Operations Record Group - 1 Group - 12/13 July 1943
The following documents are facsimiles of official records [AIR 28/1] from the Public Record Office
TO:- HEADQUARTERS, BOMBER COMMAND, REPEAT AIR MINISTRY - WAR ROOM - No.8 GROUP PFF - No. 93 Group.
FROM:- H.Q. 1 GROUP
A.I. 925 13th JULY
No. 1 Group Summary of Operations, Night 12th/13th July 1943.
TARGET - T U R I N. Detailed ... 108 Lancasters
Took-off ... 108 "
Primary ... 92
Missing ... 4
Abortive ... 8
Outstanding.. 4
Primary - T.O.T. 0151 - 0225 hrs.
92 aircraft claim to have attacked, dropping 91 x 4,000 HC, 3648 x 30 lb Incends., 35,280 x 4 lb Incends., plus 2,760 'X' Type Incendiaries.
Difficult weather conditions with much static in electrical storms and icing were found both in the outward and homeward journeys. Over the target, however, conditions were excellent with no cloud and very good visibility. So much so that one crew commented on the novel experience of being able to clearly identify features of the town lay-out. The crews were unanimous in praising the P.F.F. technique, the only criticism being that it was slightly late in starting. Visual identification of the two rivers and the town confirmed the accuracy of the attack which seems to have gone very well right from the commencement when marking and bombing was particularly described as both accurate and concentrated. As the attack developed numerous fires were observed and although in the later stages some scatter had developed, large areas in the North of the town and in the triangle formed by the Rivers Po and Dora are reported as being a mass of fire with much black smoke up to very great heights. Large explosions were reported and the two biggest of these accompanied by bursts of flame were at 0157 and 0200 hrs.
Defences in the target area were not very troublesome, and one crew described them as puerile. The heavy flak is stated to have ceased about half-way through the attack. There was a moderate amount of light flak and also some 50 searchlights whose operation seems to have been particularly haphazard. Reports are not yet complete but the enemy fighters appear to have given little trouble.
Missing. 4 aircraft have not returned - nothing being heard after take-off. Three of these each carried 1 x 4000 HC, 40 x 30 lb incends., 420 x 4 lb incends., plus 30 x 4 lb 'X' Type Incends., the remaining aircraft carried 1 x 4000 lb HC, 40 x 30 lb Incends., 240 x 4 lb incends plus 30 x 4 lb 'X' type Incends.
Abortive. 4 aircraft with engine trouble.
3 aircraft with icing trouble.
1 aircraft with compass and engine trouble.
Outstanding. The results of the following are not yet known:-
2 aircraft at Predannock.
1 aircraft at Chivenor.
1 aircraft at St. Mawgam.
Sqdn Detailed Took-Off Primary Abortive Missing Outstanding
460 22 22 20 2 - -
12 20 20 17 1 1 1
100 23 23 18 1 2 2
103 24 24 20 3 1 -
101 19 19 17 1 - 1
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108 108 92 8 4 4
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F.C.C. 131655.
GPA
BIN B20 : ELW B24 : HEM B30 : LDM B75 : ALL PASS TO SELF
NR GPA 12/12 IMMEDIATE SECRET NOT WT FORM B FORM B FORM B
TO:- BINBROOK = ELSHAM = LUDFORD MAGNA = REPT = HEMSWELL = LINDHOLME = HQBC
FROM :- HQ 1 GROUP
FORM 'B' SERIAL NO 1152 TASK NO 1159 IS IDENTICAL WITH
FORM B SERIAL NO 1151 DATED 11 JULY 1943
WITH THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS :-
SECTION C DELETE 253 A/C SUBSTITUTE 479 A/C
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SECTION E DELETE 11/12 JULY SUBSTITUTE 12/13 JULY
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SECTION F AMEND TO READ :-
460 SQDN = 21 A/C
100 SQDN = 20 A/C
101 SQDN = 19 A/C
12 SQDN = 20 A/C
103 SQDN = 24 A/C
SECTION H. AMEND TO READ :-
ZERO HOUR WILL BE 0040 HRS.
