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13-2-45
463 Sqn RAAF (Waddington – Lancaster III)
Overcast this morning. Slightly overcast this afternoon. Ops on. 463 Squadron partook here in a 5 Group operation. Some 240 aircraft took part. 43 Squadron were the first Squadron of the first attack (5 Group attack) thus blazing the trail. The marking was excellent, and by the time the other Group backing up this attack, arrived, they were able to stoke up the fire already raging from 5 Group (463 Squadron) attack. It is understood that this raid was one of the first fruits of combined planning from the Malta conference, thus beginning the ongoing 7000 aircraft support to the Eastern front. 19 aircraft detailed. One early return.

ADDENDUM – Lancaster III NG234 JO-E. Crew: F/O NC Fernley-Stott RAAF KIA, Sgt R Marriott KIA, F/S TB McManus RAAF KIA, F/S BTT Wilson RAAF KIA, F/D MJ Coleman RAAF KIA, Sgt J Johnson KIA, F/S AM White RAAF POW. T/o 1733 Waddington. Of the six who lost their lives, five are buried in the 1939-45 War Cemetery in Berlin, while Sgt Johnson is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

BOMBER COMMAND
13/14 February 1945
DRESDEN
The Air Ministry had, for several months, been considering a series of particularly heavy area raids on German cities with a view to causing such confusion and consternation that the hard-stretched German war machine and civil administration would break down and the war would end. The general name given to this plan was Operation Thunderclap, but it had been decided not to implement it until the military situation in Germany was critical. That moment appeared to be at hand. Russian forces had made a rapid advance across Poland in the second half of January and crossed the eastern frontier of Germany. The Germans were thus fighting hard inside their own territory on two fronts, with the situation in the East being particularly critical. It was considered that Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz – all just behind the German lines on the Eastern Front now – would be suitable targets. They were all vital communications and supply centres for the Eastern Front and were already packed with German refugees and wounded from the areas recently captured by the Russians. As well as the morale aspect of the attacks, there was the intention of preventing the Germans from moving reinforcements from the West to face the successful Russian advance. The Air Ministry issued a directive to Bomber Command at the end of January. The Official History* describes how Winston Churchill took a direct hand in the final planning of Operation Thunderclap – although Churchill tried to distance himself from the Dresden raid afterwards. On 4 February, at the Yalta Conference, the Russians asked for attacks of this kind to take place, but their involvement in the process only came after the plans had been issued. So, Bomber Command was specifically requested by the Air Ministry, with Churchill’s encouragement, to carry out heavy raids on Dresden, Chemnitz and Leipzig. The Americans were also asked to help and agreed to do so. The campaign should have begun with an American raid on Dresden on 13 February but bad weather over Europe prevented any American operations. It thus fell to Bomber Command to carry out the first raid.

796 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitoes were dispatched in two separate raids and dropped 1,478 tons of high explosive and 1,182 tons of incendiary bombs. The first attack was carried out entirely by 5 Group, using their own low-level marking methods. A band of cloud still remained in the area and this raid, in which 244 Lancasters dropped more than 800 tons of bombs, was only moderately successful. The second raid, 3 hours later, was an all-Lancaster attack by aircraft of 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups, with 8 Group providing standard Pathfinder marking. The weather was now clear and 529 Lancasters dropped more than 1,800 tons of bombs with great accuracy. Much has been written about the fearful effects of this raid. Suffice it to say here that a firestorm, similar to the one experienced in Hamburg in July 1943, was created and large areas of the city were burnt out. No one has ever been able to discover how many people died but it is accepted that the number was greater than the 40,000 who died in the Hamburg firestorm and the Dresden figure may have exceeded 50,000.

Bomber Command casualties were 6 Lancasters lost, with 2 more crashed in France and 1 in England.

311 American B-17S dropped 771 tons of bombs on Dresden the next day, with the railway yards as their aiming point. Part of the American Mustang-fighter escort was ordered to strafe traffic on the roads around Dresden to increase the chaos. The Americans bombed Dresden again on the 15th and on 2 March but it is generally accepted that it was the R.A.F. night raid which caused the most serious damage.

BÖHLEN
368 aircraft – 326 Halifaxes, 34 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitoes – of 4, 6 and 8 Groups attempted to attack the Braunkohle-Benzin synthetic-oil plant at Böhlen, near Leipzig. Bad weather – 10/10ths cloud to 15,000 ft with icing – was encountered and the marking and bombing were scattered. No post-raid photographic reconnaissance was carried out. 1 Halifax was lost.

Minor Operations: 71 Mosquitoes to Magdeburg, 16 to Bonn, 8 each to Misburg and Nuremberg and 6 to Dortmund, 65 R.C.M. sorties, 59 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.

Total effort for the night: 1,406 sorties, 9 aircraft (0.6 percent) lost. 2nd TAF
The day brought the loss of five more Typhoons, two each from 164 and 18:1 Squadrons, and five Spitfire IXs, including once again two from 345 Squadron. 145 Wing had now been rejoined by 340 Squadron, which now began converting to Spitfire XVIs.

A rather regrettable loss occurred during the late morning when six of 41 Squadron's Spitfire XIVs on an armed reconnaissance over the Ahlhorn-Paderborn area encountered a lone Bf 110, G9+FY of 11./NJG 1, south of Lippstadt. Flt Lt R.P.Harding and Flg Offs E.Gray and F.M.Hegarty jointly shot this down, but as they did so the rear gunner obtained some vital hits on Harding's aircraft, and he did not return; only one member of the German crew survived.

Somewhat earlier in the morning 180 Squadron's Mitchells had received a hot reception over Weeze. Four aircraft were damaged by Flak and the pilot of the worst hit was obliged to make a wheels-up landing at base; the pilot of one of the others was wounded but managed a crash- landing in which the crew survived, if not the aircraft. Two Mitchells were unable to release their full bombloads and the crews were eventually ordered to bale out over friendly territory.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack depots and railroad repair facilities around Vienna and marshalling yards at Graz and Matzleinsdorf.

GERMANY: More than 320 9th Air Division bombers attack two transportation depots, rail bridges at three locations, a defended town, and targets of opportunity; and Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers attack bridges at two locations.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack bridges at four locations, and XXII TAC P-47s mount nearly 350 effective sorties against marshalling yards at three locations and communications targets throughout northern Italy.

During the night of February 13–14, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack a bridge approach and targets of opportunity in the Po River valley.

MTO: Fifteenth Air Force fighter pilots are officially encouraged to attack rail targets, especially locomotives, following release from bomber-escort duty or during fighter sweeps over enemy territory.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a railroad repair depot at Maribor; marshalling yards at Maribor, Sarvar, and Zagreb; and dock facilities at Pula.

BASE CHANGES
1435 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Falconara

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
68 Sqn (Coltishall) flies its last OM in the Mosquito NFXIX

14-2-45
420 Sqn RCAF (Tholthorpe – Halifax III)
Operations were called for to-day and 9 aircraft were detailed to attack “CHEMNITZ”. All aircraft took-off and 3 attacked primary, 6 aircraft returned early to base. Aircraft “B” Capt J41164 F/O W.S. Anderson returned early due to engine failure, crashed on approach and killed all except Mid-Upper Gunner – R.267319, F/S Giles, W.H.

ADDENDUM – Missing aircraft landed at Juvincourt due to flak damage. Returned the next day.

BOMBER COMMAND
14 February 1945
RAILWAY VIADUCTS
36 Lancasters and 1 photographic Mosquito of 9 and 617 Squadrons dispatched to attack Bielefeld and Altenbeken viaducts abandoned the raids because of cloud. 1 Lancaster of 9 Squadron lost.
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14/15 February 1945
CHEMNITZ
499 Lancasters and 218 Halifaxes of 1, 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups to continue Operation Thunderclap. 8 Lancasters and 5 Halifaxes lost.

This raid took place in two phases, 3 hours apart. A very elaborate diversion plan succeeded in keeping bomber casualties down but Chemnitz – now called Karl-Marx-Stadt – was also spared from the worst effects of its first major R.A.F. raid. Both parts of the bomber force found the target area covered by cloud and only sky-marking could be employed. Post-raid reconnaissance showed that many parts of the city were hit but that most of the bombing was in open country. The Stadtarchiv of Karl-Marx-Stadt was unable to provide a local report.

ROSITZ
224 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitoes of 5 Group attacked the oil refinery in this small town near Leipzig. 4 Lancasters were lost. Damage was caused to the southern part of the oil plant.

DIVERSIONARY AND MINOR OPERATIONS
95 aircraft of 3 Group and of Heavy Conversion Units on a sweep into the Heligoland Bight, 46 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 19 to Mainz, 14 to Dessau, 12 to Duisburg, 11 to Nuremberg and 8 to Frankfurt, 21 R.C.M. sorties, 87 Mosquito patrols, 30 Lancasters and 24 Halifaxes minelaying in the Kadet Channel. 5 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster lost from the minelaying force.

Total effort for the night: 1,316 sorties, 23 aircraft (1.7 percent) lost. 2nd TAF
The morning of 14th began badly when during an early armed reconnaissance in the Münster area, a 610 Squadron Spitfire XIV was shot down in flames over Boxmeer by Flak with the loss of Flt Lt W.M.Lightbourn. Things improved radically thereafter. At 0730 four Typhoons of 439 Squadron set off on a similar operation, while at 0745 Spitfire XIVs of 41 Squadron took off, seven of the Griffon-engined aircraft heading for the Osnabrück area.

On the other side of the lines I./JG 26 and III./JG 54 had been ordered off to patrol over Rheine where Me 262s were due to take off to attack a number of targets. Maj Borris led 24 I. Gruppe aircraft to meet the JG 54 formation, which was led by Lt Peter Crump. They began orbiting over KG 51's airfield at somewhat low altitude, shortly before 41 Squadron arrived in the area. The Spitfire pilots spotted 12 Fw 190Ds over Rheine, seeing these circling above a number of Me 262s which were in the circuit.

Flt Lt F.G.Woolley claimed one Focke-Wulf probably destroyed, Flt Sgt C.M.Moyle adding one shot down, while Wt Off I.T.Stevenson claimed one probable and one damaged. Two pilots managed to dive through the Dora-9s onto the jets, claiming damage to two of these. On this occasion it seems that the RAF pilots had considerably underestimated the results of their attack, for III./JG 54 lost three aircraft with two of its pilots killed and one wounded. A fighter of I./JG 26 also went down to the British aircraft, its pilot also wounded.

JG 26's Lt Waldemar Soffing claimed one of the Spitfires shot down for his 24th victory at 0815, but no loss or damage was actually suffered by the British unit. The Dora-9s had achieved the desired objective, however, for no fewer than 53 Me 262 sorties were made to bomb Nijmegen, Kleve and Gennep. The jets were not to escape scot-free however, for at about 0830 439 Squadron's quartet of Typhoons were forming up after strafing a train when two of the jets were spotted flying at 3,000 feet, about 4,000 feet lower than the Canadian fighter-bombers, and proceeding in the same direction. Given such a rare opportunity, the RCAF pilots dived to attack, Flt Lt Lyal Shaver hitting one which blew up, while Flg Off Hugh Fraser sent the other down through cloud, a column of smoke then appearing. They had succeeded in destroying two aircraft of 5./KG 51 in which both their pilots, Lt Hans-George Richter and Fw Werner Witzmann, were killed; both fell some 20 miles north of Coesfeld.

More Typhoons from 184 Squadron were also in the area. Their pilots also spotted two Me 262s near Arnhem. Capt A.F.Green, DFC, a SAAF pilot, managed to hit one at 0840, claiming to have inflicted damage. The Squadron proudly recorded that their man had been the first Typhoon pilot to hit a jet, but in fact he had just been "pipped" in the most decisive manner by the two Canadians.

Thereafter Flak began to take its usual steady toll. A 609 Squadron Typhoon was shot down south of Kleve, and Flt Lt R.K.Gibson killed at around 1000 hours, while soon after midday a 164 Squadron aircraft disappeared in the same area, Plt Off I.A.S.Moore later being reported to have been killed also.

Plt Off R.P.Townsend of 175 Squadron became a PoW after baling out south of Goch, while 198 Squadron's Plt Off L.W.Sellman crashed to his death nearby. A 263 Squadron aircraft was also lost with its pilot, Wt Off C.G.Points, over Wetten, and a 438 Squadron Typhoon came down south-east of Geldern. Some of the Spitfire units also suffered, 322 Squadron losing Flg Off F.J.H.Van Eijk from a midday armed reconnaissance, his aircraft being seen to crash and blow up. On a similar sortie Lt M.Fleischel of 345 Squadron was killed when his aircraft was hit over Duisberg, while two Polish-flown Spitfires of 302 Squadron suffered such severe damage during an afternoon armed reconnaissance that they were written off.

On a strafing sortie during the morning one of 486 Squadron's Tempests was hit and Flt Lt W.A.L. Trott was badly wounded, though he managed to fly more than 100 miles back to base, after which he fainted from loss of blood; he was awarded a DFC. Worse was to come for the New Zealand unit, for during an armed reconnaissance in the Meppen area later in the day, intense rocket fire from the ground struck the Commanding Officer's aircraft, which crashed in flames. Sqn Ldr Umbers was killed instantly, the third Tempest leader to be lost in a week; his place was taken by Sqn Ldr K.G.Taylor-Cannon - known to all as 'Hyphen.

On another sortie commencing at 1330, Sqn Ldr Fairbanks of 274 Squadron headed three Tempests on an armed reconnaissance during which two locomotives and 15 trucks were strafed. He then headed for Rheine again and dived through the Flak defences when he saw eight Me 262s taking off; he managed to claim damage to one of these. Returning from strafing a railway station at 1310, Typhoon pilots of 193 Squadron encountered a lone Bf 109 north of Grave which was claimed shot down by three pilots jointly. More Messerschmitts were seen by 80 Squadron Tempest pilots near Celle at much the same time, Flg Off N.J.Rankin gaining hits on one with which Fig Off V.F.Boyds then collided as it started to fall. He managed to bale out, but lost his life nonetheless, as did Flg Off D.S.Angier, whose aircraft was shot down by Flak south of Brunswick during the same operation.

Throughout the day squadrons undertook a number of airfield strafes, achieving some success. 411 Squadron Spitfire pilots hit Handorf where Flt Lt John Boyle claimed two He 177 bombers destroyed and a third damaged, while Flt Sgt Watt claimed damage to two more.

174 Squadron's Typhoons hit another airfield where one unidentified aircraft was claimed destroyed and two damaged, while at Quackenbrück 3 Squadron Tempest pilots claimed damage to four twin-engined types.

The final engagement occurred at evening, during 610 Squadron's second armed reconnaissance of the day. Some Ar 234s were spotted near Rheine, Flt Lt Tony Gaze climbing through a heavy overcast in the hope of catching these. As he broke into sunlight above, he spotted a trio of Me 262s, the pilots of which failed to see him as he dropped back into cloud. Keeping just the cockpit and tail unit of his Spitfire XIV clear of the murk, he stalked them until he was within range, then shot down 9K+NL of I./KG 51 piloted by Fw Richard Hoffmann who was killed; the other two pilots at once opened their throttles and sped away.

