Bomber Command intelligence narrative of operations no 747
Title
Bomber Command intelligence narrative of operations no 747
Description
Mentions day operations by two Mosquitos on 15 February. Gives description of night operation to Berlin with total of 891 aircraft dispatched. Lists types and numbers. Gives outline of weather and account of operation, results of bombing, amount of anti-aircraft fire, Includes 100 Group operations. Brief mention of diversionary attack on Frankfurt-am-Oder and attack on Aachen. Mention of friendly fighter operations, special duties and minelaying.
Date
1944-02-16
Spatial Coverage
Language
Format
Two page typewritten document
Publisher
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
S102SqnRAF19170809v30005, S102SqnRAF19170809v30006
Transcription
[inserted] AIR24/265 M47 [/inserted]
[underlined] SECRET IMMEDIATE BY TELEPRINTER [/underlined]
From:- Headquarters, Bomber Command. 161630A
Air Ministry WhItehall, Nos 1, 3 4 5 6 8 91 92 93 100 Groups and all Bomber Command Stations in these Groups RAF N Ireland Nos 1 2 3 Bombardment Divisions. Coastal Command
Info Admiralty Nos 15 16 17 18 19 Groups
[underlined] BOMBER COMMAND INTELLIGENCE NARRATIVE OF OPERATIONS NO 747 [/underlined]
Covering period 1200 hrs 14 Feb to 1200 hrs 16 Feb
[underlined] Narrative of Operations. [/underlined]
[underlined] Day 14th February [/underlined] No Operations.
[underlined] Night 14/15th February [/underlined] No Operations.
[underlined] Day 15th February [/underlined] 2 Mosquitoes of 8 (P.F.) Group carried out Met recce flights.
[underlined] Night 15/16th February [/underlined]
(i) [underlined] BERLIN [/underlined]
A total of 891 a/c were despatched to renew the attack on the German capital; this is the largest force employed on this target up to the present time. It consisted of:-
161 Lancasters of 1 Group.
66 Lancasters of 3 Group
177 Halifaxes of 4 Group
226 Lancasters of 5 Group
32 Lancasters and 118 Halifaxes of 6 Group
16 Mosquitoes, 19 Halifaxes and 76 Lancasters of 8 (P.F.) Group.
There was broken cloud over the North Sea, which gradually thickened until it was 10/10ths thick cloud over the target with tops reported from 6,000 to 12,000 ft. At least 754 a/c attacked, bombing the P.F. markers, the majority of crews bombing on the R.P. flares which were reasonably well concentrated. Results were unobserved in the early stages of the attack owing to the density of the cloud, later reports, however, indicate that a good concentration was achieved and several large explosions were seen. Aircraft on the target after the main force had left, report a huge pall of black smoke over the city rising to a height of approximately 20,000 ft, also a large pear-shaped area of fire tapering to the south and centred in the north and north-east of the target area.
Flak defences were more intense than usual in the early stages, but died down as the attack progressed. The usual fighter flares were seen over the target, but there were fewer sightings of enemy fighters than usual.
Some reports are still outstanding. 42 a/c are missing.
100 Group despatched 14 Mosquitoes to co-operate with intruder patrols. 1 Mosquito is missing.
/Over . . .
[page break]
(ii) [underlined] FRANKFURT-AM-ODER [/underlined]
24/24 [deleted] Mosquitoes [/deleted] [inserted] Lancasters [/inserted] of 8 (P.F.) Group carried out a diversionary attack in 10/10ths cloud between 2113hrs and 2125 hrs.
(iii) [underlined] AACHEN [/underlined]
1/2 Mosquitoes of 8 (P.F.) Group attacked from 27,000 ft. Weather 10/10ths cloud with tops at approximately 5,000 ft. The remaining a/c dropped its bombs in the Aachen area owing to an operational failure.
(iv) [underlined] Fighter A/F in Holland. [/underlined]
15/19 Mosquitoes of 8 (P.F.) Group attacked the A/F's at [two indecipherable words], GILZE-RIJEN, TWENTE-ENSCHEDE and VENLO in conditions of 10/10ths cloud by means of special apparatus.
(v) 1 Halifax, 6 Wellingtons and 2 Mosquitoes of 100 Group carried out Special Duty patrols.
(vi) [underlined] MINELAYING [/underlined]
5/6 Wellingtons of 1 Group.
45/49 Stirlings of 3 Group and
4/4 Halifaxes of 8 (P.F.) Group
dropped their mines in the allotted areas.
There are no a/c missing from these other operations.
[underlined] CORRECTION TO B.C.I.N.O No 746 [/underlined]
The Special operation in para. (vi) Night 12/13th Feb, should be shown under Night 13/14th Feb.
