Frankfurt

March 1944

22^nd

Tonight is Williams Tenth operation and his first one after his crash on February 15th.
Together with a new group he went on his way to Frankfurt.


816 aircraft - 620 Lancasters, 184 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitos. Again, an indirect route was employed, this time crossing the Dutch coast north of the Zuider Zee and then flying almost due south to Frankfurt. This, and the Kiel mine laying diversion, confused the Germans for some time; Hannover was forecast as the main target. Only a few fighters eventually found the bomber stream. 33 aircraft - 26 Lancasters, 7 Halifaxes - were lost,
The marking and bombing were accurate and Frankfurt suffered another heavy blow; the city's records show that the damage was even more severe than in the raid carried out 4 nights earlier. Half of the city was without gas, water and electricity 'for a long period'. All parts of the city were hit but the greatest weight of the attack fell in the western districts. The report particularly mentions severe damage to the industrial areas along the main road to Mainz. 162 B-17s of the Eighth Air Force used Frankfurt as a secondary target when they could not reach Schweinfurt 36 hour after this RAF raid and caused further damage. The Frankfurt diary has this entry: "The three air raids of 18th, 22nd and 24th March were carried out by a combined plan of the British and American air forces and their combined effect was to deal the worst and most fateful blow of the war to Frankfurt, a blow which simply ended the existence of the Frankfurt which had been built up since the Middle Ages."
20 Mosquitos bombing night-fighter airfields, 128 Halifaxes and 18 Stirlings minelaying in Kiel Bay and off Denmark, 22 Mosquitos on diversion and harassing raids to Berlin, Dortmund, Hanover and Oberhausen, 16 RCM sorties and 16 Serrate patrols. 1 Halifax minelayer lost.
20 OTU Wellingtons carried out leaflet flights to France without loss.

Squadron 78

23 aircraft detailed for operations,
March 22 1944 2 aircraft did not take off.
Weather in the country: Cloudy with occasional slight rain. Moderate to good visibility.

This night was the first flight for William Uyen after his crash on February 15.
Together with a new group he went on his way to Frankfurt.

The ground crew managed to prepare 10 aircraft for take off
on a ' Gardening ' operation at Kiel Bay.
and 11 aircraft for take off to attack Frankfurt

The HX355, LV788, LV820, LV903, HX241, LV899, LV872,
LV876, LV868 and LV905 took the planed route to Kiel Bay

The LW515, LV815, LW515, LK749, LW507, LV795, LW512,
LW510, LW511, LW520 and LK 762 were detailed for operation at Frankfurt.

Handley Page Halifax III

LK749 EY-J

The primary target was attacked and bombed at 22:02 hour, from a height of 20.500ft.
Target identified by P.F.F. TI markers, Bombed centre of two red T.I.s.
Large fires seen over target area.

The LK749 crashed on March 26 1944 whit a different crew.

Hitler jugend is cleaning up the mess

Returned early

LV788

returned early from his gardening on Kiel Bay owing to H2S being unserviceable.
Furthest point reached mid North-Sea at 55.00N/04.30E

Returned early

LV905 EY-W

managed to get out over sea just after Bridington and returned earlyfrom gardining on Kiel Bay
owing to H2S problems at 54.07N/00.05E

Returned early

LW515

returned early owing to GEE being unserviceable
Furthest point reached on his run to Frankfurt at 53.55N/02.10E.
Bombs were jettisoned in the sea.

Returned early

LW520

This aircraft returned early owing to port outer engine being unserviceable.
Furthest point reached on his run to Frankfurt, mid North-Sea at 54.03N/02.45E

Lost in Combat

LW512 EY-Q

is reported missing after being shot down by a JU88 night fighter, 1 POW, 6 killed.
One reference suggests that LW512 was attacked by a Ju88 but a second reference appears to more convincingly suggest that the night fighter was a Me Bf110 flown by German Ace, Oblt. Martin "Tino" Becker, 2./NJG 6, who departed Finthen (Mainz) at 2020 and returned at 2313 having claimed a remarkable score of six aircraft shot down. He was flying a Me Bf110 coded MK when he intercepted LW512 near Trier at 18,000 feet and shot it down at 2239. Out of control the bomber hit the ground near the town of Mohrweiler, Germany.

Airborne 19.07 hour from Breighton. Shot down by a Ju88 or BF110 from 18,000 feet near Trier. Out of control, the bomber plunged into the ground at Mohrweiler, 10 km NNE of Bitburg. Those killed are now buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Sgt S.Hampson KIA Sgt S.L.Toon KIA Sgt F.G.Rees KIA Sgt R.A.Renwick KIA Sgt P.F.Beard KIA Sgt T.A.Liddy KIA Sgt S.A.Waterhouse PoW Sgt S.A.Waterhouse was interned in Camps L6/357, PoW No.3392

Only the rear gunner Sgt. S. A. Waterhouse managed to bail out. He was interned in Camps L6/357, PoW No.3392. Again there is a discrepency as to some of the facts. One reference suggests that the rest of the crew was buried in the Reichswald Forest Cemetery while another shows the Rheinberg Cemetery, both of which are close to one another, the latter appearing to be the correct reference.
Info from: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hero/rees.html

Franfurt am Mein is totally distroyed after the attacks of
britisch and later amarican bombers.

March 1944

23^th

No operation or standby for squadron 78