Action This Day

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16-4-45
462 Sqn RAAF (Foulsham – Halifax III)
ELEVEN crews were briefed for Operations, SIX aircraft to take part in an attack on AUGSBURG, ONE on PILSON, ONE on PRAGUE and TWO on SCHWANDORF. The attack on AUGSBURG was a feint WINDOW attack, the remaining Aircraft Operated with the Main Force. PN.433 - "R”/462 - Captain P/O W.H. SCOTT was a non-starter due to becoming bogged in avoiding an obstruction on the runway. Unfortunately ME.467 "C"/462 Captain P/O. A.M. LODDER failed to return from this Operation, the remainder returned safely to Base, after having completed a successful sortie.

ADDENDUM – Halifax III ME467 Z5-C. Crew: F/O AM Lodder RAAF POW, Sgt JEA Gray KIA, F/S E Windus KIA, F/S PA Naylor POW, F/S CRH Foster RAAF KIA, F/S ED Tisdell RAAF KIA, Sgt R McGarvie KIA, Sgt ER Gasterton POW. T/o 2358 Foulsham. Shot down by Ofw Heinrich Schmidt (15th victory) 2./NJG6 crashed near Nordendorf, 12 km N of Gablingen airfield at 0344. Those who died rest in Dürnbach War Cemetery.

BOMBER COMMAND
16 April 1945
Swinemünde
18 Lancasters of 617 Squadron flew to Swinemünde to attack the pocket battleship Lützow. The force flew through intense Flak; 1 Lancaster was shot down (617 Squadron’s last loss of the war) and all but 2 aircraft were damaged. 15 aircraft managed to bomb the target with Tallboys or with 1,000-pounders. The effects of one near miss with a Tallboy tore a large hole in the bottom of the Lützow and she sank in shallow water at her moorings.
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16/17 April 1945
PILSEN
222 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitoes of 5 Group carried out an accurate attack on the railway yards. 1 Lancaster crashed in France.

SCHWANDORF
167 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitoes of 6 and 8 Groups attacked the railway yards, causing severe damage. 1 Lancaster lost.

Minor Operations: 19 Halifaxes of 6 Group and 4 Pathfinder Mosquitoes to Gablingen airfield, 64 Mosquitoes to Berlin and 23 to Munich, 57 R.C.M. sorties, 35 Mosquito patrols. 2 Halifaxes and 1 Fortress of 100 Group were lost.

Total effort for the night: 610 sorties, 5 aircraft (0.8 percent) lost.

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2nd TAF
Another day of intense operations was heralded at 0745 by a solo attack on Ludwigslust airfield by Flt Lt J.MacKay of 401 Squadron; he was forced to break off by heavy defensive fire, but not before he was able to claim damage to three Ar 234s. This was followed at 0905 by a 486 Squadron strike on Neustadt airfield when Flt Lt Sheddan and Wt Off Shaw claimed an Fw 190 as it was taking off; this was probably the aircraft flown by Lt Ettmuller of JG 301, this unit losing up to six aircraft during the day. Towards the end of the afternoon, at 1745, Wg Cdr R.E.P.Brooker, the 122 Wing Leader, led off 80 Squadron aircraft on an armed reconnaissance over the Pritzwalk-Neuruppin area. Here three Fw 190s were encountered, and the six Tempests gave chase, but as they did so, they were 'bounced by four or five more Focke-Wulfs. Flt Lt M.P. 'Slim' Kilburn went after one, closing to 50 yards; oil from this spread all over his windscreen, but he was able to see the pilot bale out. Flt Lt R.B.Prickett hit the port wingroot of another and it dived vertically, exploding in a wood as it hit the ground. However, only four Tempests returned to B.112 - Brooker and Sgt W.F.Turner were missing and nothing was known of their movements or fate other than an R/T call from Turner who reported his engine was cutting and that he was returning to base. Turner's crash site was found after the war but Brooker's fate and resting place remain unknown.

A veteran pilot since the days of 1940, and a survivor of the debacle in Singapore and the East Indies early in 1942, Peter Brooker was a sad loss. His place at the head of 122 Wing was taken at once by 80 Squadron's Evan Mackie, who was promoted Wg Cdr.

At around 1400 hours, Flg Off C.D.W.Wilson of 411 Squadron claimed an He 111 shot down in the Grabow area, while nearly an hour later, this unit's Flt Lt D.C.Gordon and Flg Off D.J.Bazett, having spent some time hunting for 'MET, came upon a more tempting target - a Mistel composite. Their target was one of four such aircraft that had taken off from Parchim to bomb bridges at Küstrin, in order to impede the Russian advance, and it was caught at low level awaiting the arrival of a Ju 188 pathfinder. As Gordon opened fire from 500 yards, the upper component, an Fw 190, separated from the Ju 88, which burst into flames and crashed in a huge explosion. Bazett pursued and despatched the Focke-Wulf.

486 Squadron was in the air again at 1900 hours, and this unit's pilots allso arrived over Ludwigslust where Flt Lt Schrader and Flg Off J.W.Reid each claimed an Fw 190 shot down. About an hour or so later 41 Squadron, which had just arrived at B.118, Celle, sent five Spitfire XIVs to sweep over the Borchum-Schwerin area. Here three Fw 190As were seen and attacked. Two of these broke towards the Spitfires and were at once claimed shot down by Wg Cdr George Keefer, the 125 Wing Leader, and Flg Off J.E.Wilkinson, while Sqn Ldr Shepherd gave chase to the third, following it down to ground level where he was able to bring it down.

The day had not been free of the usual Flak-related losses, five Typhoons having succumbed, most of them by making force-landings from which the pilots escaped unscathed, only one of whom was captured. Five Spitfires were lost through various causes but all their pilots would survive. More units were also on the move, 145 and 146 Wings arriving at B.105, Drope, while next day 39 (Reconnaissance) Wing joined 126 Wing at B.116, Wunstorf. The 16th was also marked by the first offensive sorties over territory still in German hands by the Meteors of 616 Squadron.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Five GAF aircraft are downed over or near Wels Airdrome between 1415 and 1450 hours by 52d Fighter Group P-51 pilots.

BELGIUM: The Ninth Air Force’s 391st Medium Bombardment Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground Y-29, at Asche.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Pilots of the XIX TAC’s 368th Fighter Group down three GAF fighters over Czechoslovakia at 1430.

ETO: VIII Fighter Command fighters from 15 groups claim the destruction of a record 747 GAF aircraft on the ground during strafing missions against airfields throughout Germany and Czechoslovakia. 339th Fighter Group P-51 pilots alone are credited with 118 of the ground kills—the first and only USAAF group to destroy more than a hundred enemy planes on the ground on two occasions (the other being April 4, 1945). Thirty-four VIII Fighter Command fighters are downed, mostly by light flak and small arms.

LtCol Sidney S. Woods, the executive officer of the 4th Fighter Group and a seven-victory ace, is captured after his P-51 is shot down by flak over Praha/Kbely Airdrome, in Czechoslovakia.

FRANCE: During the morning, 485 3d Air Division B-17s attack the defensive line and antitank defenses around Bordeaux.

GERMANY: During the afternoon, 294 1st Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard and two rail bridges at Regensburg; 77 1st Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Plattling; 76 1st Air Division B-17s attack a rail bridge at Straubing; and 273 2d Air Division B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Landshut. One B-24 is lost.

Approximately 450 9th Air Division bombers attack an ordnance depot, two marshalling yards, a communications center, and various gun emplacements. Throughout the day, Ninth Air Force fighters destroy 215 GAF aircraft on the ground (and damage 190 others), the best one-day tally of its kinds in the war, and at a cost of just one P-47 lost.

Ninth and First Tactical air force fighter pilots down 30 GAF fighters over Germany between 0745 and 1900 hours.

U.S. Army ground forces overrun the eastern Ruhr Pocket, and the Red Army begins its final drive on Berlin on a 200-mile front along the Oder River.

ITALY: Although more than 700 Fifteenth Air Force heavy-bomber sorties are aborted in the face of bad weather, 98 B-24s are able to attack defended positions near Bologna; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack bridges spanning the Reno River and troop concentrations on the British Eighth Army front; and XXII TAC P-47s mount 520 effective ground-support sorties in support of the U.S. Fifth Army.

The Fifteenth Air Force’s 98th and 376th Heavy Bombardment groups, in B-24s, are relieved of operational duties and ordered to the United States to retrain in B-29s for eventual deployment against Japan.

During the night of April 16–17, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack crossing points in the Po River valley and several defended towns near Bologna.

BASE CHANGES
2 Sqn (Spitfire FRXIV) moved to B.106 Twente
41 Sqn (Spitfire XIV) moves to B.118 Celle
197 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.105 Drope
263 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.105 Drope
266 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.105 Drope
340 Sqn (Spitfire XVI) moves to B.105 Drope
341 Sqn (Spitfire XVI) moves to B.105 Drope
350 Sqn (Spitfire XIV) moves to B.118 Celle
400 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire PRXI) moves to B.116 Wunsdorf
412 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFIXE) moves to B.116 Wunsdorf
430 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire XIV) moves to B.116 Wunsdorf

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
345 Sqn (B.85 Schijndel) flies its first OM in the Spitfire XVI

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17-4-45
142 Sqn (Gransden Lodge – Mosquito B.XXV)
The night operation was marred by an dunfortunate accident during take-off. The ninth A/C with F/L Nolan as pilot and F/O Green as navigator swung at the beginning of the take-off run. The undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft burst into flames but the crew managed to get out of the aircraft in time. Little could be done to extinguish the fire as the petrol tanks caught fire and, as the A/C was bombed up, it was not safe to approach. The bombs exploded 2 or 3 minutes later but no injuries were sustained by anyone. The three A/C waiting to take off were ordered back to dispersal points. The 6 airborne A/C attacked Berlin, dropping 26x500 MC and 6x500 MC from 4,500-9,000 feet between 00.58 and 01.01 hours. The target area was marked with red TI’s bombing was well concentrated. Several, fires were reported with smoke rising to 6,500 feet. All A/C landed at Bourn and the crews were collected by transport.

BOMBER COMMAND
17/18 April 1945
CHAM
90 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitoes of 5 Group attacked the railway yards in this small town deep in south-eastern Germany. The attack was completely successful, with tracks torn up and rolling stock destroyed. No aircraft lost.

Minor Operations: 61 Mosquitoes to Berlin and 43 to Ingoldstadt airfield, 28 R.C.M. sorties, 40 Mosquito patrols. 2 Mosquitoes lost from the Berlin raid.

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2nd TAF
Action occurred early on 17th when at around 0640 Flt Lt Gaze and Flg Off F.M.Hegarty of 41 Squadron intercepted a Ju 88 near Lübeck airfield; this was shot down by the latter. Some three hours later another pilot from this unit, Plt Off P.T.Coleman, claimed a Ju 188 damaged on the ground near Parchim. Over Schleswig a little later, Flt Lt R.C.Stockburn, newly-arrived with 274 Squadron, claimed a Ju 88 shot down at low-level.

A formation of 80 Squadron Tempests undertook a sweep over Grevesmuhlen, also in the Lübeck area, taking off at 1045, while at much the same time Spitfires of 401 Squadron undertook an armed reconnaissance over the Ludwigslust area. The morning had begun for JG 26 with the disbandment of IV Gruppe (previously III/JG 54), the remaining pilots being posted to I. and II. Gruppe, all that now remained of the once-proud premier unit. At 1110 Obit Dortenmann led 18 I. Gruppe Dora-9s from Sulte to Vorsfelde, but during this flight Uffz Karl Frob disappeared - he had been shot down near the Schweriner See and killed. The unit was then 'bounced' by the Canadians of 401 Squadron and Lt Karl-Heinz Ossenkopf was shot down, baling out, suffering from wounds. He subsequently reported that the Spitfire which had despatched his aircraft-probably that flown by Flg Off J.P.W.Francis - had circled round him as he fell, rocking its wings, but making no attempt to attack him.

The German unit's tribulations were far from over however, for minutes later 80 Squadron Tempests were encountered at 6,500 feet to the south of Lübeck, and a big fight started. Capt R.A.'Dutchy' Henwick, SAAF, and Flg Off R.S.E.Verran each claimed one Fw 190 shot down and one damaged, while Flt Lt W.Galloway also claimed one damaged.

However, Flg Off L.A.Smith, DFC, was seen to be shot down and to crash. Four Dora-9s had indeed been hit, Uffz Albert Hufferer being killed, while Lts Konrad and Wilhelm Blickle baled out, and Ogfr Bocker crash-landed, but escaped injury. Once again the Luftwaffe pilots were somewhat optimistic regarding the results they thought they had achieved, Smith's demise bringing forth claims from Dortenmann, Lt Soffing and Bocker - all registered as happening at 1134, south-west of Lübeck. It seems that II./JG 301 may also have been involved in this engagement, reporting the loss of one pilot in a Dora-9 to a Spitfire in the Ludwigslust area.

At 1250 six 130 Squadron Spitfire XIVs set off for the Wittenburg-Rheinburg area, where at 1400 Flt Lt Harry Walmsley claimed a Ju 252 shot down over Rechlin. This was in fact a Ju 52/3m, GC+BK of Department Er 4 of the Luftwaffe testing station, the Erprobungsstelle Rechlin. Five minutes later five more Mark XIVs from 350 Squadron were able to 'bounce' Fw 190Ds of II./JG 26 which were on an armed reconnaissance of their own over roads south of Hamburg.

Flt Sgt Andre Kicq claimed to have shot down an Fw 190 and indeed Fw Hans Marischka did crash in his 5. Staffel Dora-9 here. German sources, however, indicate that he was in fact shot down by one of their own Flak units; Marischka's body would not be found until 1989.

A further special operation was launched by 140 Wing, another attack being made on a Gestapo office in Denmark. The target on this occasion was the 'Husmandsskolen, a former agricultural school building in Tarup village, north-west of Odense on the island of Fym. Known locally as the "Torture Castle', its selection was again a special request from the Danish Resistance. Only a relatively small formation was necessary on this occasion, six Mosquitoes (including one FPU Mark IV) taking part. The raid was again led by Grp Capt Bateson with the Wing Tactical Navigation Leader, Sqn Ldr Ted Sismore, at his side. Once more Basil Embrey in his 'Wg Cdr Smith' guise, flew the no.2 aircraft, while one crew each from 21, 464 and 487 Squadrons flew the three other aircraft, the 21 Squadron member being the unit's Commanding Officer, Wg Cdr A.G. Wilson.

The six aircraft left Melsbroek at 1400 hours, the five Mark VIs each carrying 2,000 lbs of bombs. Once again they picked up a Mustang escort, eight such aircraft being provided by 129 Squadron from England. The attack proved very successful, and photographic evidence collected two days later by a 16 Squadron Spitfire, showed that two-thirds of the main building had been demolished, together with some outlying structures. Overshoots destroyed 20 nearby houses and damaged 150 others, nine civilians being killed and 20 injured.

However, all the prisoners survived and escaped, and one Gestapo official was killed. It was classified as a very satisfactory raid, and there were no RAF casualties.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: One hundred forty-seven Fifteenth Air Force P-38 dive-bombers attack two rail bridges.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Sixty-one 2d Air Division B-24s attack rail targets at Beroun; 36 2d Air Division B-24s attack rail targets at Kladno; and 115 3d Air Division B-17s attack an ordnance depot and a marshalling yard at Roudnice.

Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack two airfields.

GERMANY: Four hundred twenty-eight 1st Air Division B-17s attack a rail center and marshalling yard at Dresden; 92 2d Bombardment Division B-24s attack rail targets at two locations near the Czech- German border; 162 3d Air Division B-17s attack rail targets in Dresden; and 87 3d Air Division B-17s attack rail targets at Aussig.

9th Air Division bombers attack the city of Magdeburg and two marshalling yards and three ordnance depots.

Ninth and First Tactical air force fighter pilots down 28 GAF fighters over Germany between 0700 and 1515 hours. 1stLt Donald O. Scherer, a P-51 pilot with the 358th Fighter Group’s 366th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs an Me-108 over Germany at 0825 hours; and Capt Jack A. Warner, a P-51 pilot with the 354th Fighter Group’s 356th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs an Me-262 near Karlsbad at 1345 hours.

The Ninth Air Force’s 48th Fighter Bombardment Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground Y-96, at Kassel.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s mount 751 effective sorties against supply dumps, gun emplacements, German Army headquarters, and troop concentrations in the U.S. Fifth Army zone south and southwest of Bologna; Twelfth Air Force B-25s provide direct support for the British Eighth Army, and attack four bridges across the Reno River, and bridges on both sides of the Austro-Italian border near the Brenner Pass; and XXII TAC P-47s provide support for the U.S. Fifth Army’s drive on Bologna.

During the night of April 17–18, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack lines of communication in the Po River valley and three defended towns on the U.S. Fifth Army front.

BASE CHANGES
3 Sqn (Tempest V) moves to B.112 Hopsten
4 Sqn (Spitfire PRXI) moves to B.106 Twente
13 Sqn (Boston IV) moves to Forli
21 Sqn (Mosquito FBVI) moves to B.58 Melsbroek
130 Sqn (Spitfire XIV) moves to B.118 Celle
137 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.120 Langenhagen
140 Sqn (Mosquito PRIX,PRXVI) moves to B.78 Eindhoven
164 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.103 Plantlünne
182 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.120 Langenhagen
183 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.103 Plantlünne
193 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves t0 B.105 Drope
198 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.103 Plantlünne
247 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.120 Langenhagen
249 Sqn (Non-Op) moves to Prkos
268 Sqn (Mustang IA/II) moves to B.106 Twente
345 Sqn (Spitfire XVI) moves to B.105 Drope
414 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFIXB/FRXIV) moves to B.116 Wunsdorf
464 RAAF Sqn (Mosquito FBVI) moves to B.58 Melsbroek
487 RNZAF Sqn (Mosquito FBVI) moves to B.58 Melsbroek
609 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.103 Plantlünne

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17-4-45
420 Sqn RCAF (Tholthorpe – Halifax III)
Nineteen crews were detailed for an attack on HELIGOLAND. Take-off was at 0945 hours, and all aircraft were safely airborne. 18 aircraft successfully attacked the primary target and returned safely to base in the afternoon. One aircraft NP.946 “L”, Pilot R.197779, F/S W.J. Dunnigan did not return. Aircraft was seen to crash on the way out to the target, at approximately 1150 hours.

ADDENDUM – Halifax III NP946 PT-L. Crew: F/S WJ Dunnigan RCAF KIA, Sgt LJF Murphy RCAF KIA, F/O DM Neilson RCAF KIA, F/O DF Ross RCAF KIA, Sgt GF Montgomery RCAF KIA, Sgt RA McDonald RCAF KIA, F/S DW Newman RCAF KIA. T/o 1003 Tholthorpe. A Catalina landed near the scene about four hours later and found; two airborne lifeboats, two dinghies, and the bodies of two crew-members in Mae West’s and one in either a lifeboat or dinghy.