Apart from the three losses of Me 262s recorded above, a fourth I/KG 51 aircraft was reported to have been lost in combat during the day, the pilot baling out. This may well have been one of the four aircraft of this type claimed damaged by 2nd TAF pilots.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack oil refineries at four locations in and around Vienna and marshalling yards at four locations.

FRANCE: The Ninth Air Force’s 410th Light Bombardment Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-68, at Juvincourt.

GERMANY: Three hundred eleven 1st Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Dresden; 340 2d Air Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Magdeburg (secondary); 294 3d Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Chemnitz; 37 3d Air Division B-17s attack a highway bridge at Wesel (primary); 35 3d Air Division B-17s attack an oil depot at Dulmen (secondary); and 277 heavy bombers attack various targets of opportunity, including the Czech cities of Brux, Pilsen, and Prague. Seven heavy bombers and seven of 837 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

VIII Fighter Command pilots down 18 GAF fighters over eastern Germany between noon and 1235 hours. LtCol Arthur F. Jamison, the commanding officer of the 479th Fighter Group’s 434th Fighter Squadron, in P-51s, brings his personal tally to 14 confirmed victories when he downs a Bf-109 near Berlin at about 1230 hours.

Capt Kenneth H. Dahlberg, a 14- victory P-51 ace with the 354th Fighter Group’s 353d Fighter Squadron, is taken prisoner after being shot down by flak.

Throughout the day, 9th Air Division bombers mount 622 effective sorties against communications centers, marshalling yards, rail bridges, an ammunition dump, a vehicle depot, and targets of opportunity. Fourteen bombers are lost.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack bridges and bridge approaches at three locations and several gun emplacements in the battle area; and XXII TAC P-47s attack communications targets in the Po River valley.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack marshalling yards at Celje, Maribor, and Zagreb.

BASE CHANGES
94 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Sedes

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
68 Sqn (Coltishall) flies its last OM in the Mosquito NFXVII
199 Sqn (North Creake) flies its first OM in the Halifax III
340 Sqn (B.85 Schijndel) flies its first OM in the Spitfire XVI

15-2-45
401 Sqn RCAF (B.88 Heesch – Spitfire LFIXB)
Duff weather again to-day held the whole Wing on the ground except for a Weather Reeco done by 442 Sqdn. A “Tiffie" tried to land during the morning but couldn't make it so flew on hoping to find a break someplace else.

BOMBER COMMAND
15 February 1945
1 Halifax flew an R.C.M. sortie.
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15/16 February 1945
MINOR OPERATIONS
37 Lancasters and 18 Halifaxes minelaying in Oslo Fjord and the Kattegat, 2 R.C.M. sorties, 6 Mosquito patrols. 1 Mosquito fighter crashed in France. 2nd TAF
Poor weather conditions curtailed operations and the only loss was a Typhoon which had attempted a 'weather recce’.

ADDENDUM – This was the same Typhoon referred to in the 401Sqn ORB. Pilot abandoned his aircraft, baling out safely.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack an oil refinery, freight yards at five locations, a goods depot, and three marshalling yards, all in the Vienna area; as well as marshalling yards at Graz, Klagenfurt, and Wiener-Neustadt; an ordnance depot at Graz; and targets of opportunity.

FRANCE: The Ninth Air Force’s 371st Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground Y-34, at Metz/Frescati Airdrome; the Ninth Air Force’s 409th Light Bombardment Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-70, at Laon/Couvron Airdrome; and the Ninth Air Force’s 416th Light Bombardment Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground A-69, at Laon/Athies Airdrome.

GERMANY: Two hundred ten 1st Air Division B-17s attack the city of Dresden (secondary); 353 2d Air Division B-24s attack a synthetic-oil plant at Magdeburg (secondary); 435 3d Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Cottbus (secondary); 58 3d Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Rheine (target of last resort); and 19 heavy bombers attack several targets of opportunity. Two heavy bombers and one of 433 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Approximately 90 9th Air Division B-26s attack marshalling yards at Mayen and Sinzig.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack the shipyard at Fiume.

Except for a limited mission against an ammunition dump, Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s are able to attack rail targets in northeastern Italy and the Po River valley.

BASE CHANGES
33 Sqn (Non-Op) moves to B.77 Gilze-Rijen

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
108 Sqn (Hassani) flies its last OM in the Beaufighter VIF
441 Sqn RCAF (Skeabrae) flies its first OM in the Spitfire HFIX
502 Sqn (Stornoway) flies its first OM in the Halifax III

16-2-45
332 (Norwegian) Sqn (B.79 Woensdrecht – Spitfire LFIXB)
12 Spits operating in sections of 2 a/c each, took off at 1355/1515/1600 hrs. Task ID 758. 2/Lt. No. 5079 Lorentzen H.missing. Claims: 2 Staff cars destroyed, 3 MET damaged, 4 HDV damaged. Med acc. And heavy flak andnd also balloons at 2.000 ft. Area A.43. Int. innac. and light flak E. 9937. Int. acc. and light E. 9733. Mod. acc. and heavy flak E. 1485. 7 bursts exploding 10,000 ft. leaving red streamers Wesel area. Time of landing 1500/1625/1630/1710/1730 hrs.

ADDENDUM – Spitfire LFIXB PV213 AH-W. Pilot: 2/Lt HH Lorentzen KIA.

BOMBER COMMAND
16 February 1945
WESEL
100 Lancasters of 3 Group and 1 Mosquito of 8 Group attacked this town on the Rhine, near the fighting area. No aircraft lost.

The raid took place in clear conditions and ‘the town and the railway were seen to be smothered in bomb bursts’. No local details are available other than the information that the local population was still present and presumably suffered heavy casualties. The number of civilians killed in Wesel during the war numbered 562. Most of the survivors were evacuated after this raid. 2nd TAF
274 Squadron was involved in combat with a number of Bf 109s north-east of Hildesheim on this date. Eight of the unit's aircraft had set off at 1615, the pilots spotting an equal number of Bf 109s at 1730, flying at 7,000 feet. These were at once attacked, Sqn Ldr Fairbanks claiming two shot down while Flg Off W.F. 'Freddie' Mossing claimed one more and a second damaged.

146 Wing continued in its support of the Siegfried Line offensive, 66 Typhoons in seven waves dropping more than 80,000 pounds of high explosive, encouraging 170 Germans to surrender.

In 135 Wing, 349 Squadron was now ordered to Predannack in England to commence re- equipment with Tempests. The unit would arrive there on 21st, having handed in its Spitfire IXs en route. Weather conditions over the Continent closed in on 17th, preventing anything much in the way of flying for four days.

USAAF
ENGLAND: The 3d Air Division’s 4th Provisional Heavy Bombardment Wing is given official status as the 4th Heavy Bombardment Wing.

ETO: The 371st Fighter Group is transferred to the Ninth Air Force from the First Tactical Air Force and is assigned to the XIX TAC.

The Ninth Air Force’s 367th Fighter Group returns to combat status following its transition from P-38s to P-47s; and the 354th Fighter Group is reequipped with P-51s following several months’ service in P-47s.

GERMANY: One hundred ninety-four 1st Air Division B-17s attack oil-industry targets at Dortmund, Minster Stein, and Nordstern; 268 2d Air Division B-24s attack marshalling yards at Osnabruck and Rheine; 46 2d Air Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Munster; 208 3d Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Hamm; 63 3d Air Division B-17s attack a rail bridge at Wesel; and 102 heavy bombers attack various targets of opportunity. Eight heavy bombers are lost.

More than 300 9th Air Division bombers attack a communications center, a rail bridge, an ordnance depot, a jet-engine factory, and targets of opportunity, mostly in the Ruhr River valley; and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack bridges and rail lines.

Two hundred sixty-three Fifteenth Air Force B-24s attack the Me-262 factory at Regensburg, where they destroy an estimated 20 jet interceptors on the ground and damage the manufacturing facility. Other B-24s attack the nearby jet airdrome at Neubiberg.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack rail lines and ammunition and fuel dumps.

MTO: Approximately 450 Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s dispatched against a variety of targets in central and southern Europe are forced by bad weather to return to their bases.

17-2-45
347 (FF) Sqn (Elvington – Halifax III)
Twelve aircraft were detailed to attack WESEL, of which only one was successful. The mission was abandoned by the Master Bomber. BOMB LOAD: 48 x 250 GP; 95 x 500GP; 1 x 500 GP (delay 6 hours). WEATHER: 10/10ths at the target, tops 20,000 feet. All aircraft were diverted on returning to England.

ADDENDUM: Halifax III LL573 L8-B. Crash-landed 1402 at Carnaby airfield, Yorkshire, following an in-flight fire in the outer port engine. Crew safe.

BOMBER COMMAND
17 February 1945
WESEL
298 aircraft – 247 Halifaxes, 27 Lancasters, 24 Mosquitoes – of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. The target area was covered in cloud and the Master Bomber ordered the raid to be stopped after only 8 Halifaxes had bombed. No aircraft were lost but 3 Halifaxes crashed in England.
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17/18 February 1945
Bremen
6 Oboe Mosquitoes attacked the Deschimag shipyard but no results were seen because of ground fog. No aircraft lost. USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack rail targets and a synthetic-oil plant at Linz, marshalling yards at four locations, a steel plant, and two tank factories.

ENGLAND: The 3d Air Division’s 385th Heavy Bombardment Group is reassigned to the 93d Combat Bombardment Wing.

GERMANY: More than 550 1st and 2d Air division B-17s and B-24s are recalled in the face of bad weather, but 260 3d Air Division B-17s are able to attack their primary, a marshalling yard at Frankfurt am Main, and 71 3d Air Division B-17s are able to attack several targets of opportunity. Five heavy bombers and one of 167 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Thirty-one 9th Air Division B-26s attack a rail bridge at Mayen.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack harbor and shipyard facilities at Fiume and Trieste; Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack bridges at four locations; and XXII TAC P-47s attack bridges, gun emplacements, and dumps over a wide area.

During the night of February 17–18, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack towns and bridges in the Po River valley as well as Ghedi and Villafranca di Verona airdromes. Also, Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers drop supplies to partisans in northern Italy.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack port facilities at Pula.

BASE CHANGES
43 Sqn (SpitfireIX) moves to Ravenna
72 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Ravenna
93 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Ravenna
111 Sqn (Spitfire IXC) moves to Ravenna

18-2-45
626 Sqn (Wickenby – Lancaster I/III)
WEATHER: Cloudy, becoming fine. Vis. poor improving during afternoon. Wind Sly or light variable.

Operations ordered, - 5 aircraft were airborne by 1815 hours with the following captains: F/O PATTISON, F/O HALL, P/O HALLOWAY, P/O LUCAS and F/L WHITE to mine in the HELIGOLAND BIGHT. 2 of our aircraft failed to return – P/O LUCAS and P/O HOLLOWAY the remainder returned to base by 2215 hours. One Fighter was seen by F/L WHITE and crew but, apart from that enemy opposition was nil and all crews reported on return that their mines had been successfully dropped in the correct gardens.

ADDENDUM: Lancaster I NF907 UM-K2. Crew: F/O KG Halloway RAAF KIA, Sgt RF Edwards KIA, Sgt TW Gascoigne KIA, Sgt JT Jones KIA, W/O RD Gill RAAF KIA, Sgt E Harrison KIA, Sgt DW Hughes KIA. T/o 1753 Wickenby. Shot down by Ofw Klaus Möller (3rd victory) 9./NJG2 into the sea 30-40 km SW of Heligoland or by heavy flak guns on Wangerooge Island. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Lancaster I PA216 UM-C2. Crew: F/O HL Lucas KIA, Sgt AM Watson KIA, F/S GP Holmes KIA, F/S RL Lewis KIA, F/S SE Jenkins KIA, Sgt FW Underhill KIA, F/S Weber KIA. T/o 1754 Wickenby. Shot down by Ofw Klaus Möller (3rd victory) 9./NJG2 into the sea 30-40 km SW of Heligoland or by heavy flak guns on Wangerooge Island. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

BOMBER COMMAND
18 February 1945
WESEL
160 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H attack through cloud. No Lancasters lost.
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18/19 February 1945
MINOR OPERATIONS
32 Mosquitoes to Mannheim, 6 each to Berlin and Bremen and 3 on ‘siren tours’ of various towns in Central Germany, 34 R.C.M. sorties, 18 Mosquito patrols, 21 Lancasters and 4 Halifaxes minelaying in the German Bight. 2 Lancasters were lost from the minelaying force. USAAF
AUSTRIA: One hundred sixty Fifteenth Air Force B-17s attack a synthetic-fuel plant and rail facilities at Linz, but 290 B-24s bound for targets in Austria are recalled because of bad weather.

GERMANY: At the start of an air offensive to isolate the Ruhr region in anticipation of a major U.S. Army ground offensive, approximately 60 9th Air Division B-26s attack a rail bridge and several targets of opportunity.

ITALY: Nearly all the Twelfth Air Force B-25s dispatched on various missions abort in the face of bad weather, but one small attack is completed against a rail bridge at Ala. Also, fewer than 100 effective XXII TAC P-47 sorties are completed against rail bridges and ammunition dumps in the Po River valley.

BASE CHANGES
252 Sqn (Beaufighter TFX) moves to Hassani

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
112 Sqn (Fano) flies its first OM in the Mustang IV

19-2-45
90 Sqn (Tuddenham – Lancaster I/III)
WEATHER. Generally foggy, visibility fair.
OPERATIONS.10 aircraft were detailed for operations against Wesel. 1 failed to return from this operation. Remaining 9 attacked primary between 1633 and 1635 hrs from 19-20,000ft dropping 8 x 4,000 HC, 71 x 500 AN, 18 x 500 MC, 36 x 250 GP, 2 x 250 T.I. Red. Weather 9/10 stratus thin, occasional clear patches. 2-aircraft bombed by special navigational aids and remaining or leading aircraft similarly equipped. A small clear patch enabled a few crews to see bombs bursting in the town and smoke was seen to rise to a fair height. Markers were well concentrated and it was thought to be a good raid. Fighter support was, Flak although fairly accurate, was only slight.

ADDENDUM - Lancaster I PD336 WP-D. Crew: W/C PF Dunham DFC, KIA, Sgt JE Bennett KIA, F/O T Metcalfe RCAF KIA, F/O HFJ Carlton KIA, Sgt LA Page, Sgt JE Bozeat, P/O FA Cresswell KIA. T/o 1324 Tuddenham. Came down in the Rhine near Xanten. Two are buried in the Reichswwald War Cemetery, two in the RheinbergWar Cemetery and three are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

BOMBER COMMAND
19 February 1945
WESEL
168 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a good attack with the best concentration of bombs being in the railway area. 1 Lancaster lost.

1 Halifax flew an R.C.M. sortie.
________________________________________
19/20 February 1945
BÖHLEN
254 Lancasters and 6 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. 1 Mosquito lost.
This raid was not successful, probably because the aircraft of the Master Bomber, Wing Commander E. A. Benjamin, was shot down by Flak over the target. Post-raid reconnaissance showed that damage to the target was ‘superficial’; there was no evidence to show where the main bombing fell. (The body of Wing Commander E. A. Benjamin, D.F.C. and Bar, is buried in the Berlin War Cemetery.)

Minor Operations: 82 Mosquitoes to Erfurt and 24 in small numbers to 6 other targets, 9 R.C.M. sorties, 29 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost. USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack rail targets in Vienna and marshalling yards at three locations.

