Avro Lancaster

by Richard Marks

  Harris was keen that the squadrons and crews would not spend too much time Avro-constructed machine

  away from Bomber Command and so a system of rotation for squadrons and fitted with Packard Merlin crews was established.

  engines when first built.

  The Lancaster continued the bombing offensive throughout July with a series of raids against Duisburg and Hamburg, as availability continued to increase.

  On the night of 31 July, 113 Lancasters took part in a raid on Dusseldorf.

  Bomber Command continued to have difficulties with achieving satisfactory results. As a result, discussions took place were had about the creation of a specialist target-finding organization. Harris preferred to extend current tactics rather than creating a specialist force, but eventually relented and agreed to create a specialist Path Finder Force (PFF) to find and mark targets. Harris selected one of his best leaders, Group Captain Donald Bennett, to lead the force. The force was formed on 11 August, headquartered at RAF Warton. The force was initially made up of squadrons from each of the bomber groups, No.

  7 Squadron (Stirlings) from No. 3 Group, No. 156 (Wellingtons) from No. 1

  Group, No. 35 Squadron (Halifaxes) from No. 4 Group, No. 83 Squadron

  (Lancasters) from No. 5 Group and No. 109 Squadron from No. 2 Group

  (initially equipped with a mix of Wellingtons and Lancasters, which were replaced with Mosquitos when they became available).

  The PFF began operations on the night of 18 August when the force marked Flensburg for the main force. The raid was not a great start for the PFF as the forecasted winds were in error and 16 of the 31 Pathfinders bombed north of the town. The second raid, on Frankfurt, was also disappointing since cloud 49

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  obscured the city, but the third attempt, on Kassel, proved more successful.

  Bennett identified a number of issues, but it was only a matter of time before equipment and tactics would produce better results. The PFF was

  assisted by the availability of Oboe and H2S to equip the force by the end of the year. More pressingly, no Lancasters were available as replacements for No. 83 Squadron, as No. 49 and No. 9 squadrons were re-equipping with

  Lancasters. There were also issues with operating four different types of aircraft in the force. Operating altitudes and ground speeds differed, which needed to be taken into account, and it was expected that losses would be higher among the PFF as it was flying ahead of the main force and was likely to be engaged by the night fighter force over Europe, although this was less of a problem to the Lancaster crews than it was for the crews of the other types.

  This put a lot of pressure on the only PFF Lancaster squadron at the time. The personnel of No. 83 Squadron had a lot of pride in making the maximum

  number of aircraft available each night. The Lancaster began really to show its mettle as most of the squadron’s aircraft were getting old and no

  replacements were available. Despite this the squadron carried on, often flying aircraft that were not technically serviceable, but the robust Lancaster did not let them down. The type would prove itself to be capable in other specialized roles as the war progressed.

  Operation Chastise, 16 May 1943

  The Western Air Plan laid down that the German war machine should be

  attacked in the heart of its industrial heartland. The dams and reservoirs of this area were studied in great depth for attack before the war. It was realized by 1938 that the dams presented a difficult target, and that a specialized weapon would be needed with a suitable method to deliver it. The Mohne, Sorpe and Eder dams held the majority of water in the Ruhr, and were

  considered for attack with the Ennepe, Lister and Diemel dams. It was decided that the dams could be attacked in a future war and that the Mohne dam

  should be the priority target, as its destruction would not only seriously affect hydroelectricity generation but would also cause massive flooding in the valley, with associated destruction.

  OPERATION CHASTISE, 16 MAY 1943

  E

  On the night of 16 May 1943, 19 Lancasters from No. 617 Squadron took off from RAF

  Scampton in three waves. Each aircraft carried a single Upkeep mine. The first wave reached its first target, the Mohne Dam, and attacked. The dam was breached by the fifth aircraft to attack, flown by Flight Lieutenant D. J. Maltby. The aircraft flown by Flight Lieutenant J. V.