BOMBER COMMAND
18 April 1945
HELIGOLAND
969 aircraft – 617 Lancasters, 332 Halifaxes, 20 Mosquitoes – of all groups attacked the naval base, the airfield and the town on this small island. The bombing was accurate and the target areas were turned almost into crater-pitted moonscapes. The present-day Bürgermeister was unable to supply any local details; it is probable that the civilian population had been evacuated long before this raid. 3 Halifaxes were lost.
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18/19 April 1945
KOMOTAU
114 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitoes of 5 Group attacked the railway yards in this Czechoslovak town (now known as Chomutov). This was the last major raid in the long communications offensive to which 5 Group had made a particularly effective contribution. The raid was completely successful and all the aircraft involved returned safely.

Minor Operations: 57 Mosquitoes to Berlin and 36 to Schleissheim airfield near Munich, 35 R.C.M. sorties, 33 Mosquito patrols. 1 Mosquito of 141 Squadron was lost while carrying out a napalm attack on an airfield in Northern Germany; this was a new form of weapon being used by the Mosquito squadrons of 100 Group.

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2nd TAF
The 18th was to be a day of airfield attacks once again. The Poles of 317 Squadron undertook a number of general bombing attacks, but twice raided Marx airfield. During the first such attack two Ju 1888 were claimed destroyed and a Bf 109 damaged. Returning to the target later, a Bf 109 was claimed destroyed with another Messerschmitt and a Ju 188 damaged. Other pilots from 74 Squadron claimed two more aircraft damaged during the day- all these claims being for aircraft on the ground.

125 Wing Spitfire XIV pilots enjoyed a very good day. Mid afternoon five Fi 156s were seen on the ground in the Wustrow area, Flt Lt Walmsley claiming two, while Flt Lts Samouelle and Sibeth added one apiece. In the evening Wg Cdr Keefer led the unit to Parchim airfield, where Bf 109s were seen preparing to take off. Keefer personally claimed five of these destroyed, while Flg Off T.L.Trevarrow claimed six, pressing his attack so close that his own aircraft was hit by debris. Near Hamburg meanwhile, 350 Squadron pilots claimed four Ju 88s destroyed and an Fw 190 damaged. During all these attacks no losses to ground fire were suffered.

With evening five Tempests from 274 Squadron which had taken off with others of 33 Squadron at 1800, hit Stade airfield where an Fw 190 and two Do 217s were claimed destroyed and others damaged. Half an hour behind them pilots of 56 Squadron observed a Ju 88 taking off from Ludwigslust; Flg Off W.M. Wallis and his no.2 were detailed to carry out the attack and claimed damage to the bomber before having to break off due to intense Flak from the airfield defences. 33 Squadron also hit Utersen airfield during the early evening bringing their total claims for aircraft destroyed on the ground during the day to 4-0-7.

USAAF
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: One hundred eighteen 3d Air Division B-17s attack marshalling yards at Kolin and Pilsen. One escort fighter is lost.

Maj Donald H. Bockhay, the commanding officer of the 357th Fighter Group’s 363d Fighter Squadron, attains a final personal tally of 13.833 confirmed victories when he downs an Me-262 near Prague at 1300 hours.

GERMANY: One hundred forty-eight 1st Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard and an electric-transformer station at Rosenheim; 65 1st Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard and an electric-transformer station at Traunstein; 61 1st Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Freising (secondary); 194 2d Air Division B-24s attack rail targets at Passau; and 174 3d Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Straubing (secondary). Two B-17s and one escort fighter are lost.

Nearly 600 9th Air Division bombers attack an oil depot, two marshalling yards, and two rail junctions.

Eighth and Ninth air force fighter pilots down 18 GAF aircraft over Germany between 0655 and 1330 hours. Maj James E. Hill, the commanding officer of the 365th Fighter Group’s 388th Fighter Squadron, in P-47s, achieves ace status when he downs three Bf-109s near Juterborg at 1330 hours.

German Army forces trapped in the western Ruhr Pocket surrender.

ITALY: Four hundred seventy-three Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack defensive positions and communications targets in and around Bologna; 78 Fifteenth Air Force P-38s dive-bomb a bridge; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack a bridge and two rail fills near the Brenner Pass and German Army troop concentrations near the U.S. Fifth Army and British Eighth Army fronts; and XXII TAC P-47s support the U.S. Fifth Army.

During the night of April 18–19, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack crossing points in the Po River valley as well as light sources, vehicles, and eight bridges around Bologna, Mantua, Milan, and Turin.

MTO: Eighty-seven Fifteenth Air Force P-38s attack two bridges near Kolbnitz, Austria, and Fifteenth Air Force P-51s attack communications targets around Augsburg, Germany; Linz, Austria; and Pilsen, Czechoslovakia.

BASE CHANGES
66 Sqn (Spitfire XVI) moves to B.106 Twente
80 Sqn (Tempest V) moves to Warmwell
181 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.120 Langenhagen
322 Sqn (Spitfire XVIE) moves to B.106 Twente
331 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.106 Twente
332 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.106 Twente

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
272 Sqn (Falconara) flies its last OM in the Beaufighter TFX

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19-4-45
402 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire XIVE – B.116 Wunsdorf)
S/L Gordon led two Armed Recces in the tactical area and F/L Burrows the third. In the second show J.12564 F/L H. Cowan was brought down by flak while chasing and enemy aircraft over Parchim aerodrome. He was not seen to bale out and burning wreckage was visible on the drome. Always intrepid and very keen, his loss is sincerely regretted. Claims for the day were as follows: F/O C.B. MacConnell dest. one Ju.88, F/O H.C. Dutton dest. one F.190 and damaged one FW.190, F/O D.B. Riddell dam. one FW.190, F/O H.R. Robertson dam. one FW.190. One MET was dest. and 16 dam.

ADDENDUM – Spitfire XIVE RN204 AE-? Pilot: F/L H Cowan KIA. He is buried in Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery.

BOMBER COMMAND
20 April 1945
REGENSBURG
100 Lancasters of 3 Group bombed the fuel-storage depot accurately. 1 Lancaster lost.

This was the last raid in the current campaign against German oil targets which had been waged since June 1944. Much of Bomber Command’s effort during this period, sometimes at considerable loss, had been devoted to these oil operations, which had helped not only the Allied ground forces on the Western Front but also those fighting in Italy and on the Eastern Front.
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20/21 April 1945
BERLIN
76 Mosquitoes made 6 separate attacks on Berlin. This was the last R.A.F. raid of the war on Berlin; the Russians were about to enter the city. Mosquito XVI M L 929, of 109 Squadron, claimed the last bombs – 4 500-pounders – at 2.14 a.m. British Time. The crew were Flying Officer A. C. Austin, pilot, and Flying Officer P. Moorhead, navigator. All aircraft returned safely.

Minor Operations: 36 Mosquitoes to Schleissheim airfield, 3 R.C.M. sorties, 2 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.

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2nd TAF
On an armed reconnaissance which commenced at 0900 hours, pilots of 412 Squadron encountered at least six Fw 190s over Hagenow airfield just over an hour later, and four of these were claimed shot down. Flt Lt D.M.Pieri claimed one and shared a second with Flt Lt R.A.Stewart, while Flt Lt D.J.Dewan and Flg Off G.M. Horter claimed one each. Ten minutes later 402 Squadron Spitfire XIV pilots on a similar operation over this area claimed one more destroyed (by Flg Off H.C.Dutton), with another three damaged. The identity of the unit concerned (possibly a Schlachtgruppe) has not been ascertained.

402 Squadron undertook a second armed reconnaissance in the early afternoon, during which Fig Off C.B.MacConnell caught a Ju 88 north of the Schweriner See, claiming this shot down, but Flt Lt H.Cowan was shot down by Flak over Parchim airfield during this sortie.

The day saw much more airfield strafing, particularly by the Tempest Wings of both Groups. Pilots of 33 Squadron claimed five Ju 88s, an He 111 and a Ju 87 damaged at Nordholz, but lost one pilot to Flak during the day. Eight 222 Squadron pilots attacked Schlisburg and Husum during the morning, claiming one destroyed and eight damaged. Later at 1805 Flt Lt Turney led six Tempests from this unit to Neumunster where an He 111 and an Me 410 were claimed destroyed, and two Ju 188s damaged. Here however, Flt Lt C.G.F.Deck, a British-Argentinian, was shot down and killed - another Flak victim. His brother had been the first pilot killed in a Typhoon, on 1 November 1941.

Over Husum, during the operation, one of the 222 Squadron pilots, Flt Lt G.Walkington, had sighted an aircraft (which he was not able to identify) flying away from the aerodrome. In view of the significance of this encounter it is worth quoting directly from his subsequent combat report. The time of the attack was given as 1220 and 500 feet the height of the enemy aircraft when first sighted:
"I immediately broke off my attack on the airfield and chased this aircraft which was camouflaged mottled green with a yellow underside and appeared to have twin fins and rudders and one engine. The nose of the aircraft had a drooping appearance and the wings (plan view) resembled those of an Me 109. Due to my loss of speed on turning the enemy aircraft pulled away to about 1500 yards. Having recognised this aircraft as hostile by its camouflage, I gave chase, but was unable to close, my IAS being 360 mph. The enemy aircraft did a 360 degrees turn to starboard which I followed, turning inside. During my turn I managed to close to 1,000 yards. Being unable to gain further I trimmed my aircraft carefully and allowing about three quarters of a ring above enemy aircraft I fired short bursts. Enemy aircraft then pulled up through cloud which was 8/10ths at 3,000 feet; I followed through a gap and passed enemy aircraft spinning down out of control from approx 3,500 feet. I then watched enemy aircraft explode on the ground near Husum aerodrome."

"We took off from the concrete runway in Leck, Kirchener (Fhj.Fw Günther Kirchener) stayed 30 metres behind me on my right hand side as usual;... We climbed up to about 200 metres, when suddenly two Thunderbolts appeared behind us and instantly shot down Günther Kirchener's plane. I saw him jettison canopy and catapult but his parachute did not deploy. I was very lucky that the Thunderbolts did not press on with another attack..."

The time of take-off was given as 1222. In combat it was not unknown for the Tempest, with its blunt nose and semi-elliptical wings, to be misidentified as a Thunderbolt and there can be little doubt that Walkington's victim was an He 162 (especially when it is considered that the twin-finned aircraft was able to keep its distance from a Tempest at low level). The times and heights of initial contact closely match in both accounts. The evidence is persuasive but for the fact that the accounts refer to different airfields; Husum and Leck, though both in Schleswig-Holstein, are about 15 miles apart. Even so the authors, in the absence of any other matching claims or losses, feel that these two accounts refer to the same incident - the first loss of Heinkel's diminutive jet fighter in combat.

Meanwhile seven pilots from 274 Squadron claimed an He 111 destroyed and four other bombers damaged during an attack on Stade airfield soon after 1130.

486 Squadron pilots from 122 Wing carried out an attack during which Flt Lt Schrader claimed damage to six Ju 88s, and Flg Off Reid to three He 111s. 350 Squadron's Belgian Spitfire XIV pilots claimed a Ju 87 and an Fw 190 destroyed on the ground, while their newly returned Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr Terry Spencer claimed a Ju 88. He had only rejoined the unit on 30 March after escaping from captivity following his earlier capture after being shot down on 26 February. He had then resumed command of the unit from Sqn Ldr Frank Woolley, who was posted instead to command 130 Squadron. On this day however, his Spitfire was hit by a rocket fired from a small ship in the Bay of Wismar, and fell in flames. He was blown out of his aircraft, but at such low altitude that he actually hit the water (parachute opening fractionally in advance) before his blazing aircraft! He was able to wade ashore, suffering from burns, and again became a PoW, only to be released two weeks later by advancing troops of the 7th Armoured Division. 84 Group Spitfires also strafed aircraft on Ardorf airfield, claiming five damaged here, but losing Flg Off L. Barnes of 74 Squadron in the process, who crashed in flames near Oldendorf, and was killed. Two 83 Group Spitfire XVIs were also lost to Flak on this date, both pilots being killed. One of these was Flt Lt J.W.E.Harten of 416 Squadron, who had claimed three victories individually and two shared.

At 1540 Maj Borris of I./JG 26 had led off 11 Fw 190Ds for a fighter-bombing operation to Lüneburg, but as the German aircraft were forming up near Sulte, 401 Squadron Spitfires attacked the airfield. Borris led his pilots back to intercept, reporting about 12 Allied aircraft. Lt Soffing and Fhr Gerhard von Plazer each claimed Spitfires shot down here at 1600, although the latter was at once shot down and killed himself by Sqn Ldr Klersy.

Towards evening 130 Squadron Spitfire XIVs undertook a reconnaissance over the Hamburg area where three pilots were engaged by a reported 20-plus fighters. These were identified as Fw 190s, but seem actually to have been Bf 109Ks of I./JG 27. Flt Lt Ian Ponsford returned alone, claiming one of the attackers shot down, but Wt Off P.H.T.Clay and Flg Off V.Murphy were both shot down in the Wismar area, and were captured. They had fallen, it seems, to Uffz Kurt Hackl and Uffz Walter Neumann in the Schalsee area. Clay would return on 3 May after release by US forces, reporting that he too had shot down one aircraft before he fell. Indeed, the Luftwaffe unit did lose two of its aircraft during this engagement.

During the afternoon II./JG 4 suffered the loss of three Fw 190s to Spitfires in the Neuruppin area, which is well to the south of 130 Squadron's engagement. In the absence of any 2nd TAF claims which appear to tie up with these losses, it would appear that they may have fallen foul of Soviet-flown aircraft.

USAAF
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: VIII Fighter Command pilots down five Me-262s over Czechoslovakia between 1150 and 1300 hours.

GERMANY: Two hundred seventy-eight 1st Air Division B-17s attack marshalling yards at two locations, and 311 3d Air Division B-17s attack rail targets on both sides of the German-Czech border. Five B-17s and two of 532 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

Despite bad weather, approximately 375 9th Air Division bombers attack three marshalling yards, the city of Donauworth, and various targets of opportunity.

The 9th Air Division’s 387th Medium Bombardment Group flies what will turn out to be its last effective mission of the war.)

Eighth and Ninth air force fighter pilots down 16 GAF fighters over Germany between 0630 and 1545 hours.

LtCol Elwyn G. Righetti, the commanding officer of the 55th Fighter Group and a six-victory P-51 ace, is shot down by flak near Dresden. It is known that Righetti is alive and well after he crash-lands his P-51, but he is never heard from again.

Seventy-eight Fifteenth Air Force P-38 dive-bombers attack a marshalling yard at Welheim.

Elements of the U.S. First Army capture Halle and Leipzig.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s support the U.S. Fifth Army and attack bridges in Brenner Pass.

Between 0001 hours, April 17, and 2359 hours, April 19, the XXII TAC mounts more than 1,500 effective sorties in support of Allied ground forces in northern Italy.

In what turns out to be their unit’s final aerial engagement of the war, 325th Fighter Group P-51 pilots down six Bf-109s over Lake Garda.

During the night of April 19–20, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack crossing points and signs of movement in the Po River valley.

MTO: Six hundred nineteen Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack bridges and viaducts in northern Italy, Austria, and southern Germany.

BASE CHANGES
175 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.150 Hustedt
184 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.150 Hustedt
245 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.118 Celle
349 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.106 Twente
409 Sqn RCAF (Mosquito NFXIII) moves to B.108 Rheine
485 Sqn RNZAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.106 Twente

[warshipbuilder]

20-4-45
622 Sqn (Mildenhall – Lancaster I/III)
OPERATIONS: 7 aircraft were detailed to attack REGENSBURG OIL DEPOT in daylight.
All took off, carrying 21 x 1000 A.N.M. 70 x 500 A.N.M. 4 x 230 Blue smoke puffs (56,920 1b)
All completed their duty, 6 aircraft returned to BASE 1 aircraft seen shot down by flak over target, just after bombing. Moderate, accurate heavy flak reported.

ADDENDUM – Lancaster III PA285 GI-O. Crew: F/L VS Robbins KIA, Sgt RW Reid KIA, 2Lt G Dietrichson RNAF KIA, F/O BF Scott RNZAF KIA, F/O HA Smith KIA, F/S JE Hulland KIA, F/S E Parker POW. T/o 0957 Mildenhall. Hit by flak and partially abandoned before crashing at Burgweinting, 5km SE from the centre of Regensburg. 5 are buried in Dürnbach War Cemetery and while it is assumed that 2lt Dietrichson has been taken back to Norway.

BOMBER COMMAND
20 April 1945
REGENSBURG
100 Lancasters of 3 Group bombed the fuel-storage depot accurately. 1 Lancaster lost.
This was the last raid in the current campaign against German oil targets which had been waged since June 1944. Much of Bomber Command’s effort during this period, sometimes at considerable loss, had been devoted to these oil operations, which had helped not only the Allied ground forces on the Western Front but also those fighting in Italy and on the Eastern Front.
________________________________________
20/21 April 1945
BERLIN
76 Mosquitoes made 6 separate attacks on Berlin. This was the last R.A.F. raid of the war on Berlin; the Russians were about to enter the city. Mosquito XVI M L 929, of 109 Squadron, claimed the last bombs – 4 500-pounders – at 2.14 a.m. British Time. The crew were Flying Officer A. C. Austin, pilot, and Flying Officer P. Moorhead, navigator. All aircraft returned safely.

Minor Operations: 36 Mosquitoes to Schleissheim airfield, 3 R.C.M. sorties, 2 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.

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2nd TAF
At about 1120 one of 268 Squadron's remaining Mustang Is was shot down by intense Flak over Delfzijl harbour; however, the pilot Flt Lt B.Thirtle, survived. Soon after midday several attacks were launched against Luftwaffe airfields, Typhoon pilots of 182 Squadron claiming an Ar 234 and a Ju 188 destroyed on Mude-Nordholz airfield. 135 Wing Tempests strafed several such targets, 33 Squadron claiming four aircraft damaged at Wittstock and Nordholz, 222 Squadron adding five more damaged at the latter airfield while 274 Squadron enjoyed considerable success at Flensburg soon after midday, where 12 pilots (with recognition manuals in hand?) claimed two Me 410s, a Do 217, a Ju 88 and an He 111 destroyed, plus five Fw 190s, two Bf 109s, an He 111 and a Ju 52/3m damaged.

This latter unit was now commanded by Sqn Ldr D.C.Usher, DFC, DFM, posted in from 74 Squadron, and a former Middle East fighter pilot of some note. On this date the Germans managed a return attack when six Bf 109s and two or three Fw 190s strafed the newly-occupied Celle airfield, where two of 175 Squadron's Typhoons were slightly damaged.

As the afternoon wore on opposition began to be met in the air, the first by 130 Squadron on an armed reconnaissance in the Kremmen area. The four Spitfire XIVs turned into an attack from eight or so Fw 190Ds, Flt Lt Ian Ponsford latching onto one, seeing the pilot bale out after strikes on the wing root and cockpit. He then went to the aid of the formation leader, Flt Lt Harry Walmsley who, after claiming one victim, was in a turning combat with two of the Doras. Ponsford observed strikes on each Fw 190 in turn, pursuing the last attacker until he was out of ammunition. At much the same time 41 Squadron's Plt Off P.T.Coleman claimed an Fw 190 shot down south- west of Schwerin. The opponents may have been aircraft of JG 4, Oblt Günther Schwanecke of this unit's II. Gruppe claiming a Spitfire near Berlin at about 1300 hours for his 15th and final victory of the war. Again, it is possible that this may have been a Soviet-flown aircraft.