GERMANY: Two hundred forty-six 1st Air Division B-17s attack oil-industry targets at four locations (primaries); 162 1st Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Münster (secondary); 86 2d Air Division B-24s attack a munitions plant; 97 2d Air Division B-24s attack an armaments factory; 94 2d Air Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard; 179 3d Air Division B-17s attack marshalling yards at Osnabruck (primary) and Münster (secondary); 131 3d Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Rheine; 68 3d Air Division B-17s attack a rail bridge at Wesel; and ten 3d Air Division B-17s attack targets of opportunity. One B-24 and seven of 358 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

9th Air Division bombers attack rail bridges at three locations, an ordnance depot, a motor-vehicle depot, and targets of opportunity; and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack bridges and rail lines.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s using radar-control techniques are able to mount limited attacks through heavy clouds against dumps and communications targets in the Po River valley and rail lines in Brenner Pass. Also, Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack shipyard facilities at Fiume.

BriGen Edward M. Morris assumes command of the XII Air Force Service Command
During the night of February 19–20, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack more than 30 targets of opportunity in the Po River valley and marshalling yards and railway lines at ten locations.

MTO: Fifteenth Air Force P-38 and P-51 pilots are credited with the destruction of a record 31 locomotives during strafing attacks over enemy territory.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Maribor and the harbor and military installations at Pula.

BASE CHANGES
327 Sqn (Spitfire VIII/IX) moves to Luxeil
602 Sqn (Spitfire XVI) moves to Coltishall

20-2-45
424 Sqn RCAF (Skipton-on-Swale – Lancaster X)
OPERATIONS: The Squadron was detailed to give 14 a/c for operations to-day. Briefing was carried out and all are took off for a successful raid on DORTMUND. There was considerable fighter activity and moderate to light flak. From this operation CAN.J.193230 F/S COZENS W.J. and crew failed to return.

ADDENDUM - Lancaster X ME456 QB-K. Crew: F/S WJG Cozens RCAF, Sgt JR Cubin KIA, F/O GD Ree RCAF, F/O H Rubenstein RCAF, Sgt J Butler RCAF POW, Sgt AT Skett RCAF POW, Sgt EJ Rhodes RCAF. T/o 2136 Skipton-on-Swale. Hit by flak while running towards AP and not long after struck by a night-fighter. As a result, the two starboard engines failed, as did the hydraulics. The Allied lines were regained where five crew managed to bale out, but two drifted back to enemy territory. A brilliant force-landing was executed, for which F/S Cozens was awarded the DFM. Sgt Kubin has no known grave.

BOMBER COMMAND
20 February 1945
1 Halifax flew an R.C.M. sortie.
________________________________________
20/21 February 1945
DORTMUND
514 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitoes of 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups. 14 Lancasters lost.

The intention of this raid was to destroy the southern half of Dortmund and Bomber Command claimed that this was achieved. It appears that the Dortmund air-raid recording service had now broken down completely; the local Stadtarchiv has no details of any kind of this raid.

This was the last large Bomber Command raid of the war on Dortmund.

DÜSSELDORF
173 aircraft – 156 Halifaxes, 11 Mosquitoes, 6 Lancasters – of 4 and 8 Groups attacked the Rhenania Ossag refinery in the Reisholz district of Düsseldorf. The raid was accurate and it was later established that all oil production was halted. 7 people died in the raid. 4 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster lost.

MONHEIM
128 aircraft – 112 Halifaxes, 10 Mosquitoes, 6 Lancasters – of 6 and 8 Groups attacked the Rhenania Ossag refinery at Monheim with similar results to the Reisholz raid. 2 Halifaxes lost.

MITTELLAND CANAL
154 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitoes of 5 Group were ordered to attack the canal section near Gravenhorst but the raid was ordered to be abandoned by the Master Bomber because the area was covered by cloud. No aircraft lost.

DIVERSIONARY AND MINOR OPERATIONS
91 aircraft from Heavy Conversion Units in a sweep over the North Sea, 66 Mosquitoes to Berlin and 16 to Mannheim, 65 R.C.M. sorties, 45 Mosquito patrols, 6 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 aircraft of 100 Group (type not recorded) lost.

Total effort for the night: 1,283 sorties, 22 aircraft (1.7 percent) lost. USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard and two oil refineries at Vienna, and a steel plant.

ETO: The 9th Air Division is grounded by bad weather.

The IX Engineer Command is transferred from Ninth Air Force control to USSTAF control.

GERMANY: Four hundred twenty-eight 1st Air Division B-17s and 403 3d Air Division B-17s attack rail targets at Nurnberg, but 360 2d Air Division B-24s abort in the face of bad weather along their route over Belgium. Five B-17s and 13 of 476 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

VIII Fighter Command pilots down 16 GAF aircraft over Germany between noon and 1320 hours. 1stLt Clinton D. Burdick, a P-51 pilot with the 356th Fighter Group’s 361st Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two Fi-156s and shares in the downing of a third Fi-156 near Bayreuth at about 1240 hours; and Maj Donald J. Strait, the commanding officer of the 356th Fighter Group’s 361st Fighter Squadron, brings his final personal tally to 13.5 confirmed victories when he downs three Fi-156s near Bayreuth between 1235 and 1245 hours.

Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack bridges and ground defenses.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack shipyards at Fiume and Trieste, and Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack bridges at four locations.

XXII TAC A-20s and night fighters attack supply dumps and communications targets in the Po River valley.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack port facilities at Pula.

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
169 Sqn (Great Massingham) flies its last OM in the Mosquito FBVI and its first OM in the Mosquito NFXIX

21-2-45
427 Sqn RCAF (Leeming – Halifax III)
Weather Fair to cloudy. Visibility moderate. Wind s'ly 5-15 m.p.h.
Crews returned to base around 05:00 hours. The target was MONHEIM. Crews report 10/10th cloud over target. Marking was sufficient and concentrated. There was an extremly large explosion and several other reddish orange ones. The target was obscured but reports indicate that the raid was fairly successful. slight to moderate heavy flak in loose barrage form. A/C “Z” NR148 was damaged by flak en route homeward. A/C “X” NR941 encountered an <unreadable> enemy aircraft. MU/AG opened fire and the starboard engine of the enemy aircraft burst into flames. Its wing was seen to fall off. The A/C went straight down and exploded upon contact. Claim “A”.

Another battle order was issued at noon detailing eleven aircraft. Briefing was scheduled for 15:00 hours and take off around 16:30 hours. Crews were back at base by 23.59 hours. The target was WORMS. Crews report that the target was clear of cloud with slight ground haze. Marking was well concentrated and sufficient. The town was burning brightly over a two mile square area. Fires ware visible 80 miles on the homeward route. Several Large explosions were reported. Flak varied from moderate to intense. A/C “G” RS347 encountered and destroyed an unidentified enemy aircraft. As fighter attacked the rear gunner opened fire with 400 rds. Aircraft dove to the ground trailing sparks. Two large explosions were seen on the ground. A/C “Z” MZ275 encountered an unidentified single engine enemy fighter. MU/AG and R/AG opened fire and lots of hits were claimed. The enemy aircraft burst into flame and broke into two pieces and fell to the ground. Claim "A". A/C “E” MZ452 encountered a ME110. Both gunners opened fire with two seconds bursts. Strikes were seen on fuselage of ME110. A/C seemed to fall away and go down out of control. Claim "B”. One aircraft “F” NR288 P/O W.R. Wilson is missing from this operation.

ADDENDUM: Halifax III NR288 ZL-F. Crew: P/O WR Wilson RCAF POW, Sgt JFW Taylor KIA, F/O L Webster RCAF KIA, W/O2 RR Stuart RCAF KIA, F/S DA Henderson RCAF KIA, F/S LO Foisy RCAF KIA, F/S AJ MacLeod RCAF KIA. T/o 1623 Leeming. Those who lost their lives are buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery

BOMBER COMMAND
21 February 1945
1 Halifax flew an R.C.M. sortie.
________________________________________
21/22 February 1945
DUISBURG
362 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitoes of 1, 6 and 8 Groups. 7 Lancasters were lost and 3 crashed behind Allied lines in Europe.

This was a successful area-bombing raid and much damage was caused. No other details are available. This was the last major Bomber Command raid on Duisburg.

WORMS
349 aircraft – 288 Halifaxes, 36 Lancasters, 25 Mosquitoes. 10 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster lost.

This was the first and only large Bomber Command raid on Worms. The raid was an area attack in which 1,116 tons of bombs were accurately dropped. A postwar survey estimated that 39 percent of the town’s built-up area was destroyed. The local report says that a considerable part of the bombing fell just outside the town, to the south-west, but it confirms that the remainder caused severe damage in Worms. 64 percent of the town’s buildings were destroyed or damaged, including the cathedral, the town museum, and most of the churches and cultural buildings in the old centre. Much of the town’s industry was also destroyed, including the only firm devoted completely to the production of war material, one making sprocket wheels for tanks. 239 people were killed and 35,000 bombed out from a population of approximately 58,000.

MITTELLAND CANAL
165 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitoes of 5 Group again attempted to breach the canal near Gravenhorst. Visibility was clear and the attack was successful. Bomber Command claimed that the canal was rendered ‘100 percent unserviceable’. 9 Lancasters were lost and 4 crashed in France and Holland, 7.9 percent of the Lancaster force. One of the Lancasters which crashed in Holland was piloted by Group Captain A. C. Evans-Evans, D.F.C., the station commander at Coningsby, flying an 83 Squadron aircraft. The Lancaster was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Eindhoven. One of the gunners was the only survivor.

Minor Operations: 77 Mosquitoes to Berlin and 5 to Bremen, 66 R.C.M. sorties, 35 Mosquito patrols, 28 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost.

Total effort for the night: 1,110 sorties, 34 aircraft (3.1 percent) lost. 2nd TAF
Following the departure of 349 Squadron from 135 Wing, 485 Squadron was now ordered to follow suit. Consequently the unit would undertake its last sorties on 22nd, and depart. Meanwhile however, during 21st 33 and 222 Squadrons rejoined the Wing with their new Tempests, resuming operations at once.

The day was to see several other movements. As the squadrons of 132 Wing shifted to B.85, Schijndel, 127 Squadron which had just returned from APC at Fairwood Common, was replaced by 66 Squadron which departed for its session there. On the same day 610 Squadron flew home to attend 17 APC at Warmwell, from where 130 Squadron was to return to 125 Wing on 22nd. The Typhoon units of 124 Wing were similarly involved, 182 Squadron returning from Warmwell's 14 APC on 21st, while 247 Squadron moved there for its turn. Although the breaks from the front line were to give the squadrons a chance to hone their weapon skills, there was a strong element of what would later be known as 'R & R, with the emphasis on the second 'R'! After the last named unit visited Dorset the authorities in Dorchester requested that the RAF ensure this squadron was not allowed to return to Warmwell!

Yet again Flak took its malevolent toll during the day. On one armed reconnaissance, during which a number of trains were strafed, two of 402 Squadron's Spitfire XIVs were hit; Flt Lt L.G.Barnes baled out safely, landing just inside German-held territory, but making good his escape. Flg Off J.C.McAllister managed to get back, but crashed while landing at B.88 and died of the injuries he received in doing so.

A 274 Squadron Tempest force-landed near Halle after being hit, Flg Off C.J.Day becoming a prisoner, as did Flt Lt K.A.Creamer of 184 Squadron, whose Typhoon went down neat Soest. Flg Off W.D.Ross from this latter unit was less fortunate, being killed when brought down south-west of Bocholt. Two more Typhoons were lost by 164 and 438 Squadrons, the pilot of the former baling out safely, while Wt Off G.R.Errington of the latter unit also baled out, but became yet another PoW. Flt Lt G.J.Hussey of 168 Squadron force-landed his Typhoon, surviving unhurt, but the pilot of a sixth aircraft of this type, Flg Off H.S.Young, RNZAF, of 245 Squadron, met an unfortunate end. Hit by Flak during an attack on a V-1 site at Vreden, he made a successful forced landing and was promptly captured. Some hours later, however, he was shot 'attempting to escape, a crime for which a German Army quartermaster would later be sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.

Towards evening several successful encounters took place, however. At 1615 Flt Lt 'Jesse' Hibbert of 274 Squadron led six Tempests on a reconnaissance over the Hannover-Minden area. Once more the formation was able to put in some good strafing, claiming hits on five locomotives, seven trucks and two MET. However, at 1720 a lone Ju 88 was seen south of the Steinhuder See, and this was seen to crash in flames after a three-second burst from Hibbert.

Around 1700 hours Flt Lt L.A.Stewart of 412 Squadron claimed damage to an Me 262 east of Emmerich, while a few minutes later Flt Lt S.J.Perkins, flying a 268 Squadron Mustang II, made a similar claim a few miles to the south. One or both of these pilots may have hit an aircraft of II./KG 51, Ofhr Gerhard Rohde of this unit reported missing on this date, possibly shot down in combat.

At 1700 the Belgian pilots of 350 Squadron undertook an armed reconnaissance to Rheine, arriving there at 1730 to meet 20 German fighters. Flt Lt J.Lavigne and Flg Off A.Vanwersch each claimed a Bf 109 shot down, while Plt Off L. Lambrechts added a probable and a damaged. A Spitfire was claimed shot down by Fw Hermann Müller of 7./JG 27 in this area at 1745, but no losses were suffered by the Belgian unit. The German Gruppe recorded the loss of one aircraft and its pilot.

After dark Flt Lt K.W.Stewart/Flg Off H.E.Brumby of 488 Squadron intercepted and shot down a Ju 88 night fighter of 2./NJG 2 in the Groenlo-Laren area.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack rail targets in and around Vienna as well as three marshalling yards.

ETO: The Ninth Air Force’s 386th Medium Bombardment Group completes its transition from B-26s to A-26s, and flies its first all-A-26 combat mission.

GERMANY: 1,204 Eighth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack the rail station and a marshalling yard at Nurnberg. Seven of 600 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Three hundred forty-eight 9th Air Division bombers attack an oil depot, marshalling yards, bridges, communications centers, and targets of opportunity; and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter- bombers attack an airdrome and rail lines. One B-26 is downed by flak, and three B-26s are downed in a by-now rare attack by GAF piston fighters.

HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack marshalling yard at Sopron.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack shipyards at Fiume and Trieste; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack bridges at three locations; and XXII TAC P-47s attack communications targets and frontline battle areas.

During the night of February 21–22, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack light sources, an ammunition dump, rail lines, and rail bridges in the Po River valley.

