Serrate operation report

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Title

Serrate operation report

Description

Marked most Secret. Lists patrol areas. Aircraft in operation (14 took off, 5 returned early and 1 missing). Claims 1 He 177 and one Ju 88.
Detailed description of patrol activity at Beacon "B". Followed by detailed description of patrol activity in target area after bombing. Detailed description of patrol activity a Beacon "S". Finally short description of patrol activity to Beacon "Q" and Sylt area.

Language

Type

Format

Two page typewritten document

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Contributor

Identifier

S102SqnRAF19170809v30003

Transcription

[inserted] 14/2920 [/inserted]

[underlined] MOST SECRET [/underlined]

[underlined] SERRATE [/underlined].

[underlined] Patrols [/underlined] (a) Beacon “B”
(b) Target area after bombing
(c) Beacon “S”
(d) Beacon “Q” and Sylt area.

14 A/C took off 5 returned early.

1 A/C 169 Squadron Missing (W/Cdr. Gracie & F/lt. Wylton-Todd)

[underlined] Claims [/underlined] 1 He 177 claimed destroyed over target
1 Ju 88 claimed damaged in Beacon “B” area

(Note: 1 Ju 88 claimed damaged by Wellington of 192 Squadron)

(a) [underlined] Patrol at Beacon “B” [/underlined]

[inserted] 141/R [/inserted]

2020 hours – 52.30 N. 0920 E 23,000 ft. back A.I. contact which was lost in interference.

141/R – 2055 hours patrol area 23,000 ft. 5 A.I. contacts obtained together. Rear contact singled out and A.I. dog-fight followed for 15 minutes. Visual obtained at 1,000 feet and at 300 ft.
A/C identified as Ju.88. 141/R fired two bursts, strikes observed and stream of sparks came from E/A’s port engine. It peeled off to starboard as went down very steeply with sparks still coming from port engine. A thired [sic] burst fired with unobserved results before E/A disappeared into cloud.
Claimed as damaged.

2110 hours at patrol area, 17,000 ft. back A.I. blip obtained. Held on A.I. though violent evasive action. Some fleeting visuals obtained but no identification. A.I. contact lost after 10 minutes.

2123 hours at patrol area, back A.I. blip. Gave chase but at 2124 hours A.I. Mk. IV. failed.
No Serrate reported except a fleeting contact at the end of the patrol.

169/C Returned early with engine trouble.

169/B Missing

141/M From 0700 ° E to patrol area numerous weak Serrate contacts to North.
At 2044 hours, at patrol area, Serrate contact chased and brief A.I. contact obtained, but enemy aircraft dived away and both A.I. and Serrate contacts lost.

(b) [underlined] Patrol in Target Area after bombing [/underlined]

141/Z Three very weak Serrate contacts on way in, not chased. Arrived target area [inserted] (a few [/inserted] mins. before planned end of bombing). Numerous A.I. contacts caused confusion on A.I. tube. Window added to confusion on A.I. tube but enabled friendlies to be identified. Same Serrate contacts in target area, from various directions, but too weak to chase. At 2135 hours 23,000 ft. visual obtained on white tail light. Range closed aircraft identified as He 117, which was weaving slightly. 141/Z fired [deleted] five [/deleted] [inserted] two [/inserted] bursts and starboard engine and fuselage seen to catch on fire, and enemy aircraft spiralled down in flames.
Claimed as destroyed.

/ continued . . . . . Page 2.

[page break]

[inserted] 142920 [/inserted]

-2- [underlined] MOST SECRET [/underlined]

Cont’d

141/Z Two Serrate contacts observed on way home, one too weak and one too brief to chase. Numerous A.I. contacts on Bomber Stream.

239/A 2059 hours. 5240 N 0640 E, 23, 000 ft. Weak Serrate contact to port. Not chased, though it continued distantly to port until 30 miles West of Berlin.
Arrived target area 2027 hours. No serrate, but numerous A.I. contacts, no chases resulted in a visual A.I. Mark IV reported U/S for last part of patrol in target area.
On way back a brief Serrate contact when E. of BREMEN.
At 2259 hours, 5240 N 0850 E Serrate contact obtained and chased East for 20 minutes. E/A diving and climbing as if under ground control. Chase abandoned owing to lack of fuel. Serrate reported U/S after this chase.

169/P No Serrate contacts at all reported. No A.I. contacts obtained until target area was reachd [sic] at 2140 hours. In target area A.I. tube swamped by large number of contacts.
On way home many A.I. blips from the bomber stream.

(c) [underlined] Beacon “S” [/underlined] (patrolling from Beacon S in a South-Easterly direction)

141/N Four brief and weak Serrate contacts at patrol area. None could be chased for more than a minute or so. Number of A.I. contacts on bombers.

141/U Returned early with engine trouble.

239/M No Serrate contacts at all reported. Several A.I. contacts followed in patrol area, but none turned to visual. At 2150 hours, 5225 N, 1200 E, 23, 000 ft. fighter flares seen to be dropped. Flew an estimated cut-off vector, and 3 A.I. contacts obtained at 11, 000 ft., but they were lost after closing to 6, 000 feet.
On way back on two occasions, two back A.I. blips received. Attempted to come round behind them, but they were lost, in one case due to interference.

169/H Two very weak Serrate contacts reported on way in, one weak contact when in the patrol area, and another on the way home over the Frisian Islands. No chases reported. Many A.I. contacts on bomber stream when in patrol area.

169/N Returned early owing to trouble with the Oxygen system.

(d) [underlined] Patrol to Beacon “Q” and Sylt area [/underlined].

239/B Returned early with engine trouble.

169/D Returned early with A.I. and intercomm. [sic] trouble.

[underlined] Interference [/underlined].
Of the eight A/C completing their patrols, all reported a certain amount of interference on A.I. Mk.IV when over enemy territory. It appeared to be most severe N. of the Ruhr and the HANNOVER area. Most of the reports suggested that it could be worked through except at long range.
Serrate interference was reported by two of the aircraft, which they ascribed to Grocer.

Citation

“Serrate operation report,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed March 29, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/38351.

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