401 Squadron Canadians enjoyed a considerable piece of luck at 1600 when aircraft were seen taking off from a grass strip south-west of Schwerin, while others patrolled above them. Attacking at once, they claimed 11 Messerchmitts shot down and three damaged for the loss of a single Spitfire, and its pilot, Flg Off R.W.Anderson, who was shot down by the airfield defences as he pursued enemy fighters. Sqn Ldr Klersy claimed one and shared a second with Flt Lt L.W.Woods, who personally claimed a third. Two more claims each were made by Flt Lt W.R.Tew and Flg Off J.A.Ballantine, while Flt Lts John MacKay and R.H.Cull, Flg Offs J.H.Ashton and J.P.W.Francis all claimed one victory.

Two hours later three Tempests of 3 Squadron took off for the unit's third operation of the day, a dusk patrol to the Hamburg area. In very poor weather the trio became split up in cloud; Flt Lt Clostermann then happened upon approximately six Fw 190s conducting ground strafing. Engaging these, the fight was then joined by six more Fw 190s, but, despite the odds, Clostermann returned claiming two of the Focke-Wulfs shot down.

Soon after 1900 the skies really erupted as 125 Wing's Spitfire XIVs and a mixed 126 Wing formation of Mark IXs and Mark XIVs arrived over the front line areas. The latter, 14 aircraft drawn equally from 401 and 402 Squadrons, spotted many Luftwaffe fighters taking off from Hagenow, and once again the Canadians pulled off a successful bounce: 401 Squadron claimed seven Fw 190s plus three more damaged, Sqn Ldr Klersy rounding out a remarkable day with two claims, while Flt Lt Cull and Flg Off Francis also gained further successes. So too did Flt Lt L.N.Watt and Flg Off G.D.A.T.Cameron, these two latter pilots also each claiming a second damaged, as did John Francis; the final claim was submitted by Flg Off D.B.Dack. 402 Squadron's Mark XIV pilots, providing high cover, had less chance to get to grips with the Luftwaffe aircraft, but Flt Lt R.J.Taggart and Flg Off T.B.Lee were each able to claim a Focke-Wulf, to bring the Wing's claims for the day to a remarkable 20 confirmed.

125 Wing's pilots spread out over the same area, led by the Wing Leader, George Keefer. In the Wittstock-Hagenow area seven 41 Squadron pilots spotted some eight or more Fw 190Ds near Oranienburg. Sqn Ldr Shepherd claimed one and shared a second with Flt Lt Wilkinson, the latter then sharing another with Flt Sgt P.F.Scott. Others were claimed by Flg Off Eric Gray and Wt Off I.T.Stevenson. The Squadron then departed the area, but returned a few minutes later when Wt Off V.J.Rossow was able to force an Me 262 to make a wheels-up landing on the airfield (for which he was granted a 'probable'), while Flt Lt R.R.Fisher claimed one more Focke- Wulf shot down.

Meanwhile Wg Cdr Keefer had been able to claim a Bf 109 shot down over Wittstock, where 130 Squadron's Flt Lt Samouelle also claimed a Messerschmitt, one of two that had been seen.

Close behind 41 and 130 Squadrons came 350 Squadron, this unit's pilots sweeping over Berlin. North-west of the capital city 15 Fw 190s were spotted, and once again some considerable success was achieved. Flt Lt D.R.Howarth, Flg Off M.Doncq, Plt Off D.J.Watkins and Flt Sgt A.Kicq each claimed one Focke-Wulf, Kicq adding a claim for one more probable, although this was down-graded to a damaged. However, Wt Off J.Groensteen failed to return, the unit's second loss of the day. On an earlier patrol one of the flight commanders, Flt Lt K.Smith, had force- landed near Schwerin after his aircraft was hit by Flak, becoming a PoW. Groensteen however, was killed. It appears that the Belgian unit had encountered Focke-Wulfs of IV./JG 3, which had been operating against the Russians since the unit's move to the East. During fighting over the Berlin area, Fw Bruno Neumann of this unit's 14. Staffel was reported to have been shot down by Spitfires, while Fw Reinhold Hoffmann of 15. Staffel claimed one Spitfire shot down as his 11th victory. Three 14. Staffel pilots were also lost, all being reported missing, and one of these was Fw Willi Maximowitz, a recipient of the German Cross in Gold, who had claimed 27 victories, 15 of them four-engined bombers. It seems likely that all three were victims of 350 Squadron. This extremely successful day for 2nd TAF was rounded off that evening when Flg Off P.N. Lee of 264 Squadron with Flg Off R.Thomas as radar operator, pursued and shot down a Ju 88 at rooftop height, 20 miles west of Berlin.

A note for the enthusiast - when returning from an evening sortie, Flt Lt B.B.Mossing of 401 Squadron was forced to crash-land following an engine fire on approach and collision with a telegraph pole. Although the pilot escaped, albeit with serious injuries, this was the end of the line for his Spitfire IX, MK392, which had been Wg Cdr 'Johnnie' Johnson's 'JEJ' for the year preceding his recent promotion to Group Captain; it had been the victor in 13 combats but was now destroyed by fire.

USAAF
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Fifty-four 2d Air Division B-24s attack rail targets at Klatovy.

1stLt Andrew J. Ritchey, a P-51 pilot with the 354th Fighter Group’s 353d Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two Bf-109s near Kladno at 1820 hours.

GERMANY: Seven hundred fifty-five Eighth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack rail targets in the Berlin area. One B-17 is lost.

Five hundred sixty-four 9th Air Division bombers attack two oil depots, two ordnance depots, two marshalling yards, flak emplacements, and various targets of opportunity.

Aircraft from the 9th Air Division’s 394th and 397th Medium Bombardment groups undertake what will turn out to be their units’ last effective missions of the war. And the only 9th Air Division bomber lost during the day turns out to be the last Ninth Air Force bomber lost in World War II.

Maj Henry S. Bille, the commanding officer of the 355th Fighter Group’s 357th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status in a P-51 when he downs two Bf-109s over a GAF airdrome at 1200 hours; and 1stLt Melvyn R. Paisley, a P-47 pilot with the 366th Fighter Group’s 390th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he shares in the downing of an FW-190 near Potsdam during an afternoon mission.

The Ninth Air Force’s 370th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground Y-99, at Gutersloh Airdrome; and the Ninth Air Force’s 373d Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground Y-98, at Lippstadt Airdrome.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack four bridges on the Brenner Pass line, two bridges spanning the Reno River, and a German Army headquarters; and XXII TAC P-47s support the U.S. Fifth Army’s drive down from the Apennine mountains to the Po River valley.

During the night of April 20–21, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack crossing points in the Po River valley.

MTO: In attacks aimed at slowing German Army withdrawals from Italy and resupply efforts from Austria, Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s mount more than 700 effective sorties against numerous rail bridges, viaducts, road and fills, and marshalling yards on both sides of the Austro-Italian frontier. Also, 115 Fifteenth Air Force P-38 dive-bombers attack rail lines and marshalling yards throughout Austria.

BASE CHANGES
33 Sqn (Tempest V) moves to B.109 Quackenbruch
68 Sqn DISBANDED
94 Sqn DISBANDED
222 (Tempest V) moves to B.109 Quackenbruch
274(Tempest V) moves to B.109 Quackenbruch
440 Sqn RCAF (Typhoon IB) moves to B.150 Hustedt
501 Sqn DISBANDED
616 Sqn (Meteor III) moves to B.109 Quackenbruch

[warshipbuilder]

BOMBER COMMAND
21/22 April 1945
KIEL
107 Mosquitoes. 2 aircraft lost.

The local diarist recorded details of this raid. The sirens did not sound until after the first bombs had exploded. The worst damage was in the Elmschenhagen suburb, ‘but’, he wrote plaintively, ‘there are new ruins all over the town. It is no longer possible to spot which damage is new. One sometimes asks oneself whether there are any intact houses left.’ 50 people were killed.

Minor Operations: 16 Mosquitoes to Eggebek airfield near Flensburg, 3 R.C.M. sorties, 16 Mosquito patrols, 20 Lancasters of 6 Group minelaying in the Kattegat. No aircraft lost.

2nd TAF
The day was to prove somewhat less successful for 2nd TAF than had the previous one - but nonetheless not as costly as the Luftwaffe believed its pilots had made it. Early in the morning 143 Wing's new base at Hustedt was strafed by jets and Fw 190s, but these inflicted no significant damage, and the ground defences claimed one of the latter shot down.

Early in the afternoon L/JG 26, led by Oblt Dortenmann, sent off nine Fw 190Ds on a highway patrol, but finding nothing of note on the roads, the German pilots began a hunt for Allied fighter-bombers. They reported sighting such over Buchholz, south of Hamburg, at about 1515-1520, claiming three Spitfires shot down here, one of them by Dortenmann. No losses of Spitfires at this time have been identified however.

About half an hour later a pilot of 9./JG 27 claimed another Spitfire to the north-west of Salzwedel, but II. Gruppe lost two Bf 109s in combat in the Hagenow area, with one pilot killed and one wounded.

Six Spitfires of 403 Squadron were out over the Schnackenburg area during the early afternoon, where two Bf 109s were seen attacking ground targets, and these were claimed shot down by Sqn Ldr H.P.M.Zary (his seventh victory) and Flg Off D.Leslie. At much the same time 402 Squadron, operating over the same area as on the previous day, claimed one more Messerschmitt shot down by Flt Lt E.R.Burrows, plus damage to two more.

A little later, towards the end of the afternoon, 411 Squadron undertook an armed reconnaissance during which a train was attacked. Flt Lt S.M.McClarty then spotted a Bf 109 north of Putlitz and claimed this shot down, but Flg Off C.A.E.Ellement's Spitfire was hit by Flak and he baled out near Kiel. He evaded capture, returning to his unit on 3 May, the second time he had achieved this feat.

About an hour later more Spitfire XVIs from 443 Squadron on an armed reconnaissance over the Parchim-Schwerin area were 'bounced' by four Fw 190s and Flg Off H.R.Hanscom was shot down. At this time 486 Squadron's Tempests were operating in this area, Sqn Ldr W.E.Schrader claiming a Bf 109 shot down west of Schwerin airfield, while Flg Off A.R.Evans claimed an Fw 190 north- east of Wismar. The latter was probably the aircraft of Uffz Georg Kreth of 6./JG 26, who was engaged in an evening patrol north-west of Perleberg when shot down. Two Tempests were claimed shot down by Hpt Paul Schauder of Stab II./JG 26 and Lt Werner Schramm, but the New Zealanders actually suffered no loss. Another Tempest was also claimed on this date by Lt Rudolf Wurff of 6./JG 301 in the Dummer See area. It is possible that it was he who had despatched the 443 Squadron Spitfire. However, other 122 Wing squadrons were also operating over the area during the day, Flt Lt B.C.McKenzie of 3 Squadron last being seen to the east of Hamburg after his Tempest had been hit by Flak. 56 Squadron aircraft strafed in the Lübeck-Wismar area, where Sgt Swindells claimed the destruction of a Ju 88 on the ground.

Various German personnel were now attempting to escape from Berlin, and indeed next day Admiral Karl Dönitz, the OKW Staff and the OKH Staff managed to get out of the capital to Murvik in Schleswig-Holstein. It was thought better to control the remaining resistance from here rather than from insde the stricken city. Aircraft flying in and out of Berlin now presented 85 Group's night fighters with some tempting targets, and as soon as night fell on 21st, the hunt was on.

Two of 264 Squadron's Mosquito XIIIs were first on the scene, and at 2120 Sqn Ldr C.M.Ramsay/Flt Lt D.J.Donnet claimed a Ju 88 probably shot down 35 miles north-west of Berlin, while ten minutes later Wt Off A.S.Davis/Flt Sgt C.T.Fisher claimed a Ju 188 to the west of the city. An hour later Flt Lt R.D.Schultz/Flg Off J.S.Christie in a 410 Squadron Mosquito XXX, claimed a Ju 88 over the Fehrbellen area, adding a second here 30 minutes later.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Approximately 200 Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack marshalling yards at three locations. Also, 121 9th Air Division A-20s and A-26s attack a marshalling yard at Attnang-Pucheim, closing the line between Vienna and the area of southern Germany known as the Nazi (or Hitler) Redoubt.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Ninth Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers support the first U.S. Army ground units to cross from Germany into Czechoslovakia.

GERMANY: One hundred eleven 1st Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Munich; 186 2d Air Division B-24s abandon their attack on rail targets at Salzburg due to solid cloud cover; and 212 3d Air Division B-17s attack the town of Ingolstadt (target of last resort). One B-17, one B-24, and two of 408 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost.

The 55th, 56th, and 339th Fighter groups are ordered to stand down after flying what turns out to be their last combat missions of the war. In coming days, as the war on the ground winds down, other veteran bomber and fighter groups will also be ordered to stand down.

BriGen Ralph F. Stearly assumes command of the IX Fighter Command and the IX TAC.

Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack a marshalling yard at Rosenheim, and 138 Fifteenth Army Force P-38 dive-bombers attack rail lines and facilities in and around Munich, Rosenheim, and Rattenburg (Austria).

The Ninth Air Force’s 36th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground R-12, at Kassel/Rothwesten Airdrome.

ITALY: Despite bad weather that causes nearly 400 Twelfth Air Force B-25 sorties against communications targets in northern Italy to abort, B-25s are able to attack a bridge in Brenner Pass in the morning and a crossing point in the Po River valley in the afternoon. Also, despite being grounded by bad weather in the morning, XXII TAC A-26s, A-20s, and P-47s mount numerous afternoon missions in support of the U.S. Fifth Army drive through Bologna and on toward the Po River plain.

Bologna falls to the U.S. Fifth Army.

[warshipbuilder]

22-4-45
401 Sqn RCAF (B.116 Wunsdorf – Spitfire LFIXB)
Duff weather during most of the day permitted only one 10 man Squadron show. This was an Armed Recce. mission that returned with a claim of 4 tail trucks destroyed and 2 loco’s and 15 rail trucks damaged.

BOMBER COMMAND
22 April 1945
BREMEN
767 aircraft – 651 Lancasters, 100 Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitoes – of 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups. 2 Lancasters lost.

This raid was part of the preparation for the attack by the British XXX Corps on Bremen. The bombing was on the south-eastern suburbs of the city, where the ground troops would attack 2 days later. The raid was hampered by cloud and by smoke and dust from bombing as the raid progressed. The Master Bomber ordered the raid to stop after 195 Lancasters had bombed. The whole of 1 and 4 Groups returned home without attacking.

The Bremen city officials were, amazingly, still recording the effects of the raid in great detail, even though the city would be in British hands within 5 days and the intervening period would be filled with a continuous artillery bombardment, fighter-bomber attacks and the British assault! 3,664 houses were carefully listed under 5 categories of air-raid damage from ‘destroyed’ to ‘broken windows’. ‘At least 172 civilians’ were killed, of whom 26 died in a concrete shelter whose side was blown in by a heavy bomb exploding just outside. There are, unfortunately, no notes on casualties to the German troops or on the effect upon their defences but Bremen soon fell after 3 days of ground attack, with 6,000 German troops surrendering. It was the first major German port to be captured.
________________________________________
22/23 April 1945
MINOR OPERATIONS
40 Mosquitoes to Bremen and 11 to Kiel, 56 R.C.M. sorties, 39 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.

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2nd TAF
There followed a gap until the early morning of 22nd, when between 0420-0440 Flg Off J.Daber/Wt Off J.W.Heathcote of 264 Squadron caught two Ju 290 transports north-west of Berlin, despatching both in flames. An hour later Flg Off W.A.Craig/Flg Off A.L.Tauwhare of 488 Squadron claimed an He 111 damaged, while at 0530 this unit's Plt Off G.S.Patrick/Wt Off J.J.Concannon claimed a Ju 52/3m south of Rhinow.
Some 12 hours later patrolling Spitfires of 411 Squadron encountered a single hostile fighter near Salzwedel, Flt Lt E.T.Gardner and Flg Off M.F.Doyle claiming an Fw 190 shot down. Their victim may have been a Bf 109K of II./JG 27, which was shot down by Allied fighters, the pilot becoming a PoW.

USAAF
ETO: The 9th Air Division and the IX TAC are grounded by bad weather.

GERMANY: The XXIX TAC operational headquarters displaces forward to Brunswick; the Ninth Air Force’s 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground R-37, at Brunswick; and the Ninth Air Force’s 474th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground R-2, at Langensalza.

The U.S. Third Army begins an advance along the Danube River, and the U.S. Seventh Army crosses the Danube at Billengen.

ITALY: The entire Twelfth Air Force is committed to slowing German Army forces retreating across the Po River: Twelfth Air Force B-25s mount 16 separate attacks on ferry lines and pontoon bridges; and XXII TAC A-20s, A-26s, and P-47s mount around-the-clock attacks on Po River crossings and troop movements throughout the Po River valley and on to the north. The XXII TAC claims the destruction of more than 900 motor and horse-drawn vehicles in a 24-hour period.

Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers are grounded by bad weather, but 258 Fifteenth Air Force P-38s and P-51s attack airfields, road and rail traffic, marshalling yards, bridges, highways, and defended buildings throughout the day.

Capt Harry A. Parker, a 13-victory ace with the 325th Fighter Group’s 318th Fighter Squadron, is killed in action.

During the night of April 22–23, XXII TAC A-20s, A-26s, and night fighters attack Po River crossing points, airfields, road and rail traffic, marshalling yards, and targets of opportunity.

BASE CHANGES
226 Sqn (Mitchell II/III) moves to B.77 Gilze-Rijen)
342 Sqn (Mitchell II/III) moves to B.77 Gilze-Rijen)
429 Sqn RCAF (Typhoon IB) moves to B.150 Hustedt

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
223 Sqn (Oulton) flies its first OM in the Fortress II
404 Sqn RCAF (Banff) flies its first OM in the Mosquito FBVI
420 Sqn RCAF (Tholthorpe) flies its last OM in the Halifax III

[warshipbuilder]

23-4-45
403 Sqn RCAF (B.114 Diepholtz – Spitfire LFXVI)
A good flying day, with the gang airborne at 0530 hours right through to 2057 hours in the evening, which was a very tiring day for most. The squadron has been flying with two pilots short up to to-day, and when J7599 F/L C. S. Yarnrll and J13471 F/L B. O. Doyle walked in and reported for duty, they were welcomed with open arms. Both second tour boys, so pretty well know what the score is around here, and should be flying their op's very soon. Fourteen operations flown, all patrols, mainly in the Hamburg-Bremen areas. Another two victories scored in the Squadron on the early 0530 trip. F/L H. R. Finley, J14030 and F/L is Dove, J11000 each bagged a FW 190, giving F/L Finley a total of 3 destroyed and 1 damaged, and F/L Dove his first victory These last four victories in the squadron has really put the fellows in strong spirits, and no longer a game of who's going to get my by the morning its quite a scramble with the Huns flying about. J19939 F/O A. J. McLaren, not yet returned, made a crash landing safely, but no word of his safety.

