Beyond the Dams to the Tirpitz by Alan Cooper

Author:Alan Cooper
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783469093
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2013-09-06T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Operations Continue

There was no respite for the squadron upon their return to England from Russia. Their first assignment was to return to the Dortmund-Ems Canal on 23rd September, still one of the most important waterways in Germany, linking the Ruhr with the North Sea. In September 1944 it was a vital link for German forces that had encircled Arnhem where the British Airborne forces were having a bitter fight.

The squadron was accompanied by 125 Lancasters of 5 Group, carrying 1,000-lb bombs while 617 took Tallboys. Five Mosquitos of 627 Squadron were detailed to do the target marking. The object of the operation was to breach the banks of the canal, at a point where the level of the water was above the surrounding countryside. If breached it would drain the canal. To do this, 617 needed to drop their Tallboys from at least, and preferably above, 8,000 feet.

The Mosquito aircraft were led by Squadron Leader Rupert Oakley. He flew in DZ633 and dodged the flak, flying the length of the nearby defences to drop his incendiary markers. He remembers it as ‘being a little hot at the time!’ For this attack he received an immediate DFC to add to his DFM won with 61 Squadron in 1940. He was later awarded the DSO and the AFC in 1956.

Conditions over the target were difficult because cloud covered the canal at 8-9,000 feet. The first 617 aircraft in was Tony Iveson. He saw the markers clearly and dropped his bomb at 9.45 p.m. He was followed by Flying Officer Phil Martin who saw the TIs from 8,000 feet. Squadron Leader Wyness followed, made three good runs but each time cloud obscured the target; he went down to 12,000 feet, made another unsuccessful run and brought his bomb home. Flying Officer Sanders did likewise, but Cockshott bombed; so too did Willie Tait, from 7,500 feet and Flight Lieutenant Hamilton from 8,000. Flight Lieutenant Sayers made five runs but by this time the markers had burnt out and with a u/s compass his efforts went unrewarded, but Castagnola and Oram did bomb successfully.

Flight Lieutenant Geoff Stout was jumped by night fighters shortly after leaving the target. He lost three engines, both of the port ones and the starboard inner. Flight Sergeant Peter Whittaker in his mid-upper turret heard cannon shells hitting the aircraft; then the pilot put the bomber into a corkscrew manoeuvre – the standard evasive tactic when being attacked by a night fighter. Climbing from his turret, Whittaker saw flames coming from the bomb bay and then saw that they now had only one engine. Having failed to bomb, they still had their Tallboy aboard but when they tried to jettison it the release lever came away in the bomb aimer’s hand. Whittaker then opened the bomb bay hatch and saw flames all around the bomb. Flying Officer Graham, the navigator, had been badly wounded and he was pulled to one side and a parachute fixed to his harness. They pulled his rip-cord and pushed him out of the aeroplane.

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