  Hopgood was shot down during the attack, with only two of the crew surviving. The surviving aircraft which had dropped their bombs turned for Scampton, the others set course for the Eder Dam led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson (who had also released his bomb). The five aircraft met no opposition during their 14-minute flight to the Eder Dam, but struggled to find the dam among the steep valleys. Gibson eventually found the dam and fired red Very lights to guide the other four Lancasters to him. The Eder Dam was completely unprotected, no flak rising to meet the approaching aircraft.

  The first to attack was Flight Lieutenant D. J. Shannon. Shannon made four abortive attempts; each time the crew failed to get to the correct height over the reservoir following the steep dive and sharp turn necessary to approach the dam. On the fifth attempt Shannon dropped his mine, which exploded against the dam wall. Shannon’s Lancaster had all its landing lights switched on to help illuminate the hill beyond the dam. The aircraft climbed safely away from the target.

  The dam was finally broken by the third aircraft to attack, flown by Pilot Officer L. G. Knight.

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  Wing Commander Guy Gibson

  and crew about to board

  Lancaster ED932 prior to

  Operation Chastise.

  A civilian engineer had been working on addressing the need to breach the Ruhr dams for some time. Barnes Wallis was assistant chief designer at

  Vickers-Armstrong Aviation when war broke out in 1939. His initial idea consisted of a massive bomb to be dropped from a great height, which would destroy the dams through shock waves created underground. The idea would result in the Tallboy and Grand Slam bombs, but was not suitable for an attack on the dams. Wallis calculated that charges detonated against the dam wall were capable of weakening it and eventually causing a breach. He calculated that 6,000lb of RDX high explosive would be sufficient. The dams were

  protected by anti-torpedo nets, and so Wallis began his famous experiments in his garden, where he bounced marbles across the surface of water in a tub.

  The bomb was initially spherical in shape, but tended to break up and

  weave off a straight course. The final Upkeep mine was a redesigned barrel shape, which was found to be more reliable. Trials were undertaken with a Wellington and the decision was taken to fit the bomb to the most capable aircraft that Bomber Command had available that was also able to lift the bomb and its release gear. The Lancaster was selected and A. V. Roe began work on the necessary conversions.

  Bomber Command decided that a special squadron would be formed to

  undertake the raid, which, due to the limited time available for training, would have to be made up of some of the most experienced crews in the Command.

  The new squadron was to be in No. 5 Group and Air Vice Marshal The Hon.

  Ralph Cochrane chose one of his most experienced commanders, Wing

  Commander Guy Gibson, to command Squadron ‘X’, as it was initially known.

  No. 617 Squadron was formed at RAF Scampton on 21 March, and crews

  began transferring into the new unit. Initially 617 borrowed Lancasters from other squadrons for training until its own ‘Provisioning’ Lancasters arrived.

  The squadron was ready to go by early May 1943.

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  Nineteen aircraft would be involved in the mission, codename
d Chastise, split into three sections. The first section of nine aircraft, led by Gibson, would attack the Mohne and if successful would move on to the Eder. The second section of five aircraft would attack the Sorpe and the third section of five would act as reserve, briefed to attack ‘last resort’ targets or the main targets if any had not been breached.

  The mission was to be scheduled for when the water levels in the dams

  were at their highest, and the night of 16 May was chosen. The first wave took off from Scampton at 21:30. After crossing the Rhine, an aircraft in the second section, flown by Flight Lieutenant Bill Astell, was hit by flak from two positions, flying on for several miles before it became engulfed in flames.

  Gibson’s section arrived over the Mohne dam unscathed. Gibson attacked first and hit the target despite intense ground fire, but did not breach the dam.

  Flight Lieutenant Hopwood attacked second. His aircraft was badly hit by ground fire during the run and the bomb was released late. The aircraft staggered away from the dam before exploding. Gibson then escorted Flight Lieutenant Martin’s attack to draw some of the ground fire away, but the mine exploded early. Martin and Gibson then escorted Squadron Leader ‘Dinghy’

  Young, who released perfectly. The mine exploded against the dam, but no breach appeared. The fifth aircraft, flown by Flight Lieutenant David Maltby, attacked but just as the Upkeep mine was released, the dam began to collapse.