BASE CHANGES
66 Sqn (Spitfire XVI) moves to Fairwood Common
127 Sqn (Spitfire XVI) moves to Fairwood Common
130 Sqn (Spitfire XIV) moves to B.78 Eindhoven
186 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.86 Helmond
222 Sqn (Non-Op) moves to B.77 Gilze-Rijen
322 Sqn (Spitfire XVI) moves to B.85 Schijndel
328 Sqn (Spitfire VIII/IX) moves to Luxeil
331 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.85 Schijndel
349 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Predannack

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
255 Sqn (Rosignano) flies its last OM in the Beaufighter VIF
610 Sqn (Warmwell) flies its last OM in the Spitfire XIV

22-2-45
218 Sqn (Chedburgh – Lancaster I/III)
14 aircraft were detailed and briefed for operations today. 11 attacked the target which was Gelsenkirchen, 2 were abortive and 1 was missing. No cloud with good visibility led to intense very accurate heavy flak predicted seen, and 6 aircraft were hit. Formation was reasonably good and bombing concentration very good. Large amounts of bomb bursts seen on target with much black smoke rising from it to 6000-8000 ft. No fighter opposition seen but route was considered extremely unpleasant by most of the crems. The missing aircraft failed to follow its briefed leader HA/H but followed HA/U instead who saw him jettison his bombs close to the target with flak bursts around him. “B” then dived steeply to port with white smoke or vapour issuing from one of his engines. At 2125N 0615E, 16.15 hrs. MH/J heard another aircraft calling "B" can I help you. "B" not heard to reply.

ADDENDUM: Lancaster I NG450 MH-B. Crew: F/O JEG Muschamp KIA, Sgt J Simpson POW, Sgt E Porter POW, Sgt J Halsall POW, Sgt DR White POW, Sgt G Hogg KIA, Sgt TF Darragh KIA. T/o 1308 Chedburgh. The four survivors were badly beaten by a member of the Gestapo. Those who died are buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.

BOMBER COMMAND
22 February 1945
OIL REFINERIES
167 Lancasters of 3 Group in forces of 85 and 82 aircraft to Gelsenkirchen and Osterfeld. A Film Unit Lancaster of 463 Squadron, 5 Group, accompanied the Gelsenkirchen force. Both targets were accurately bombed in clear weather conditions. 1 Lancaster lost from the Gelsenkirchen raid.
________________________________________
22/23 February 1945
MINOR OPERATIONS
73 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 6 to Bremen, 4 to Erfurt and 3 on ‘siren tours’ of various German towns, 35 Lancasters to railway viaducts at Altenbeken and Bielefeld, 48 R.C.M. sorties, 23 Mosquito patrols, 19 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Mosquito from the Erfurt raid crashed in Belgium. 2nd TAF
During an early train-strafing sortie by four Typhoons of 182 Squadron, a Ju 88G night fighter was spotted as the pilots were on their way home. Low on ammunition after their strafing, all four attacked this I./NJG 4 aircraft, which eventually flew into the ground in a shallow dive and exploded; Uffz Alexander Pankow and his crew were all killed.

At 1300 eight Tempests of 274 Squadron took off on a sweep over the Wenzedar-Soltau- Nweinburg area. They were followed at 1315 by aircraft from 56 Squadron, and then at 1320 by seven Tempests of 3 Squadron, which were led by Wg Cdr Peter Brooker to reconnoitre the Nieuburg-Plene area. Here this latter formation experienced most unwelcome attention from Eighth Air Force P-51s. Four pilots then broke away to escort a lone B-24 found in the Steinhuder Lake area, while the other three continued on their way, undertaking some strafing. Over Rheine, two Bf 109s were seen below and were at once attacked, Wg Cdr Brooker claiming one destroyed and Plt Off J.K.Foster one damaged: it appears that Brooker's claim was later reduced to a damaged by the Claims Board. As they were reforming, ten Fw 190s attacked and shot down Plt Off E.J.Bailey who was flying some 500 yards behind the rest of the formation. Meanwhile the 56 Squadron pilots had also become engaged in the Cloppenburg area, Sqn Ldr Perry St Quintin claiming one Fw 190 shot down here, although Flt Lt W.J.Green was attacked by P-51s, and then his aircraft was hit by Flak, causing him to bale out into captivity. The 274 Squadron formation had spotted Bf 109s on the ground at Hildesheim, claiming damage to two of these.

A claim for a Tempest near Rheine was submitted by Lt Waldemar Soffing of 2./JG 26 at 1500 hours. This seems likely to have been Bailey's 3 Squadron aircraft, although a second claim at this time was made by Obfw Paul Wittke of 13./JG 27, but for a Spitfire south-west of Münster. During this first engagement the P-51s of the 383rd Fighter Squadron, 364th Fighter Group, of the Eighth Air Force did indeed become involved, claiming a single Fw 190 south-west of Quackenbrück and one south-west of Bremen.

Seven 486 Squadron Tempests were off next at 1450, their pilots spotting seven Bf 109s orbiting above some P-47s south of Münster at 1510. Two of the Messerschmitts were claimed shot down by Flt Lt Jack Stafford and Flg Off A.R.Evans. At 1523 a pair of Fw 190s were seen in the Hamm area, but as the Tempests attacked, they were 'bounced' by 20 or more P-47s, which pursued the New Zealanders all the way back to Nijmegen, firing at them without effect. The disgruntled Tempest pilots noted that the pilots of the two Focke-Wulfs followed, watching (it was assumed with some satisfaction) the action from several thousand feet above!

An hour or so later P-47 pilots of the Ninth Air Force's 512th, 513th and 514th Fighter Squadrons, 406th Fighter Group, claimed 11 Bf 109s in the Münster area, plus a number of others damaged.

Finally, 274 Squadron aircraft undertook a further sortie at 1700 when Sqn Ldr Fairbanks led a section on another strafe, then heading as always for Rheine. Here ten Fw 190Ds were seen five miles to the east of the airfield, Sqn Ldr Fairbanks claiming two of these shot down.

Thus during the day the RAF and USAAF between them claimed five Fw 190s and about 13 Bf 109s shot down, plus numerous others damaged. Against these claims, I./JG 26 lost one Fw 190D at about 1450, while III./JG 26 had two more shot down at circa 1745-1750, probably the victims of David Fairbanks of 274 Squadron; all three JG 26 pilots were wounded. III./JG 54 meanwhile had two pilots shot down and killed, two aircraft damaged with the pilots wounded, and one more damaged with the pilot unhurt; two of these latter aircraft force-landed.

Amongst JG 27's Bf 109 Gruppen, I. Gruppe lost two aircraft with one pilot killed. II. Gruppe lost one aircraft with the pilot wounded, while IV. Gruppe lost six, one of which crash-landed; two pilots were killed, one missing and one wounded. There were therefore about 16 or 17 German losses in combat to set against the total Allied claims in the area for about 18 fighter aircraft.

22 February was to see much other aerial action however, for on this date Operation 'Clarion' was launched. This was a 24 hour maximum effort to attempt to wipe out all means of transport still available to the Germans. Nearly 9,000 Allied aircraft were committed to attacks from bases in the UK, France, Holland, Belgium and Italy. Targets included signal boxes and marshalling yards on the railways, canal locks, bridges, level crossings, vehicles of all kinds on the roads, and any related depots, garages etc. 7,000 of those aircraft taking part were provided by the RAF (including 2nd TAF) and by the Eighth, Ninth and Fifteenth Air Forces, and the 1st (TAF) Provisional Air Force, which was based on the southern part of the Western Front. Eighth Air Force alone would send out all of its three Air Divisions, totalling 1,372 heavy bombers and 817 escorts.

2nd TAF's main contribution to this effort was 2 Group, the day proving to be little less than a catastrophe for that command's Mosquito intruder squadrons.

Among the single-engined units, Flak also brought down an 80 Squadron Tempest and a 41 Squadron Spitfire XIV during the day, plus four Typhoons and a Spitfire IX; one more of the latter and a Mark XVI were lost due to their engines failing whilst engaged in active sorties. Perhaps a more bizarre loss however, was that of Sqn Ldr Milton Jowsey, DFC, Commanding Officer of 442 Squadron, whose Spitfire was hit by ricochets from his own cannon whilst strafing MT near Emmerich. Fortunately, he was able to bale out and make a safe return at the start of April. Amongst the pilots of the other various aircraft mentioned above, four were killed and one reported missing.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack various rail targets throughout Austria.

FRANCE: The 27th and 86th Fighter groups, both in P-47s, are transferred from the Twelfth Air Force’s XXII TAC to the First Tactical Air Force and ordered to move from bases in Italy to bases in northeastern France.

GERMANY: The Eighth, Ninth, and Fifteenth Air forces inaugurate Operation CLARION, a general assault against the German transportation system.

1,372 Eighth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack a vast array of primary targets and targets of opportunity. At targets without adequate flak defenses, the heavy-bomber formations attack from only 10,000 feet, about one-third their normal bombing altitude. Seven heavy bombers and 13 of 817 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

More than 450 9th Air Division bombers attack a vast assortment of rail targets, including 46 rail bridges, 11 stations, and 12 marshalling yards. Many of the missions are conducted at low level, the first such Ninth Air Force bombing attacks since May 1943. Also, Ninth Air Force fighters mount 1,082 effective sorties. Ninth Air Force losses are three bombers and thirteen fighters.

Eighth and Ninth air force fighter pilots down 35 GAF fighters over Germany between 1210 and 1745 hours. Maj Wayne K. Blickenstaff, the commanding officer of the 353d Fighter Group’s 350th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status in a P-51 when he downs an Me-262 jet interceptor near Berlin at 1230 hours.

As part of Operation CLARION, Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack numerous rail targets in southern Germany.

During the night of February 22–23, after A-26 and B-26 night pathfinders mark the target, 31 410th Light Bombardment Group A-20s attack the communications center at Blatzheim with good results.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack rail targets; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack marshalling yards at three locations; and XXII TAC P-47s attack communications centers, road traffic, gun emplacements, and dumps, as well as bombing Bergamo and Ghedi airdromes.

During the night of February 22–23, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack airdromes and marshalling yards throughout northern Italy.

BASE CHANGES
29 Sqn (Mosquito NF30) moves to Colerne
402 Sqn (Spitfire XIVE) moves to B.88 Heesch

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
33 Sqn (B.77 Gilze-Regen) flies its first OM in the Tempest V
68 Sqn (Coltishall) flies its first OM in the Mosquito NF 30
239 Sqn (Hornchurch) flies its last OM in the Mosquito FBVI
255 Sqn (Rosignano) flies its first OM in the Mosquito NFXIX

23-2-45
300 (Polish) Sqn (Faldingworth – Lancaster I/III)
Morning working parades and daily inspection of A/C were carried out. Operations were ordered and 15 crews were allotted, target being PFORZHEIM. A/C L & A/C X failed to return. Weather over England: 10/10 cloud tops 5-6000 feet over France clear. Markers very accurate in the very centre of the town, Bombing concentrated.

ADDENDUM - Lancaster I NG266 BH-L. Crew: F/L A Filipek PAF KIA, Sgt J Mrozek PAF KIA, P/O F Magierowski PAH KIA, P/O ML Ziegenhirte PAF KIA, F/S C Kowalski PAF KIA, Sgt S Trzepiota PAF KIA, Sgt W Sadowinski PAK KIA. T/o 1604 Faldingworth. Shot down by night-fighter at the NE outskirts of Pforzheim. Two are buried in the Dürnbach War Cemetery. All PAF casualties are commemorated on the Northolt Memorial.

Lancaster I PA161 BH-X. Crew: F/S HE Jachacz PAF POW, Sgt S Leja PAF POW, F/O L Barcikowski PAF KIA, P/O RZ Peisker PAF POW, F/S R Lisak PAF KIA, F/S J Stokarski PAF KIA, Sgt Z Minkler PAF POW. T/o 1616 Faldingworth. Homebound, when shot down by a night-fighter, crashing near Sindelfingen. Those who died lie in Dürnbach War Cemetery.

BOMBER COMMAND
23 February 1945
ESSEN
342 aircraft – 297 Halifaxes, 27 Lancasters, 18 Mosquitoes – of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 1 Halifax crashed in Holland.

The target area was cloud-covered and all of the bombs were dropped on sky-markers. The marking must have been extremely accurate; a German report states that 300 high-explosive and 11,000 incendiary bombs fell on the Krupps works. 155 people were killed in Essen. No other details are available.

GELSENKIRCHEN
133 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the Alma Pluto benzol plant but no results were seen. No aircraft lost.

1 Lightning flew an R.C.M. sortie.
________________________________________
23/24 February 1945
PFORZHEIM
367 Lancasters and 13 Mosquitoes of 1, 6 and 8 Groups and a Film Unit Lancaster carried out the first, and only, area-bombing raid of the war on this target. 10 Lancasters were lost and 2 more crashed in France.

The marking and bombing, from only 8,000 ft, were particularly accurate and damage of a most severe nature was inflicted on Pforzheim. 1,825 tons of bombs were dropped in 22 minutes. Local records show that an area measuring 3 km by 1½ km was completely engulfed by fire and that ‘more than 17,000 people met their death in a hurricane of fire and explosions’.* Fire Officer Brunswig from Hamburg, usually reliable, says that 17,600 people died. This was probably the third heaviest air-raid death toll in Germany during the war, following Hamburg and Dresden. The post-war British Bombing Survey Unit estimated that 83 percent of the town’s built-up area was destroyed, probably the greatest proportion in one raid during the war.

Bomber Command’s last Victoria Cross of the war was won on this night. The Master Bomber was Captain Edwin Swales, D.F.C., a South African serving with 582 Squadron. His Lancaster was twice attacked over the target by a German fighter. Captain Swales could not hear the evasion directions given by his gunners because he was broadcasting his own instructions to the Main Force. 2 engines and the rear turret of the Lancaster were put out of action. Captain Swales continued to control the bombing until the end of the raid and must take some credit for the accuracy of the attack. He set out on the return flight but encountered turbulent cloud and ordered his crew to bale out. This they all did successfully but Captain Swales had no opportunity to leave the aircraft and was killed when it crashed. He is buried at the Leopold War Cemetery at Limburg in Belgium.

HORTEN
73 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes carried out an accurate attack on a possible U-boat base on the Oslo Fjord. 1 Lancaster was lost.

The local report makes no mention of a U-boat base but describes very accurate bombing of the port area with a shipyard severely damaged by fire, a large warehouse which burned ‘like a massive torch’ and an old naval hospital, now used by the Germans as a military hospital, also on fire. A tanker was hit and a floating crane capsized. The local people came out after the raid and, from some high ground, ‘looked out over the sea of fire in the place which had been Horten’s main source of employment for generations’. If the wind had been from the wrong direction, much of the wooden town would have been destroyed, but there is no mention of civilian damage or casualties.

Minor Operations: 70 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 6 to Worms and 4 each to Darmstadt, Essen and Frankfurt, 54 R.C.M. sorties, 25 Mosquito patrols, 22 Lancasters minelaying in Norwegian waters, 13 aircraft on Resistance operations. 4 aircraft lost – 2 R.C.M. Halifaxes, 1 Resistance operation Stirling and 1 Mosquito from the Berlin raid.

Total effort for the night: 666 sorties, 17 aircraft (2.6 percent) lost.

2nd TAF
Fog limited activity on this date, but at B.77, Gilze-Rijen, one of 222 Squadron's newly-arrived Tempests was destroyed by a V-1 crashing on or near the airfield. A similar loss would occur three days later on 26th, on this occasion a Typhoon falling victim to one of these robot missiles.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack marshalling yards and other rail targets at four locations.

GERMANY: At 0300 hours, the U.S. Ninth Army inaugurates Operation GRENADE, the final drive to the Rhine River—and the nominal motive for Operation CLARION. Later in the day, the U.S. First Army inaugurates its delayed combat assault across the Roer River, also with the objective of reaching the Rhine.