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SECTION 1. ZERO TO ZERO + 4.
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4 A/C FROM EACH OF THE FOLLOWING SQUADRONS 460,100,101,12,103 SQDNS. THESE A/C TO BE MANNED BY BEST CREWS + 34 LANCS OF OTHER GROUPS.
SECTION 2. T.O.T. ZERO + 4 TO ZERO + 8
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5 A/C FROM EACH OF THE FOLLOWING SQUADRONS 460,100,101,12, 103 SQDNS. THESE A/C TO BE MANNED BY NEXT BEST CREWS + 41 LANCS OF OTHER GROUPS.
SECTION 3. T.O.T. ZERO + 8 TO ZERO + 14.
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92 HALIFAXES.
SECTION 4. T.O.T. ZERO + 14 TO ZERO + 20.
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90 HALIFAXES.
SECTION 5. T.O.T. ZERO + 20 TO ZERO + 24.
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ALL REMAINING A/C FROM 460 SQDN AND 101 SQDN AND 6 A/C FROM 103 SQDN + 39 LANCASTERS FROM 5 GROUP.
SECTION 6. T.O.T. ZERO + 24 TO ZERO + 28.
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ALL REMAINING A/C FROM 100, 12, 103 SQDNS + 39 LANCS FROM 5 GROUP.
SECTION N.1. DELETE CONTENTS.
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SECTION N.2. DELETE CONTENTS.
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SECTION N.6. AMEND TO READ.
TACTICS.
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(A) RENDEZVOUS SELSEY BILL 16/17000 FT.
(B) MAINTAIN A HEIGHT OF AT LEAST 15000 FT. TO THE ENEMY COAST. THEN USE ADDITIONAL SPEED TO PASS THROUGH THE COASTAL DEFENDED BELT AND DIVE DOWN TO THE TOPS OF MEDIUM CLOUD AND FLY JUST ABOVE IT, SO THAT CLOUD COVER MAY BE UTILISED IN THE EVENT OF FIGHTER OPPOSITION.
(C) KEEP AT MEDIUM HEIGHT UNTIL IT IS NECESSARY TO CLIMB TO CROSS THE ALPS.
(D) BOMB NOT BELOW 14000 FT.
(E) ADOPT SIMILAR TACTICS FOR THE RETURN JOURNEY, FLYING ALONG THE TOPS OF ANY AVAILABLE MEDIUM CLOUD BETWEEN 4800N. AND 5000N.
ADD NOTE 7.
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IF CLOUD COVER IS NOT AVAILABLE THE HALIFAXES AND LANCS MARK II (3 GROUP) WILL BE CANCELLED. WAVES 5 AND 6 WILL THEN BECOME WAVES 3 AND 4. TOT Z+8 TO Z+12 AND Z+12 TO Z+16 RESPECTIVELY.
A.
ZERO HOUR FOR THIS ATTACK WILL BE 0145 HRS. AND THE ROUTE IS AS FOLLOWS :- BASES - DUNGENESS - CAYEUX - LAKE ANNECY - TARGET - TURN WIDE RIGHT - 4700N/0600W. - 4830M/0630W. - LIZARD POINT - ADVANCED BASES WILL BE ALLOTTED BY TELEPHONE.
N. 8. TACTICS. IN THE EVENT OF THE ATTACK DETAILED IN N.7. ABOVE, TAKING PLACE
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(A) RENDEZVOUS DUNGENESS 15/16000 FT.
(B) MAINTAIN A HEIGHT ABOVE 15000 FT TO THE TARGET.
(C) BOMBING NOT BELOW 14000 FT.
(D) AFTER CROSSING THE ALPS A/C ARE TO LOSE HEIGHT AND FLY LOW OVER FRANCE. AFTER CROSSING THE ENEMY COAST A/C ARE TO FLY AS LOW AS POSSIBLE. AS SOON AS IT IS LIGHT ENOUGH A/C ARE TO ENDEVOUR TO COLLECT TOGETHER IN TWOS FOR MUTUAL SUPPORT.
O. ACKNOWLEDGE.
P. 121350/B.
HOLD+/+
TOD/1443/JHE/B/+