March 1945 Daily Operations

March 31, 1945

100 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 425, 426, and 432 squadrons were joined by 100 Lancasters from 419, 424, 427, 428, 429, 431, 433, and 434 on an attack at the Blohm & Voss shipyards at Hamburg. The crews were over the target at between 17,000 and 19,500 feet, releasing 1,908,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, the target was cloud covered but extensive damage was caused in the industrial area of Hamburg. The 6 group was in the last wave of the attack and were attacked by many ME-262s. 8 crews failed to return, mostly due to attacks by these aircraft.

F/O K. Blyth, RCAF–POW, and crew from 408 squadron, flying Halifax VII NP-806, coded EQ-Q, failed to return from this operation.

F/O V. Clark from 415 squadron was hit by flak, there were holes in both inner nacelles and fuselage.
P/O V. Clothier was hit by flak, there were holes in the stbd inner nacelle.
F/O G. Hyland, RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III MZ-922 coded 6U-C, failed to return from this operation.

F/O M. Martin and crew from 419 Squadron, flying Lancaster X KB-857 coded VR-N, fired on 3 ME-262s, there were no claims or damages.
F/Lt H. Collard and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-878 coded VR-I, fired at 2 ME-262s, there were no claims or damages.
P/O J. Horner and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-783 coded VR-F, fired at an ME-262, there were no claims or damages.
F/Lt W. Manning and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-748 coded VR-O, were attacked by an ME-262, there were no claims or damages.
F/O D. Lambroughton and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-851 coded VR-W, fired at 2 ME-262s, there were no claims.

F/O D. Bowes, RCAF and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-869, coded VR-Q, failed to return from this operation.

F/Lt H. Metivier, RCAF, and crew flying Lancaster X KB-761, coded VR-H, failed to return from this operation.

P/O H. Tulk,

P/O M. Callahan from 420 squadron was hit by flak, not serious.
F/O J. Fawcett had the stbd outer go u/s on return. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.

F/Lt D. Sanders and crew from 424 Squadron, flying Lancaster I RF-148 coded QB-A, fired on an ME-262 that had just shot down a Lancaster on the port quarter, there was no damage but it is thought there may have been a few strikes on the ME-262.
F/O W. Beckett and crew, flying Lancaster I PB-897 coded QB-B, were attacked 4 times by ME-262s. There was no claim or damage.
F/Sgt W. Cozens and crew, flying Lancaster I NG-451 coded QB-E, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no damage but thought there may have been strikes as it broke away over top at about 10 yards.
F/O J. Watson and crew, flying Lancaster I NG-281 coded QB-X, were attacked 3 times by ME-262s. There was no damage and one was claimed destroyed after strikes were seen on one of the engines. After more strikes at 250 yards it lost control and with flames streaming down the underside of the fuselage, it spiraled into the clouds, still on fire.
F/O G. Gracie and crew flying Lancaster I NG-489 coded QB-L were attacked 4 times by ME-262's, there was no damage and some strikes were seen.

F/O L. Dumais from 425 squadron was hit by flak, not serious. The crew seen one bomber shot down by rockets from an ME-262.
F/Lt C. Lesense, RCAF, and crew flying Halifax III MZ-418, coded KW-C, failed to return from this operation.

F/Lt D. Hamilton from 426 squadron returned early as the stbd inner was u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.

F/O W. Inch and crew from 427 Squadron, flying Lancaster I NX-550 coded ZL-V, fired at an ME-262, was claimed damaged as it went through a cloud with a streak of black smoke.
F/Lt A. Lock and crew, flying Lancaster I NX-553 coded ZL-H, fired at an ME-262 attacking another Lancaster, there was no claim.
F/Lt R. Gould and crew, flying Lancaster III ME-393 coded ZL-D, fired on an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
F/O D. McNeill and crew, flying Lancaster III NX-552 coded ZL-S, were attacked by a JU-88, an ME-163 and an ME-262. They were hit in the elevators, rudders, and fuselage. Some strikes were seen on the ME-163 and it rolled into a vertical dive, emitting black smoke, and was lost from view in the clouds below. It was claimed destroyed.
F/O S. Matheson and crew, flying Lancaster III PA-271 coded ZL-W, were hit by flak, there were holes in the cockpit, rear turret, bomb bay, and fuel tank. They were also attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.

F/O R. Boyle from 428 squadron returned early as the port inner caught fire and the stbd outer was running poorly. The landed safely at base on 3 engines.
F/O D. Varden was hit by flak, there were holes in the port wing and bomb bay.
F/O D. Walsh and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-843 coded NA-D, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
F/Lt R. Hay and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-794 coded NA-W, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
F/O A. Mutch and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-864 coded NA-S, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
F/O D. Brown and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-816 coded NA-E, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
F/Sgt D. Desereux and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-764 coded NA-B, were attacked 3 times by ME-262s, there was no claim or damage.
F/O G. Johnson and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-879 coded NA-Y, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
W/O2 R. Quinn and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-795 coded NA-Q, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
F/O D. Payne and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-791 coded NA-A, fired on a ME-262 attacking another Lancaster, both gunners fired and strikes were seen, it burst into flame in the fuselage and wing root and spiraled vertically through the cloud below with pieces coming off.
W/Cdr M. Gall and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-838 coded NA-O, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.