Continuing Operation CLARION, 1,211 Eighth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack numerous transportation targets, both primaries and targets of opportunity. One B-24 and five of 526 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

9th Air Division bombers support the U.S. Army’s crossing of the Roer River and projected drive on the Rhine River with attacks on communications centers east of the river; and Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers provide direct support to the three U.S. field armies, mainly against motor vehicles, locomotives, rail cars, and defended buildings.

Eighth and Ninth Air Force fighter pilots down 22 GAF fighters over Germany between 1330 and 1730 hours.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack rail facilities at Udine; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack rail targets in and around Brenner Pass; and XXII TAC P-47s attack airdromes, rail lines, at least five rail bridges, and German Army troop movements.

During the night of February 23–24, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack three airdromes and marshalling yards at four locations.

BASE CHANGES
5 Sqn SAAF (Mustang III) moves to Cervia
260 Sqn (Non-Op) moves to Cervia
451 Sqn RAAF (Spitfire LFXVI) moves to Matlask
602 Sqn (Spitfire XVI) moves to Ludham

24-2-45
415 Sqn RCAF (East Moor – Halifax III)
Weather - clear. All our aircraft returned safely from yesterdays day-light attack on Essen and reports indicate highly satisfactory results. 16 aircraft detailed for todays operation.

ADDENDUM – Halifax III NP936 6U-P. Crew:WO2 LA Russell RCAF KIA, F/S L Trowsdale KIA, WO2 J Gallagher RCAF KIA, F/O P Pokryfka RCAF KIA, WO2 CCG Craigie KIA, F/S Brown RCAF KIA, F/S FH Jones RCAF KIA.T/o 1309 East Moor. All are buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.

BOMBER COMMAND
24 February 1945
KAMEN
340 aircraft – 290 Halifaxes, 26 Lancasters, 24 Mosquitoes – of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 1 Halifax lost.

The target was a synthetic-oil plant which was actually in Bergkamen, just north of Kamen. The target area was covered by cloud and the raid was based on Oboe and H2S markers. Kamen reports heavy damage in several areas of the town and in the nearby village of Bergkamen. It is a very emotional report which does not mention damage to the oil refinery but stresses the damage in the centre of Kamen, where most of the churches were destroyed and a hospital was hit. The public utilities all failed and the report says, ‘we had to go to bed when the chickens went, like our forefathers’. 199 people were killed in Kamen and 33 in Bergkamen during this raid and the one of the following day.

DORTMUND–EMS CANAL
166 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitoes of 5 Group were ordered to abandon this raid without bombing because of cloud which covered the target area. All aircraft landed safely.
________________________________________
24/25 February 1945
MINOR OPERATIONS
74 training aircraft on a diversionary sweep over Northern France to draw German fighters into the air, 63 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 18 to Neuss and 3 on ‘siren tours’ of Dessau, Erfurt and Halle, 37 R.C.M. sorties, 23 Mosquito patrols, 35 Lancasters minelaying in the Kattegat and off Norwegian ports. 5 R.C.M. aircraft – 4 Halifaxes and 1 Fortress – lost; these aircraft were operating in association with the diversionary sweep of training aircraft and were probably victims of German fighters drawn up by that sweep. The 4 lost Halifaxes were all from 462 (Australian) Squadron, based at Foulsham; they had been sent ahead of the diversionary force to drop Window, bombs and incendiaries in a ‘spoof’ raid on the Ruhr. 2nd TAF
2nd TAF units were in the air early on 24th, Tempests of 3 Squadron, which had taken off at 0750, attacking Plantlünne, a satellite airfield to Rheine, where Flg Off Vassiliades claimed a Ju 88 probably destroyed on the ground. At 0820 the recently-arrived 222 Squadron commenced a sweep over the Hengelo-Rheine-Osnabrück-Münster area, led by Wg Cdr H.M.Mason, the 135 Wing Leader, and by the Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr E.B.Lyons. Over Plantlünne three Fw 190Ds were seen below in the process of landing, and these were strafed. Flt Lt McIntyre claimed two probably destroyed and one damaged, while Mason, Lyons and three other pilots each claimed damage to one Focke-Wulf. There seems little doubt but that these were aircraft of III./JG 26, Fw Wolfgang Polster of 11. Staffel, who had claimed five victories to date, being shot down and wounded whilst landing at this airfield at 0805.

Nine 274 Squadron Tempests undertook a reconnaissance over Morphausen-Kassel- Warburg at 0955, during which at 1040 a lone Fw 190 was seen north-west of Rheine at 3,000 feet and was left burning on the ground after Sqn Ldr Fairbanks had attacked it. This was probably the aircraft flown by Fw Erich Lange of 10./JG 54, reported shot down by a Tempest near Salzbergen, to the west of Emsburen, which is close to the area reported by Fairbanks. Half an hour earlier another Dora-9 of JG 26 had been lost when Ogfr Manfred Niessen force-landed south-west of Münster after his aircraft had been damaged in combat. The identity of his opponents has not definitely been ascertained.

However, much other activity had been taking place at this time. Typhoons of 137 Squadron on an armed reconnaissance encountered Bf 109s, Plt Off J.A.Forrest claiming damage to one of these at about 0830. A little later Spitfires of 442 Squadron were engaged on a similar sortie when German aircraft were spotted at low level in the Rhine river area, Flg Offs J.G.Doyle and J.A.T.E.Cousineau and their wingmen, diving down in pursuit. In doing so the two formation leaders lost contact with the latter, both then failing to return from the Enschede area where they were believed to have been shot down by Bf 109s-although Cousineau was credited with having brought down one of their attackers before he fell.

More Spitfires appeared in the area at around this time, these being aircraft of the Norwegian 332 Squadron. At 1000 Flt Sgt B.Storaas claimed an Fw 190 shot down, and it is almost certain that his victim was Lt Joachim Günther of 3./JG 26, who fell at Zutphen, which was the location of Storaas' claim; Günther had claimed 11 victories since D-Day. However 2/Lt L.O.Godo, one of the Norwegians, failed to return, and may have been shot down by Uffz Helmut Brisch of 9./JG 54, who claimed a Spitfire in the Rheine area at 1030.

The German unit responsible for shooting down the two Canadian Spitfires has not been established. At 0830 Uffz Fritz Kruger and Obgefr Horst Rippert of 13./JG 27 had each claimed a Typhoon north of Düsseldorf, Rippert's claim being his 22nd, but although 137 Squadron had encountered Bf 109s at this time, no Typhoons are believed to have been lost in combat on this date. Did the Luftwaffe pilots encounter this squadron and then become involved with the Canadians, misidentifying their aircraft?

Into the area at 1010 meanwhile, came the Tempests of 486 Squadron, led by their new commanding officer, 'Hyphen' Taylor-Cannon. Scrambled to the area of intense activity, the New Zealanders spotted a trio of Bf 109s heading south at an altitude of only 300 feet to the north of Bramsche. Two were at once shot down by Taylor-Cannon and Flt Lt N.J. 'Pip' Powell. Both were probably aircraft of 14./JG 27 which lost two of its Messerschmitts near Achmer, one pilot being killed and one wounded; a third aircraft from this unit was also lost in combat near Osnabrück during the day, the pilot of this aircraft surviving unhurt. Another Bf 109 was also lost in the Julich area by 12./JG 27, Fw Ernst Duhme losing his life. Was one of the two latter the victim of Cousineau of 442 Squadron, or had he damaged Niessen's JG 26 Dora-9?

Certainly on this date there seem to have been more Jagdwaffe losses in 2nd TAF's area than claims to account for them. No USAAF fighter activity was recorded on this date.

On a later armed reconnaissance to Rheine at 1715, three Tempest pilots of 274 Squadron Flt Lt R.C.Kennedy attacked an Me 262, but was driven off by Flak after seeing some strikes on his target. A Ju 88 was then seen heading east from Plantlünne, and this was hit by fire from Flg Off Mossing's Tempest which set one engine on fire. At this point three members of the crew baled out of this L./NJG 4 night fighter, although the pilot remained at the controls. Kennedy then finished the Junkers off which rolled onto its back and crashed. The Me 262 that he had attacked was probably an aircraft of II./KG 51, which was reported to have been destroyed by strafing as it was landing at Rheine.

On a subsequent operation, Plt Off L.A.Wood, flying Tempest EJ801 (the same aircraft that Mossing had been flying when accounting for the Ju 88) suffered an engine failure and force- landed east of Enschede, where he was captured.

Eight Typhoons were lost during the day, two of them from 174 Squadron, but despite the claims made by the pilots of JG 27, all are believed to have fallen to Flak, or to debris thrown up during their attacks. Pilot casualties were proportionately heavy this time, with four personnel killed and three captured. Three more Spitfires were also lost, including that flown by the commanding officer of 302 Squadron, Sqn Ldr Z.Bienkowski, who crash-landed and became a PoW.

During this night Wg Cdr Peter Green and Flt Lt Douggie Oxby of 219 Squadron claimed their final success together, when a Ju 87 was shot down. The pair had claimed nine victories since late September 1944, making them 2nd TAF's most successful night fighting team. Before joining 85 Group, Green had already accounted for five German bombers and 13 V-1s, making him one of the RAF's top-scoring night fighter pilots; while Oxby had assisted another pilot in achieving 13 victories within the Mediterranean area, making him the most successful RAF radar operator of the war. However, within the week Green was dead, killed on 1 March when he crashed near Amiens while air-testing a Mosquito by day.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack marshalling yards at Graz and Klagenfurt.

GERMANY: Three hundred forty-eight 1st Air Division B-17s attack two oil-industry targets at Hamburg; 104 2d Air Division B-24s attack an oil-industry target at Misburg; 61 2d Air Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Lehrte; 76 2d Air Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Bielefeld (secondary); 200 3d Air Division B-17s attack the U-boat yards at Bremen; 134 3d Air Division B-17s attack a rail bridge at Bremen; 70 3d Air Division B-17s attack a rail bridge at Wesel; and 50 heavy bombers attack various targets of opportunity. Two heavy bombers and 11 of 514 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Approximately 500 9th Air Division bomber sorties are mounted against marshalling yards, communications centers, rail bridges, town areas, and targets of opportunity.

During the night of February 24–25, after A-26 and B-26 night pathfinders mark the target, 34 410th Light Bombardment Group A-20s attack the marshalling yard at Hillesheim with good results. Despite this and one other successful night missions—of four mounted—the night-bombing program is canceled because the recent swift Allied advances on the ground have obviated the need for a night-bombing effort over Germany. The 410th Light Bombardment Group is returned to day operations.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a rail bridge at Ferrara and marshalling yards at Ferrara, Padua, Udine, and Verona; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack bridge approaches, rail bridges, and rail lines at five locations and an industrial area; and XXII TAC P-47s attack airdromes, marshalling yards, rail bridges, and rail lines over a wide area.

During the night of February 24–25, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack marshalling yards at five locations and two airdromes.

BASE CHANGES
603 Sqn (Spitfire XIV) moves to Ludham

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
222 Sqn (B.77 Gilze-Rijen) flies its first OM in the Tempest V
443 Sqn RCAF (B.44 Evere) flies its last OM in the Spitfire LFIXB

25-2-45
75 Sqn (Mepal – Lancaster I/III)
Operational Flying. Eighteen aircraft were detailed to attack Kamen, carrying 4000 HC 500 anm, 250 GP and Munro bombs. Thin stratus cloud in layers covered the target area, but at times crews were able to make out the target and report considerable white smoke followed by thick black smoke rising to a good height. Accurate H/F was experienced. AA "B" captained by NZ415262 F/S Kitchener, L is missing from this operation.

ADDENDUM – Lancaster III LE740 AA-B. Crew:F/S LSB Kitchener RNZAF POW, Sgt WHH Brewer POW, F/O DW King POW, F/S WCF Pilkington POW, F/O JD Craven, Sgt KA Blackbee POW, Sgt DWS Amos POW. T/o 0948 as part of an all 3 Group G-H attack on a synthetic oil plant. Believed hit by heavy flak NW of Wesel and observed to turn home with its port inner engine feathered. Presumed abandoned soon afterwards.

BOMBER COMMAND
25 February 1945
KAMEN
153 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the synthetic-oil refinery. 1 Lancaster lost.
________________________________________
25/26 February 1945
MINOR OPERATIONS
63 Mosquitoes to Erfurt, 10 each to Berlin and Mainz and 6 to Bremen, 8 R.C.M. sorties, 23 Mosquito patrols, 10 Halifaxes of 6 Group minelaying in Oslo Fjord, 20 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Halifax minelayer lost. 2nd TAF
Further considerable combat ensued on 25th, a day on which the US fighters also appeared over Germany in some force. First off from 2nd TAF's airfields were the Tempests of 33 Squadron, eight of which headed for the familiar Rheine area at 0705. One turned back early, but the other seven arrived over the target area at 8,000 feet to see some 15 Bf 109s of JG 27. Four were claimed shot down, one by Sqn Ldr I.G.S.Matthew, two by Flt Lt L.C. 'Lucky' Luckhoff, and one by Flt Lt A.W.Bower of 222 Squadron (who was flying with 33 on this date), four more being claimed damaged. The Tempest flown by Flg Off A.Harmon was shot down, and its pilot taken prisoner, while two more were damaged. Their opponents appear to have been aircraft of II. Gruppe, Uffz Hans Stenglein claiming one British fighter identified as a Spitfire at 0750. This unit was to suffer heavy casualties during the day, with two pilots killed and four wounded in the six Bf 109s which would be lost before the morning was over.

The 135 Wing Tempests were followed by others from 122 Wing, aircraft of 56 Squadron also heading for the Rheine area at 0740. Here Bf 109s were seen - probably more JG 27 aircraft - one of these being claimed shot down at once by Flt Lt F.L.MacLeod. The rest then fled, leaving one intrepid pilot to fight five Tempests. He put up a strong fight until Flg Off R.V.Dennis managed to get hits on the Messerschmitt's tail, upon which it turned over, stalled and crashed in a spin west of Münster. The pilot was seen to bale out, but it was noted that three panels in his parachute appeared to have been ripped, and he hit the ground very hard.

Behind the Tempests came Spitfires of 412 Squadron, which put up patrols of four aircraft each over the Enschede area. On one of these the pilots spotted two groups each of eight or so Bf 109s, Flg Off H.W.McLeod getting on the tail of one which he claimed as probably destroyed; he then sent a second down in flames, seeing it crash.

I/JG 26 had been ordered off at 0735 to intercept Allied fighter-bombers supporting a US Ninth Army offensive in the Roer Valley. Two pilots suffered technical problems and broke away, both being shot down by Allied fighters at about 0745. By now only 16 Dora-9s remained of the original formation, and these became involved with a strong force of P-47s from the 36th Fighter Group, losing four more Focke-Wulfs to the USAAF fighters. Spitfire XIVS of 41 Squadron now appeared on the scene, and these disrupted the take-off of II./JG 26. Eight of the British squadron's pilots were undertaking an armed reconnaissance in the Rheine-Dummer Lake area when many German aircraft were seen in the Gronau area.

