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1944-03-25, Halifax HX355, Oostvoorne (Natersedijk-hortweg)
1944-03-25, Halifax HX355, Oostvoorne (Natersedijk-hortweg)
Halifax HX355 Information
Type Halifax
Serial Number HX355
Squadron 78
X1D EY-D
Operation Berlin
Date 1 24th March 1944
Date 2 25th March 1944
Further Information
"Serial Range HX311 - HX357. 47 Halifax Mk.111. Part of a batch of 150 HP halifax Mk.11/111. HX147-HX191; HX222- HX225 Mk.11; HX226-HX247; HX265-HX296; HX311-HX357 Mk.111. Delivered by Handley Page (Cricklewood & Radlett) between 26Nov43 and 8Jan44. HX355 was one of six No.78 Sqdn Halifaxes lost on this operation. See: LV903; LW507; LW510; LW518; LW589. HX355 was initially issued to No.51 Sqdn.
www.lostbombers.co.uk
Mission
Mission
Night of 24/25 March 1944: Berlin main target. The bomber stream was scattered and those which reached Berlin bombed well out to the south-west of the city. The RAF lost 72 aircraft, 8.9% of the attacking force
Airborne 1850 24Mar44 from Breighton. Badly shot about over the target are by a night-fighter and later abandoned near Den Haag. The Halifax crashed in the North Sea near Oostvoorne (Zuid-Holland) some 4 km ENE of Brielle.
The Battle of Berlin was a British bombing campaign on Berlin from November 1943 to March 1944. The campaign period was not limited to attacks solely on Berlin, other German cities were attacked to prevent the concentration of defences in Berlin, and Bomber Command had other responsibilities and operations to conduct. The campaign was launched by Arthur "Bomber" Harris, AOC of RAF Bomber Command in November 1943. Harris believed this could be the blow which broke German resistance: "It will cost us between 400 and 500 aircraft. It will cost Germany the war." By this time he could deploy over 800 long-range bombers on any given night, equipped with new and more sophisticated navigational devices such as H2S radar. Between November 1943 and March 1944 Bomber Command made 16 massed attacks on Berlin.
It is generally accepted that the Battle of Berlin was a failure for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as it was not the knockout blow that Harris had predicted and during the battle, the RAF lost 1,047 bombers, with a further 1,682 damaged, and well over 7,000 aircrew, culminating in the raid onNuremberg on 30 March 1944, when 94 bombers were shot down and 71 damaged, out of 795 aircraft.
Berlin 24/25 March 1944
811 aircraft - 577 Lancasters, 216 Halifaxes, 18 Mosquitos - to Berlin. 72 aircraft - 44 Lancasters, 28 Halifaxes - lost, 8.9 per cent of the force.
This night became known in Bomber Command as 'the night of the strong winds'. A powerful wind from the north carried the bombers south at every stage of the flight. Not only was this wind not forecast accurately but it was so strong that the various methods available to warn crews of wind changes during the flight failed to detect the full strength of it. The bomber stream became very scattered, particularly on the homeward flight and radar-predicted flak batteries at many places were able to score successes. Part of the bomber force even strayed over the Ruhr defences on the return flight. It is believed that approximately 50 of the 72 aircraft lost were destroyed by flak; most of the remainder were victims of night fighters. Needless to say, the strong winds severely affected the marking with, unusually, markers being carried beyond the target and well out to the south-west of the city.
This was the last major RAF raid on Berlin during the war, although the city would be bombed many times by small forces of Mosquitos.
147 aircraft from training units carried out a diversionary sweep west of Paris; 27 Mosquitos bombed night-fighter airfields and 15 Mosquitos bombed Duisburg, Kiel and Münster; aircraft of No 100 Group flew 4 RCM sorties and 10 Serrate patrols. 1 Serrate Mosquito lost.
9 aircraft dropped supplies to the Resistance without loss.
Total effort for the night: 1,023 sorties, 73 aircraft (7.1 per cent) lost.
From the excelllent BC 60th anniversary site http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/mar44.html
On March 24rd., 1944 a Halifax bomber, HX355 of RAF No. 78 squadron is severely damaged by a night fighter over Berlin and tries to return to his base in England Breighton ...