W/O2 K. Weld and crew from 429 Squadron flying Lancaster III RA-571 coded AL-D fired at two ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
F/O S. Avis and crew, flying Lancaster I PA-226 coded AL-H, were attacked 4 times by an ME-262s, there was no claims but the Lancaster had a large hole in the stbd wing and aileron.
F/O H. Humphries and crew, flying Lancaster III ME-536 coded AL-Q, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no damage but claim a probable as parts were seen to come off the starboard wing on the enemy aircraft. It was last seen in a spiral heading through the clouds.
F/O R. Pike and crew, flying Lancaster I PD-209 coded AL-K, were attacked by an ME-262, as it broke away it was emitting black smoke before it entered cloud, hotly pursued by 3 mustangs.
F/Lt R. Mitchell and crew, flying Lancaster I RF-207 coded AL-S, fired at an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
F/O R. Jones, RCAF–POW and crew, flying Lancaster I NG-345, coded AL-V, failed to return from this operation.

F/O C. Heaven and crew from 431 Squadron, flying Lancaster X KB-801 coded SE-S, were attacked 3 times by ME-262s. On the first attack many strikes were seen with debris and smoke coming out. The tail assembly came off and it fell end over end to the ground. There were no claims on the other two attackers.
F/O D. Bowdiggin and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-773 coded SE-P, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
F/O J. Patterson and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-872 coded SE-N, were attacked by 2 ME-262s. There were no claims or damage.
F/Lt H. Granger was hit by flak, there were holes in the stbd wing and nose.
F/Lt J. Lourie was hit by flak, there were holes in the port wing and fuselage.
F/Lt G. McNeill and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-812 coded SE-F, were attacked by 2 ME-262s, there was no claim or damage.
F/Lt P. Hurley RCAF--POW, and crew flying Lancaster X KB-859, coded SE-U, failed to return from this operation.

F/O L. Loppe from 432 squadron returned early as the port outer was u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.

P/O H. Batty and crew from 433 Squadron flying Lancaster I RF-149 coded BM-A were attacked by a ME-262, there was no claim or damage.

P/O B. Jensen and crew, flying Lancaster I PB-908 coded BM-C, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
W/O2 M. Smyth and crew, flying Lancaster I PB-893 coded BM-G, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
F/O W. Otton and crew, flying Lancaster I RA-509 coded BM-P, were attacked 3 times by ME-262s, there were no claims or damages.
F/Lt A. Strelchuk and crew, flying Lancaster I RA-511 coded BM-Q, were attacked by an ME-262, it was claimed damaged.
F/O D. Pleiter and crew, flying Lancaster I RA-513 coded BM-Y, were hit by flak, not serious. They were also attacked 4 times by ME-262s. Strikes were seen on one and it dove trailing smoke, it was then chased down by 3 Mustangs. The other was fired upon as it was attacking another Lancaster, it dove down trailing smoke. The other Lancaster was seen to burn and breakup in the air with no parachutes. One ME-262 was claimed damaged, and one probably destroyed.
S/Ldr P. Holmes and crew, flying Lancaster I ME-375 coded BM-D, were attacked 5 times by ME-262s, strikes were seen on one as it flew by with parts of the wing coming off and smoke trailing from it. It then went vertically to the ground. It was claimed destroyed.

F/Lt J. Kitchen and crew from 434 Squadron, flying Lancaster X KB-880 coded WL-L, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
F/Lt T. Buttle and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-824 coded WL-E, fired at an ME-262 attacking another Lancaster, there was no claim.
F/O M. Isenberg and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-852 coded WL-R, were attacked by an ME-262, many strikes were seen and as it broke away smoke was seen coming from the port wing and fuselage, it was claimed damaged.
F/O F. Hawes and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-862 coded WL-M, were attacked twice by ME-262's, strikes were seen on the underside of the fuselage with some pieces falling off on the second attack, it was claimed damaged.
F/Lt J. Rothenbush and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-836 coded WL-P, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
F/Lt T. Coghlan and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-844 coded WL-W, were attacked by an ME-262, there was no claim or damage.
F/O T. Dawson and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-849 coded WL-T, were attacked 3 times by ME-262s, on the first attack many strikes were seen on the fuselage and wings and at 50 yards it seemed to stall and then fall out of control through the clouds it was claimed probably destroyed. There were no claims on the next two attacks.
F/O G. Haliburton, RCAF, and crew flying Lancaster X KB-911, coded WL-U, failed to return from this operation.

¹Flying Officer K. Blyth has written a book about his time with 408 squadron, this operation, and his time in a POW camp. The book is called “Cradle Crew”, a very nice read... It is available at Sunflower University Press, or at Chapters.ca .