At 1053 442 Squadron took off for a sweep over the Lingen-Wesel area, meeting 40 plus Bf 109s and Fw 190s west of Rheine. Seven were claimed destroyed without loss, Flt Lt R.K. Trumley, Flt Lt R.B.Barker and Plt Off E.C.Baker each claiming two, and Flt Lt Don Gordon the seventh. It seems that aircraft of both II. and IV./JG 27 were involved, pilots from these Gruppen claiming three Spitfires shot down between 1123-1145, but like II. Gruppe, IV. Gruppe also suffered heavy losses during the day.

2nd TAF claims for the day were for 14 Bf 109s and a single Fw 190D. I., II. and IV./JG 27 lost at least 16 Bf 109s to opposing fighters. Ten of the pilots were killed and five wounded, the only one to bale out unhurt being Oblt Ernst-Georg Altnorthhoff, Staffelkapitän of 13. Staffel, who was shot down near Bramsche. III. Gruppe also lost a Messerschmitt on this date, but in combat with US P-38s.

While losses in these actions had cost 2nd TAF no more than a single Tempest, the toll to Flak was as heavy as ever, although on this date losses due to engine failures were uncomfortably high. Five Spitfires, one of them a Mark XIV, a Tempest and at least one Typhoon were victims of ground fire, but two Spitfire, two Tempests and possibly two Typhoons came to grief for other reasons of a technical nature. 2 Group Mitchells set out to attack the fortified town of Xanten, but after the raid was abandoned, it was found that one 98 Squadron aircraft was missing.

As the end of February approached there were reorganisations and postings on both sides of the lines. The hard-hit III/JG 54 now ceased to exist, its remaining assets forming a new IV./JG 26 on 25th. Next day 168 Squadron, the pure fighter element of 143 Wing, was disbanded -to be followed by 257 and 610 Squadrons in the first week of March and 174 Squadron in April. The Typhoon unit closures were brought about by a shortage of pilots; although this had been anticipated with the re-opening of 56 OTU as a Typhoon and Tempest unit in December 1944, replacement pilots were not arriving in sufficient numbers. The disbanding of the front line units allowed pilots approaching the end of their 'tours' to be posted as instructors at 59 OTU (formed at the end of February) and others to keep the remaining operational units up to strength.

Quite considerable changes took place in the leadership of most of the command's Typhoon Wings. In 83 Group Wg Cdr Johnny Keep, DFC, arrived as Wing Leader of 121 Wing following the departure of Mike Judd, who had departed at the end of January to a staff job with promotion to Grp Capt. 84 Group's 123 Wing saw the departure of Grp Capt Desmond Scott, DSO,DFC & Bar, his place in command of the unit being taken by newly-promoted Johnny Baldwin, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, following his rest from operations. Grp Capt Denys Gillam, DSO & two Bars, DFC & Bar, AFC, also ended his second tour since D-Day, and Johnny Wells, DFC & two Bars, CdeG, was promoted from Wing Leader to command. His place leading the Wing was taken by John Deall, DFC, himself promoted from command of 266 Squadron. The Typhoon leadership was certainly enjoying a plethora of Johns!

USAAF
AUSTRIA: More than 600 Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack six marshalling yards at four locations, a synthetic-fuel plant at Linz, an ordnance depot, and targets of opportunity.

GERMANY: Two hundred forty-seven 1st Air Division B-17s attack rail targets at Munich; 63 1st Air Division B-17s attack a tank factory at Friedrichshafen; 51 1st Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Ulm (secondary); 115 2d Air Divi- sion B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Aschaffenburg; 54 2d Air Division B-24s attack a tank factory at Aschaffenburg; 189 2d Air Division B-24s attack the Giebelstadt and Schwabisch Hall jet airdromes; 315 3d Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Munich; 88 3d Air Division B-17s attack the town of Neuberg; and 35 heavy bombers attack various targets of opportunity. Five B-17s and eight of 442 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

9th Air Division bombers attack rail bridges, marshalling yards, communications centers, and targets of opportunity.

Altogether, Eighth and Ninth air force fighter pilots down 30 GAF aircraft over Germany between 0815 and 1115 hours. Capt Charles H. Cole, Jr., a P-51 pilot with the 20th Fighter Group’s 55th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs four FW-190s near Stendal at 1010 hours. 55th Fighter Group P-51 pilots down seven Me-262s in a running battle over northern Germany. This is a record score by one group in one day against the GAF jet fighters. Also credited to a pair of 364th Fighter Group P-51 pilots is the first Ar-234 twin-engine jet bomber known to be downed in the war.

Capt Kendall E. Carlson, a 4th Fighter Group six-victory ace, is captured after his P-51 hits the ground and crashes during an extremely low-level strafing run.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack bridges at four locations and a rail fill, and XXII TAC P-47s attack rail targets, motor vehicles, and dumps.

During the night of February 25–26, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack marshalling yards at two locations.

BASE CHANGES
32 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Ramat David
112 Sqn (Mustang III/IV) moves to Cervia
250 Sqn (Kittyhawk IV) moves to Cervia
256 Sqn (Mosquito NFXII/XIII) moves to Forli
459 Sqn RAAF (Non-Op) leaves for the UK
485 Sqn RNZAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Preddanack
504 Sqn (Spitfire HFIX) moves to Hawkinge

26-2-45
350 (Belgian) Sqn (B.78 Eindhoven – Spitfire XIV)
A series of Section of twos is sent during all the day on Rhubarb over the Rheims area. It gets us 2 locos and 15 trucks damaged, 7 met destroyed and 2 damaged.

Very unfortunately we lost our C.O. S/Ldr Spencer caught fire and baled out near Rhede telling us good-bye by R/T.

ADDENDUM – Spitfire XIV RM739 MN-? Pilot: S/Ldr T Spencer POW. Escaped captivity in March.

BOMBER COMMAND
26 February 1945
DORTMUND
149 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the Hoesch benzol-oil plant through cloud. No results were seen but the bombing appeared to be concentrated. No aircraft lost.
________________________________________
26/27 February 1945
MINOR OPERATIONS
38 Mosquitoes each to Berlin and Nuremberg, 3 Mosquitoes on ‘siren tours’ of Northern Germany, 1 R.C.M. sortie, 6 Mosquito patrols, 18 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Stirling lost on a Resistance flight. 2nd TAF
The day marked the extension to 2 Group's 'mediums' of a new bombing method, known as MRCP. The technique involved guidance from a Mobile Radar Control Post, which allowed targets to be bombed 'blind' ie. from above cloud, and with impressive accuracy; it had been tested by Typhoons from 257 Squadron in January 1945 and used operationally the following month. Now boxes of six Mitchells or Bostons from 2 Group were guided onto gun positions at Udem. The method proved very successful but was limited by the range of the radar equipment to use on targets not far beyond the front lines.

During the day Sqn Ldr Terry Spencer, Commanding Officer of 350 Squadron, was obliged to bale out over Rhede when the engine of his Spitfire XIV caught fire. Taken PoW, he would make a successful escape (with Sqn Ldr Keith Thiele) during the following month and return to his unit.

USAAF
GERMANY: 1,066 Eighth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack three railroad stations in Berlin, and 69 heavy bombers attack various secondary targets and targets of opportunity. Three B-17s and three of 687 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Two hundred thirty-five 9th Air Division bombers attack three towns, a communications center, road and rail junctions at two locations, and a dump. Due to bad weather, Ninth Air Force fighters (all from the XIX TAC) mount only 50 effective sorties.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack rail bridges at four locations, and XXII TAC P-47s attack rail lines and other transportation targets at at least six locations, as well as Bergamo and Ghedi airdromes.

During the night of February 26–27, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack German Army troop movements in the Po River valley, two airdromes, a defended town, and marshalling yards at two locations.

YUGOSLAVIA: One hundred two Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers dispatched against tactical targets are recalled because of heavy cloud cover.

BASE CHANGES
3 Sqn RAAF (Mustang III) moves to Cervia
168 Sqn Disbanded
450 Sqn RAAF (Kittyhawk IV) moves to Cervia

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
29 Sqn (Colerne) flies its first OM in the Mosquito NF30
125 Sqn (Coltishall) flies its first OM in the Mosquito NF30

27-2-45
76 Sqn (Holme-on-Spalding Moor – Halifax III)
Twenty-two aircraft and crews were prepared for operations to-day. The attacks was a daylight one carried out on Mains. There were two early returns both with engine failures. Again cloud foiled the attack, no results being seen. PFF were late, and the markers when they were dropped were scattered, but the attack later became concentrated. One aircraft failed to return.

ADDENDUM – Halifax III LL579 MP-L. Crew:F/L RJP Barrell POW, P/O H Osbourn KIA, F/S LE Cannock KIA, F/O RJL Boucher RCAF KIA, F/S FE Heron KIA, F/S HB Tennant KIA, F/S GF Terry POW. T/o 1323 Holme-on-Spalding Moor. Crashed in the target area. Those who lost their lives rest in the Rheinberg War Cemetery.

BOMBER COMMAND
MAINZ
458 aircraft – 311 Halifaxes, 131 Lancasters, 16 Mosquitoes – of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 1 Halifax and 1 Mosquito lost.

Mainz was covered by cloud and the bombing was aimed at sky-markers dropped on Oboe. No results were seen by the bomber crews but the bombing caused severe destruction in the central and eastern districts of Mainz; this was the city’s worst raid of the war. 1,545 tons of bombs were dropped. 5,670 buildings were destroyed, including most of the historic buildings in the Altstadt, but the industrial district was also badly hit. At least 1,122 people were killed; other accounts say 1,200. The 1,122 figure was made up of: 647 women, 437 men, 5 children, 21 servicemen and 12 foreigners; most of the city’s children had probably been evacuated. Among the dead were 41 nuns in a convent which was bombed; there were only 3 survivors. This was the last heavy raid on Mainz. The city’s total number of air-raid deaths in 14 major R.A.F. and U.S.A.A.F. raids and several minor raids numbered 2,482.

GELSENKIRCHEN
149 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H attack through thick cloud on the Alma Pluto benzol plant but no results were seen. 1 Lancaster lost.
________________________________________
27/28 February 1945
MINOR OPERATIONS
82 training aircraft on a sweep over the North Sea to draw up German fighters, 96 Mosquitoes to Berlin and 6 to Bremen, 62 R.C.M. sorties, 32 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost. 2nd TAF
Bad weather again curtailed operations and is believed to have caused the loss of a 175 Squadron Typhoon and its pilot. Four 2 Group Mosquitoes were lost on operations at either end of the day -one crashing on take-off, the others failing to return from Intruder sorties.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack marshalling yards at three locations, and XXII TAC P-47s attack rail cars at Villach.

GERMANY: Three hundred sixty-three 1st Air Division B-17s and 378 3d Air Division B-17s attack rail and road targets at Leipzig; 314 2d Air Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Halle; and 31 heavy bombers attack targets of opportunity. Two B-24s and two of 690 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

One hundred eighteen 9th Air Division bombers attack three communications centers, a rail bridge, and targets of opportunity, and Ninth Air Force fighter- bombers mount 235 effective sorties, including an attack against oil storage tanks at Frankfurt am Main.

Capt James N. McElroy, a P-51 pilot with the 355th Fighter Group’s 358th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs a Do-217 near Plauen at 1340 hours.

Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Augsburg.

Elements of the U.S. First Army reach the outskirts of Cologne.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s destroy two dumps and a railway diversion bridge, and attack other bridges and bridge approaches; and XXII TAC P-47s attack rail lines in the Brenner Pass and other areas of northeastern Italy.

During the night of February 27–28, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack rail lines, several marshalling yards, and signs of movement.

BASE CHANGES
310 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Manston
312 Sqn (Spitfire HFIX) moves to Manston
313 Sqn (Spitfire HFIX) moves to Manson

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
104 Sqn (Foggia Main) flies its last OM in the Wellington X
600 Sqn (Cesenatico) flies its last OM in the Beaufighter VIF

28-2-45
608 Sqn (Downham Market – Mosquito B.XX)
14 Mosquito XX, 18 Crews.
Eight Mosquitos to attack Berlin..
Six Mosquitos and one missing attacked dropping 21 x 500 M.C. and 7 x 500 M.L.C.D. between 2027 and 2030 hrs. from 23-25000 ft. Weather 10/10 strata cu. tops 4-7000 ft. Vis good. The first green and yellow floaters were seen at 2023:30 followed by another hot at 2024. Those two lots were close together and four or five good cookie bursts were seen in their vicinity. Further green and yellow floaters were seen 2025 a little to the north of the first lot. Yellow T.I.s cascading at 7000 ft. were seen by most crews but quickly fell into cloud. Green-Yellow floaters which went down at 2027 and at 2027:30 were not very well concentrated and each appeared to attract some bombing. There was slight H.F but no fighters were seen. One aircraft landed at Woodbridge on return with one engine u/s. Four Mosquitos to attack Munich.

ADDENDUM – Mosquito B.XX KB273 6T-E. Crew: F/O HW Tyrell EVD, Sgt HJ Erben POW. Cause of loss and crash site not established.

BOMBER COMMAND
28 February 1945
GELSENKIRCHEN
156 Lancasters of 3 Group in a G-H raid on the Nordstern synthetic-oil plant. No aircraft lost.
________________________________________
28 February/1 March 1945
MINOR OPERATIONS
98 training aircraft on a sweep over the North Sea, 74 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 8 to Nuremberg and 4 to Munich, 44 R.C.M. sorties, 31 Mosquito patrols, 5 Mosquitoes of 5 Group minelaying in the Kiel Canal, 20 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Mosquito lost from the Berlin raid. 2nd TAF
Following all the successes of the month, the last day brought an unpleasant shock for 2nd TAF. At 0720 six Tempests of 274 Squadron set off on a reconnaissance over the Hamm-Münster-Osnabrück area, where at 0800 a large formation of Fw 190s were spotted. This was III./JG 26, newly-equipped with Dora-9s, on the unit's first operational sortie with the new aircraft. The Tempest pilots, led by the indefatigable Sqn Ldr David Fairbanks, attacked at once, but found themselves hard-pressed, and although Fairbanks was seen to shoot down one Focke-Wulf, neither he nor Flg Off J.B.Spence returned. The remaining pilots, somewhat shaken, reported the losses, claimed Fairbanks' victory for him, and also claimed five more Focke-Wulfs damaged, three of them by Flt Sgt 'Ben' Gunn. Fairbanks and Spence had been shot down by Oblt Theobald Kraus and Uffz Karl-Georg Gerth, and both survived to become PoWs. After the war Fairbanks described the combat as follows:

"I called out a head-on attack and for the formation to drop long-range tanks. Time was so short it was difficult to select a suitable target and lay-off deflection. I don't remember any return fire from the enemy aircraft. I think they were just as surprised as we were and also didn't have enough time to line up a burst.

"As soon as we passed the last man I called a left 180 degree break back toward the formation. As we turned around there were few aircraft to be seen. They must have scattered in all directions. I started to chase one that went into a cloud and I lost him. Shortly after this I pushed my aircraft down into cloud and came out underneath and saw a '190. By this time my No.2 had lost me.

"I closed the range on this aircraft and before I was ready to fire I noticed some tracers coming my way. I was near the ground and thought it was flak tracer. A few more tracers went by me and I was ready to fire at the enemy aircraft. I fired and hit the '190 who burst into flames. The next instant I was hit hard.

