Library Reference Number: 080
Last of the Thousand Bomber Raids.
Very early operations by RAF Bomber Command during WW2 took the form of a single or a small number of aircraft operating on their
own initiative. Some of these operations are described by Saltire Branch member Andrew Jackson in our Web Library accounts 'First
Raids on Berlin' and 'Before the Advent of the Bomber Stream' Aircraft types and tactics changed dramatically as the conflict
evolved, leading eventually to the thousand bomber raids which brought the Nazi regime to an end in 1945. Details of the final days
of these huge raids are recorded below, and are extracts from the Flying Log Book of Alastair Lamb.
18th April 1945
- Last 1,000 Bomber Raid in Europe (almost) 973 aircraft took part.
- Target: Heligoland
- Total Bomber Force: 973 (617 were Lancasters) 18 Aircraft from No. 15 Squadron
- Target Details:
- 1) Airfield on Dune Island
- 2) Barracks North of the Island
- 3) Dock Installations in the South
- Type of Attack:
- All aircraft bombed on yellow Target Indicators or on Master Bomber Instructions.
- Perfect attack, whole of the Island (2) under a pall of red smoke, saw dense column of oil smoke on target.
- Immediately after bombing, many E-boats shot up by escorting Mustangs while trying to escape.
- Little or no flak.
- I observed an Airborne Lifeboat dropped from a Warwick aircraft.
- Position 0440E 5405N approx.
- Our own aircraft LSZ HK 765
- Bomb Load 10x1,000 4x500
- Duration of Flight - 5 hours 5 mins.
22nd April 1945
- Last Operation of No. 15 Squadron
- Target: Bremen
- Aircraft involved 600/700 - 641 Lancasters.
- Our aircraft name same as on 18th April.
- Bomb Load 1x4.000 14x500
- Duration of Flight - 5 hours 20 mins.
- Details:
- Moderate to severe heavy flak. Our aircraft hit in starboard inner nacelle. Flak defences S.Wilhelmshaven particularly accurate and active G H. attack.
- Saw G1'T' (622 Sqdn aircraft) hit & 6 crew bale out. Last seen circuiting & losing height.
- N.B. The aircraft on which we were supposed to bomb on had u/s equipment & consequently overshot target Bomb-Aimer noticed this & we did not Bomb & brought our load back with the exception of the 4,000 HC Which was jettisoned in the N. Sea jettison area.
* Full details of this can be found in `Lancaster at War' under the title "Late Guests" by the pilot F/Lt.Edward Cook.