JR506

MN691

PD492

S/L R.G. Crosby

F/L K.F. Sage

F/O B.E. Bell

F/O C.A. Lambert

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08:45

Details of Sortie or Flight

S/L Crosby led four aircraft off to do a weather recce over the target area. They carried 500 lb bombs fused with 11 sec delay fuses. On taking-off they flew through some low cloud which combined with the darkness of the early morning made visibility poor; because of this Red 4 (F/L Lambert) failed to form up as he was not able to maintain visual contact with the other three aircraft; he returned to base. The section of three set course and climbed between two layers of cloud, the lower with a top at 4000 feet and the upper with base at 7000 feet. They crossed the Rhine, barely visible beneath cloud, and flew on into Germany. The cloud remained 9/10 to 10/10ths all the way in, so the three kites turned about and on the way out, found a hole over the railway running east from Wesel towards Dorsten, Germany. They went down through this in a fairly steep dive, releasing their bombs and climbing back above cloud. Because of the type of fusing, they weren't in a good position to observe results but saw one explosion that looked like a probable cut on one of the rails at least at A.355423. All aircraft  returned safely.

MN691

MN482

RB198

MN144

MN145

PD461

PD459

F/O R.H. Laurence

F/O A.W. Saunders

F/O W. Anderson

F/O W. Kubicki

F/L J. Carr

F/O J.L. Harrison

F/O L.C. Shaver

P/O D.E. Johnson

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11:50

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The Squadron this time was briefed with each flight to cover a separate area in an armed recce and also to pass a report on the weather. They took off, armed with 500 lb bombs (11 sec delay fused) as a Squadron , F/O Laurence leading Red Flight and F/L Carr Blue Flight; once airborne, they set course independently for the target area. Red Flight flew a course of 060 degrees, flying above 10/10ths cloud and crossing the Rhine just below Emmerich, visible through a break in the cloud. A steady course for 12 or 13 minutes found a break in cloud, so the flight swung south and after flying for some time, broke over a thin layer of cloud that exposed Munster (Germany) below, and the marshalling yards teaming with activity.

F/O laurence went down quickly with his number two, laying their bombs in the rail yards; when he pulled up, Red 3  (F/O Anderson) and Red 4 (F/O Kubicki) went down. Considerable light flak and some heavy was encountered. Claims were difficult to make because of cloud, though all bombs were in a congested area. One warehouse seemed badly hit and belched volumes of brown smoke. Red Flight then returned to base.

Blue Flight found the same conditions as Red Flight and searched in vain for an opening in cloud - north of Coesfeld, Germany, they found a railway slightly visible and dropped their bombs on this., but didn't score a hit. They turned about and returned to base.