"It was not ground tracer I had seen but shells from the aircraft behind that hit me. I can remember seeing wing ribs and torn skin on the left and right upper wing surfaces and I was having difficulty keeping the aircraft level. The engine was missing and puffs of glycol were shooting by. No doubt my rad had been punctured. I held the stick hard over right to keep level and applied right rudder. With the controls in these positions I knew I wasn't going home. I decided it was time to baled out. Holding the controls with my right hand I tried to jettison the canopy with my left, but it wouldn't budge. I tried several times but didn't have enough strength in may left hand alone. I let go of the controls and pulled the jettison handle with both hands and away she went.

"I can only remember that the canopy was gone and that I leaned my head to the left into the slipstream. The next thing I remember I was on the ground."

As his 12th individual success with the Tempest it seems that Fairbanks had been successful in shooting down Uffz Franz Schmidt of 9./JG 26, who was killed. To this must be added one shared victory, and an earlier victory while flying Spitfires (see Volume One). There is some doubt as to whether this final victory was actually credited to him, but even his existing total rendered him the most successful Tempest pilot of the war in terms of aerial victories. Two more III. Gruppe Dora-9s crash-landed as a result of this engagement (one of them Kraus' aircraft), although the pilots were unharmed. However, as the unit returned to land a further two aircraft collided and both pilots were killed.

There also seems to have been some doubt initially within JG 26 that more than one Tempest had been shot down, or that Kraus had played an effective part. Apparently he had been flying operationally for some time but had never before been able to keep his sights on an opposing aircraft for long enough to bring it down. 2nd TAF's 'star' Tempest pilot had not, therefore, fallen to any great Luftwaffe 'ace"!

Following the loss of its Commanding Officer, 274 Squadron would be taken over next day by one of the flight commanders, 'Jesse' Hibbert, who was promoted Sqn Ldr. 'B' Flight then became commanded by Flt Lt 'Freddie' Mossing, and 'A' Flight by Flt Lt Stark.

While this high drama was being played out the Norwegian 332 Squadron lost two pilots to Flak, both killed, and the Free French unit, 329 Squadron, also lost two aircraft although both pilots survived. The commanding officer of the latter unit was hit by flak while dive-bombing an aqueduct south-east of Xanten and seriously wounded in the stomach; he was just able to reach base and land before passing out. The other French pilot survived what seems to have been a familiar routine for many Spitfire crash landings - both wings ripped off and the fuselage rolling over.

On a later sortie by Tempests of 3 Squadron to the Hildesheim area at 0900, a single Bf 109 was claimed as a probable and a Siebel Si 204 liaison aircraft as shot down by Flt Lts H.K.Hughes and J.A.McCairns, DFC & 2 Bars, MM. Jim McCairns had gained all his decorations whilst flying clandestine operations, taking agents in and out of Occupied France.
At 1212 a pair of Mustang IIs of 268 Squadron took off on a TacR, one of these aircraft flown by Flt Lt S.J.Perkins being attacked by an Fw 190 at 1246 north of Krefeld. Perkins turned on his assailant and obtained hits on the starboard wing root, following which it disappeared trailing smoke; he was credited with this as a 'damaged.

The ever-present Flak shot down two of 332 Squadron's Spitfire IXs in the Enschede area, the unit recording that two of its best pilots, Lt B.C.B.Aarflot and 2/Lt O.R.Wagtskjold, were both killed. A 222 Squadron Tempest was also shot down with the loss of its pilot, 'A' Flight commander Flt Lt A.A.McIntyre; it was the unit's first loss since converting to Tempests. However Flt Lt G.F.J.Jongbloed of 222 Squadron intercepted a V-1 over Gilze-Rijen during the day, shooting this down with the expenditure of just 20 rounds; it crashed very close to the airfield, somewhat to the consternation of other members of 135 Wing. This Dutch pilot had earlier been involved in shooting down seven more flying bombs over England during the previous summer.

Five Typhoons went down, with three pilots killed and the other two taken prisoner. Two of those killed, Flt Lt J.H.Taylor and Wt Off F.W.Cuthbertson, both of 182 Squadron, did in fact survive crash-landings after being caught by a Flak trap while attacking a train, but were executed by Volkssturm carrying out Hitler's order to mete such punishment to "Terror Flieger' captured deep in German territory. The perpetrators of this war crime were hunted down after the war and paid the full penalty.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Lienz, and 75 P-38 dive-bombers attack a marshalling yard and join other P-38s and P-51s in strafing rail lines over a wide area.

GERMANY: Nine hundred eighty-five Eighth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack marshalling yards and rail bridges at seven locations; 79 2d Air Division B-24s attack a munitions plant at Meschede; and eight heavy bombers attack targets of opportunity. One B-17 and two of 381 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

More than 340 9th Air Division bombers attack rail bridges at three locations, two marshalling yards, a road junction, an ordnance depot, and targets of opportunity.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack marshalling yards at nine locations and bridges at two locations; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack bridges at five locations and a rail embankment; and XXII TAC P-47s attack Ghedi and Vicenza airdromes, an ammunition plant, ammunition dumps, and miscellaneous communications targets.

During the night of February 28–March 1, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack numerous targets throughout northern Italy.

BASE CHANGES
616 Sqn (Non-Op) moves to Andrews Field
458 Sqn RAAF (Wellington XIV) moves to Gibraltar

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
29 Sqn (Hunsdon) flies its last OM Mosquito NF.XIII
239 Sqn (Hornchurch) flies its first OM in the Mosquito NF.30

1-3-45
103 Sqn (Elsham Wolds – Lancaster I/III)
MANNHEIM
Seventeen aircraft were detailed for this daylight operation and all took off safely in good weather, on arrival in the target area it was found to be covered in 10/10ths cloud, with tops around 3,000 feet, and all crew, on the Master Bomber's instructions, bombe on the Wanganui flares, but the cloud prevented any observation of the results. Defenses were not very active, a medium heavy flak barrage, but no fighters.

F/O. THOMSON is missing from this operation.

All the remaining aircraft returned and landed safely at Base in good weather,

ADDENDUM – Lancaster I PD272 PM-K. Crew: F/O AS Thomson KIA, F/O FJ Brickman KIA, Sgt RC Pain POW, F/S WH Tromp KIA, P/O JM Peace KIA, F/S AJ Crampin KIA, F/S JL Rochester RCAF KIA, F/S JW Crice KIA. T/o 1149 Elsham Wolds. Those who died rest in Dürnbach War Cemetery.

BOMBER COMMAND
1 March 1945
MANNHEIM
478 aircraft – 372 Lancasters, 90 Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitoes – of 1, 6 and 8 Groups. 3 Lancasters lost.

This was a general attack on the city area. Sky-marking was used because of the complete cloud cover. Nothing is known of what happened in Mannheim. The city’s recording procedure, one of the best in Germany until now, appears to have broken down completely and, if any report was prepared, it did not survive the war. This was the last large Bomber Command raid on Mannheim.

The neighbouring town of Ludwigshafen, however, was also hit by many bombs. A considerable amount of damage was caused right across the town and in nearby villages. Public, domestic and industrial buildings were all hit – 424 buildings destroyed, nearly 1,000 seriously damaged. Only 5 people were killed and 17 injured but 6,000 people lost their homes.

KAMEN
151 Lancasters of 3 Group attacked the oil plant through cloud. No aircraft were lost. The local report says only that 9 people died.
________________________________________
1/2 March 1944
MINOR OPERATIONS
55 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 40 to Erfurt and 3 on ‘siren tours’ of Northern Germany, 32 R.C.M. sorties, 13 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost. 2nd TAF
Following the loss of its brilliant Commanding Officer, 274 Squadron was now ordered to lay off ground-attack activities, and also not to penetrate enemy territory less than 16-strong. This instruction, which soon proved to be of short-lived duration, applied initially to all the units of 122 Wing.

Spitfires of 401 and 412 Squadrons undertook an armed reconnaissance during which they were 'bounced soon after 0900 by about 40 Bf 109s and Fw 190s in the Dorsten area. Sqn Ldr Klersy called 401 Squadron into a break and claimed personally two Bf 109s shot down, while Flt Lt MacKay claimed another, and also believed that he had damaged two Fw 190s, Flg Off Sawyer claimed another Messerschmittt as a probable. After the unit had reformed, Klersy saw some Fw 190s, claimed one of these shot down and saw it explode on the ground. However, during this engagement Flt Lt H.P.M.Furniss was shot down to become a prisoner, and a second Spitfire was badly damaged, forcing Flt Lt O.E. 'Dusty' Thorpe (on his last operational sortie of his tour) to crash-land at Volkel, at 195 mph!
Two pilots of JG 27 claimed Spitfires shot down at this time in the Bocholt-Coesfeld- München-Gladbach area, while shortly afterwards Uffz Günther Rey of 14JJG 26 claimed another, also in the München-Gladbach area. A pilot from this same Staffel, Uffz Otto Friedrich, was reported shot down and killed in the Dortmund area in this engagement, and appears to have been Klersy's third victim. I and II./JG 27 were heavily engaged throughout the day, losing a total of nine Messerschmitts. Ninth Air Force fighter pilots claimed 15 Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs during the day, including eight Dora-9s of L./JG 26, so some of the JG 27 aircraft are likely also to have succumbed to the US aircraft. Again however, Allied clairns for the day closely match actual Jagdwaffe losses.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack marshalling yards at seven locations and an oil refinery at Moosbierbaum.

GERMANY: A total of 1,114 Eighth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack marshalling yards at seven locations in southern and central Germany, and 95 B-17s and B-24s attack various secondary targets and targets of opportunity. Following the completion of their escort duties, fighters from seven escort groups strafe airfields and transportation targets of opportunity. Seven of 460 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

More than 340 9th Air Division bombers attack communications centers at four locations, a rail bridge, a road bridge, an ordnance depot, and targets of opportunity.

Ninth Air Force fighter pilots down 17 GAF fighters over Germany between 0915 and 1330 hours.

HUNGARY: Pilots of the 14th, 52d, and 325th Fighter groups down seven Axis fighters over and near Lake Balaton between 1400 and 1430 hours.

ITALY: The Twelfth Air Force is grounded by bad weather.

NETHERLANDS: Elements of the U.S. Ninth Army capture Venlo.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Maribor.

BASE CHANGES
4 Sqn SAAF (Spitfire IX) moves to Ravenna
7 Sqn SAAF (Spitfire IX) moves to Ravenna
151 Sqn (Mosquito NF30) moves to Bradwell Bay
154 Sqn (Non-Op) moves to Hunsdon


FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
85 Sqn (Tain) flies its last OM in the Liberator V
104 Sqn (Foggia Main) flies its first OM in the Liberator VI
206 Sqn (Leuchars) flies its last OM in the Liberator VI
311 Sqn (Tain) flies its last OM in the Liberator V
320 Sqn (B.58 Melsbroek) flies its first OM in the Mitchell III

2-3-45
408 Sqn RCAF (Linton-on-Ouse – Halifax VII)
We were again required for operations and this time we were detailed to attack the city of COLOGNE. Fifteen of our aircraft took off this morning and attacked the primary from 1004 hours to 1015 hours from between 15,000 feet and 19,000 feet. Over the target the weather varied from clear to 7/10ths cloud with tops at 5/8,000 feet. Horizontal visibility was very good. The M/B was punctual and clear. He directed the attack throughout, changing from ground markers mixed Red and Green to Reds and then to bombing the upwind edge of the smoke with required undershoots up to 2 seconds. The target was visually identified, and the bombing was reported as concentrated, with a tendency however to build up to the south of the aiming point. Crews feel that the purpose of this attack was achieved. One aircraft failed to return from this mission. The aircraft was RG472 “T” and the Captain was F/O H.R. SPROULE J.38517. Nothing has been heard from him or of this aircraft since take-off time. Ground defences consisted of slight to moderate heavy flak with some predicted flak bursting between 15 to 20,000 feet mainly from the southern outskirts of the target past BONN. 10 aircraft were damaged by heavy flak. Fighter Activity was nil. One aircraft was seen shot down and six parachutes were seen descending.

ADDENDUM – Halifax VII RG472 EQ-T. Crew: F/O HR Sproule RCAF POW, Sgt AD Dennis RCAF POW, F/O JE Moran RCAF POW, F/O VDJ Mousseau RCAF POW, F/S JG Paxton RCAF KIA, F/S J Street RCAF KIA, F/S VT Hunt RCAF POW. t/o 0721 Linton-on-Ouse. Homebound, when hit by flak which killed F/S Paxton and F/S Street. The other crew members baled out just before the aircraft exploded and fell near Bad Godesberg. The two airmen who died rest in Hotton War Cemetery, Belgium.

BOMBER COMMAND
2 March 1945
COLOGNE
858 aircraft – 531 Lancasters, 303 Halifaxes, 24 Mosquitoes. 6 Lancasters and 2 Halifaxes were lost and 1 Halifax crashed in Belgium.

There were 2 raids on Cologne, now almost a front-line city. The first raid was carried out by 703 aircraft and the second by 155 Lancasters of 3 Group. In the second raid, however, only 15 aircraft bombed, because the G-H station in England was not working correctly. The main raid was highly destructive, with the Pathfinders marking in clear weather conditions. Our local expert, Erich Quadflieg, describes the great ‘carpet of bombs’, mostly high explosive, which stretched right across the main city on the west bank of the Rhine; ‘Das war das Ende von Köln,’ Herr Quadflieg writes. Not surprisingly, details of the exact extent of the damage are non-existent and casualty figures are vague. The number of dead civilians is given as ‘hundreds’ and the American troops who entered the city a few days later cleared at least 400 bodies from the streets; the warning sirens had sounded only 2 minutes before the first bombs fell. In addition, at least 160 German soldiers were killed, mostly S.S. men. Many of these died in the basement of the Krebsgasse Police Station, which was being used as the local air-raid control room; this building was hit by 5 bombs. Many German military units were affected by the bombing.

This was the last R.A.F. raid on Cologne, which was captured by American troops 4 days later.
________________________________________
2/3 March 1945
MINOR OPERATIONS
69 training aircraft on a sweep, 67 Mosquitoes to Kassel and 3 to Berlin, 48 R.C.M. sorties, 31 Mosquito patrols, 10 Halifaxes and Lancasters minelaying off Norway and 6 Mosquitoes in the Kiel Canal, 21 aircraft on Resistance operations. No aircraft lost. 2nd TAF
127 Wing was on the move again at the start of March, going to B.90 at Petit Brogel, near Bourg Leopold in Belgium.

Two Spitfire XIVs were scrambled by 41 Squadron at 0705, climbing to 9,000 feet where a reconnaissance Ar 234 from 9./KG 76 was intercepted and shot down by Flt Lt D.J.Reid, the pilot of the jet baling out as his aircraft went down to crash near Enschede.

At 0715 Tempests from 33 and 222 Squadrons commenced sweeps, the former unit going to the Vechta-Osnabrück area, the latter to Rheine-Lingen. Three of 33 Squadron's aircraft returned early with technical troubles, but the remainder saw nothing of note. 222 Squadron's pilots however, spotted two more of 9./KG 76's Ar 234s. Flt Lt G.W.Varley at once opened fire on one, which blew up, but some 12 Bf 109s then attempted to 'bounce' the squadron. Turning on these, Varley claimed one which he saw crash-land and Flg Off H.E.Turney claimed one from which the pilot baled out following a hard turning fight. Flt Lt L.McAuliffe led his section in a climb to attack, but was spotted by the Bf 109s which broke away; despite this, he was able to claim one shot down. Flt Lt V.W.Berg followed one down in a steep, tight spiral, but broke off and climbed after others which he spotted in the sun above, claiming one of these shot down. Meanwhile Wt Off T.B.Hannam had been able to claim some damage to the second Ar 234.

