Library Reference Number: 055
Peenemunde Raid - 60th Anniversary
> lain Nicolson, DFC.DFM, gives an account of the above raid in story No.15 of the Branch Library. Since the 60th Anniversary of this operation took place on 17/18th August 2003, Harry Fisher who also took part in this raid gives another personal account from his own experience. Harry states it was probably the highlight of his operational career, and this could be echoed by thousands of British civilians living in London and Southern England, as the raid was a major setback to the German programme of developing V1 & V2 rockets. Although numerous rockets were fired indiscriminately causing many British civilian losses, the casualty rate would have been much greater had this raid not set back the German programme by an estimated 9 months. Harry goes on to describe his experience.
From intelligence sources and subsequent photoreconnaissance sorties, it was established that highly secret work was going on at Peenemunde, a rocket and jet experimental station on the Baltic coast. Because of this threat, plans were made for a moonlight precision attack on the site. When we were informed at briefing that the target was Peenemunde, none of the crews had ever heard of the place - but we were about to find out.
Our squadron was in No.3 Group flying Stirlings, and our point of attack along with No.5 Group was to be the Experimental Station. Other Groups were to attack the Workshops and to bomb the specialised workforce with a view to disposing of them. There was to be a 'spoof raid on Berlin by Mosquitoes which might successfully draw off German fighters until much of the main force had attacked their major targets.
With some apprehension we took off from Downham Market on the night of 17th August 1943, and set course for Peenemunde. To reach Peenemunde involved a long flight through well-defended areas making heavy losses likely. However, the objective was worth maximum effort, and probably to boost our egos, we were considered to be some of the most skilled personnel and most reliable Stirlings in No.3 Group. I cannot recall the reason, but probably because it was unserviceable, we were not even flying our usual aircraft. From a total force of 596 aircraft that took part, there were just 54 Stirlings from No.3 Group and only 5 from our Squadron, all five returning safely. Surprisingly, only 2 Stirlings out of the 40 aircraft lost, failed to return. This was due in no small way to the success of the Berlin feint by Mosquitoes, which the German fighters were first vectored to engage. They had only turned their attention in our direction after the Peenemunde bombing raid was well under way.
Attacking in the first wave, initially we encountered virtually no searchlights or flak, but guns did begin to open up and several fighters appeared as the raid developed. Visibility was good and we bombed from 8,000 feet - low-level stuff for Bomber Command - aiming at the green target indicators. The distance from base to target and back was about 1250 miles, and our actual flying time was 6 hours 55 minutes. As lain Nicolson mentioned in his article (story No.15 in Branch Library) the third wave in which he was involved, encountered much stiffer opposition, hence the greater casualties. In our case we had achieved a certain degree of surprise when the main German defences were taken up elsewhere by the diversionary attack on Berlin. By the time the second and third wave entered the target area however, the element of surprise had gone, and they were exposed to the full might of the German defence systems, which had regrouped after the spoof raid on Berlin.
The breakdown of the 40 aircraft missing was as follows:-
Lancasters - 23 (17 out of 117 from No.5 Group)
Halifaxes- 15
Stirlings- 2
Like other events during World War 2, the 60th Anniversary brings us closer to the end of active commemoration by the actual participants of those historical acts that secured our national freedom. It also seems reasonable that these eyewitness accounts should be recorded at first-hand, instead of supposition by others at a later date. I do not know the extent of the damage we inflicted on Peenemunde that night over 60 years ago, but feel sure it delayed by a considerable time the eventual V1 and V2 rocket attacks on London and Southern England later in the war. There must also have been some reason why we never went back.