AIRCRAFT PROFILE |
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Aircraft: |
ME671 |
Type: |
Lancaster Mk. I |
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Contractor: |
Contract No: |
Engines: |
Construction: |
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AIRCRAFT HISTORY |
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Date |
Event |
Sqn Code |
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|---|---|---|---|
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Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created |
UL-V2 |
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25 Nov 1943 |
Initial record to be updated when first event found |
UL-V2 |
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02 Mar 1945 |
Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created |
UL-Z2 |
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576 Squadron OPERATIONS |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Code |
Date |
Operation |
Captain |
Events |
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UL-V2 |
10 Sep 1944 |
LE HARVE |
Plt Off K.A. Moore |
Target: Enemy strongpoint ½ mile SW of the Forêt de Montgeon. Hammond diary: “13x 1000lb & 4x500lb. Troops and gun concentrations holding up Canadian Div. No flak or fighters. Too easy”. |
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UL-V2 |
03 Oct 1944 |
WESTKAPELLE |
Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
Walcheren Island sea wall. Flown in support of Operation INFATUATE Load: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’, 8x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
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UL-V2 |
05 Oct 1944 |
SAARBRUCKEN |
Fg Off D.C. Smith |
Target: Marshalling yards. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 14x 4lb incendiary clusters. Diverted to Stradishall on return due to fog at Elsham Wolds. |
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UL-V2 |
14 Oct 1944 |
DUISBERG |
Flt Lt R.M. Crowther |
Operation HURRICANE. Target: Four Aiming Points (APs) (mines and coke ovens) in the Hamborn area; this crew’s Aiming Point not ascertained. Bombed at 18,000 ft. Bomber Command’s largest daylight operation to date: 1050 aircraft. |
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UL-V2 |
14 Oct 1944 |
DUISBERG |
Flt Lt R.M. Crowther |
Operation HURRICANE. Target: Built-up area to N of docks. Bombed at 20,000 ft. |
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UL-V2 |
19 Oct 1944 |
STUTTGART |
Fg Off D.C. Smith |
Target: Robert Bosche works. The Smith crew flew on the second wave of the attack. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie' and 1,800x 4lb incendiaries. |
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UL-V2 |
30 Oct 1944 |
COLOGNE |
Flt Lt H. Leyton-Brown |
Target: North-western part of the city. The Squadron records show a Sgt E Johnson as the WOp, but Coates’ logbook lists himself in that crew position. |
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UL-V2 |
02 Nov 1944 |
DUSSELDORF |
Fg Off D.C. Smith |
Target: The northern built-up area of the city. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 6x 1000lb, 6x 500lb bombs |
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UL-V2 |
04 Nov 1944 |
BOCHUM |
Fg Off D.C. Smith |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 6x 1000lb, 6x 500lb bombs |
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UL-V2 |
06 Nov 1944 |
GELSENKIRCHEN |
Fg Off D.C. Smith |
Target: Nordstern synthetic oil plant. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 6x 1000lb, 6x 500lb bombs |
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UL-V2 |
09 Nov 1944 |
WANNE-EICKEL |
Fg Off D.C. Smith |
Target: Synthetic oil plant. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 16x 500 lb bombs. |
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UL-V2 |
11 Nov 1944 |
DORTMUND |
Fg Off D.C. Smith |
Target: Hoesch Benzin GmbH synthetic oil plant. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 6x 1000lb, 6x 500lb bombs. |
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UL-V2 |
22 Dec 1944 |
KOBLENZ |
Fg Off D.C. Smith |
Target: Marshalling yards. Load: 13x 1000lb bombs. On the return the Squadron was instructed to divert to Charterhall in Scotland due to poor weather across most of England. |
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UL-V2 |
28 Dec 1944 |
BONN |
Fg Off D.C. Smith |
Target: Marshalling yards. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 6x 1000lb, 8x 500lb bombs. |
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UL-V2 |
31 Dec 1944 |
OSTERFELD |
Fg Off D.C. Smith |
Target: Marshalling yards. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 6x 1000lb, 6x 500lb bombs. Plt Off Young's 'second dickie'. |
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UL-V2 |
05 Jan 1945 |
ROYAN |
Fg Off D.C. Smith |
Target: Enemy garrison and supply depot. Flown in support of the Free French forces besieging the town. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 16x 500lb bombs. |
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UL-V2 |
07 Jan 1945 |
MUNICH |
Fg Off D.C. Smith |
Target: Industrial and support area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 1320x 4lb incendiaries. |
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UL-V2 |
16 Jan 1945 |
ZEITZ - TROGLITZ |
Fg Off D.C. Smith |
Target: Braunkohle Benzin synthetic oil plant (low grade MT fuel). Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 12 x 500lb bombs. |
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UL-V2 |
22 Jan 1945 |
DUISBERG |
Fg Off D.G. Smith |
Target: Steelwork coking ovens and rolling mills in the Hamborn district of the city, and the benzol plant in Bruckhausen. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 16x 500lb bombs. Tour completed and crew screened from operations. |
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UL-V2 |
01 Feb 1945 |
MERSEBURG / LEUNA |
Flt Lt S.T. Boullier |
Target: IG Farbenindustrie synthetic oil refinery. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 12x 500lb bombs. Did not take off due to the aircraft becoming bogged down in mud when taxying from dispersal. |
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UL-V2 |
13 Feb 1945 |
DRESDEN |
Fg Off A.H. De-Mille |
Operation THUNDERCLAP. Target: Built-up area. Haywood's 'second dickie' |
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UL-Z2 |
15 Mar 1945 |
MISBURG |
Fg Off A.H. De-Mille |
Abercrombie’s ‘second dickie’ |
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UL-Z2 |
04 Apr 1945 |
LUTZKENDORF |
D.H. Hogg |
Target: Wintershall AG synthetic oil refinery. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 10x 500lb bombs. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off but it seems it was hit by the bombs from above whilst over the target which tore off one of the port engines. The aircraft was then possibly attacked by a Ju-88 on the return. Eventually the skipper was able to maintain controlled flight for a short while before crash landing. The other crewmembers survived the landing but were all captured after some six days on the run and taken POW. The crew searched for Harold but failed to find him. It would appear that his parachute failed to open. The full story is recounted below. |
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NOSE ART |
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Default Nose Image - Waiting for design |
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AIRCRAFT IMAGES |
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There are no items in the list |
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MOVEMENT CARDS |
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There are no items in the list |
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LOSS CARDS |
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There are no items in the list |
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LOSS/INCIDENT REPORT |
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There are no items in the list |