ADDENDUM – Spitfire LFXVI TB754 KH-? Pilot: F/O AJ McLaren POW.

BOMBER COMMAND
23 April 1945
FLENSBURG
148 Lancasters of 5 Group set out to attack the railway yards and port area but the operation was abandoned because of cloud which covered the target on the bomb run. All aircraft returned safely.
________________________________________
23/24 April 1945
KIEL
60 Mosquitoes; none lost. The Kiel report says that bombs fell in many parts of the town but no one was killed. Many of the inhabitants of the remaining German targets were spending these last few days of the war permanently in air-raid shelters.

Minor Operations: 38 Mosquitoes to Rendsburg, 32 to Travemünde and 8 to Schleissheim airfield, 45 R.C.M. sorties, 35 Mosquito patrols. No aircraft lost.

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2nd TAF
Again in the early hours an interception was made by 264 Squadron, Sqn Ldr Ramsay/Flt Lt Donnet once more being the successful crew. They caught and shot down a Ju 88 20 miles west of Berlin at 0335. However the night was also marked by the loss of two 2 Group Mosquito VIS with their crews.

Soon after dawn on 23rd Fw 190Ds of 6./JG 26 set off towards the area south-west of Hamburg, carrying bombs. These were quickly jettisoned when at 0615 four pilots of 403 Squadron spotted the Dora-9s over an autobahn and attacked, Flt Lts H.R.Finley and W.N.Dover claiming one each shot down in the Zeven area. Fw Otto Wilck crashed at once, his remains not being found until 1986, while Uffz Hott got away in his damaged aircraft, but crash- landed on the Bremen-Hamburg autobahn, claiming to have damaged one of his attackers. One of 403 Squadron's Spitfires did crash-land, but reportedly due to engine failure. Flg Off A.J.McLaren crash-landed on the same autobahn to become a PoW.

The Tempests of 135 Wing would enjoy another very successful day of airfield strafing, commencing around 0900, when 33 Squadron hit the strip at Schleswig/Husum strip. Here four Ju 88s and two Ju 52/3ms were claimed destroyed, with seven and two, plus three He 111s damaged. The cost was Flt Sgt C.Peters' aircraft which force-landed eight miles to the south-west of the target due to a Flak hit. Peters was captured. 274 Squadron attacked Eggebek airfield where eight Ju 88s, two He 111s and a Ju 188 were claimed destroyed and 12 more aircraft damaged by the returning pilots.

Flt Sgt A.C.Inglis from this unit had taken off at 1135 on a 'weather recce and cannon test' but, perhaps stretching the parameters of his sortie, he reached Eggebek where he was shot down. He evaded capture after baling out and commenced walking to Allied lines. Unable to complete a combat report until after the close of hostilities, he then had quite a tale to tell:

"While on a weather recce and cannon test I found a break in cloud just south of Schleswig town and went through it to a cloud base of approx 1,500 feet. Flying NW I sighted an uncamouflaged aircraft ahead and slightly to port flying very low. I closed in line astern and slightly above and identified it as a Ju 188 and opened fire at 400 yards with a two-second burst which set the port engine alight and knocked pieces off the wing. The ela started a slight turn port and I got in a one-second burst at the cockpit before I pulled over him. I started a climb port and looked back to see the aircraft crash into the edge of what appeared to be a planted forest. I was about 800 feet and had turned 90 degrees when I saw an Fw 190 pull up to port in the vicinity of the burning aircraft. This Fw 190 was, as I soon saw, accompanied by two on his port side and three on his starboard side. I straightened out and dived behind the starboard aircraft and noticed as I did so that those on the port had all followed the leader's port turn. I gave this last 190 a two-second burst and got good strikes on his engine and cockpit. E/A poured smoke and then flame as it dived steeply into the ground to port. This Fw was carrying what appeared to be a bomb under the fuselage. I pulled hard up to port in a steep climb as by this time the first Fw 190 was almost on my tail. I got a short burst from 30 degrees at the tail end ela and saw strikes on the port wingroot. He straightened out as he entered cloud and I was about to fire from about 50 yards line astern when it rolled slightly and the pilot baled out. I remained in the cloud at approx 2,500 feet for about three minutes then started to fly north in and out of the low cumulus cloud but couldn't see the other aircraft again.

"After remaining about ten minutes in the Flensburg area and west, I headed south along the railway to Eggebek airfield where I made three attacks at e/a on the ground at the north-west corner of the 'drome, resulting in one Ju 88 burning and one Ju 52 damaged. As I crossed the alf on the third attack, glycol poured out of the exhaust tubes and I pulled up to about 2,500 feet where the engine 'packed up' and a few minutes later seized. I switched on the distress switch and called Longbow on A, B and C but received no reply. At about 1,500 feet spurts of flame came from the engine and I decided to bale out. I claim one Ju 188 and two Fw 190s destroyed in the air, one Ju 88 destroyed and one Ju 52 damaged on the ground."

It was a day of quite heavy losses to Flak generally, four Typhoon pilots and two Spitfire pilots being killed, one of each captured and two Spitfire pilots injured in crash-landings. One of the Typhoon pilots who perished was Rhodesian Flg Off N.V. Borland who, with his identical twin brother, had flown two tours with 266 Squadron.

At 1745 130 Squadron's Spitfire XIVs commenced an evening patrol by six aircraft over the Neustadt-Pritzwalk area, where rail traffic was strafed. Two Bf 108 liaison aircraft were then spotted orbitting over Parchim airfield, and both were claimed shot down by Flt Lt Harry Walmsley. Earlier in the day Grp Capt Johnnie' Johnson had led this unit, accompanied by 41 Squadron with Wg Cdr George Keefer in the lead, over the Elbe to join the Red Air Force in attacking the German retreat before the Soviet forces. This was the first contact for RAF fighters with their Russian counterparts.

Again the dark provided good hunting for the night fighters. At 2140 Flg Off 'Jack' Foster/ Flg Off FH.Dagger of 264 Squadron claimed an He 111 40 miles north-west of Berlin, while at 2215 another of these elderly bombers fell to Flg Off E.E.Hermanson/Flt Lt D.J.T.Hamm of 409 Squadron over Ludwigslust. This pair would claim a Ju 87 in the same area at 2245. Meanwhile, at 2235 Flg Off J.H.Skelly/Flg Off P.J.Lim also a 409 Squadron team claimed a Ju 52/3m over Wittenberg, adding another of these transports here at 2255. Hermanson and Hamm made it three for the night with another Ju 87 just after 2300. But the night was still young...

USAAF
ETO: The 9th Air Division, IX TAC, and XXIX TAC are grounded by bad weather. During the morning, XIX TAC aircracraft are able to mount 158 effective combat sorties.

GERMANY: Red Army ground forces enter Berlin.

ITALY: Seven hundred nineteen Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack bridges spanning the Adige and Brenta rivers, and a supply dump; 165 Fifteenth Air Force P-38s and P-51s attack road and rail bridges and other communications targets throughout northeastern Italy; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack bridges spanning the Brenta River and the Brenner Pass rail line; and XXII TAC P-47s attack road traffic, rail bridges, and numerous tactical targets along the U.S. Fifth Army front.

Elements of the U.S. Fifth Army cross the Po River.

During the night of April 23–24, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack three airdromes, marshalling yards at three locations, and targets of opportunity throughout northern Italy.

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
268 Sqn (B.106 Twente) flies its first OM in the Spitfire XIVB
303 Sqn (Andrews Field) flies its first OM in the Mustang III

[warshipbuilder]

24-4-45
109 Sqn (Little Staughton – Mosquito BIX)
The daylight operation laid on last night was postponed and then eventually cancelled about midday. A call me through during the morning for 13 A/C for night operations. This was later increased to 18 then reduced to 15 and finally increased to 20, only to be reduced to 19 during briefing. There were 7 targets in all, 2 /C marking on each of 3 targets MUNICH, SCHLEISSHEIM & NEU BRANDENBURG - and 13 A/C dropping leaflets by mean of Munroe Bombs on 4 aiming points at STAINBERG, WISTRIZ, WOBBELIN and LAUFEN. The crews wars briefed at 1645 hours.

SCHLEISSHEIM - F/L. MOUNTAIN failed to mark the target through technical failure & it is not known yet whether F/L. McGREAL was successful or not, as he failed to return & is reported to have crashed at MAELSBROEK near BRUSSELLS when trying to land on one engine. It is feared that the crew were both killed, but no details to hand yet.

MUNICH - Neither captain marked this target. F/L. FRANCIS had a technical failure, but dropped his bomb on the TIs, whilst F/L. CARNEGIE was most unlucky to have his bombs hang up.

STEINBERG - Both the primaries coped on this target OK.

WISTRITZ - F/L. SPEDDING had a technical failure but his reserve P/O. THOMAS took over & coped, whilst the other primary F/L. SMITH also coped.

WOBBE IN P/O. BESWICK had a technical but here again the reserve took over & coped. F/L. JENKINSON was also successful.

NOU BRANDENBERG - Both captains dropped their markers by AR.5513.

LAUFEN - Both captains dropped their bombs by AR.5513

No defences were experienced at any of the targets.

ADDENDUM – Mosquito BIX LR508 BS-? Crew: F/L JT McGreal RNZAF KIA, P/O T Lynn DFC DFM KIA.

BOMBER COMMAND
24 April 1945
BAD OLDESLOE
110 Lancasters attacked the railway yards. No aircraft lost.

A short report from Germany states that this town, midway between Hamburg and Lübeck, was unprepared for air attack and its precautions were ‘slack’. Approximately 700 people were killed and 300 were injured when bombs fell in areas near the railway yards.
________________________________________
24/25 April 1945
PRISONER-OF-WAR CAMPS
30 Mosquitoes and 7 Lancasters dropped leaflets on 8 camps in which British prisoners-of-war were waiting to be liberated. Medical supplies were also dropped at the Neubrandenburg camp, north of Berlin. No aircraft were lost.

Minor Operations: 40 Mosquitoes to Schleissheim airfield, 38 to Pasing airfield and 17 to Kiel, 27 R.C.M. sorties, 19 Mosquito patrols. 1 Mosquito from the Schleissheim raid crashed in Belgium.

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2nd TAF
At 0205 Flg Off J.C.E.Atkins/Flg Off D.R.Mayo of 219 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 east of Stendal, while at 0325 409 Squadron's Plt Offs J.Leslie/C.M.Thurgood added a Ju 52/3m in the Wittenberge-Karow area, to bring the night's total to eight. 409 Squadron had now claimed 56 victories since D-Day, making it 2nd TAF's top-scoring night fighter unit. At 0625 six 130 Squadron Spitfire XIVs set off on an armed reconnaissance. 25 minutes later an Fw 190 was seen and pursued to Neustadt airfield, where others were seen orbitting; three were quickly claimed shot down by Flt Lts C.J.Samouelle and Bruce, and Flt Sgt Woodman. Six more of the unit's aircraft then flew a reconnaissance to Wismar, where at 0715 a Bf 108 was spotted and was shot down by Sqn Ldr Woolley. Twenty minutes later Wt Off R.E.Coverdale claimed another Focke-Wulf near Hagenow. The victims of the first section may have been from JG II which lost two pilots killed by Spitfires in the Lutz area, one more being shot down and killed over Gatow. Many attacks were made on Luftwaffe airfields during the day, and once again 135 Wing's Tempests played a major part. 33 Squadron hit Tarnewitz airfield, claiming one Ju 52/3m destroyed and four Heinkel bombers damaged, but three of the unit's aircraft were hit by Flak. Flt Sgt J.E.Fraser crashed to his death at Konigsmoor, while Flg Off D.J.ter Beek baled out near Schonberg, becoming a prisoner; the third pilot who failed to return was Flt Lt R.J.Hetherington who was thought to have crashed on the airfield. However, Hetherington was eventually located, on 1 May, in a hospital in Brussels and his aircraft was flown back to the squadron six weeks after the war; the circumstances of his escape remain obscure (to the authors at least!). At Flensburg soon after midday 274 Squadron pilots claimed three Fw 190s and a Ju 52/3m destroyed, plus six Focke-Wulfs and five Ju 188s damaged. One Tempest was hit and damaged by Flak.

222 Squadron meanwhile attacked Skydstrup airfield in Denmark, claiming one He 177 destroyed and 11 other assorted aircraft damaged. Two Tempests were damaged during this attack. Typhoons were also out after similar targets. At about 1430 four 439 Squadron pilots who had been after the usual rail targets spotted rather different prey; hidden under camouflage netting at the edge of a lake, a six-engined BV 222 flying boat, which they duly strafed to destruction. Pilots from 247 Squadron found Hagenow airstrip crowded with bombers, claiming four He 111s and a Ju 88 destroyed, and three more Heinkels damaged.

About an hour later 41 Squadron Spitfire XIV pilots spotted a number of Ar 196 floatplanes alongside the Ratzeburg See, Flt Lts Peter Cowell and R.R.Fisher, and two other pilots each claiming four of these damaged. 33 and 222 Squadrons then attacked this same target, claiming one floatplane destroyed and nine damaged. However, Flg Off J.G.Wilson's 222 Squadron aircraft was hit by Flak and he force-landed, wounded.

616 Squadron's Meteors were also involved on this date, the unit's first claim for an enemy aircraft being made against a Ju 88 damaged on Nordholz airfield. During the day however, 122 Wing suffered the loss of three Tempests, all falling to Flak. 486 Squadron's Flt Lt W.W.May and 56 Squadron's Flt Lt J.J.Payton both became PoWs, the former baling out near Hamburg, the latter force-landing near Pritzwalk. Plt Off D.C.H.Rex of 56 Squadron also force-landed in the Pritzwalk area, but evaded capture.

A plea for caution from the strafers was noted by a 34 Wing reconnaissance aircraft-carved in the turf at Hammerge, near Lübeck, were the words 'RAF POWS - FINGER OUT"! Indeed there were a number of incidents where columns of 'troops' which were attacked turned out to be PoWs, and consequently Allied casualties resulted.

130 Squadron's Flt Lt Harry Walmsley was promoted on this date and posted to command 350 Squadron following the loss of Terry Spencer. During the afternoon he and the 125 Wing commanding officer, Grp Capt J.E.Johnson, led a sweep during which Plt Off D.J.Watkins and Flg Off A.Vaneckhoudt claimed an He 111 shot down.

With evening Spitfire XIVS of 130 and 350 Squadrons swept over the Kyritz-Malchow area. Near Rechlin at 1920 Flt Lt P.E.Sibeth claimed an Fw 190 shot down, while five minutes later near Neuendorf Flt Lts W.N.Stowe and Bruce added a Bf 109 shot down, Sibeth contributing a damaged; Stowe's and Bruce's victim was probably an aircraft of III./JG 27, the pilot of which was killed. Returning to the Rechlin area, Stowe then claimed an Fw 190 shot down, Flt Lt C.E.Mertens adding one damaged. Stowe's victim seems ot have been Oblt Paul Spangenberg of I./JG 11, who baled out, while Fw Paul Bendt's aircraft was damaged by Mertens fire. I./JG 11 was at this time based at Rechlin-Larz airfield. Meanwhile at 1930 the 350 Squadron pilots had also met Fw 190s over Kleinen airfield, Sqn Ldr Walmsley claiming one of these shot down, a second being credited as a probable to Flt Lt G.R.J. de Patoul, who failed to return, although he was later reported to be safe.

Two hours later, after darkness had fallen, 264 Squadron's Flt Lts S.J.Moss/P.C.O'Neil-Dunne intercepted and shot down an Fw 190 40 miles north-west of Berlin. Then just before 2300 hours Sqn Ldr F.W.Davison/Flt Lt E.S.Hickmore of 488 Squadron claimed a Ju 52/3m north of Brandenburg.

USAAF
GERMANY: One hundred seventy-two 9th Air Division bombers attack an oil depot and Landau Airdrome.

The 322d Medium Bombardment Group flies what turns out to be its last effective mission of World War II (its four hundred twenty-eighth).

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack seven rail bridges on both sides of the Austro-Italian frontier, three road bridges in Italy, and a supply dump; 79 Fifteenth Air Force P-38s and 90 P-51s attack targets of opportunity throughout the area north of the Po River; Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack six Po River crossing points and the Brenner Pass rail line at Trento and Verona; and XXII TAC P-47s attack road targets north of the Po River and around La Spezia and Parma.

During the night of April 24–25, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack German Army forces in the northern Po River valley, and night-fighters attack crossing points on the Adige and Po rivers, as well as marshalling yards at Brescia and Verona, and three airdromes.

BASE CHANGES
125 Sqn (Mosquito NF 30) moves to Church Fenton
331 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Dyce

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
249 Sqn (Prkos) flies its first OM in the Spitfire LFIXB
349 Sqn (B.106 Twente) flies its last OM in the Spitfire LFIXB
420 Sqn RCAF (Flies its first OM in the Lancaster X

[warshipbuilder]

25-4-45
426 Sqn RCAF (Linton-on-Ouse – Halifax VII)
The Squadron was called upon for a Goodwood effort and twenty aircraft commenced take-off at approx 1430 hrs and carried out an attack on Wangerooge, one of the Frisian Islands. Can/R174866 WO2 J.C. Tuplin failed to return from this operation and it is believed he was involved in a mid-air collision over the North Sea which returning crews reported.

ADDENDUM – Halifax VII NP820 OW-W. Crew: WO2 JC Tuplin RCAF KIA, Sgt R Roberts KIA, F/O JDC Ross RCAF KIA, W/O RG Evans KIA, F/S RDH Curzon RCAF KIA, F/S EW Hicks RCAF KIA, F/S SJ Teskey RCAF KIA. Collided with a Halifax VII of 408 Sqn RCAF. No survivors. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

BOMBER COMMAND
25 April 1945
WANGEROOGE
482 aircraft – 308 Halifaxes, 158 Lancasters, 16 Mosquitoes – of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 5 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters lost.

The raid was intended to knock out the coastal batteries on this Frisian island which controlled the approaches to the ports of Bremen and Wilhelmshaven. No doubt the experience of Antwerp, when guns on the approaches had prevented the port being used for several weeks, prompted this raid.

The weather was clear and bombing was accurate until smoke and dust obscured the target area. A good local report is available (from Hans-Jürgen Jürgens, proprietor of a restaurant at the present-day holiday resort). The areas around the batteries were pitted with craters but the concreted gun positions were ‘hardly damaged’; they were all capable of firing within a few hours. Part of the bombing hit a camp for forced workers and the holiday resort and many buildings were destroyed, including several hotels and guest houses, the Catholic church and two children’s holiday homes, although these do not appear to have been occupied at the time of the bombing. Detailed casualty figures are provided. 306 people died: 59 civilians, 132 service personnel – including 6 female naval auxiliaries – 95 foreign workers (48 Dutch, 36 Belgian, 11 Polish) and 20 prisoners of war (16 French and 4 Moroccan).
6 of the 7 bombers lost were involved in collisions – 2 Halifaxes of 76 Squadron, 2 Lancasters of 431 Squadron and 2 Halifaxes of 408 and 426 Squadrons (both from Leeming airfield). There was only 1 survivor, from one of the 76 Squadron aircraft. 28 Canadian and 13 British airmen were killed in the collisions. The seventh aircraft lost was a Halifax of 347 (Free French) Squadron, whose crew were all killed.