The plane is too badly damaged and the crew jumps over The Hague and are captured and interned in detention camps.
The pilot jumps over what is now know as “het Oostvoornse meer” and is captured in Rockanje.
During the bombing of Berlin everything runs normally with the usual flak, night fighters, searchlights and the bombs ...
When taking pictures during the flight over Berlin a Junkers 88 airplane attacks the Halifax bomber and sifts through the mid-upper turret, the planes hydraulic- and fuel lines are destroyed and the fire bombs in the bomb compartment are set on fire. The attempts to dump the bomb load succeeded and the crew was able to extinguish the fires.
With difficulty, they flew from the target away with the flaps half down and opened bomb-doors and the port wheel down because of the hydraulic pressure failure.
With shot-up fuel lines on the port side it was not possible to switch to other tanks and the crew did not dare to switch to the fuel from the starboard tank. Over Berlin the plane had already dropped from 7000 meters to 4000 meters and the crew had to throw all unnecessary weight on board from the plane and they flew at 3300 meters altitude over the Ruhr area ..
After getting the Dutch coast in sight the port tank was empty and the engines began to sputter, the crew tried to switch to the other tanks but then both engines refused. When the plane started to go down in a continuous downward spiral the orders were given to abandone the plane ..
The plane hit the ground some 100 meters from the Hortweg in Rockanje at 1:30 at night and the pilot Allen Sinden landed somewhere in the polder between “de dwarsweg” and the duinzoom.
The plane probably crashed near the junction of the Hortweg and the Natersedijk (in Rockanje)
Crew
Crew
F/L E.W.Everett PoW
Sgt K.H.Jones PoW
Sgt J.R.Stewart PoW
F/O J.K.M.Green PoW
Sgt J.E.Johnson PoW
Sgt J.R.Graham PoW
P/O A.P.Sinden PoW
F/L E.W.Everett was interned in Camp L1 with F/O J.K.M.Green. No PoW Nos,
Sgt J.R.Graham, PoW No.3993 and
Sgt J.R.Stewart, PoW No.4025.
Sgt J.E.Johnson in Camps 4B/L1, PoW No.3993.
Sgt K.H.Jones in Camps L3/L1, PoW No.3998.
P/O A.P.Sinden was captured at Rockanje, Holland, 20Dec44 and interned in Camp L1. No PoW No. "
Unit
Unit
No. 78 Squadron
No. 78 Squadron
Motto
"Nemo non paratus" (Nobody unprepared)
No. 78 Squadron was formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps on 1 November 1916 for home defence at Harrietsham and tasked with protecting the southern English coast. It was originally equipped with obsolescent BE2 and more modern BE12 fighters. On the night of 25 September 1917 a Captain Bell of the squadron encountered a German Gotha and attacked it over Joyce Green. John Rawlings, writing in Fighter Squadrons of the Royal Air Force (1969), stated that 'it was believed that he damaged it for one of the German raiders failed to return that night, being lost at sea. The squadron received Sopwith 1½ Strutters in late 1917, followed by Sopwith Camels in mid-1918. It arrived at Sutton's Farm, under the command of Major Cuthbert Rowden, in September 1917 and was there until December 1919, with a detachment at Biggin Hill. The squadron disbanded on 31 December 1919 following the Armistice.
During the buildup of the RAF in the period before the World War II, No. 78 Squadron was reformed at RAF Boscombe Down on 1 November 1936, twenty-two years after it was first formed, by redesignating a flight of No. 10 Squadron.
In July 1939 it was equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Whitley medium bombers, and on the outbreak of war was designated as a training squadron and moved to RAF Linton-on-Ouse as part of the newly-formed No. 4 Group RAF(Bomber Command). From September 1939 to April 1941, however, Whitley Mk V bombers were flown by No. 78 for night operations from the bases at RAF Disforth and RAF Linton-on-Ouse. In July 1940 it was returned to front-line duties, and served as a full-time night bomber squadron of RAF Bomber Command, being re-equipped withHandley Page Halifax heavy bombers in early 1942 flying from Breighton Airfield in East Yorkshire.