  The seven remaining Lancasters circled the target to watch the deluge.

  The remaining five aircraft that had not released their mines headed to the Eder dam, led by Gibson, whilst the others returned home. The crew arrived at the Eder to find it completely undefended, although the hilly terrain around the dam required not only great skill from the pilot, but also the full manoeuvrability of the Lancaster. The first to attack was Flight Lieutenant Dave Shannon, whose weapon hit the target and caused a slight breach. Next came Squadron Leader Henry Maudsley, whose weapon fell late, hit the dam wall, and exploded, catching the Lancaster in the blast. Maudsley’s aircraft disappeared, but in fact survived the blast, a testament to the strength of the Lancaster, but was unfortunately shot down by flak on the way back to

  Scampton, none of the crew surviving. Last to attack was Pilot Officer Les Knight, whose mine was released perfectly, bouncing to the dam and sinking before exploding. The mine widened the breach in the dam and a great tidal wave swept down the Eder Valley.

  The second wave had left later than Gibson’s wave, and two aircraft were forced to return. Flight Lieutenant Munro returned after his Lancaster was damaged by flak and Pilot Officer Rice returned after his Upkeep mine was lost after clipping the sea when flying too low. Two other aircraft were not heard from again. Flight Lieutenant Barlow’s aircraft crashed near the

  German-Dutch border, but no evidence currently exists to explain why. Pilot Officer Byers’ aircraft was shot down by flak off the island of Texel on the Dutch coast. Flight Lieutenant Joe McCarthy pressed on alone to the Sorpe dam and attacked, damaging but not breaching the dam, before returning

  safely to Scampton.

  The third wave, led by Pilot Officer Bill Ottley, crossed the Rhine, where Ottley’s aircraft was hit by flak and exploded. The second aircraft, flown by Pilot Officer Burpee, was shot down by flak over Gilze-Rijen airfield. The third aircraft, flown by Flight Sergeant Anderson (who took off last), returned to Scampton with its Upkeep mine intact. His rear turret had become unserviceable necessitating large detours to avoid areas of heavy flak, and he had also 53

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  A Lancaster bombing Pauillac

  encountered areas of mist making navigation difficult. As a result Anderson oil store and refinery at

  fell behind schedule, and with dawn only an hour away, reluctantly decided to D’Ambes, 4 August 1944

  return to Scampton. Only two aircraft were left to head to the Sorpe dam.

  Flight Sergeant Ken Brown attacked the dam and also hit the target without breaching it, returning safely to Scampton. Flight Sergeant Bill Townend attacked the Ennepe dam without success, and with daylight getting close raced back to Scampton, arriving safely at 06:15, the last to return.

  Chastise had been successful and had once again demonstrated the capability of the Lancaster, with two of the main targets being breached. The losses experienced by the squadron to achieve this were excessively high, however. Eight of the 19 Lancasters despatched failed to return and 53 aircrew lost their lives.

  Operation Gomorrah, July to August 1943

  In July 1943, following the ‘Battle of the Ruhr’, Bomber Command’s attention turned to Hamburg. A ten-day campaign, between 24 July and 3 August, was launched, during which four very heavy and accurate attacks were mounted on the city. Hamburg was Germany’s second largest city and was viewed as a priority target. It was also the country’s largest port. The city and port were outside the range of Oboe but it was considered an ideal target for H2S.

  The first raid on 24 July consisted of 791 aircraft, of which 347 were

  Lancasters. The Lancaster had become a major part of Bomber Command’s

  effort. The raid was spread out over the city, but resulted in large amounts of 54

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  damage to the centre and surrounding districts. The raid marked another landmark; it was the first time that ‘Window’ had been used against the Wurzburg ground radar, and it caused great confusion among the ground defences.