BERCHTESGADEN
359 Lancasters and 16 Mosquitoes of 1, 5 and 8 Groups. 2 Lancasters lost.
This raid was against Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest’ chalet and the local S.S. guard barracks. Among the force were 16 Lancasters of 617 Squadron dropping their last Tallboys. 8 Oboe Mosquitoes were also among the bombing force, to help with the marking, but mountains intervened between one of the ground stations transmitting the Oboe signals and the Mosquitoes could not operate even though they were flying at 39,000 ft! There was some mist and the presence of snow on the ground also made it difficult to identify targets, but the bombing appeared to be accurate and effective. No other deatils are available.

Total effort for the day: 857 sorties, 9 aircraft (1.0 percent) lost. Most of the squadrons taking part in the raids on this day were flying their last operations of the war.
________________________________________
25/26 April 1945
TONSBERG
107 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitoes of 5 Group attacked the oil refinery in this town in Southern Norway in the last raid flown by heavy bombers. The attack was accurately carried out and the target was severely damaged. A Lancaster of 463 Squadron came down in Sweden, the last of more than 3,300 Lancasters lost in the war; Flying Officer A. Cox and his all-British crew all survived and were interned in Sweden until the end of the war – only a few days away.
Minor Operations: 82 Mosquitoes to Pasing airfield and 18 to Kiel, 9 R.C.M. sorties, 35 Mosquito patrols, 14 Lancasters minelaying in Oslo Fjord (the last minelaying operation of the war), 12 Mosquitoes of 8 Group dropping leaflets over prisoner-of-war camps.

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2nd TAF
Forty-five minutes into 25th 409 Squadron gained a further success when Plt Offs L.E.Fitchett/ A.C. Hardy claimed another Ju 52/3m over Konigsberg. However, their Mosquito was shot-up by return fire and they crash-landed on return to B.51. An Fw 190 was then claimed destroyed at an enemy airfield (believed to have been Wittstock) by Sqn Ldr Ben Plumer/Plt Off H.G.Beynon of 409 Squadron; this was their fifth claim for an aircraft destroyed, all the others having been made in aerial combat. Finally, at 0408 409's Wg Cdr R.F.Hatton/Flt Lt R.N.Rivers claimed a Ju 290.

Around 0730 83 Group fighters began a series of armed reconnaissances. One group of 130 Squadron Spitfire XIV pilots spotted a Ju 87 taking off from Schwerin at 0810. Wt Off J.A.Boulton attacked this, forcing it to land again; he was credited with its possible destruction. Another section from this unit encountered a Bf 109 over Rechlin and this was claimed shot down by Flt Lt Ponsford, who then claimed damage to an Fw 190 over the Müritz See. Two more fighters were damaged by other 130 Squadron pilots, one of them by Wt Off M.Ockendon. He and Flt Lt Bill Stowe then attacked an Me 262 as it was landing at Lübeck. The pilot of this jet baled out of his aircraft halfway down the runway, this pair also being credited with a 'probable!

A few minutes earlier, 41 and 486 Squadrons also attacked Me 262s at Lübeck. Flg Off K.A.Smith of the New Zealand unit attacked one of the jets as it was landing, claiming this destroyed, while 41 Squadron's Flt Lt Peter Cowell claimed another Me 262 as a probable, plus one damaged here.

403 Squadron was active against various ground targets during the day. On an early raid eight pilots strafed locomotives, then attacked Hagenow and Schwerin airfields. At the latter Flg Off R.C.Shannon fired at an Fw 190 as it was taxiing and claimed this destroyed.

125 Wing's pilots were next engaged between 1230-1250. Four of 130 Squadron's aircraft were over Pritzwalk when their pilots saw 16 Fw 190s taking off, Plt Off F.E.E.Edwards claiming one, while the Wing Leader, George Keefer, claimed a second 20 minutes later. 350 Squadron engaged 20 more Focke-Wulfs over Rechlin airfield, three of these being claimed shot down, one by Sqn Ldr Walmsley and two by Plt Off E.Pauwels.

41 Squadron made for Pritzwalk around 1400, and here Plt Off P.T.Coleman and Wt Off J.A.Chalmers intercepted and shot down a Ju 88. They then went down to strafe, claiming an Fw 190 and an Fi 156 damaged. At much the same time Sqn Ldr Woolley of 130 Squadron claimed a Siebel Si 204 in the same area apparently a 'hack' aircraft of 1./JG 11. This Geschwader also lost one or two Fw 190s in combat during this day.

At 1430 443 Squadron flew an armed reconnaissance to the Stade-Bremen area where 60 Ju 87s, Fw 190s and Ju 88s were attacked on Schwerin airfield. Only a single Ju 88 could be claimed destroyed, but many others were thought to have been damaged. Probably they would not burn because their fuel tanks had been drained. A little over an hour later 403 Squadron sent eight Spitfires to attack this same airfield, three Me 262s being claimed damaged.

443 Squadron was back in the area later in the afternoon, this time hitting Neustadt airfield where three Fw 190s were claimed destroyed and two more damaged. Then 403 Squadron attacked Travemünde early in the evening, an He 111 and an aircraft tentatively identified as an Fw 189 being claimed destroyed here. Other strafing attacks during the day included one by 56 Squadron Tempests at 1050, the pilots of which claimed a Bf 109, and by Spitfires of 322 Squadron, whose Dutch pilots claimed a Ju 188 destroyed at Wittmundhafen, plus another and two Bf 109s damaged. Typhoon pilots of 182 Squadron claimed three damaged at Ludwigslust, one more such claim being made here by one of 137 Squadron's SAAF pilots, Capt J.I.A.Watt. These various attacks cost 403 and 443 Squadrons one aircraft each. Other Flak casualties during the day included at least two more Spitfires, a Tempest and four Typhoons, two of them aircraft of 164 Squadron.

Again 264 Squadron Mosquitoes were out as soon as darkness had fallen, and at 2150 Plt Off J.Hutton/Plt Off E.Burraston claimed an Fw 190 west of Berlin. The Fw 190s which had been met recently at night were probably from Nachtschlachtgruppe 20 which was operating in the north German area at this time, as were the Ju 87-equipped NSGr 1 and 2. Sightings of Fw 1898 undoubtedly related to aircraft of Nachtaufklarungsgruppe 14, which were also active by night.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers attack several targets at the vital rail center at Linz and the marshalling yard at Wels.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Two hundred seventy-nine 1st Air Division B-17s attack the airfield and munitions factory at Pilsen. Six B-17s and one of 539 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost to flak. The last unit to drop its bombs—and thus the last Eighth Air Force heavy-bomber unit to drop bombs in World War II—is the 41st Combat Bombardment Wing’s 384th Heavy Bombardment Group.

78th Fighter Group P-51 pilots set the USAAF record for enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground by strafing: 135 in one day. (Other “firsts” by the venerable 78th have included the first VIII Fighter Command ace, the first Eighth Air Force triple victory, the first strafing run by a P-47 pilot, and the first Me-262 downed by an Eighth Air Force fighter.)

ENGLAND: At the conclusion of its missions to Germany and Czechoslovakia, the Eighth Air Force is ordered to stand down from combat operations.

GERMANY: Two hundred seventy-eight 2d Air Division B-24s attack three rail targets and an electric-transformer station in Bavaria.

1stLt Hilton O. Thompson, a 479th Fighter Group P-51, pilot downs what turns out to be the very last plane of World War II credited to an Eighth Air Force fighter pilot—an Ar-234 near Berchtesgaden that he downs at 1115 hours.

Two hundred ninety-six 9th Air Division bombers attack Erding Airdrome and an ordnance depot. This mission marks the last appearance of GAF jet fighters against Ninth Air Force bombers, and it turns out to be the last mission of the 323d and 344th Medium Bombardment groups and the 410th Light Bombardment Group.

U.S. First Army and Red Army troops establish physical contact at Torgau, on the Elbe River.

ITALY: The entire Twelfth Air Force is committed to halting or slowing the retreat of German Army forces from northern Italy: Twelfth Air Force B-25s attack an Adige River crossing point, a marshalling yard, and five bridges and a rail fill on the Brenner Pass line on both sides of the Austro-Italian frontier; and XXII TAC P-47s and Fifteenth Air Force P-38s and P-51s attack a wide variety of tactical targets and lines of communication.

For the second day in a row, as Allied ground forces advance swiftly across the length and breadth of northern Italy, 1stLt Raymond L. Knight, a flight leader with the Twelfth Air Force’s 350th Fighter Group, leads relentless attacks through intense flak to strafe Axis airdromes in northern Italy. Knight, whose P-47 is finally disabled and who must crash-land in the Apennine Mountains, is credited with 20 German aircraft destroyed on the ground, and he is awarded a Medal of Honor.

Verona and La Spezia fall to Allied ground forces.

During the night of April 25–26, XXII TAC A-20s, A-26s, and P-47s attack airfields, marshalling yards, road targets, and lines of communication in the northern Po River valley.

NETHERLANDS: The Ninth Air Force’s 397th Medium Bombardment Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground Y-55, at Venlo.

BASE CHANGES
11 Sqn SAAF (Kittyhawk IV) moves to Bologna
87 Sqn (Spitfire IX/LFIXB) moves to Bologna
225 Sqn (Spitfire IX/LFIXB/LFIXE) moves to Bologna

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
78 Sqn (Brighton) flies its first OM in the Halifax VI
547 Sqn (Leuchars) flies its first OM in the Liberator VIII

[warshipbuilder]

26-4-45
438 Sqn RCAF (B.150 Hustedt – Typhoon IB)
No sun is shining and the first “do” was away early. Visibility was very poor in the morning, but improved somewhat later. Five operational missions, all rail interdiction, were reported with good results. <Unreadable> for the day was 17 rail cuts, 1 loco destroyed, 6 MET destroyed and 1 Met probably, 4 patrol <unreadable> destroyed. On the first “do” of the morning, F/O E.D. Brydon, one of our <unreadable>, went too low, hit the trees and crashed to the ground. There is no chance he could have escaped death.

ADDENDUM – Typhoon IB RB429 F3-X. Pilot: F/O ED Brydon RCAF KIA. Hit trees and crashed SW of Gnissau.

BOMBER COMMAND
26 April to 7 May 1945
OPERATION EXODUS
Bomber Command Lancasters now started flying to Brussels, and later to other airfields, to collect British prisoners of war recently liberated from their camps. 469 flights were made by aircraft of 1, 5, 6 and 8 Groups before the war ended and approximately 75,000 men were brought back to England by the fastest possible means (unlike the end of the First World War when some British ex-prisoners were still not home by Christmas, although the Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918). There were no accidents during that part of Operation Exodus which was carried out before the war ended.
________________________________________
26/27 April 1945
MOSQUITO OPERATIONS
31 Mosquitoes to Husum, 28 each to Eggebek and Grossenbrode and 12 to Neumünster (all airfields in Schleswig-Holstein), 12 Mosquitoes to Kiel, 4 Mosquito Intruders on patrols. No aircraft lost.

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2nd TAF
Following the nocturnal activities late on 25th, there was then a gap of several hours before at 0435 on 26th Flg Offs J.W.Marshall/P.F.Prescott of 488 Squadron claimed an Fw 189 north of Wittenberg.

That, however, was to be it for the night fighters, for the arrival of the advancing Russians on the other side of the Elbe caused opportunities for any further interceptions to diminish sharply. Next day, indeed, 488 Squadron was disbanded, although 264 Squadron moved up to B.72.

As 21st Army Group closed up to the Elbe, and as Bremen fell into British hands, the final round of airfield moves commenced. During 26th 122 Wing moved to B.150 and B.152 at Fassberg, where the Tempests were joined by 616 Squadron which now became a part of this Wing with its Meteors. At the same time 127 Wing's squadrons moved to B.154, Reinsehlen (also known as Soltau), where they were followed by 39 (Recce) Wing on 28th. In 84 Group, 131 Wing, now comprising 302, 308, 317, 322 and 349 Squadrons, commanded by Grp Capt Alexander Gabszewicz, DSO, DFC, moved to B.113, Varrelbusch, near Cloppenburg.

The number of airfields still worthy of strafing attacks was now shrinking rapidly, but during the day 66 Squadron was able to claim three damaged at Hagenow, while 274 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 destroyed and an He 177 damaged at Eggebek. 402 Squadron's Spitfire XIV pilots found some He 115 floatplanes at Ribnitz, claiming one destroyed and one damaged also.

During the morning 263 Squadron's Typhoons were returning from an armed reconnaissance when two Me 262s attempted to 'bounce' one section as it was landing. The jets were seen in time and were attacked by the rest of the formation, three pilots joining to shoot one down in flames whereupon the other broke away and escaped at high speed.

Soon after midday 350 Squadron undertook a sweep during which Sqn Ldr Walmsley and three other pilots gave chase to an Fw 190 which crashed before they could fire a shot at it. Others were then pursued and one was claimed by Flt Sgt G.Gigot.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: Fifteenth Air Force B-24s, diverted by bad weather from their intended targets in northern Italy, are able to attack marshalling yards at four locations in southern Austria.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: In the final air-to-air engagement of World War II undertaken by Fifteenth Air Force fighter pilots, three 332d Fighter Group P-51 pilots down four Bf-109s at about 1205 hours.

ETO: Ninth and First Tactical air force fighter pilots down 22 GAF aircraft over Austria and Germany between 0700 and 1945 hours. 2dLt Edward F. Bickford, a P-51 pilot with the 354th Fighter Group’s 356th Fighter Squadron, achieves ace status when he downs two FW-190s near Passau, Germany, at 1945 hours. Bickford is the last USAAF pilot to achieve ace status in the war in Europe.

The 405th Fighter Group is transferred from the XXIX TAC to the XIX TAC.

GERMANY: One hundred twenty-five 9th Air Division A-26s attack Plattling Airdrome.

IX TAC headquarters moves from Marburg/Lahn to Weimar.

U.S. Army ground forces begin an assault crossing of the Danube River at Regensburg.

ITALY: Although nearly 320 Fifteenth Air Force B-17s and B-24s abort in the face of bad weather encountered on their way to targets in northern Italy, at least one formation of B-24s is able to attack a motor-transport depot at Tarvisio; also due to bad weather, Twelfth Air Force B-25s are able to complete only one of four assigned missions, an attack on a bridge. Roving XXII TAC P-47s claim the destruction of 150 motor vehicles during the afternoon, and Fifteenth Air Force P-38s and P-51s attack numerous targets of opportunity.

The last air-to-air victory credited to an MTO-based airman in World War II is scored at 1310 hours by 2dLt Roland E. Lee, a P-47 pilot with the 57th Fighter Group’s 66th Fighter Squadron. This is the 3,764th victory scored by USAAF fighter pilots in the North African and Mediterranean theaters since 1stLt William J. Mount, also of the 57th Fighter Group, downed a Bf-109 over Egypt on October 9, 1942.

BASE CHANGES
3 Sqn (Tempest V) moves to B.152 Fassberg
213 Sqn (Mustang III/IV) moves to Prkos
264 Sqn (Mosquito NFXIII) moves to B.77 Gilze-Rijen
308 Sqn (Spitfire XVI) moves to Fairwood Common
332 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Dyce
416 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFXVI) moves to B.154 Soltau
418 Sqn RCAF (Mosquito FBVI) moves to B.80 Volkel
486 Sqn RNZAF (Tempest V) moves to B.152 Fassberg
488 Sqn RNZAF DISBANDED
616 Sqn (Meteor III) moves to B.152 Fassberg
1435 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Gragnano

[warshipbuilder]

27-4-45
401 Sqn RCAF (B.116 Wunsdorf – Spitfire LFIXB)
The weather was not too good today, but good enough to permit patrols, which 401 was once more in line for. Four man patrols was the order of the day but due to shortage of a/c, the patrols were flown by 8 men. Eleven such patrols were carried out and all proved uneventful except the last patrol which was off at 17.10 hrs. and had to land at B.152 due to weather clamping down tight.

2nd TAF
Quite early on 27th pilots of 130 Squadron intercepted a single Ju 188, but return fire shot down Wt Off A.D.Miller, who was killed; he was credited with damaging the bomber.

402 Squadron returned to the scene of their previous day's strafing success, again attacking moored He 115s. This time two were claimed destroyed and one damaged.

USAAF
ETO: The 9th Air Division, IX TAC, and XXIX TAC are grounded by bad weather, but the XIX TAC manages to mount 125 effective sorties.

GERMANY: Regensburg falls to U.S. Army ground forces.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers and Twelfth Air Force medium bombers are grounded by bad weather, which also severely limits fighter operations over northern Italy.

BASE CHANGES
124 Sqn (Spitfire HFIX) moves to Hutton Cranswick
183 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.116 Wunsdorf
208 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Villafranco
225 Sqn (Spitfire IX/LFIXB/IFIXE) moves to Villafranco
266 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to Fairwood Common
302 Sqn (Spitffire XVI) moves to B.113 Varrelbusch
326 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Grossachsenheim

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
66 Sqn (B.106 Twente) flies its last OM in the Spitfire XVI

[warshipbuilder]

28-4-45
412 Sqn RCAF (B.116 Wunsdorf – Spitfire LFIXB)
Fog and low cloud prevented an early start of flying today and this squadron. which was "Joe” for Patrols did not get airborne until 10.15 hours, but by dark, they had carried out 10 Patrols in the area from ZARRENTIN to AHRENSBURG. All Patrols were uneventful from an enemy point of view except the last one on which they damaged 4 TRGS. On the sixth Patrol F/L L.A. Stewart (J.7454) was forced to bale out of his aircraft, which started to burn after the engine had cut. He was seen to land 4 miles N.E. of FASSBERG, in friendly territory, and was back with the Unit within the hour.

On the ninth Patrol, F/O G.M. Horter (J.86609) was seen to crash land in a sort of "No Man's Land" approx. 2 miles S.W. of MARSCHACHT, Germany, after having tested his guns on a factory on the other side of the Elbe. The cause of the crash is not known as no flak was seen, but it is quite possible that it was due to a ricochet from his own guns. On landing, the jet. tank caught fire, leaving a trail behind it for 50 feet before the a/c blew up. It is strongly believed that he was instantly killed, unless he was miraculously thrown clear.

ADDENDUM – From 412’s ORB 30-4-45:
Thanks to accurate pin-pointing of F/O G.M. Horter's (J.86609) aircraft which had crashed on the 28th April, the squadron Medical Officer, F/L J.E. McAllister (C.7172) was able to locate the crash and found F/O Horter still strapped into the cockpit and alive, although in a semi-conscious state, after having spent forty hours in that position. An Army Unit near by, had seen the aircraft crash and the explosion and flames. Having already lost a Lieutenant and a Sergeant in that vicinity recently, they were not anxious to investigate the crash, presuming that the pilot would have been killed on landing. He is now in hospital, on the S.I. list, suffering from exposure, immersion feet, fractured left humerus and lacerations of the face, left wrist and thigh. It is thought that he will recover. It is virtually a miracle that he is alive, as the a/c was completely broken up. The only factor that possibly saved his life, was being strapped in the cockpit, as otherwise he would have been thrown into a deep ditch of water, which was certainly too deep for him to get out of in his injured condition.