According to a statistical summary of No. 78's wartime effort in the squadron ORB, No. 78 flew, a total of 6,337 sorties comprising 6,017 bombing sorties and 320 minelaying sorties; made 302 bombing raids and bombed 167 different targets; dropped approximately 17,000 tons of bombs - 7,000 tons (i.e. more than a third of the total) between D-Day and VE Day; successfully laid 1,064 mines; and destroyed 31 enemy aircraft (11 more were classified as "probably destroyed ") and damaged 35. The squadron's own losses totalled 182 aircraft.
In May 1945 it was transferred into Transport Command, re-equipping with Dakotas in July and moving to the Middle East in September. It remained active in the post-war period as a transport squadron, converting to Valettas in 1950, before being disbanded on 30 September 1954.
Bomber Command WWII Bases:
Dishforth : Feb 1937-Dec 1939
Detachment at Ternhill in Sep 1939. During same month No. 78 became 4 Group's reserve sqdn, its role being to supplement the Group pool by training crews and also by acting as a reservoir between the operational sqdns and Group pool stations.
Detachment at Linton-on-Ouse from Oct 1939 and in Dec entire sqdn became based there.
Linton-on-Ouse : Dec 1939-Jul 1940
Detachment at Brackley, Feb 1940-May 1940.
Dishforth : Jul 1940-Apr 1941
Detachment to Ringway and then in Feb 1941 to Malta for Operation Colossus.
Middleton St. George : Apr 1941-Oct 1941
Croft : Oct 1941-Jun 1942
Middleton St. George : Jun 1942-Sep 1942
Linton-on-Ouse : Sep 1942-Jun 1943
Breighton : Jun 1943-May 1945
Transferred to Transport Command 7.5.45.
Bomber Command WWII Aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley I, IV, IVA and V : Jul 1937-Mar 1942
Handley Page Halifax B.II, B.III and B.VI : Mar 1942-May 1945
Code Letters:
During the 1938 Munich crisis No. 78 was allotted the code letters "YY".
In WW2 its codes became "EY".
First Operational Mission in WWII:
19/20th July 1940 : 4 Whitleys despatched to bomb Gelsenkirchen-Buer. 1 bombed primary & rest bombed alternative.
Last Operational Mission in WWII:
25th April 1945 : 20 Halifaxes bombed gun batteries on island of Wangerooge.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._78_Squadron_RAF
http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/h78.html
Cause of crash
Cause of crash
Possibly following claim has something to do with this crash:
25-03-44 00:00 "Ltn." "Heinz" "Reuter" 07-11-09 "NJG 2" "4-mot. Flzg." "25km NE Berlin: 4500m" "00.18" 3 "-" "yes" "C.2025/I" "Anerk: Nr.21" "LW NF Claims 39-45 f. 159"
Reuter, Heinz Oblt 4/25/1922 12
units: 7/NJG-2 (3/44), 3/NJG-3 (4/44), 12/NJG-3 (12/44)
Bf 110 EP, EK 1 & 2,
Night Fighter Operational Clasp victories;
a Lancaster at Stuttgart on 2 March, 1944.
A "4 mot" 50 km S of Berlin on 24 March, 1944.
A 2nd "4 mot", same day, 25 km NE of Twente.
Two"4 mot" at Nürnberg on 31 March, 1944.
A "4 mot" N of Westerland on 9 April, 1944.
A "4 mot" 70 km SW of Paris on 8 June, 1944.
A "4 mot" near Abbeville on 13 June, 1944.
At "4 mot" at Beacon "Kurfurst" on 17 June, 1944.
A 10th, a "4 mot" at Toul-Nancy on 29 July, 1944.
An 11th, a "4 mot" on 6 December, 1944, no location.
A minelaying Lancaster over the North Sea the night of 18/19 February, 1945.
Deceased 3 October, 1997.
March 24/25, 1944
23 Lancasters from 408 and 426 Squadrons were joined by 90 Halifaxes from 420, 424, 425, 427, 429, 432, and 433 Squadrons on an attack at Berlin. The crews were over the target at between 19,000 and 24,000 feet, releasing 48,000 lbs of high explosives and 409,000 lbs of incendiaries.
