Thread: Help! Bomber Command Experts

Hello Nabber,

Welcome to the forum.

As far as the loss of A-Apple is concerned I have the following......

3-4 October 1943

76 squadron
Halifax V DK203 MP-A
Op. Kassel

Lt. N S D. Eckoff RNAF +
Sgt. A. Hayes inj
Sgt. S. Meieran RNAF pow
Sgt. R. Coupe pow
Sgt. J. Skjelanger RNAF pow
Sgt. C H E. Coster pow
F/O. M G. Sheerman +


Took off 1830 hrs from Holme-on-Spalding Moor. Shot down by night-fighter (Lt heinz Vinke, II./ NJG1) and crashed 2322hrs onto a sandbank 400 metres east of Terschelling, where F/O. Sheerman is buried in Westerschelling General Cemetery. Sgt. Hayes died from his injuries on 6 October; he rests in Leeuwarden Northern General Cemetery. Sgt. Skjelanger RNAF was amongst a group of prisoners who arrived at Liverpool on 6 February 1945, aboard the Arundel Castle.


BCL Vol.4 - W R. Chorley

76 Squadron lost four aircraft on this raid.


The Kassel raid 3/4 October 1943

Kassel: 547 aircraft - 223 Halifaxes, 204 Lancasters, 113 Stirlings, 7 Mosquitos. The H2S 'blind marker' aircraft overshot the aiming point badly and the 'visual markers' could not correct this because their view of the ground was restricted by thick haze. German decoy markers may also have been present. The main weight of the attack thus fell on the western suburbs and outlying towns and villages. 24 aircraft - 14 Halifaxes, 6 Stirlings, 4 Lancasters - lost, 4.4 per cent of the force.

Thanks for the info CXX, I had no idea that so many aircraft were involved in one bombing raid,

I hope to have 3 more photos ready shortly , of a Lancaster with the marking "P" underneath the side of the front turret,
Regards Nabber

P is probably for Pathfinder, but would need to see her markings to verify that.

As to over 500 bombers on a raid, by 1943 they were building up to the millennium raids of over a thousand bombers, admittedly to make up this number they had to pull in crews and aircraft that had yet to fnish operational training. However several hundred for one target, especial somewhere like Kessel was quite normal by '44/'45.

What precisely are you wanting to know?

Kitty

It must have been absolutely frightening to have been on the receiving end of that kind of destructive power, but as someone who never had to face the horrors of war (born April 1945) I find it difficult to understand how crews who were not fully prepared where sent on such raids when our losses were so high?
Also do you know the significance of Kassel?

Regards Nabber?

Originally Posted by nabber

Kitty

It must have been absolutely frightening to have been on the receiving end of that kind of destructive power, but as someone who never had to face the horrors of war (born April 1945) I find it difficult to understand how crews who were not fully prepared where sent on such raids when our losses were so high?
Also do you know the significance of Kassel?

Regards Nabber?

Significance! In what way do you mean?


Cheers

Geoff

Sorry Geoff,

What I meant to ask was the reason Kassel was chosen as a target,

Nabber

I think Kassel was UBoats, but not entirely sure, I would have to double check.