H Summers F/LT
For Air Commodore,
[underlined] Chief Intelligence Officer [/underlined].
161630A
[underlined] Distribution [/underlined]
As for previous narrative.
16th February, 1944.
[underlined] 1/KV. [/underlined]
[underlined] SECRET IMMEDIATE BY TELEPRINTER [/underlined]
From:- Headquarters, Bomber Command. 161630A
Air Ministry WhItehall, Nos 1, 3 4 5 6 8 91 92 93 100 Groups and all Bomber Command Stations in these Groups RAF N Ireland Nos 1 2 3 Bombardment Divisions. Coastal Command
Info Admiralty Nos 15 16 17 18 19 Groups
[underlined] BOMBER COMMAND INTELLIGENCE NARRATIVE OF OPERATIONS NO 747 [/underlined]
Covering period 1200 hrs 14 Feb to 1200 hrs 16 Feb
[underlined] Narrative of Operations. [/underlined]
[underlined] Day 14th February [/underlined] No Operations.
[underlined] Night 14/15th February [/underlined] No Operations.
[underlined] Day 15th February [/underlined] 2 Mosquitoes of 8 (P.F.) Group carried out Met recce flights.
[underlined] Night 15/16th February [/underlined]
(i) [underlined] BERLIN [/underlined]
A total of 891 a/c were despatched to renew the attack on the German capital; this is the largest force employed on this target up to the present time. It consisted of:-
161 Lancasters of 1 Group.
66 Lancasters of 3 Group
177 Halifaxes of 4 Group
226 Lancasters of 5 Group
32 Lancasters and 118 Halifaxes of 6 Group
16 Mosquitoes, 19 Halifaxes and 76 Lancasters of 8 (P.F.) Group.
There was broken cloud over the North Sea, which gradually thickened until it was 10/10ths thick cloud over the target with tops reported from 6,000 to 12,000 ft. At least 754 a/c attacked, bombing the P.F. markers, the majority of crews bombing on the R.P. flares which were reasonably well concentrated. Results were unobserved in the early stages of the attack owing to the density of the cloud, later reports, however, indicate that a good concentration was achieved and several large explosions were seen. Aircraft on the target after the main force had left, report a huge pall of black smoke over the city rising to a height of approximately 20,000 ft, also a large pear-shaped area of fire tapering to the south and centred in the north and north-east of the target area.
Flak defences were more intense than usual in the early stages, but died down as the attack progressed. The usual fighter flares were seen over the target, but there were fewer sightings of enemy fighters than usual.
Some reports are still outstanding. 42 a/c are missing.
100 Group despatched 14 Mosquitoes to co-operate with intruder patrols. 1 Mosquito is missing.
/Over . . .
[page break]
(ii) [underlined] FRANKFURT-AM-ODER [/underlined]
24/24 [deleted] Mosquitoes [/deleted] [inserted] Lancasters [/inserted] of 8 (P.F.) Group carried out a diversionary attack in 10/10ths cloud between 2113hrs and 2125 hrs.
(iii) [underlined] AACHEN [/underlined]
1/2 Mosquitoes of 8 (P.F.) Group attacked from 27,000 ft. Weather 10/10ths cloud with tops at approximately 5,000 ft. The remaining a/c dropped its bombs in the Aachen area owing to an operational failure.
(iv) [underlined] Fighter A/F in Holland. [/underlined]
15/19 Mosquitoes of 8 (P.F.) Group attacked the A/F's at [two indecipherable words], GILZE-RIJEN, TWENTE-ENSCHEDE and VENLO in conditions of 10/10ths cloud by means of special apparatus.
(v) 1 Halifax, 6 Wellingtons and 2 Mosquitoes of 100 Group carried out Special Duty patrols.
(vi) [underlined] MINELAYING [/underlined]
5/6 Wellingtons of 1 Group.
45/49 Stirlings of 3 Group and
4/4 Halifaxes of 8 (P.F.) Group
dropped their mines in the allotted areas.
There are no a/c missing from these other operations.
[underlined] CORRECTION TO B.C.I.N.O No 746 [/underlined]
The Special operation in para. (vi) Night 12/13th Feb, should be shown under Night 13/14th Feb.
H Summers F/LT
For Air Commodore,
[underlined] Chief Intelligence Officer [/underlined].
161630A
[underlined] Distribution [/underlined]
As for previous narrative.
16th February, 1944.
[underlined] 1/KV. [/underlined]
Collection
Citation
Bomber Command - Chief Intelligence Officer, “Bomber Command intelligence narrative of operations no 747,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 21, 2025, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/38358.
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