2nd TAF
Luftwaffe aircraft continued to appear, and on 28th several were engaged during the afternoon period. First, at 1655 Flt Lt L.Foster of 403 Squadron caught a Do 217 as it was flying south-eastwards at 6,000 feet; he attacked from astern and sent it down in flames. With three and one shared victories to his credit as well as several vehicles destroyed on the ground, he was awarded a DFC.

At about 1745 four 41 Squadron pilots intercepted an He 111 which crash-landed in flames near Niendorf. About an hour later Flt Lt J.W.Reid and Flg Off 'Ginger' Eagleson of 486 Squadron claimed an aircraft west of Plon which they identified as a Ju 352 transport; their claim was confirmed, but Intelligence altered the identification to a Ju 52/3m after viewing the gun camera films. However, both pilots remained convinced that the aircraft they had attacked had been a much larger one than the old "Tante Ju”.

Four more 41 Squadron Spitfire XIVs set off on patrol at 2005, soon spotting ten or more Fw 190s orbiting over Schwerin airfield. Flt Lt J.F.Wilkinson claimed one shot down, he and Flt Lt Gaze then pursuing another, which spun into the ground without a shot being fired by either of them. This, and the similar occurrence two days earlier, was a fair indication of the level of training and experience of many of the Luftwaffe pilots now being encountered.

During an evening patrol Flg Off G.M.Horter of 412 Squadron tested his guns with a burst at a factory; his aircraft appeared to have been hit by ricochets, as he was forced to make an immediate wheels-up landing, with no time to jettison his belly tank. On hitting the ground the tank exploded, leaving a trail of flame, following which the Spitfire blew apart. His horrified comrades felt there was little chance that Horter had survived. However, when the wreckage was located two days later, the 412 Squadron pilot was found alive, trapped in the cockpit and suffering from a broken arm and exposure.

USAAF
ETO: The 9th Air Division is grounded by bad weather, but Ninth Air Force fighters mount 387 effective sorties.

Ninth Air Force fighters destroy 191 motor vehicles, a tank, four locomotives, 52 rail cars, and 397 horse-drawn vehicles in territory still held by the German Army.

GERMANY: In the very last combat mission of the war by Eighth Air Force aircraft, two special 482d Heavy Bombardment Group heavy bombers—a B-17 and a B-24—are dispatched during the night to obtain radar photographs of Kiel harbor.

The Ninth Air Force’s 48th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground R-10, at Illesheim.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers and Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack lines of communication, claiming the destruction of more than 350 motor vehicles. Thirty-nine P-51s of the 52d and 325th Fighter groups conduct the last Fifteenth Air Force fighter sorties of the war when they bomb and strafe German Army troop positions and motor vehicles.

The commander-in-chief of all German Army forces remaining in Italy unconditionally surrenders to the Allies.

During the night of April 29–30, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack motor vehicles near Lake Como and on several roads leading out of northern Italy.

NETHERLANDS: The Ninth Air Force’s 387th Medium Bombardment Group displaces to the advance landing ground at Beek.

BASE CHANGES
317 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.113 Varrelbusch
326 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Grossachsenheim
327 Sqn (Spitfire VIII/IX) moves to Stuttgsrt/Sersheim
400 sqn RCAF (Spitfire PRXI) moves to B.154 Soltau
414 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFIXB/FRXIV) moves to B.154 Soltau
421 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFXVI) moves to B.154 Soltau
430 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire XIV) moves to B.154 Soltau
443 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire LFXVI) moves to B.154 Soltau
603 Sqn (Spitfire XVI) moves to Turnhouse

[warshipbuilder]

29-4-45
616 Sqn (B.109 Quackenbrück – Meteor III)
Patrols were carried out in pairs during the day.

S/Ldr. L.W. Watts DFC and F/Sgt. Cartmel B. reported missing. Information received through G.C.C. that Spitfire pilots heard S/Ldr. L.M. Watts DFC. calling F/Sgt. Cartmel to come closer as he was going into cloud, shortly afterwards was large explosion in air.

ADDENDUM – Both pilots killed in mid-air collision and are buried in Becklingen War Cemetery.

BOMBER COMMAND
29 April to 7 May 1945
OPERATION MANNA
A large pocket in Western Holland was still in German hands and the population was approaching starvation; many old or sick people had already died. A truce was arranged with the local German commander and Lancasters of 1, 3 and 8 Groups started to drop food supplies for the civilian population. Pathfinder Mosquitoes ‘marked’ the dropping zones. 2,835 Lancaster and 124 Mosquito flights were made before the Germans surrendered at the end of the war and allowed ships and road transport to enter the area. Bomber Command delivered 6,672 tons of food during Operation Manna. (These flights are not included in statistical surveys.)

2nd TAF
On 29th the Elbe-the last barrier to face 21st Army Group before they met the Russians - was crossed with relative ease at Lauenberg. The pilots of 412 Squadron therefore undertook six patrols over the Elbe bridgehead during the day. On the first of these, commenced at 1205, they encountered at least ten Fw 190s over Winsen. Three of these were shot down by Flt Lts R.L.Hazel and J.H.MacLean, and by Flg Off A.T.Gibb, all claimed at about 1250. Ten minutes later two more were seen north-west of Lüneburg, and one of these was claimed by Gibb as his second of the day.

Half an hour after this encounter, Tempests from 486 Squadron appeared over the Lauenburg area, and here Sqn Ldr 'Smokey' Schrader claimed another Focke-Wulf. More hostile aircraft then appeared, and at 1340 Schrader was able to claim two Bf 109s and to share a third with Wt Off N.D.Howard, while Fw 190s were claimed by Flg Off 'Ginger' Eagleson and Flg Off C.S.Kennedy, Flg Off A.R.Evans adding a probable.

The Canadian Spitfires appear to have been engaged by Fw 190Ds of I. and II./JG 26, both Gruppen having taken off for the Lauenburg area soon after 1230. Lt Soffing of 2. Staffel claimed a Spitfire, which he identified as a Griffon-engined variant, at 1253, but Fw Helmut Walter from 1 Staffel was shot down and killed at this time. 6. Staffel's Lt Werner Schramm and Uffz Johannes Schlimper were also shot down and killed, apparently in the same combat. Meanwhile the opponents of the New Zealand Tempests seem to have been Fw 190F 'Jabos' of 12./SG 151 and escorting Bf 109s from JG 27; these units lost four Focke-Wulfs and three Messerschmitts during the early afternoon period. However, it also seems possible that they may have separately intercepted three night fighting Bf 109Gs of 7./NJG 11 which were caught and shot down by day over the Ohlsdorf-Meinedorf area, two NCO pilots being killed while Lt Herbert Schenk was wounded.

At 1645 486 Squadron returned to the same area, this time encountering II./JG 26 Dora-9s providing escort for more 12./SG 151 Fw 190Fs. Lt Soffing made his second claim of the day, this time for a Tempest - his 34th victory- and this may have been the 3 Squadron aircraft flown by Wt Off A.Crowe who was brought down north of Gresse, surviving unhurt.

The New Zealanders fell upon the Jabos, Flt Lt J.W.Reid, Flg Off C.J.MacDonald and Wt Off J.R.Duncan shooting down three of them to bring 12./SG 151's losses for the day to seven Focke-Wulfs.

On a later sortie at 2045 that evening Flg Off A.R.Evans claimed a tenth victory for 486 Squadron to bring a very successful day to a conclusion, his victim being a Bf 109 which fell two miles south of Bergedorf.

The day was marred however, by the loss of two Meteors and their pilots when Sqn Ldr L.W.Watts, DFC, a Malta veteran, and Flt Sgt B.Cartmel collided in cloud.

From 135 Wing, 485 Squadron was now posted to join 145 Wing at B.105, where pilots reported the weather to be "lousy".

USAAF
ETO: The 9th Air Division is grounded by bad weather, but Ninth Air Force fighters mount 387 effective sorties.

Ninth Air Force fighters destroy 191 motor vehicles, a tank, four locomotives, 52 rail cars, and 397 horse-drawn vehicles in territory still held by the German Army.

GERMANY: In the very last combat mission of the war by Eighth Air Force aircraft, two special 482d Heavy Bombardment Group heavy bombers—a B-17 and a B-24—are dispatched during the night to obtain radar photographs of Kiel harbor.

The Ninth Air Force’s 48th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground R-10, at Illesheim.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers and Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack lines of communication, claiming the destruction of more than 350 motor vehicles. Thirty-nine P-51s of the 52d and 325th Fighter groups conduct the last Fifteenth Air Force fighter sorties of the war when they bomb and strafe German Army troop positions and motor vehicles.

The commander-in-chief of all German Army forces remaining in Italy unconditionally surrenders to the Allies.

During the night of April 29–30, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack motor vehicles near Lake Como and on several roads leading out of northern Italy.

NETHERLANDS: The Ninth Air Force’s 387th Medium Bombardment Group displaces to the advance landing ground at Beek.

BASE CHANGES
180 Sqn (Mitchell II/III) moves to B.110 Achmer
441 Sqn RCAF (Spitfire IX) moves to Hunsdon

[warshipbuilder]

30-4-45
3 Sqn (B.152 Fassberg – Tempest V)
F/0 J.LR. TORPY Led a weather recce to the BRIDGEHEAD AREA at 08.00hrs and found same MET which was attacked, The C. O. led a BRIDGEHEAD PATROL at 09.00hrs with some success. G.C.C, reported Hums and for a change the Squadron found them with the following results. C.O. 1 Me 109 probable, F/O JI Adams, 1 FW 190 destroyed, F/O A JONES 1 FW 190 damaged, F/O A. D. KING chased by a FW 190 was badly shot up by another unseen e/a but made base safely. In the evening the Squadron was on top line for a straff on SCHWERIN 2d and at 18.00hrs F/LT H. K. HUGHES led the Squadron off. The flak was very heavy but the Squadron pressed home their attack scoring F/L H.K. HUGHES 2 FW 190 dam on ground, P/O J.L. R. TOREY 1 Me 109 dam on ground, F/O AD KING 1 Ju 88 dam on ground, and six Me 109s dam on ground, F/O S.T. WORBEY And P/O D.R. WORLEY have not yet returned.

ADDENDUM – Tempest V EJ799 JF-W. Pilot: F/O ST Worbey KIA.
Tempest V NV936 JF-? Pilot: P/O DR Worley KIA.

2nd TAF
The final day of April was to be one of slaughter for the remaining Luftwaffe units still attempting to operate over the rapidly-converging Eastern and Western Fronts. It was to be a particularly successful day for the Spitfire XIV units, and began with claims by pilots of 3 Squadron whilst engaged in early Elbe bridgehead patrols. Flg Off J.T. 'Bay' Adams claimed an Fw 190 south-west of Lauenberg, while Sqn Ldr Bob Cole claimed a Bf 109 probable and Plt Off Jones an Fw 190 damaged.

For 130 Squadron it was to prove to be "the best day so far" as 30 sorties were made between 0700-1800. On the first operation at 0945 four pilots engaged nine Fw 190s over Banzkow, Flt Lt Bill Stowe, Flg Off Geoff Lord and Flg Off T.L. Trevarrow accounting for three of these between them.

An hour or so later three pilots from 350 Squadron saw 20 Fw 190s trying to land on a strip south of the Schweriner See. Plt Off D.J.Watkins claimed two shot down, as did Flt Lt P.M.Bangerter, while Flt Sgt G.Gigot claimed a fifth; one more was then shot down by these three pilots jointly, while Watkins attacked another which was taxiing, claiming damage to this also.

It seems very likely that they had caught the Fw 190Fs of I(Pz)./SG 9 returning from a rocket attack on Allied armoured vehicles, and as they were going in to land, they lost six of their number. Amongst those shot down and killed were Ritterkreuzträger Hptm Andreas Kuffner, the Kommandeur of the Gruppe, who had also recently received the Eichenlaube after claiming 60 tanks destroyed, and the 3. Staffelkapitän, Oblt Rainer Nossek. A third holder of this decoration, Oblt Wilhelm Bromen, Kapitän of 1.Staffel, was seriously wounded, but claimed to have shot down one of the attacking Spitfires. Fw Gottfried Wagner and Obfr Wilhelm Morsch also lost their lives.

Into the same area at 1125 came 130 Squadron on the unit's second patrol of the day, four more Fw 190s being seen, one of these being claimed by Flt Lt Ian Ponsford and Plt Off F.E.F.Edwards. Just five minutes later 12 more were spotted in the circuit of a landing ground at Banzkow and four more were claimed in quick succession, two by Ponsford, one by Edwards, and the last (just as both pilots ran out of ammunition) jointly.

Whilst this engagement was underway more Griffon-Spitfires, this time from 402 Squadron, arrived in the same area, Flt Lts S.M.Knight, D.R.Drummond, W.O.Young and F.E.W.Hanton each claiming one Fw 190 shot down, and Hanton and Young each adding a claim for one damaged also. Two more were claimed destroyed on the ground by Flt Lts R.J.Taggart and B.Innes, the flight as a whole adding damage to another two. At the same time Flt Lt Knight spotted a Ju 188 to the east, and despatched this as well.

On 130 Squadron's third patrol, Sqn Ldr Frank Woolley claimed yet another Fw 190 shot down over Winsen at 1350, while at precisely this time Wt Off G.Maddaford of 486 Squadron claimed damage to a Bf 109 on the ground at Ludwigslust airfield.

It was again the turn of 402 Squadron mid-afternoon when Flt Lt Knight and Flt Lt E.R.Burrows encountered another Ju 188 two miles east of Lübeck, flying at 1,500 feet. They attacked at once and sent it down in flames to crash in the middle of the village of Kalkorst. Eight more bombers were then seen on an airfield ten miles south-east of Lübeck, damage to two of these being claimed.

At 1325 Tempests of 56 Squadron set off to strafe Parchim airfield, where a Bf 109 was claimed destroyed, and an He 177 and a Ju 88 were added as damaged. During a further patrol by this unit about an hour later, Flt Sgts A.M.L.Kennaugh and N.Willis happened upon a trimotor transport which they shot down five miles west of Wismar; this was claimed as a Ju 352, but credited as a Ju 52/3m.

As the afternoon drew on six Spitfire IXs of 403 Squadron were despatched towards Schwerin, Flt Lt A.E.Fleming catching and shooting down a Bf 108 liaison aircraft over the Kirch- Grambow area at 1715. Fifteen minutes later, during 130 Squadron's last patrol of the day, Flt Sgt B.W.Woodman claimed an Si 204 over the Schweriner See.

With evening several units were out strafing again. Typhoon pilots of 438 Squadron claimed a single unidentified aircraft damaged on the ground in some woods, while four pilots of 3 Squadron attacked Schwerin in the evening, claiming seven Bf 109s, two Fw 190s and a Ju 87 damaged here. However, two Tempests were hit by Flak, with Flg Off S.T.Worbey and Plt Off D.R.Worley both killed. More Tempests, this time from 56 Squadron, attacked Parchim airfield where an Fw 190 was claimed destroyed and two bombers damaged.

Again it was the Spitfires which were providing covering patrols, and which met the Luftwaffe in the air. Nine of 412 Squadron's Mark IXs undertook an armed reconnaissance to the Hagenow-Schwerin-Wismar area, where German fighters were engaged north-east of Lauenberg. Here Sqn Ldr M.D.Boyd claimed two Bf 109s, Flt Lts R.B.Baker and L.A.Stewart adding one more apiece. Flt Lt D.M.Pieri had taken off as 'spare' for this formation, but when no aircraft turned back he prepared to return to base. In doing so he spotted an Fw 190 15 miles east of Hamburg, claiming this shot down also.

In the same general area as 412 Squadron was operating, others of 411 Squadron on a bridgehead patrol also achieved success when Flg Off M.F.Doyle spotted a lone Fw 190 which had just bombed in the Lauenburg area, and shot this down in flames.

Also heading for the Schweriner See again were pilots of 41 Squadron, who spotted the very well-camouflaged strip from which so many of the Focke-Wulfs engaged during recent days, had been operating. Over the nearby bridgehead area Sqn Ldr J.B.Shepherd and Flt Lt Tony Gaze claimed an Fw 190 each, Shepherd then adding a Bf 109, which he shot down to the north-west of Ratzeburger See.

It would seem that one of the aircraft claimed during the day possibly one of those encountered by 412 Squadron - was actually an He 162 jet, for on this date Lt Hans Rechenberg of II./JG 1 was reported to have been shot down in such an aircraft by Spitfires in the Wismar area. Apart from the claim by Oblt Bromen of 1(Pz)./SG 9, two Spitfires were also claimed shot down by Fw Horst Rippert of II./JG 27 as his 27th and 28th victories. Nevertheless, there were no Spitfire losses at all on this date, the only casualties being the two Tempests of 3 Squadron.

Administratively, the day saw the disbandment of 66 Squadron, a further sign of the imminent run-down of unit numbers as the war neared its conclusion. It was during this evening that in Berlin hope was finally extinguished. All attempts to relieve the besieged city were now at an end, and encirclement was complete. Now the Führer, Adolf Hitler, finally accepted that the end had come, and he and his new wife, Eva Braun, committed suicide, as did Josef Goebbels, the Nazi Propaganda Minister, and his family. A delegation went out in the early hours of the next morning under a white flag to advise the Soviets of this, although for the moment the war continued. The seat of government now became the OKW and OKH headquarters in Schleswig- Holstein, where Admiral Dönitz assumed the position of Head of State.

USAAF
ETO: The 9th Air Division and XXIX TAC are grounded by bad weather.

The Ninth Air Force’s 362d Fighter Group flies what will turn out to be its last missions of the war.

GERMANY: As the city of Berlin falls to the Red Army, Adolf Hitler commits suicide in his bunker. Also, Munich falls to the U.S. Seventh Army.

The Ninth Air Force’s 354th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground R-45, at Ansbach; the Ninth Air Force’s 362d Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground R-30, at Furth; and the Ninth Air Force’s 405th Fighter Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground R-6, at Kitzingen.

ITALY: Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers and Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather. XXII TAC P-47s and Fifteenth Air Force P-38s and P-51s undertaking armed-reconnaissance missions over northern Italy attack gun emplacements and motor vehicles.

During the night of April 30–May 1, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack targets of opportunity in areas of northern Italy not yet occupied by Allied ground forces.

BASE CHANGES
3 Sqn SAAF (Spitfire IX) moves to Villafranco
66 Sqn DISBANDED
137 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.156 Luneberg
185 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Villafranco
193 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.111 Ahlhorn
197 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.111 Ahlhorn
263 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.111 Ahlhorn
272 Sqn DISBANDED
320 Sqn (Mitchell II/III) moves to B.110 Achmer
322 Sqn (Spitfire XVIE) moves to B.113 Varrelbusch
349 Sqn (Non-Op) moves to B.113 Varrelbusch
485 Sqn RNZAF (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to B.105 Drope

[warshipbuilder]

1-5-45
401 Sqn RCAF (B.116 Wunsdorf – Spitfire LFIXB)
Low cloud prevented any type of flying other than patrols and this Squadron carried out such patrols.

