February  1944

 24th

William Uyen is still on leave after his crash so this night there is no operation planned for William.

734 aircraft - 554 Lancasters, 169 Halifaxes, 11 Mosquitos - carried out the first Bomber Command raid on Schweinfurt, home of Germany's main ball-bearing factories. 266 American B-17s had raided the factories the previous day Bomber Command introduced a novel tactic on this night. The Schweinfurt force was split into two parts - 392 aircraft and 342 aircraft, separated by a 2-hour interval.

Part of the German fighter force was drawn up by earlier diversions.

179 training aircraft on a diversionary sweep over the North Sea, 60 Halifaxes and 50 Stirlings minelaying in Kiel Bay and the Kattegat, 15 Mosquitos to airfields in Holland, 8 Mosquitos to Kiel and 7 to Aachen,

12 Serrate patrols. 2 Stirlings were lost from the minelaying operation and 1 Serrate Mosquito of

No.141 Squadron was lost, the first Serrate aircraft to be lost under Bomber Command control.

5 Wellingtons laid mines off Lorient.

No.78 Squadron

15 aircraft detailed for operations, Target Schweinfurt.

February 24 Weather: Cloudy with rain and drizale. Visibility moderate. Schweinfurt was an important target, it was a major manufacturing center for the ball bearing industry.

3 aircraft would not start,

7 aircraft reached and attacked the target.

The ground crew prepared the LV815, HX353, LH799, LW319, LV795, LV794, LW507, LK748,  LW510, LW517, LK762 and LW509 for this nights operation.

1 Aircraft lost on this raid

 Returned early

HX333 EY-D

F/L Watson took off from Breighton airfield at 18:22 but returned early due to malfunction of the blind flying instruments.      Farthest point reached at 50.07N/02.40E

Bombs were safely dropped into the sea and the landing at home base followed at 22:47.

(the HX355 crashed during the raid of March 24, '44)

Returned early

LV794 EY-O

F/L Carruthers took off at 6:26 PM but returned early due to vibration of the tailplane and rear turret.   Farthest point at 52.12N/00.52E.

Bombs were dropped safely into the sea and LV794 landed at Breighton at 9:24 pm.

(the LV794 crashes tomorrow on February 25, '44)

Returned early

LW510

F/S McCarthy took off from Breighton at 18.44 but turned back early due to excess fuel consumption, furthest point reached at 49.40N/04.00E.

LW510 landed back at Breighton at 23:30.

Returned early

LK762

F/S Tait returned early due to engine problems on the port outer engine. after taking off from Breighton at 18:30.  Problems with oil pressure and excessive temperatures.

Farthest point reached at 50.08N/01.40E. Landed safely again at Breighton at 22:40 .

Lost in Action

LW509 EY-T

F/O C.E.Melin Airborned 18:24 hour from Breighton.reported missing after being shot down by night fighter,   6 POW, and 1 killed.

Outbound, shot down from 23,000 feet NW of Stuttgart by a night-fighter.

Sgt Airey is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

F/O C.E.Melin RAAF PoW,   Sgt M.Bradbury PoW,    F/O C.F.Richens PoW,    P/O D.Laver PoW,

P/O K.F.Smith PoW,   Sgt K.Wisleman RCAF PoW also spelled K.Wideman,     Sgt R.W.Airey KIA,

Sgt M.Bradbury was interned in Camps L6/357. PoW No.2135 with Sgt K.Wisleman, PoW No.2126.

P/O D.Laver initially evaded until captured near Stuttgart, badly beaten by Gestapo until interned in Camp L3, PoW No.3576 with F/O C.E.Melin, PoW No.3580, P/O K.F.Smith, PoW No.3579 and F/O C.F.Richens, PoW  No.3596.