  The force returned to Hamburg three nights later (with 353 Lancasters out of a force strength of 787). Weather conditions caused the concentrated bombing to develop into a firestorm lasting several hours. A third raid on the night of 30 July (with 340 Lancasters out of a force strength of 777) bombed the remaining areas of the city, causing heavy damage. The last raid, on the night of 2 August, was disrupted by bad weather, and many crews bombed

  alternative targets.

  The Lancaster played a major role in the effort against Hamburg. Nearly half of the 3,000 sorties launched against the city were Lancaster sorties.

  Lancasters dropped around 10,000 tons of bombs on the city for the loss of 39 aircraft.

  A precision bomber

  The Lancaster was selected by Bomber Command for use as a precision

  bomber. As the Allies gained air superiority over Europe, the Lancaster was able to operate by day, attacking ‘precision’ targets. A number of attacks were mounted on the V-weapon sites as part of the Crossbow campaign, many by day, starting on the night of 16 June 1944 against four sites in the Pas de Calais.

  The fear of Germany’s new weapons was so great that an immense amount of A Lancaster B. Mark I Special

  effort was put into the bombing campaign against them. The largest raid has just dropped a Tallboy bomb onto an unidentified

  consisted of 535 Lancasters out of a force of 739 aircraft detailed to attack railway bridge in occupied seven V-weapon sites on the night of 24 June.

  Europe.

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  The Germans had built heavily fortified sites in France to house V-1 and V-2 missiles and the V-3 supergun, which were impervious to the standard bombs in use by Bomber Command in 1944. A number of attacks had been

  mounted on the sites, which disrupted construction. Concerns about what the now completed bunkers might contain, especially if it was the V-2 ballistic missile, resulted in a need to destroy the bunkers before they could become fully operational.

  A new weapon had entered Bomber Command’s arsenal, which spelt the

  end of the bunker sites. The Tallboy bomb was the brainchild of Barnes Wallis and was built in two types: the medium Tallboy weighed 6 tons and the large Tallboy 11 tons. The only aircraft capable of carrying the new bomb was the Lancaster with its large bomb bay.

  The V-2 bunker at Wizernes had been targeted before, but its heavily

  reinforced
domed roof had proved impervious to attack. On 17 July a

  Lancaster raid dropped 12 Tallboy bombs on the site and although the dome remained intact, the bombs hit the site and undermined the facility, causing fatal damage, and resulted in its abandonment. The V-2 site at Watten was visited on 25 July by Tallboy-equipped Lancasters, which dropped 15 Tallboy bombs on the site, one of which broke open the rear of the structure.

  The V-1 ‘Wasserwerke’ bunkers were also put out of commission by

  Bomber Command raids, which included Tallboy-carrying Lancasters.

  The last of the V-weapon sites was the Tausenfeussler supergun site at

  Mimoyecques, which was hit and destroyed by Tallboy-carrying Lancasters on 6 July. One of the Tallboys penetrated the gun port slab, destroying it, while three others crashed into the tunnels and exploded.

  The Lancaster’s new role as a precision bomber came to the fore in two

  more raids carried out late in the war. The Admiralty and Winston Churchill had remained concerned about the German battleship Tirpitz, which, despite being heavily damaged by X-craft attack and other air raids, including one Tallboy attack, still lurked in near Tromsø in Norway, where it was seen to pose a threat to the convoys to the Soviet Union and any possible amphibious invasion of Norway. It was decided that Bomber Command should attack the Tirpitz to knock her out of the war once and for all. Previous attacks had damaged the ship, but she still posed a threat. Bomber Command proposed to attack once more from bases in Scotland. Two squadrons who had earned a reputation for precision bombing were to be involved in the attack, No. 617

  and No. 9 squadrons. The two squadrons’ Lancasters were fitted with two extended range fuel tanks in the fuselage, and the nose and dorsal turrets were stripped out to save weight. The engines were also replaced with Merlin T-24s and paddle-bladed airscrews. Operation Catechism was scheduled for 12 November 1944.

  The two squadrons, led by Wing Commander James ‘Willie’ Tait, took off

  at 3:25am, with 29 bombers heading towards Norway at 2,000ft to avoid