According to reports, there was severely high winds and the attack was scattered. This was another terrible night as 72 crews failed to return due to being blown off course and over heavy flak defenses.
W/O2 W. Kasper from 408 Squadron jettisoned the load and returned early after being hit many times by flak.
F/Sgt J. McCaffrey had the mid upper turret u/s on return.
S/Ldr W. Russell and F/Sgt W. Cooke landed at Coltishall on return due to fuel shortages.
S/Ldr H. Miles completed his second tour with this operation, 32 operations on the first tour,19 ½ on the second.
W/O2 R. Leonard from 420 Squadron returned early as the under carriage was u/s.
F/Lt R. Deegan and W/O2 J. Boadway landed at Coltishall on return.
F/O H. Rice RCAF–POW and crew, flying Halifax III LW-373 coded PT-W, failed to return from this operation.
Sgt F. Bushell RAF–POW
F/O N. Altic RCAF–POW
F/Sgt C. Fraser RCAF–POW
W/O1 G. Renwick RCAF–POW
2Lt J. Thomson USAAF–POW
Sgt J. Boire RCAF–POW
All were POWs.
P/O R. Basson from 424 Squadron returned early as the oxygen system was u/s.
F/O J. Doig was attacked by an enemy aircraft, the stbd flap and wing were damaged. They landed at Chedburgh on return due to a fuel shortage.
F/Sgt H. Kirkby landed at West Raynham on return.
F/Sgt B. Vanier landed at Docking on return.
F/O T. Millman landed at Tuddenham on return.
F/O W. Krampe RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III LW-435 coded QB-R, failed to return from this operation.
Sgt J. MacKintosh RAF–POW
F/O A. Fleming RCAF–POW
P/O W. Tillmann RCAFSgt L. Jewell RCAF–POW
Sgt E. Evans RCAF–POW
Sgt R. Wilson RCAF–POW
5 crew were POWs and 2 killed.
Sgt V. Lacaille and F/Sgt V. Irvine from 425 Squadron returned to base as their port outers were u/s. They both landed safely at base on 3 engines.
F/O J. Taylor returned early as the rear turret was u/s.
P/O L. Renaud RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III LW-425 coded KW-V, failed to return from this operation.
Sgt J. Nutman RAFF/O J. Brazeau RCAF
P/O M. Boyer RCAF
P/O R. Hanks RCAF
P/O C. Turner RCAF
P/O J. Huot RCAF
All were killed after being shot down by a Nightfighter.
P/O N. Jones RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III LW-428 coded KW-C, failed to return from this operation.
Sgt G. Mabbott RAFP/O M. Latornell RCAF
P/O M. McLeod RCAF
P/O J. Laviolette RCAF
P/O J. Bouchard RCAF
P/O J. Tracey RCAF
All were killed.
F/Lt I. McRobie from 426 Squadron returned early as the port outer was u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.
F/Sgt N. Craig returned early as the oxygen system was u/s.
W/O2 D. Robertson landed at Woodbridge on return due to a fuel shortage.
F/Sgt J. Jean was hit by flak, the rear turret was damaged and Sgt J. Favreau RCAF, the rear gunner was injured. they landed at Coltishall for fuel and medical attention.
F/O W. Weicker from 427 Squadron landed at Foulsham on return due to a fuel shortage.
W/O1 W. Magdalinski RCAF–POW and crew, flying Halifax III LK-752 coded ZL-V, failed to return from this operation.
Sgt P. Guilder RAF–POW
F/O R. Parry RCAF–POW
P/O J. Roberts RCAFP/O L. Glasser RCAF
P/O C. Fugere RCAF
P/O J. Papineau RCAF
3 crew were POWs and 4 were killed.
W/O2 A. Yaworski RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III LW-574 coded ZL-J, failed to return from this operation.
