January, 1944
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14th
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This night became the Fifth operation planned for William Uyen.
496 Lancasters and 2 Halifaxes on the first major raid to Brunswick of the war. 38 Lancasters lost, The German running commentary was heard following the progress of the bomber force from a position only 40 miles from the English coast and many German fighters entered the bomber stream soon after the German frontier was crossed near Bremen. The German fighters scored steadily until the Dutch coast was crossed on the return flight. 11 of the lost aircraft were Pathfinders. Brunswick was smaller than Bomber Command's usual targets and this raid was not a success. The city report describes this only as a 'light' raid, with bombs in the south of the city which had only 10 houses destroyed and 14 people killed. Most of the attack fell either in the countryside or in Wolfenbüttel and other small towns and villages well to the south of Brunswick.
82 aircraft - 59 Stirlings, 13 Halifaxes, 10 Mosquitos - attacked flying bomb sites at Ailly, Bonneton and Bristillerie without loss.
11 Mosquitos to Magdeburg and 6 to Berlin, 9 RCM sorties, 2 Serrale patrols, 29 aircraft mine laying off Brest and in the Frisians, 36 OTU sorties. No losses.
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Squadron 78 |
9 aircraft detailed for operations, Gardening on the west end of Norderney
January 15 1944 4 aircraft( JP1..9, JN972, LW342 and JP129 ) planted 'vegetables' as detailed, at 6.000-7.000ft after fix and bearing from the tip of Nordeney Island, but is was so dark that the parachutes were not seen to open.
The Halifax LW288 only dropped 1 'vegetable' 1 hanging up,
4 Halifaxes ( JP120, JN972, LW324 and JP118 )
brought 'vegetables' back owing to failure of H.2.S. Equipment.
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January 14th, 1944 |
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Handley Page Halifax II |
JP120 EY-P |
January 14th |
Target Frisians |
Airborn: |
16:47 hour, Breighton Yorkshire
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No Bombing
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Failure of H2S |
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Landed:
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23:20 hour, Breighton Yorkshire
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Crew JP120 EY-P: |
F/O Hudson, H
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(capt.) |
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F/O Robertson, W. |
(Nav) |
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P/O Uyen, William |
(B.A.) |
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Sgt. Monks, H. |
(W.Op) |
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Sgt. Hillis, J. |
(F.Eng) |
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P/O Lane, Jack |
(R.G.) |
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Sgt. Moris, J. |
(M.U.) |
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Returned early |
JP120 |
Vegetables brought back owing to failure of H.2.S. equipment. Gee also u/s after 5 E: Gardening area reached. Weather: Visibility Clear in garden area. Some slight haze. Very Dark.
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Returned early |
JN972 |
Vegetables brought back owing to failure of H.2.S. equipment.
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Returned early |
LW324 |
Vegetables brought back owing to failure of H.2.S. equipment.
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Returned early |
JP118 |
Vegetables brought back owing to failure of H.2.S. equipment.
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RAF operations dropping mines in strategic sea lanes, usually at the request of the CoS Naval Liaison Officer based at High Wycombe. As a spinoff, Bletchley Park cryptanalysts used German reports of Gardening activities to obtain decryption information on Enigma transmissions
Mine laying missions, or “gardening” sorties, so called because sectors of the coastal waters around Europe were given code-names based on fruits and vegetables.
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January 1944 |
15th -- 19th |
No operations or standby for squadron 78
Weather: Cloudy with poor visibility for the rest of the week.
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