Operations finally got underway again when a force of 418 Lancasters and five Mosquitos attacked Berlin; a further five Mosquitos dropped decoy fighter flares south of the city. The bomber route again led directly to Berlin across Holland and Northern Germany and there were no major diversions. The German controllers plotted the course of the bombers with great accuracy and many German fighters were met at the coast of Holland. Further fighters were guided on to the bomber stream throughout the approach to the target. More fighters were waiting at the target and there were many combats.
126 Lancasters, including 5 from 576 Sqn, to attack from zero to zero +4, manned by specially selected crews.
Second Wave
125 Lancasters, including 5 from 576 Sqn, to attack from zero +4 to +8
Third Wave
All remaining Lancasters to attack from zero +8 to zero +12
BOMB LOAD
'BASIC': 1 x 4,000lb HC, 4 SBCs each containing 12 x 30lb incendiaries, 8 SBCs each containing 90 x 4lb incendiaries, and 2 SBCs each containing 60 x 4lb incendiaries.??
Plus 2 SBCs each containing 150 x 4lb incendiaries, 1 SBC containing 90 x 4lb 'X' Type incendiaries, and 1 SBC containing 8 x 30lb incendiaries
Minimum Fuel Load
1800 gallons
NOTES
22 ABC aircraft from 101 Sqn are to spread evenly over the period of the attack.
The Pathfinder Force were to transmit to 1 Group the wind velocities found en route to the target. The average of these wind velocities was to be re-broadcast to the Main Force on the Group operational frequency at 1930 hrs if received in time, or at 1955 hrs. In order to carry out accurate bombing and to achieve a good concentration on the return journey, all aircraft were instructed to use the broadcast wind velocities for bombing, and were to set course from the target using the same wind which was to be used at least as far as the first turning point at 52°43N 14°00E on the homeward route.
WINDOW
Start Rate
A: 1 bundle / 2 mins
At 52°47N 03°45E
209 bundles per aircraft
Start Rate
D: 2 bundle / min
At 52°35N 12°31E
Start Rate
C: 1 bundle / min
At 52°39N 13??45E
Stop Finally
At 55??13N 07°20E
METHOD
The method for the attack would be mixed PARAMATTA and WANGANUI.
Yellow route-marker TIs were to be dropped at 52°38N 09°45E and at 52°38N 12°20E on the outbound leg. Wanganui flares, consisting of bundles of red with green stars, were to be dropped to mark the Release Point throughout the attack. The attack was to be opened with red TIs dropped in the target area, and the Aiming Point marked with green TIs.
Main Force aircraft were to aim their bombs at the centre of all visible green TIs; otherwise they are to aim on an exact heading of 100°M at the centre of all the red with green star flares.
On the homeward leg, yellow route-marker TIs were to be dropped at 54°19N 12°22E.
Crews were warned that Mosquitoes will be dropping spoof fighter flares 25 miles south of the target.
In order to reduce the risk of collision in the Main Force concentration area, all crews were warned during the briefing of the great danger of weaving unnecessarily in the bomber stream.
TACTICS
Aircraft were to climb en route to the RV position at 52°50N 03°30E to between 18000 ft and 21000 ft. They were then to cross the enemy coast outbound between 19000 ft and 22000 ft, and to proceed to the target and bomb as high as possible within those heights. This height band was to be maintained as far as 07°00E on the homeward journey.