Sgt T. Rigby RAFW/O2 A. Young RCAF
F/Sgt J. Hamel RCAF–POW
W/O1 H. Armstrong RCAF–POW
F/Sgt J. Jette RCAFF/Sgt R. McBeath RCAF
5 crew were killed and 2 POWs after being shot down by flak.
P/O S. Dowdell RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III LW-577 coded ZL-K, failed to return from this operation.
Sgt J. Nesom RAF–POW
F/O G. MacKay RCAFF/O O. Jackson RCAF
Sgt H. Webb RAF
P/O E. Halbert RCAF
Sgt L. Lozo RCAF–POW
5 crew were killed and 2 were POWs after being shot down by flak.
W/O2 E. Baker from 429 Squadron returned early with a technical problem.
F/Sgt N. Thompson was hit by flak, not serious. They were also attacked 3 times by enemy aircraft, there was no claims or damage. During these attacks, the wireless operator bailed out over Berlin.
F/O A. Macdonald was attacked by a JU-88, it was claimed damaged.
P/O T. Rawlinson was coned by 30-40 searchlights for 5 minutes. They were able to get away.
P/O S. Wick RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III LK-805 coded AL-H, failed to return from this operation.
Sgt H. Hull RAFW/O2 R. Clendenning RCAF–POW
F/O J. Warkentin RCAFW/O S. Boustead RAF–POW
Sgt R. Kift RCAF–POW
P/O L. Keely RCAF
4 crew were killed and 3 POWs.
P/O E. Giles RAAF and crew flying Halifax III LW-688 coded AL-J failed to return from this operation.
Sgt R. Byrne RAFF/Sgt H. Nicholls RAF–POW
F/O C. Rousseau RAFF/Sgt W. Peckham RAF
P/O W. Hampton RCAF
F/Sgt A. Larochelle RCAF–POW
5 crew were killed and 2 POWs.
F/O R. Conroy RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III LV-914 coded AL-V, failed to return from this operation.
F/Lt G. McIntyre RCAF–POW
S/Ldr J. Bell RCAF–POW
W/O2 O. McLean RCAF–POW
F/Lt A. Smith RCAF–POW
Sgt L. Spencer RCAF–POW
Sgt G. Wilton RCAF–POW
The pilot was killed and 6 crew were POWs.
F/Sgt J. McElheran from 432 Squadron returned early as the compasses were u/s.
P/O J. McIntosh RCAF–POW and crew, flying Halifax III LW-593 coded QO-O, failed to return from this operation.
Sgt W. King RAFF/O A. Small RCAF–POW
P/O R. Elvin RCAF–POW
P/O C. Schell RCAF–POW
P/O L. Bandle RCAFP/O A. De Dauw RCAF
3 crew were killed and 4 POWs after being shot down over Berlin.
P/O J. Smith from 433 Squadron returned early as they could not climb.
F/Sgt J. Monahan returned early as some instruments were u/s.
F/Lt G. Edmonds returned early as the stbd inner was u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.
P/O J. Major landed at Snetterton Heath on return.
F/O W. Canter landed at Woodbridge on return.
F/Sgt F. Edmondson had the port inner go u/s after bombing, they jettisoned the I.B containers to maintain height. They landed at Woodbridge on return due to a fuel shortage.
F/O E. Van Slyck was hit by flak, both wings and the port outer and fuselage were damaged. Sgt A. Phillips RAF, the navigator, was injured and F/Sgt R. Pontentier RCAF, the rear gunner bailed out over enemy territory. They landed safely at West Malling.
P/O W. Russell RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III HX-284 coded BM-B, failed to return from this operation.
Sgt P. McLuskie RAF–POW
F/O M. Topplin RCAF–POW
F/O J. Shea RCAF–POW
Sgt W. Walmsley RCAFP/O D. Howell RCAF
Sgt R. Cossar RCAF–POW
3 crew were killed and 4 POWs.
P/O H. Lossing RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III LV-841 coded BM-H, failed to return from this operation.
Sgt O. Sporne RAFF/O D. Robinson RCAF
F/Sgt G. Dancey RCAF
F/Sgt L. Davey RCAF
Sgt E. Osborne RAF
Sgt F. Simons RAF
All were killed after being shot down by flak.
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