The first patrol who took off at 14.55 and landed at 16.55 was led by W/C Northcott ( Wing Commander, Ops). This patrol found an FW. 190 in the Schwerin Lake area and the Wing Commander scored a damaged on this one.

On another patrol B/L Klersy, OC of 401, scored a damaged on another FW.190 which had just taken off from Lubeck were aerodrome.

On the last show of the day, one of our a/c flown by F/L G.D. Cameron DFC was hit by flak and “Cam” was forced to hit the silk. He was seen to land safely in enemy territory and it is hoped that our forward troops in that area will be able to pick him up.

ADDENDUM – F/L Cameron was injured, but was brought to Allied lines by a German doctor.

2nd TAF
At 0945 403 Squadron despatched a bridgehead patrol, during which 20 or more Fw 190Ds carrying bombs were spotted over Berged at around 1040. The Canadians appear to have encountered I. and II./JG 26, which had just taken off, the latter Gruppe indeed carrying bombs. These were jettisoned when the Spitfires were met, and in the engagement which followed Flt Lt R.Young claimed one shot down, as did Wt Off R.C.Neitz, Flg Off R.C.Shannon claiming a probable and three damaged, while another five were also believed to have been damaged, two of them by Neitz. It seems that on this occasion only Fw Walter Napierski's aircraft was hit badly, and this turned over on landing, injuring the pilot. 2. Staffel's Lt Guhl claimed one Spitfire probably shot down in return.

Another bridgehead patrol was undertaken by six Spitfire XIVs of 41 Squadron, which took off at 1125. Around 1300 these encountered six Fw 190s, a sharp dogfight ensuing. Reported Peter Cowell:

"I was leading Kudos Red Section of six aircraft on a sweep around the Schwerin Lake and aerodrome in search of enemy aircraft. We had done one orbit at about 4,000 feet when Kudos Red 4 reported an enemy aircraft flying in the opposite direction on the deck. Kudos Red 3 and 4 then broke away to attack it and Red 5 and 6 chased another aircraft, also flying on the deck. I turned back over the lake with my No 2, having climbed through a thick patch of cumulus cloud to 6,000 feet, and spotted two long-nosed Fw 190s flying east at zero feet over the lake. I told Red 2 to follow me down and I attacked the enemy aircraft flying on the starboard side, opening fire at about 300 yards. Strikes were observed and the aircraft streamed smoke and pulled up almost vertically. I closed to about 50 yards and gave it another burst, observing strikes on the cockpit and port wing. The aircraft flicked over onto its back and went straight in near the south-east corner of the lake."

"I then observed the other '190 orbiting to the north of me so I attacked him, opening fire at 300 yards. A large piece flew off his port wing and the pilot baled out, the aircraft crashing near the first one. Red 1 and 2 then returned to base. I claim two Fw 190s destroyed."

The British pilots had encountered new opponents from the Eastern Front - a section of Dora-9s from 15./JG 51, led by Ritterkreuzträger FahnenjunkerObfw Heinz Marquardt, victor of 121 victories against the Russians. This Staffel was part of IV./JG 51, which had moved to Eggersdorf, near Berlin, in mid-April. Marquardt had been flying the first aircraft to be attacked by Cowell, and had been thrown forward into the gunsight when Cowell's 20 mm shells struck his back armour, rendering him unconscious. He recovered to find himself hanging from his parachute harness, which was caught on a chimney near a nurse's home; he had no memory of getting out of his aircraft. The No.3 in his section had been Cowell's second victim, and was flown by Fw Heinz Radlauer (15 victories), who survived unhurt.

During the combat a third Fw 190 was claimed by 2/Lt C.S.Bodtker, SAAF, and would seem to have been the aircraft flown by Ofw Otto Buss of 14. Staffel, who was reported missing, while Flt Sgt P.F.Scott claimed damage to two more. IV./JG 51 may have been involved in some of the other recent combats with 2nd TAF aircraft, for during April the unit had suffered the loss of at least three pilots on unspecified dates. (In 1995 Marquardt was to contact Peter Cowell, having discovered the identity of his victor and the pair subsequently became good friends.)

Shortly after this engagement, Sqn Ldr Schrader of 486 Squadron claimed a Bf 109 destroyed over Bad Segeberg, while three hours later at 1615, Flg Off Geoff Lord of 130 Squadron claimed another to the south-west of Holzendorf.

Meanwhile at 1400 Flt Lt H.K.Hughes had led eight 3 Squadron Tempests to the Schwerin area where Flt Lt H.L.Longley shot down a Ju 88 in flames. The unit was followed by 56 Squadron, Flt Sgts Kennaugh and Willis gaining further joint success when they claimed an He 111 shot down north of Tarnewitz. About three hours later 3 Squadron was back in the Schwerin area, Hughes once again leading, when Fw 190s were seen. Flg Off King chased one of these but was fired on by another and his aircraft was badly damaged.

Just before 1800 350 Squadron's Belgian pilots arrived to the east of Schwerin whilst undertaking an offensive patrol, and here 20 Fw 190s were spotted. Four of these were claimed shot down, two by Flt Sgt H.Boels and one each by Flt Lt R.Muls and Flg Off P.Leva. It seems likely that their opponents were aircraft of L./JG 11, which lost five Focke-Wulfs to Spitfires in this area during the day; two more were lost by IV./JG 3, and another two by L/JG 1.

Evening brought more patrols by 125 Wing squadrons, and at 1900 Flt Sgt B.W.Woodman of 130 Squadron claimed an He 111 over Lübeck. About half an hour later six 41 Squadron pilots caught more Fw 190s south-east of Witteburg; nine of these were chased in and out of the clouds, Wt Off I.T.Stevenson and Plt Off P.T.Coleman each claiming one shot down. Two more Focke-Wulfs were then seen low over the Schwerin Lake, Coleman attacking and shooting down both of these.

41 Squadron was followed into the area by Spitfire IXs of 401 Squadron, Sqn Ldr Klersy claiming damage to another Fw 190 over Lübeck airfield. A final sweep to the Schwerin area by 41 Squadron found more of these aircraft, Sqn Ldr J.B.Shepherd and Flg Off Eric Gray sharing in shooting one down. On their fourth operation of the day, eight Spitfire IXS from 421 Squadron left at 2000 for the Schwerin area, where a lone Fw 190 was seen, and was claimed shot down by three of the Canadian pilots jointly.

USAAF
AUSTRIA: In the Fifteenth Air Force’s final bombing mission of the war, 27 B-17s brave bad weather to attack the railroad station and marshalling yard at Salzburg.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Nine 9th Air Divi-sion A-26s attack a munitions factory at Stod.

GERMANY: Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers dive-bomb the German state alternate headquarters at Berchtesgaden.

ITALY: Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s attack motor vehicles and horse-drawn conveyances ahead of advancing U.S. Fifth Army elements.

Elements of the U.S. Fifth Army move toward Brenner Pass.

NETHERLANDS: Inaugurating a humanitarian effort that will continue beyond the end of hostilities in Europe, 392 3d Air Division B-17s drop 778 tons of food to needy Dutch civilians, in this case, in and around The Hague and Rotterdam.

YUGOSLAVIA: Elements of the British Eighth Army cross from northeastern Italy into Yugoslavia, where they link up with Yugoslav Army troops under the command of Marshal Josip Broz Tito.

BASE CHANGES
26 Sqn (Mustang I) moves to Harrowbeer
87 Sqn (Spitfire IC/LFIXB) moves to Villafranca
181 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.156 Luneberg
182 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.156 Luneberg

[warshipbuilder]

2-5-45
169 Sqn (B.116 Great Massingham – Mosquito NFXIX)
Cloudy at first, clearing in the afternoon. Twelve aircraft operated by making low level attacks on two aerodromes, JAGEL and WESTERLAND on SYLT, with drop tanks filled with Napalm Gel. F/O. R. CATERALL DFC, and F/Sgt. D.J. BEADLE his Navigator failed to return from the attack on JAGEL airfield. An explosion was seen by several crews about 5 miles west of the airfield which might have been due to an aircraft crashing. F/O. W.A. GLENDINNING landed at WOODBRIDGE on one engine. S/L. J.A. WRIGHT was unable to jettison his starboard tank filled with Napalm Gel, but hearing F/O. GLENDENING in trouble on his way back climbed to 6,000 feet and relayed messages to COLTISHALL. Then he finally landed an hour later, S/L. WRIGHT's tank fell off on the runway but fortunately did not explode. F/O. K.R. MILLER had a similar experience with a drop tank which also fell on the runway without exploding.

ADDENDUM – Mosquito NFXIX MM660 VI-? Crew: F/O R Catterall DFC KIA, F/S DJ Beadle KIA. Shot down by flak. Both are buried in Kiel War Cemetery.

BOMBER COMMAND
KIEL
There had been no offensive operations by Bomber Command since 26/27 April and most squadrons thought that their war in Europe was over, but it was feared that the Germans were assembling ships at Kiel to transport troops to Norway in order to carry on the war there. A last raid by 8 Group Mosquitoes was thus organized, with a large supporting effort being provided.

16 Mosquito bombers of 8 Group and 37 Mosquitoes of 100 Group were first dispatched to attack airfields in the Kiel area. A Mosquito of 169 Squadron, 100 Group, was lost while carrying out a low-level napalm attack on Jagel airfield; its crew – Flying Officer R. Catterall, D.F.C., and Flight Sergeant D. J. Beadle – were killed.

126 Mosquitoes of 8 Group then attacked Kiel in 2 raids, 1 hour apart. The target area was almost completely cloud-covered but H2S and Oboe were used. Large fires on the ground were seen through the cloud. No Mosquitoes were lost on these raids. The Kiel diarist, Detlef Boelck, performing his duty to the end, provides an interesting report. Bombs fell in several parts of the town, killing 18 civilians. The tower of the Rathaus collapsed and other buildings were hit. Towards morning, a large column of military vehicles departed in the direction of Flensburg on the Danish frontier. ‘The upsurge in the population’s morale was indescribable.’ There was a final spasm of fear when explosions were heard from the harbour but these turned out to be all the Flak guns and warships in the harbour firing off their ammunition; after this, Kiel was declared an open, undefended town. As soon as this happened, all the military stores and some of the civilian ones containing rationed goods were thrown open to the public before Allied troops arrived, but there was much confusion and Herr Boelck reports that people often reached home to find that they had two left or two right shoes instead of a pair. British and Canadian troops entered the town quietly 36 hours later.

Meanwhile, there had been a final small tragedy for Bomber Command. 89 R.C.M. aircraft of 100 Group had been sent to support the Mosquito bomber force and 2 Halifaxes from 199 Squadron, each with 8 men on board, were lost. The Halifaxes had been part of the Mandrel screen and were also carrying 4 500-lb bombs and large quantities of Window. The 2 aircraft crashed at Meimersdorf, just south of Kiel, and it is probable that they collided while on their bomb runs. They were the last Bomber Command aircraft to be lost in the war. There were only 3 survivors. 13 airmen, 12 from the United Kingdom and one from the Irish Republic, mostly second-tour men, died. They were: Warrant Officer W. F. Bolton; Flight Sergeant A. A. Bradley; Flight Lieutenant W. E. Brooks; Sergeant F. T. Chambers; Flying Officer K. N. J. Croft; Warrant Officer K. A. C. Gavin; Flight Sergeant D. Greenwood; Flying Officer A. S. J. Holder, D.F.C.; Flight Sergeant J. R. Lewis; Flight Sergeant J. Loth; Pilot Officer W. H. V. Mackay; Warrant Officer R. H. A. Pool; and Flight Sergeant D. Wilson. These men are now buried in the Kiel War Cemetery, together with the crew of the 169 Squadron Mosquito who were killed earlier in the night.

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2nd TAF
With the net closing inexorably on the areas of north Germany still in the defenders' hands, the variety of aircraft now to be met became almost kaleidoscopic as the German evacuation from airfield to airfield, and towards Denmark and Norway gathered momentum. 2 May was to bring a rich harvest to the gunsights of 2nd TAF pilots-although what was achieved by this continuing slaughter towards the ending of the war at this late stage must be open to question.

On a very early sortie, commencing at 0510, Sqn Ldr John Derry and Flt Lt R.E.M.Z.Bergmann of 182 Squadron spotted a German airfield from which a Ju 88 was taking off. Derry at once attacked this and shot it down, then causing an He 111 to crash from 50 feet (which was credited to him only as a 'damaged'), while Bergmann claimed damage to two more Junkers. Even at this late stage, the game could still be deadly dangerous however, and during the day the Wing Leader of 124 Wing, Wg Cdr G.F.H.Webb, DFC and Bar, a very experienced reconnaissance pilot but who was relatively new to the fighter-bomber world, would be shot down by Flak while strafing a train north of Gleschendorf, crashing to his death in flames.
Just after 0600 five Spitfire XIV pilots of 130 Squadron caught five Bü 131 biplane trainers near the Schwerin Lake - possibly returning from a night 'nuisance' raid. In moments four of the five were shot down, two by Flg Off Geoff Lord, one by Flt Sgt B.W.Woodman, and one shared between them.

Also in the air early were Tempests of 486 Squadron, and five minutes after the slaughter of the Bü 131s, Flg Off 'Ginger' Eagleson shot down an Fw 44 Stieglitz trainer; he then claimed an Fi 156 Storch on the ground. 41 Squadron pilots were also early birds', and were already undertaking a third bridgehead patrol at around 0700 when several Storches were seen in the air near Schwerin. Wt Off J.A.Chalmers claimed two shot down and Flg Off R.D.A.Smith one, the latter also claiming a fourth on the ground.

A few minutes later two Typhoon pilots from 181 Squadron, Flt Lt B.N.E.Ford-Coates and Sgt C.J.Boon, caught and shot down a Ju 188 near Eutin. It was still little more than breakfast time when Flg Off C.E.Mertens and Plt Off F.E.F.Edwards of 130 Squadron spotted a Bf 109 in the circuit over the Schweriner See airfield, and this too was added to the morning's 'bag. Their victim was probably a K version from III./JG 4, which was reported lost at 0745 near Parchim.

Around midday, a patrol by Spitfires of 411 Squadron intercepted a pair of tactical reconnaissance Bf 109s from 1./NAGr 3 near Lübeck. Flg Off C.D.W.Wilson claimed one shot down, which appears to have been the aircraft flown by Oblt Burghard, who baled out safely. However, his wingman, Uffz Krinner, was reported missing. Meanwhile, Flg Off G.N.Smith, another of 411's pilots, claimed damage to an Me 262 seen five miles south-west of this city. At 1145 other Canadian pilots, this time flying 439 Squadron Typhoons, encountered more small aircraft, Flt Lt J.O.Gray claiming a Storch near Schonberg, whilst Flt Lt J.H.Clark claimed another Fw 44 in the same area.

56 Squadron's Tempest pilots enjoyed an outstanding day, claiming seven Luftwaffe aircraft shot down. On a 1225 sortie to the Lübeck-Eutin area Flt Lt R.V.Garton claimed both a Storch and an Fw 190 north-east of Eutin, while Flt Lts J.Sowerbutts and F.L.MacLeod claimed Fw 190s in the same area, the latter sharing his victory with Sgt N.Willis. One of these was probably the aircraft of Ogfr Ernst of 7(Sturm)./JG 4, lost over Lübeck, while the other may have been an aircraft of IV./JG 51 from which Ofw Helmut Schonfelder, a 56 victory veteran 'Experte, and recent recipient of the Ritterkreuz, baled out near Schwerin, becoming a prisoner. Back over Eutin that evening, Willis shared a BV 138 flying boat with Wt Off A.J.Brocklehurst. Sgt G.J.Swindells claimed another Storch five miles west of Gruber during the final evening sortie, while Flt Sgt P.Tullie added a Ju 52/3mW floatplane north of Neustadt, also claiming damage to a second of these aircraft.

Some of the TacR pilots in their new FR XIV Spitfires also got in on the act whilst undertaking reconnaissance sorties over the shrinking area. Flt Lt D.I.Hall of 414 Squadron, who had already exhibited a certain propensity as a fighter pilot, achieved the day's outstanding performance, claiming three Fw 190s and a Bf 108 liaison aircraft, plus one of each damaged over Neustadt Glewe at around 1300. He would be awarded a Bar to the DFC he had received during the previous month. Within the hour this unit's commanding officer, Sqn Ldr J.B.Prendergast, claimed two more Fw 190s over Wismar harbour.

Just before 1300 hours I./JG 26 had sent off nine Dora-9s, led by Oblt Peter Crump, now Kapitän of 1. Staffel. The German pilots reported meeting eight Typhoons over Klein- Kummersfeld, Crump claiming damage to one of these, although his own aircraft was hit in the engine. It has not proved possible to identify this engagement directly with 2nd TAF records. However, during this flight Lt Konrad lost the formation and was caught and shot down by Allied fighters, baling out. It is likely that he had fallen foul of 486 Squadron, this unit's Tempests being in the air at this time when Plt Off W.J.Shaw and Wt Off N.D.Howard claimed an Fw 190 south of Neumunster; this pair also claimed yet another Storch west of Plon. However, Flg Off 'Ginger' Eagleson's aircraft was hit by Flak and he crash-landed in hostile territory near Lübeck. He was captured, but escaped shortly afterwards, and was soon back with the unit.

Canadian Spitfire XVIs from 127 Wing were undertaking bridgehead patrols during the mid afternoon period when more interceptions took place. Over Bad Segeberg Flt Lt H.R.Finley and Flg Off M.J.Clow intercepted and shot down a Ju 88. However, fire from the rear gunner struck Finley's Spitfire and he was obliged to bale out, although he survived unhurt. Clow and two other pilots then strafed an airfield in this area, claiming an Fi 156 and an He 111 destroyed on the ground and two of the latter damaged. Half an hour later Flg Off F.W.Town of 403 Squadron shot down an He 111 three miles west of Lübeck.

125 Wing Spitfire XIVs were in the area again from 1700, but Flt Lt Bill Stowe's 130 Squadron aircraft was hit by debris whilst he was strafing, and he was obliged to force-land. However, four 350 Squadron pilots led by Flt Lt Patrick Bangerter, were able to claim an Ar 234 jet bomber - 4U+EH, flown by Oblt Worzech-shot down over Hohn airfield at 1710.

Shortly after came evidence that elements of the Luftwaffe apparently felt that further resistance was pointless. At around 1715 a Ju 88 circled B.113, Varrelbusch, home of 131 (Polish) Wing, seemingly intent on landing. Ground defences were, however, taking no chances and opened fire; the Ju 88 fled and later landed at another Allied airfield, the aggrieved pilot complaining about his reception! The aggressive reaction had, however, cost the Poles two Spitfires - damaged on the ground by their own AA defences.