From 122 Wing eight 3 Squadron Tempests had taken off at 0715, led by the Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr Bruce Cole. Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs were engaged near Rheine and a parachute was seen descending; Cole was the only pilot to have delivered a potentially lethal burst but had seen no strikes and it appears no formal claim was submitted. Five minutes behind this formation, nine more Tempests from 80 Squadron had followed, and at 0850 at 12,000 feet north of Rheine, at least 16 German fighters were engaged. Two Bf 109s were claimed damaged, but Capt O.Ullestadt, a Norwegian pilot, was shot down by another Messerschmitt; he was able to evade capture, returning later.

Operating in the same area at this time were the Spitfire XIVs of 130 and 350 Squadrons, these units getting off at 0720-0730 to sweep over the Rheine area, led by Wg Cdr George Keefer. Here 20 or more Fw 190s and Bf 109s were seen, Keefer claiming one Messerschmitt shot down as did Flg Off R.Hoornaert, Plt Off L.Lambrechts and Flt Sgt J.Groensteen of 350 Squadron, with Flt Sgt E.Pauwels adding a claim for one damaged. 130 Squadron meanwhile became involved with Fw 190s, four being claimed shot down by Flt Lts G.G.Earp and C.J.Samouelle, Wt Off J.A.Boulton and Flt Sgt P.H.T.Clay, while Wt Off J.W.Turnbull claimed a probable and a damaged, and Samouelle also added one damaged. However two of this unit's aircraft failed to return, Earp and Flg Off N.W.Heale both becoming prisoners, the latter also having been wounded.

Bf 109s of II., III. and IV./JG 27 had been in the air endeavouring to screen Me 262s taking off from Rheine. Twenty-one Fw 190Ds from III./JG 26 had also taken off from Plantlünne at 0820 on an exercise, 17 of these encountering P-47s, Tempests and Spitfires' north of Rheine. Between 0743 and 0800, pilots of III./JG 27 claimed three Spitfires shot down (probably claims against 130 Squadron), while Lt Anton Woffen and Uffz Hans Stenglein of II./JG 27 each claimed Tempests at 0751 and 0759, their fourth and fifth victories respectively; they would seem to have been engaged with 80 Squadron. However it appears that unidentified pilots of III./JG 26 may also have claimed two aircraft identified as P-47s with a third probably shot down. There do not appear to have been any claims by US Ninth Air Force units in this area at the time, and it seems very likely that all the Luftwaffe claims actually related to 2nd TAF aircraft. The JG 26 unit lost only one aircraft during this combat, but JG 27's losses were fairly heavy. II. Gruppe lost Oblt Wolfgang Herkner of 6. Staffel, killed in a Bf 109G, while in III. Gruppe three NCO pilots were shot down and killed in Bf 109Ks. IV. Gruppe lost four aircraft - all K versions - with two pilots killed and two wounded. On this occasion therefore 2nd TAF's claims for eight Messerschmitts are matched by eight losses, but the claims for five Focke-Wulfs only by one; 9./KG 76 did indeed lose two Ar 234s on this date. 222 Squadron undertook a further sweep at 1330, during which the unit was again lucky in seeing jets, claims being submitted for another of the Arados and an Fw 190 damaged.

The day also saw the loss of four Typhoons to hostile action, three of them to Flak. The fourth, an aircraft of 198 Squadron flown by Wt Off W.A.Livesey, who was killed, was reportedly shot down in error by P-51s north-west of Neuss. No other claims appear to have been made by US pilots in this area, but a Typhoon was claimed shot down near Achmer by Lt Manfred Steckbarth of 13./JG 27 during the day, and it may well be that Livesey was actually his victim.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack marshalling yards at five locations.

GERMANY: Sixty 1st Air Division B-17s attack a synthetic-oil plant at Bohlen; 36 1st Air Division B-17s attack a gun battery, at Bohlen; 36 1st Air Division B-17s attack an oil refinery at Rositz; 255 1st Air Division B-17s attack the city of Chemnitz (secondary); 257 2d Air Division B-24s attack a tank factory at Magdeburg; 38 2d Air Division B-24s attack a synthetic-oil plant at Magdeburg; 24 3d Air Division B-17s attack a synthetic-oil plant at Ruhland; 406 3d Air Division B-17s attack the city of Dresden (secondary); and 55 heavy bombers attack various targets of opportunity. Fourteen heavy bombers and 13 of 713 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

9th Air Division bombers attack bridges at five locations, two communications centers, several city and town areas, three depots, and targets of opportunity. Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter- bombers mount more than 1,700 sorties, mostly in support of an offensive by the U.S. Third Army.

Eighth and Ninth Air Force fighter pilots down 71 GAF aircraft over Germany between 0450 and 1650 hours. 1stLt Herman E. Ernst, a P-61 pilot with the Ninth Air Force’s 422d Night Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two Ju-87s over the Rhine River between 0457 and 0506 hours. Guiding Ernst to all five victories, and thus an ace in his own right, has been radar operator 2dLt Edward H. Kopsel. Two P-51 pilots with the 357th Fighter Group’s 364th Fighter Squadron achieve ace status when they each down a Bf-109 near Magdeburg at 1000 hours: 1stLt Raymond M. Bank and Capt Alva C. Murphy. Unfortunately, both of the new aces are shot down by flak. Bank is taken prisoner, and Murphy is killed. Capt Robert G. Schimanski, a P-51 pilot with the 357th Fighter Group’s 352d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs a Bf-109 and shares in the downing of a second Bf-109 near Magdeburg at 1000 hours; Maj William H. Julian, the commanding officer of the 78th Fighter Group’s 83d Fighter Squadron, in P-51s, achieves ace status when he downs two Bf-109s over Burg Airdrome at 1010 hours; 1stLt Arthur C. Cundy, a P-51 pilot with the 353d Fighter Group’s 352d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs a Bf-109 and two FW-190s near Dessau between 1010 and 1030 hours; 1stLt Horace Q. Waggoner, a P-51 pilot with the 353d Fighter Group’s 352d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two FW-190s and a Bf-109 over Ruhland at 1030 hours; and Capt Edwin L. Heller, a P-51 pilot with the 352d Fighter Group’s 482d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs an FW-190 near Leipzig at 1045 hours.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather; Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Brescia; and XXII TAC P-47s attack two sugar refineries, many dumps, gun emplacements, motor vehicles, buildings, and two airdromes.

During the night of March 2–3, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack a marshalling yard, road traffic, and ammunition supply points in the Po River valley.

BASE CHANGES
403 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFXVI) moves to B.90 Petit-Brogel
421 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFXVI) moves to B.90 Petit-Brogel

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
86 Sqn (Tain) flies its first IM in the Liberator VIII
108 Sqn (Hassani) Disbanded

3-3-45
460 Sqn RAAF (Waddington – Lancaster I/III)
Boys called at 02.30 hours, breakfasted at 03.00 hours. Briefing commenced at 03.30 hours. Whilst aircraft were being run up news was received that Ops put back until 12.00 hours and then to 16:30. Bright sunny day.

This was a night attack in which fifteen aircraft from this Squadron partook. The attack was carried out in 10/10 clould coalitions and the results unobserved owing to long delay bombs being used. Our losses for the night were one aircraft, F/O. Howells. The roport on the photos taken on the target indicated high concentration and it is now a <unreadable>.

ADDENDUM – Lancaster I NG469 JO-D. Crew: F/O FJ Howells DFC RAAF KIA, Sgt D Bates KIA, Sgt PT Barlow KIA, F/S EK Foreman RAAF POW, F/S OB Elliot RAAF KIA, Sgt CE Billard KIA, Sgt JMH Miller POW.

BOMBER COMMAND
This was the 2,000th night of the war.

KAMEN
234 aircraft – 201 Halifaxes of 4 Group and 21 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitoes of 8 Group. No aircraft lost over Germany.

The synthetic-oil refinery at Bergkamen was severely damaged in this accurate raid and no further production of oil took place. 17 people died in Kamen.

DORTMUND–EMS CANAL
212 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes of 5 Group attacked the Ladbergen aqueduct, breached it in 2 places and put it completely out of action. 7 Lancasters lost.

The gunners in the 619 Squadron Lancaster of Wing Commander S. G. Birch claimed to have shot down a V-1 flying bomb near the target area; the V-1 was probably aimed at the port of Antwerp.

SUPPORT AND MINOR OPERATIONS
95 training aircraft on a diversionary sweep, 64 Mosquitoes to Berlin and 32 to Würzburg, 61 R.C.M. sorties, 29 Mosquito patrols, 31 Lancasters minelaying in the Kattegat and in Oslo Fjord, 17 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Lancaster lost from the minelaying operation.

The Luftwaffe mounted their Operation Gisella on this night, sending approximately 200 night fighters to follow the various bomber forces to England. This move took the British defences partly by surprise and the Germans shot down 20 bombers – 8 Halifaxes of 4 Group, 2 Lancasters of 5 Group, 3 Halifaxes, 1 Fortress and 1 Mosquito of 100 Group and 3 Lancasters and 2 Halifaxes from the Heavy Conversion Units which had been taking part in the diversionary sweep. 3 of the German fighters crashed, through flying too low; the German fighter which crashed near Elvington airfield was the last Luftwaffe aircraft to crash on English soil during the war.

Total effort for the night: 785 sorties, 8 aircraft lost over Germany and the sea, 20 aircraft shot down by Intruders over England, a total casualty rate of 3.6 percent. 2nd TAF
The next three days featured wet, cold and stormy weather with poor visibility, rain and sleet showers restricting aerial activity. One of the few sorties to be flown brought another hard loss, when Flt Lt Dick Audet of 411 Squadron, having just returned from seven days leave in the UK, was shot down by Flak. While attacking a train, his aircraft was seen to be hit by fire from a rail siding and dive straight into a wood from 500 feet. One of 2nd TAF's most successful fighter pilots (see Volume Two, page 372), Audet had claimed ten and one shared victories plus one aircraft destroyed on the ground, all since 29 December.

More disbandments now occurred, 610 Squadron being the next to go as part of a policy by which the old Auxiliary units were to be stood down when possible. The pilots were either posted to other units within 125 Wing, or were sent to 83 GSU for reallocation. Thus ended the illustrious wartime career of a unit, the pilots of which had claimed 132 confirmed victories, 46 1/2 probables and 53 damaged since 1940, to which they had added 50 V-1s. The last sorties were also flown by the Typhoons of 257 Squadron, which would suffer a similar fate two days later.

Following the recent loss of Sqn Ldr Spencer, 350 Squadron welcomed as Commanding Officer Sqn Ldr E.G.Woolley, DFC. He was another pilot with an interesting and different background. His father had been a successful Sopwith Dolphin fighter pilot during the First World War, while Woolley himself had been awarded his decoration for an action in Iraq in 1941, when he had landed his Vincent biplane to pick up a downed crew under attack on the ground. He had recently undertaken a brief period of familiarisation with 41 Squadron before being given his own unit.

USAAF
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: 1stLt Bernard H. Howes, a six-victory P-51 ace with the 55th Fighter Group’s 343d Fighter Squadron, is shot down and taken prisoner.

GERMANY: Eighty-two 1st Air Division B-17s attack a tank factory at Hannover; 23 1st Air Division B-17s attack an oil refinery at Misburg; 24 1st Air Division B-17s attack a synthetic-oil plant at Ruhland; 166 1st Air Division B-17s attack the city of Chemnitz (secondary); 219 2d Air Division B-24s attack an oil refinery at Magdeburg; 41 2d Air Division B-24s attack a bridge at Nienburg; 48 2d Air Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Bielefeld (secondary); 191 3d Air Division B-17s attack a munitions plant and oil- industry targets at Brunswick; 53 3d Air Division B-17s attack an oil refinery at Dedenhausen; 37 3d Air Division B-17s attack an oil refinery at Dollbergen; 38 3d Air Division B-17s attack an industrial target at Hildesheim; and 50 heavy bombers attack various targets of opportunity. Nine heavy bombers and eight of 584 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

9th Air Division bombers attack a communications center, two rail bridges, depots at five locations, an ammunition dump, a concentration of motor vehicles, a marshalling yard, and targets of opportunity.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force bombers are grounded by bad weather; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack lines of communication in Brenner Pass and Po River valley bridges; and XXII TAC P-47s attack a sugar refinery, dumps, and lines of communication.

During the night of March 3–4, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack a radar station, bridges and bridge approaches, light sources, and road traffic in the Po River valley.

BASE CHANGES
1 Sqn SAAF (Spitfire VIII) moves to Ravenna
2 Sqn SAAF (Spitfire IX) moves to Ravenna
416 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFXVI) moves to B.90 Petit-Brogel
443 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFXVI) moves to B.90 Petit-Brogel
501 Sqn (Tempest V) moves to Hunsdon
611 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Hunsdon

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
350 Sqn (B.50 Vitry-en-Artois) flies its last OM’s in the Boston IIIA & IV
427 Sqn RCAF (Leeming) flies its last OM in the Halifax III
542 Sqn (Benson) flies its last OM in the Spitfire PR.X
610 Sqn – Disbanded
614 Sqn (Amendola) flies its last OM in the Halifax II

4-3-45
401 Sqn RCAF (B.88 Heesch – Spitfire LFIXB)
Duff weather kept all a/c grounded throughout the day and the off time was put to advantage by giving the pilots a few gen talks in the Rec. Hall this afternoon and showing February's combat films.

BOMBER COMMAND
4 March 1945
WANNE-EICKEL
128 Lancasters of 3 Group carried out a G-H attack through cloud. No results were seen. No aircraft lost.
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4/5 March 1945
MINOR OPERATIONS
31 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 24 to Essen and 28 in small numbers to 5 ports in Northern Germany, 6 Mosquito patrols, 12 Halifaxes minelaying off Heligoland, 16 aircraft on Resistance operations. 2 Stirlings on Resistance operations were lost. USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack marshalling yards at five locations.

GERMANY: Two hundred twenty-three 1st Air Division B-17s attack a munitions dump at Ulm; 59 1st Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Ulm (secondary); 69 1st Air Division B-17s attack an aircraft-industry plant at Schwabmunchen; and, unable to locate any primaries through thick cloud cover, 154 of 274 2d Air Division B-24s and 149 of 376 3d Air Division B-17s attack various secondaries and targets of opportunity.

Approximately 180 9th Air Division bombers attack rail targets and communications centers, but most Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers are grounded by bad weather.

HUNGARY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Szombathely, and two marshalling yards at Sopron.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack rail bridges at seven locations, and XXII TAC P-47s attack bridges and roads.

During the night of March 4–5, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack lines of communication in the Po River valley.

YUGOSLAVIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Ljubljana and two marshalling yards at Zagreb.

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
318 Sqn (Forli) flies its last OM in the Spitfire VC
544 Sqn (Benson) flies its last OM in the Spitfire PRIX