade Memorial panel 203

1309536

 Sgt. Walton, N.

(MU)

 Runnymade Memorial panel 203

2216149

 Sgt. Iddon, William (Bill)

(RG)

 UK. Nort Meols Churchyard

 Lost on Returning

LV798 EY-A

Today William Uyen was on his ninth operation but this time with a different crew.

After Bombing the target and when leaving the target, the under-carriage from the LV798 EY-A was found to be down and would not retract. The resulting drag increased petrol consumption but the pilot felt he  could still reach base. When over the English countryside they found they were about too run out of fuel, so at 00:39 hour, Captain Shard headed the aircraft out to sea and ordered the crew to bail out.

William Uyen was the first to leave the aircraft with the sea in sight and landed 800 yards from shore.

The remainder, including the aircraft are presumed to have gone into the sea. The body's of Wireless operator James Fowler and Rear-gunner William Iddon have sins been recovered from the sea.  (off Scarborough)

 Returned early

LV820 EY-F

F/L Watson departed Breighton at 17:16 hour.  However, returned early due to problems with the starboard inner engine at position 55.03N/03.58E. Bombs were dropped safely and the home base landed at 20:16 hour.

(LV820 later crashed during the attack of 12/13 June 1944).

Returned early

LV798

F/L Bennett took to the air from Breighton Air Base at 17:12.   Returned earlier over Denmark due to problems with the Starboard inner engine and low oil pressure.

Farthest point reached at 55.10N/10.00E. Bombs were dropped safely.

The LV798 landed at Breighton Air Base at 22:54.

Returned early

LW511 EY-Z

LW511 led by F/L Hurley departed Breighton at 17:36 hour.

Returned early due to problems with the starboard inboard engine and oil pressure dropping, 50 miles off the coast of England at 54.32N/01.51E. 

(LW511 crashed during the attack of October 6, 1944)

Returned early

LW816 EY-N

F/O Crawford took to the air on LV816 at 17:21 from Breighton and returned early due to oxygen problems in the bomb aimer.

Farthest point reaches central Denmark at 55.15N/09.00E. Bombs safely dropped into the sea.

Landing at Breighton at 22;15 hour.

(LV816 crashed during the raid of 19/20 February 1944).

Returned early

HX241 EY-P

W/O Broadhurst departed Breighton on HX241 at 17:25 hour. Reversed due to oxygen problems for the flight engineer and pilot. After connecting the mask to the 2nd pilot's position just before reaching the coast of Denmark at 55.18N/08.32E, he decided to return to base.

(HX241 later crashed during the attack of 30/31 March 1944).

Returned early

LW520

The LW520 with F/S Lovatt at the controls, departed Breighton at 17:29, but had to return early due to possible oxygen problems with the Navigator over the North Sea at 54.45N/02.30E.

Bombs dropped safely at 18:50 hour.

Return flight deployed and landed safely on Breighton runway at 22:04 hour.

Returned early

LW367 EY-L

Sgt. Boswell departed Breighton at 5:23 PM, but returned early due to compass failure and was 15 minutes late on ETA on the enemy coast, at SYLT.    Bombs dropped safely.

(LW367 crashed during the attack of 19/20 February 1944).

Returned early

LW547

The LW547 with Sgt. Mockler took to the air at 17:31, and returned because the electric heating suit of the rear gunner was not functioning and he was suffering greatly from the cold.  rheumatism.   Farthest reach point at 54.25N/01.35E. Bombs safely dropped into the sea.

Made Breighton runway again at 22:04.

LW518

W/O Withers departed Braeighton at 5:34 p.m. The primary target was reached at 21:38 hour. and bombed from an altitude of 21,000 feet.      Target identified by red/green T.I. flares

landed at RAF Coltishall on return due to engine failure on the licks-out engine..

(LW518 later crashed in the attack of March 24, 1944)

In Combat

LW519

Took off from Breighton at 5.24pm with pilot F/S McCarthy.

On the way to Berlin, LW519 had confrontations with several German aircraft.

Finally Berlin was reached and the bombardier F/S Morin dropped its load at 9:31 pm.

All the guns were frozen solid.  Landing at Breighton at 11:45 PM.

As for combat report: at 20.31 hour with no moon and clouds at 11.000 feet, the LW519 encountered

his first German airplane for this night at a hight of 23.000 feet North-East of Kiel on position 54.50N /11.15E

with a IA.S. Of 160, heading 107 (T).

The first indication of a enemy aircraft was visual.

M.E. 210 seen on port quarter up at approximately 600 yards.

Rear gunner Sgt. Dalton gave order to corkscrew to port and opened fire at approximately 500 yards.

Both gunners Sgt. Dalton and Sgt. Nott then opened up, but all guns in both turrets jammed and could not be cleared owing to icing up.

Enemy aircraft broke away but both gunners are undertaken as to where due to the terrific Gee throughout the avasive action. No hits or damage was sustained by own aircraft, and no hits claimed by the gunners.

At 21.21 hour the next enemy aircraft was seen, when the LW519 was at 22.000 feet heading 135 (T) with a speed of 160 I.A.S. a J.U.88 first seen dead astern at 400 yards North of Berlin at location 53.00N /13.10E.

The pilot was immediately ordered to corkscrew, due to the fact that all rear firing guns were unserviceable.

This was carried out by the Pilot, who by following the gunners orders was able to prevent the J.U.88 from

getting a really good shot.     The enemy aircraft, however, closed in to 300 yards and opened fire,

before breaking away to starboard quarter down.

The J.U.88 was then lost sight of.   No damage was sustained by the bomber.

9 minutes later on 21.30 hour at a hight of 21.000 feet heading 165 Magnetic with a speed of 200 I.A.S.

The LW519 made his third encounter again with a J.U.88 witch was spotted directly over the target and coming in from the starboard quarter down at 700 yards.   

Enemy aircraft came in to dead astern, leveled and opened fire at 400 yards.  

Pilot was given the order by the rear gunner to corkscrew.

Enemy aircraft came in right to 200 yards still firing and broke away to port quarter down.

Gunners were convinced that had not their guns been unserviceable due to icing they could have claimed the enemy aircraft as destroyed. and again due to evasive action taken no damage was done to the bomber.

And again on 21.32 hour at 18.000 feet when leaving target, gunners saw a M.E.110 dead astern at 400 yards.   Order was immediately given to corkscrew to port.     Fighter opened up at 400 yards with a short burst and broke away diving to port quarter down.

The rear and mid upper gunner were still unable to return fire, because both lots of guns were still iced up due the intense cold.

No damage was reported having been caused by the fighter to the bomber.

February 1944

16th

22 aircraft detailed for operations, Later cancelled.

Weather: Cloudy with rain and poor visibility all day, improving to fair with good visibility later.

17th

22 aircraft detailed for operations, Later cancelled.

Weather: Mainly fair with occasional showers of rain and sleet.

18th

24 aircraft detailed for operations, Later cancelled.

Weather: Cloudy with some slight occasional sleet. Visibility moderate.

19th -- 28th

William Uyen is on Leave.