3 Squadron also gained some success during the early morning, Flt Lt Walker and Wt Off Wright claiming a Ju 34W floatplane shot down, while Plt Off 'Bay' Adams damaged an Me 262 and then claimed a Ju 88 destroyed on the ground.

Typhoon units undertook much general strafing, 184 Squadron for instance undertaking 45 sorties during the day, claiming many vehicles and a locomotive destroyed, while also managing to damage a BV 138 and an He 111, and probably to shoot down an unidentified single-engined type. 438 Squadron made repeated attacks on motor vehicles, reportedly retreating in masses, and also attacked shipping, raining down 1,000 lb bombs on these various targets. Other pilots of 175 Squadron attacked flying boats on the water north of Lübeck, claiming a BV 139 and a BV 222 destroyed here, plus two BV 138s damaged.

The final claim of the day occurred just before nightfall when 'Jimmy' Sheddan and Flg Off D.J.Thomson of 486 Squadron shot down an unidentified aircraft (described in their combat report as a multi-engined flying boat, and in the 2nd TAF claims log as a '4 engine twin-boom flying boat) over Heiligenhafen. Sheddan had just received promotion to Sqn Ldr during the day, taking over command of the Squadron from 'Smokey' Schrader. Evan Mackie, who had recently been promoted to lead 122 Wing following the loss of Wg Cdr Brooker, had been offered command of 616 Squadron (also a Wg Cdr post), but had preferred to stay with the Tempest. Schrader had therefore been given the jet unit with commensurate promotion to Wg Cdr rank, joining the unit with Tony Gaze from 41 Squadron. The latter had become a Sqn Ldr (for the second time during the war), and took over the flight which had been led by Sqn Ldr Watts untill his recent death.

The Meteor unit was now undertaking many ground-strafing sorties, and during the day had chalked up its first claim for the destruction of an enemy aircraft- albeit on the ground - when Flg Off Stodhart claimed a Storch.

With the arrival of darkness, 605 Squadron launched its only sortie to be flown in May during which Flt Lt Brian Williams strafed three aircraft which he had spotted on the ground at Leck in southern Denmark, claiming an Fw 190 destroyed and a second damaged.

This extraordinary day had been achieved with the loss of only one 2nd TAF pilot- 124 Wing's Wg Cdr Webb.

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

GERMANY: The Red Army announces that it is in complete control of the city of Berlin.

ITALY: The terms of surrender for German military forces become effective, ending hostilities in Italy.

Twelfth Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather, and XXII TAC P-47s fly uneventful combat patrols.

NETHERLANDS: The Ninth Air Force’s 394th Medium Bombardment Group displaces to Advance Landing Ground Y-55, at Venlo.

BASE CHANGES
247 Sqn (Typhoon IB) moves to B.156 Luneberg
318 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to La Russia
453 Sqn RAAF (Spitfire LFXVI) moves to Hawkinge

[warshipbuilder]

3-5-45
402 Sqn RCAF (B.116 Wunsdorf – Spitfire FRXIV)
Three Armed Recces were carried out in the Bad Sageburg/Kiel/Rendsberg/Klinshorn/Hamburg area. In the second show the Squadron located 8 F1.156's on the ground and thoroughly strafed them. S/L Gordon contacted another not far away flying near the deck and shot it down in flames. F/L J.A. O'Brien was hit by his own ricochets during this operation and baled out safely S/E of Hamburg. He is already reported on his way back to the squadron. Other claims 9 MET destroyed, 67 damaged.

2nd TAF
Despite the fact that the war was so obviously lost to them, the Germans continued to resist, mainly to stave off the Red Army for as long as possible. Clearly, however, these final days added many further casualties to the 'Butcher's Bill' of the war, on the Allied side as well. Despite the very low loss levels during the first two days of May so far as 2nd TAF was concerned, these began to rise again on 3rd as the fighter and fighter-bomber pilots hunted down the myriad rich targets offered by the increasingly chaotic retreat of the Wehrmacht forces in the area. Increasingly desperate also, were the efforts being made to get away across the Baltic by sea or air.

Indeed, some 500 vessels of many sorts were now at sea, and these would come under particularly sustained attack during 3rd, 83 Group pilots claiming 13 sunk and 101 damaged, while 84 Group claimed four sunk and six damaged. But herein occurred a tragedy of monumental proportions. Three vessels in Schleswig Bay had recently been filled with concentration camp prisoners, and all were unwittingly sunk by Typhoons with considerable loss of life. In the final five days of the war claims would total 150 ships sunk or damaged, including a number of U-Boats. Claims for vehicles of all types exceeded even those at Falaise the previous August, some 4,500 being claimed destroyed. 3 May would also see Second Army troops enter Hamburg, while remorseless attacks on the remaining Luftwaffe airfields - and on any aircraft to be found in the air-continued unabated.

3 Squadron undertook four operations during the day, the first at 0545 when Flt Lt H.K.Hughes led an attack on Plon. There Hughes and Flt Lt H.W.Longley each shot down an Fi 156 Storch, while Flt Lt Pierre Clostermann claimed an Fw 190 destroyed on the ground and two more damaged. Around 0700 Flg Off J.H.Vane of 184 Squadron sighted a Storch on the ground alongside a road near Plon; it was swiftly despatched with a burst of cannon fire.

An hour later Flg Off T.L.Trevarrow and Plt Off E.E.E.Edwards of 130 Squadron shot down a Ju 188 near Grossenbrode. At much the same time pilots of 41 Squadron on an armed reconnaissance over the Lübeck area spotted another Ju 188, and this was brought down over Husum airfield by Flt Lt D.F.V.Rake for the squadron's 200th and last victory of the war.

During the mid-morning period Flt Lts B.E.Innes and W.F.Peck of 402 Squadron spotted three Storches on the ground north of Neumunster, claiming damage to all of these. Shortly after this, at around 1040, the commanding officer, Sqn Ldr D.C.Gordon, saw another Storch flying at low level, and shot this down in flames in the same area as 41 Squadron's Ju 188 had fallen. However the Canadian unit's Flt Lt J.A.O'Brian had to bale out south-east of Hamburg when his Spitfire XIV was struck by ricochets from its own guns. Fifteen minutes later Typhoons of 181 Squadron strafed Neustadt airfield where some 30 aircraft were seen on the ground. Two Ju 88s and an Me 410 were claimed to have been destroyed, and five more aircraft were believed to have been damaged.

At 1155 Flt Lt J.A.Houlton, the New Zealand pilot who had claimed the first victory for 2nd TAF over the Normandy beaches on D-Day, and who had recently commenced a further operational tour as a flight commander in 274 Squadron, intercepted and shot down a Do 217 which was heading in the direction of Norway.

Just after 1300 Eggebek airfield was on the receiving end of an attack by six Tempests of 222 Squadron and, although the unit diary reports several destroyed and many (of various types) damaged, it appears that only Flt J.Jamieson's claim for two damaged seems to have been submitted and confirmed by 2nd TAF HQ.

181 Squadron's Typhoons were out strafing again in the early afternoon, when Sqn Ldr H. 'Poppa' Ambrose claimed an He 111 on the ground, sharing a second with Flt Lt Lockyer-Marsh. Twelve more Typhoons from 193 Squadron undertook a shipping sweep over Lübeck, claiming hits on two vessels, one of an estimated 10,000 tons, the other of 8,000 tons. The pilots then strafed some MTBS, and jointly shot down a BV 138 flying boat as it was trying to land. Another big strafing attack was made by 401 Squadron on a grass strip north-east of Kiel, and here 12 Ju 52/3ms, two He 111s and a Ju 87 were claimed to have been destroyed. Flg Off D.B.Dack and Flg Off R.C.Gudgeon claimed three apiece, Sqn Ldr Bill Klersy, Flt Lt L.H.Wattt, Flg Off V.E.Cottrell and Flg Off J.P.W.Francis each claimed two, while Plt Off A.K.Woodhill claimed the 15th.

At 1745 Flt Lt C.J.McDonald and Wt Off J.R.Duncan of 486 Squadron each claimed a Ju 88 shot down north-west of Jagel, but during the day two of this unit's Tempests were brought down by Flak, both pilots force-landing, one of them suffering injuries.

Towards the end of a successful day's strafing, 443 Squadron encountered a Ju 88 which was brought down by Sqn Ldr T.J.DeCourcy, Flt Lt R.G.Sim and Flg Off W.A.Marshall jointly, falling to the west of Kappeln.

122 Wing's Tempests enjoyed further success at 1450 when Wt Off A.J.Brocklehurst of 56 Squadron saw an Fw 190 flying south-west 12 miles north-east of Lübeck at 3,000 feet. He attacked and the pilot was seen to bale out. 3 Squadron then attacked Grossenbrode airfield, where great execution was achieved. In short order 13 aircraft were claimed destroyed and five more damaged. Included were two Fw 190s, two Fw 44s, two Do 24s, a Ju 87, Ju 52/3m, Ju 352 and four unidentified types destroyed, plus two BV 138s, two Ar 232 gliders and one unidentified type damaged. The Do 24s, Ju 352, BV 138s and Ar 232s were all claimed personally by Flt Lt Clostermann.

Wg Cdr Schrader and Flt Lt A.G.P.Jennings undertook a similar attack on a landing ground at Schönberg in two of 616 Squadron's Meteors, where they were able to claim a Storch, a Ju 87, an He 111 and a Bf 109 destroyed, plus another Ju 87 and a Ju 52/3m damaged. The Storch had been in the process of landing when the attack began, and came very close to being the Meteor's first aerial victory--but it was not to be, and its wheels were on the ground by the time it was struck by 20 mm shells.

416 Squadron had enjoyed a fairly uneventful day when at 1845 Flg Off Rex W.Tapley and Plt Off Larry E.Spurr intercepted and shot down a Do 217 west of Schwarzenbek.

The final attack of the day again had Grossenbrode as its target as Wg Cdr Evan Mackie led Tempests of 3 Squadron back to the area of the unit's earlier triumph. Here Mackie personally claimed an He 111, a Storch and an unidentified type destroyed, while Plt Off Torpy claimed damage to three He 111s and two other aircraft. One Tempest had failed to return from the days operations, Flt Lt J.Bone crashing near Kiel - the only Tempest pilot to be killed on operations during the early days of May (despite what might have been published elsewhere).

The only act of defiance encountered in the air had been experienced by 421 Squadron, this unit's Spitfires being 'bounced by a lone Fw 190D without effect. Nonetheless, the day had not been without its cost, for 13 aircraft had been shot down with at least five more damaged. The former included five Typhoons, five Spitfires and three Tempests, while another Typhoon had succumbed to engine failure. However, only four pilots had lost their lives, all but one of them in Typhoons. The last of these casualties was particularly poignant, Flt Sgt J.A. Brown, newly arrived on 181 Squadron, having begged to be included in what could have been his only chance to fly an operational mission; he paid for his enthusiasm with his life.

USAAF
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: In what turns out to be the 9th Air Division’s final mission of World War II, 130 A-26s led by eight B-26 pathfinders attack the munitions factory at Stod. The final bombs are dropped at 1202 hours.

GERMANY: In the final combat missions undertaken by their units in the war, 14 366th Fighter Group P-47s attack ships and harbor facilities between Kiel and Lubeck, and 19 406th Fighter Group P-47s attack a large cargo vessel at Lubeck. These attacks turn out to be the last missions against specific targets undertaken by the Ninth Air Force in World War II.

MTO: The Fifteenth Air Force is grounded by bad weather, but Twelfth Air Force B-25s and P-47s drop leaflets to inform enemy soldiers and civilians in northern Italy and southwestern Austria that hostilities in the region have ended.

BASE CHANGES
92 Sqn (Spitfire VIII) moves to Treviso
145 Sqn (Spitfire VIII) moves to Treviso
241 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Treviso
451 Sqn RAAF (Spitfire LFXVI) moves to Hawkinge
601 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Treviso
616 Sqn (Meteor III) moves to B.156 Luneburg

FIRST AND LAST OPERATIONAL MISSIONS
1 Sqn (Coltishall) flies its first OM in the Spitfire F21
341 Sqn (B.113 Varrelbusch) flies its first OM in the Spitfire LFXVI

[warshipbuilder]

401 Sqn RCAF (B.116 Wunsdorf – Spitfire LFIXB)
To-day the weather was not too good for flying and got slowly but steadily worse. We managed to work in only one uneventful Armed Recco. In the GRISHORN/FLENSBURG Area.

However the first official indication that the War is nearly over was received to-day. Instructions have been issued that all hostilities on the Second Amy Front are to cease at 08.00 hrs. on the 5th. However, we are being kept on a state of readiness and further information will no doubt be forthcoming very soon.

BOMBER COMMAND
On 4 May, German officers came to the Tactical Headquarters of Montgomery’s 21st Army Group on Lüneburg Heath and signed a surrender document for all German forces in North-West Germany, Denmark and Holland, to be effective from the following day. Various local surrenders took place elsewhere. On 7 May General Eisenhower, with representatives from Britain, Russia and France, accepted the unconditional surrender of all German forces on all fronts, to be effective from 00.01 hours on 9 May. But the fighting was effectively already over. Allied troops, fully supported by Bomber Command, had liberated the whole of Western Europe in just eleven months of hard fighting. The British Army lost nearly 40,000 men during this campaign. Bomber Command had lost 2,128 aircraft during the same period, with approximately 10,000 airmen being killed.
Many of the bomber squadrons were now earmarked for Tiger Force, to continue the war against Japan, but the dropping of two atom bombs three months later brought the surrender of Japan and the end of the Second World War before Tiger Force left England.

2nd TAF
Still operations continued. Spitfires of 411 Squadron took off on an early patrol at 0540, an hour or so later encountering an He 111 north-west of Flensberg, which Flt Lt.D.F.Campbell and Flg Off T.L.O'Brien shot down for 126 Wing's final aerial victory of the war-2nd TAF's top-scoring Wing.

On what would prove to be 317 Squadron's last operation, two ships were spotted north of Wilhelmshaven; Flt Lt L.Szczerbinski led a strafing attack on one of these which blew up, the explosion ripping one wing off his Spitfire which promptly crashed in the sea.

Tempests of 135 Wing were out strafing during the morning, 33 Squadron claiming damage to a Bf 109 and a Ju 88 at Aurich, while 222 Squadron claimed four aircraft damaged at Husum. 274 Squadron strayed into 83 Group's territory at 0800 and attacked Grossenbrode, on the shores of Mecklenburg Bay, claiming seven destroyed and many damaged. In the afternoon the Squadron's target was Leck. Four more claims were made here. Types claimed during these two attacks were three Do 217s, two Ju 88s, two Me 410s, an He 111, a Ju 52/3m, a Do 24 and an unidentified type as destroyed with ten more aircraft damaged.

A little before midday 222 Squadron was in the air again, following 274 to Grossenbrode, where the unit's pilots claimed three Ju 52/3ms and a Bf 110 destroyed, plus 12 other aircraft damaged. Flg Off J.E.Walker flying his first operational sortie collected "large chunks" of Bf 110 in his starboard wing when his target blew up but managed to return safelly. Grossenbrode was also the target for 245 Squadron Typhoons, Flt Sgt McMahon claiming one Bf 109 destroyed on this airfield. 222 Squadron's attack proved to be the last operational sortie of the war for 84 Group.

This was not the case for 83 Group however, Wg Cdr Mackie leading 486 Squadron in an attack on an unidentified landing strip where he and two of the New Zealand unit's pilots each claimed the destruction of a Storch by strafing, Mackie sharing his with Wt Off Duncan. One Tempest failed to return, Flg Off T.M.Austin force-landing and being (briefly) captured. There is a possibility that his may have been the only 2nd TAF aircraft to fall to an He 162 jet, Lt R.Schmitt of I./JG 1 claiming a Typhoon shot down on this date; however, Austin had been experiencing engine trouble with his Tempest before this exploded, forcing him down. There were no corresponding Typhoon losses.

It was then the turn of 182 Squadron, Typhoons from this unit shooting up Flensburg airfield where three He 177s were claimed destroyed and seven damaged, plus damage to three Bf 109s.

At 1430 Flt Lt Clostermann led eight 3 Squadron Tempests to the area of the Danish border near Schleswig-Holstein. Here ten aircraft were claimed destroyed and five damaged. Most of these were flying boats and floatplanes, although three Ju 352s were amongst the destroyed, plus one of these damaged. Of the water-borne types were four Do 24s, two Do 18s and a BV 138, plus two more Do 24s and two He 115s damaged. The two Do 18s were claimed by Clostermann for his final successes of the war.

That evening all German forces in north-west Germany and northern Holland laid down their arms unconditionally in a separately arranged cessation of hostilities with 21st Army Group, although fighting continued elsewhere, particularly in the East.

USAAF
ETO: The 9th Air Division is ordered to stand down, but Ninth Air Force fighters fly armed-reconnaissance missions (amounting to 356 effective sorties) throughout regions of Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia not yet occupied by Allied ground forces. GAF aircraft on the ground are strafed (29 jet fighters are destroyed), and several ships (including two submarines) are bombed and strafed at sea near Kiel and Flensburg. Also, six GAF aircraft are downed during the day, including the last jet fighter (of 16) to be credited to the Ninth Air Force.

At 1820 hours, commanders of German military forces in the West sign the instrument of surrender.

ITALY: As U.S. Fifth Army ground units reach the Austro-Italian frontier by way of Brenner Pass, XXII TAC P-47s and a few Fifteenth Air Force fighters continue to fly armed-reconnaissance missions over German-occupied regions.

BASE CHANGES
72 Sqn (Spitfire LFIXB) moves to Rivolto
111 Sqn (Spitfire IXC) moves to Rivolto

[warshipbuilder]

5-5-45
401 Sqn RCAF (B.116 Wunsdorf – Spitfire LFIXB)
Patrols are continued to-day and we carried out 2 four man patrols before 08.00 hrs. Both were uneventful.

2nd TAF
Despite the ending of operations which were supposed to include a complete ban on further flights by Luftwaffe aircraft, attempts to escape still continued initially. Consequently, when 130 Squadron despatched three Spitfire XIVs to patrol over Hamburg at 0545, the pilots encountered an Si 204 over the sea west of the city at 0630. This was at once shot down in flames by Flt Lt D.G.Gibbins and Wt Off V.J.Seymour - 2nd TAF's last engagement and victory of the war.

The close of hostilities rendered unnecessary a drive into Denmark which Montgomery had been planning, and consequently during the day 3 Squadron provided escorts to Dakotas flying in troops to take over control of that country from the Germans. 125 Wing was rapidly re-organised into a composite unit by the addition of the Tack Spitfire XIVs of 414 Squadron and 137 Squadron with its Typhoons. In the event it was to be only 41 and 137 Squadrons that flew into B.160 at Kastrup on the 9th.

USAAF
ETO: The surrender of German forces in the West becomes effective at 0800 hours.

The Ninth Air Force flight operations are limited to six reconnaissance missions.

GERMANY: XXII TAC fighters strafe many GAF aircraft located on the ground at an airdrome near Munich.

ITALY: XXII TAC P-47s continue to fly armed-reconnaissance missions over German-occupied regions.

BASE CHANGES
43 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Rivolto
93 Sqn (Spitfire IX) moves to Rivolto