19/20th May 1942 Target Mannheim

19/20th May 1942 Target Mannheim

Batchelder was the pilot of this operation. They bombed inside flares but the navigator insisted it was not Mannheim. Damage to one engine from flak, later they were attacked by a Me 110. They successfully landed at RAF Horsham St Faith, Norwich.

Two printed sheets

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EBatchelderHE[Recipient]C920907-0002,
EBatchelderHE[Recipient]C920907-0003

19/20th May 1942 – target Mannheim – aircraft W7677 “DY-O”.

Crew: Sgt. H E Batchelder pilot and captain.
Sgt. J B Robinson second pilot.
Sgt. G Hobsbawn navigator.
Sgt. F L Ringham 1st wireless operator.
F. Sgt. F G Kuebler (Canadian) 2nd wireless operator.
Sgt. T H May bomb aimer
Sgt. F Bell flight engineer.
Sgt. R H Rivers tail gunner.

Frank Kuebler’s second trip – gaining operational experience!
Briefing – target Manheim, must bomb within ring of flares which will be laid on “positive target identification”. This was, I understand, the first “Pathfinder” effort.

Take-off 2230hrs – route over Dutch coast. Givet to Manheim. Aircraft was only climbing slowly and crossed the coast 12,500 feet and suffered some damage from light calibre flak to undercarriage accumulator and hydraulics system. Flares sighted at 0135hrs – navigator insisted not Mannheim! – but captain instructed that must bomb within the marked areas as briefed – bombed at 0149hrs, height 16,000 feet. Returning by the same route when near Brussels port inner engine failed, no. 1 tank exhausted. Flight engineer tried to switch to no. 2 but found that the cable on no. 2 had been severed, port inner engine failed to restart. Feathered engine and trimmed aircraft to fly on three engines, height 14,000 feet. Approaching the Dutch coast the tail gunner reported an arrow formation of lights and searchlight pointing along our course – coast was crossed at 0358hrs, height 12,000 feet. Tail gunner reported aircraft – possibly an Me 110 – astern, fighter and Halifax tail and mid-upper (F L Ringham) gunners opened fire simultaneously. Took evasive action to port as enemy’s tracer passed to starboard, fighter passed under the Halifax and made another attack from port quarter, captain made diving turn to starboard. Engagement continued down to 3,000 feet, the fighter was last seen at that height going straight down – both of the Halifax gunners claimed to have scored hits. The Halifax had been damaged and the captain was having difficulty maintaining flying attitude with control column and rudders almost jammed solid. Controlling the aircraft by use of trimming tabs the pilot set course for Horsham St. Faith, the English coast was crossed north of Lowestoft at 0440hrs, height 1,200 feet. Approaching Norwich the captain called “Darky”; there was no response to either the first or second call – later found there was an air raid alert on Norwich – so “Mayday” procedure was used as the aircraft was short of fuel and barely maintaining height. Horsham St. Faith responded, a searchlight pointed the direction and the airfield lights were switched on. With the crew in crash positions, the captain selected undercarriage down, the wheels just dropped with no indication of locking. Not risking a circuit the pilot landed using ailerons and trimming tabs and while running down the runway the port outer engine cut. Aircraft landed at 0455hrs. On examination of the aircraft in daylight it was found that cannon shells had hit the tail severing and jamming the rudders and elevators. The port inner – the dead – engine had also been hit by cannon fire and there were numerous bullet holes in the fuselage. The inspection light which was located about ten inches from the mid-upper gunner’s head had been shot away and another

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bullet had entered the end of the fuselage just below the turret and must have passed between the gunner’s legs! None of the crew were injured.

Reference to “Bomber Command War Diaries” (Middlebrook & Everitt) 197 aircraft reported attacking Mannheim [italics] “but most of their bombing photographs showed forests or open country”! [/italics] – it looks as though the navigator was right! 197 aircraft went to Mannheim, 11 (5.6%) lost.