Page 13 - 576 Squadron History

The final operation that month was a daylight attack on Dortmund when the Squadron detailed 18
Lancasters and crews. The Lancaster of Flying Officer R. S. Bastick and crew sustained flak
damage and lost the port inner engine but continued to the target on 3 engines. The flak barrage
seems to have been very effective as 9 Lancasters were damaged but all returned to base.

The weather during November had been poor but in spite of this the Squadron had taken part in
10 operations, 4 by day, and detailed 166 sorties from which 2 failed to return.
December 1944 followed the pattern of the previous month with most of the Squadron’s effort
directed against targets behind the German front line in support of ground forces. A daylight attack
on the Urft dam was mounted on the 4th December but this was cancelled by the Master Bomber
due to cloud cover over the target. That night 15 Lancasters and crews from the Squadron were to
participate in an accurate attack on Karlsruhe which destroyed the important Durlacher machine
tool factory. On return several crews reported sighting what they suspected were German jet
fighters which were thought to be coming into operational use at night.
On the 6/7 December 18 Lancaster and crews from the Squadron bombed the synthetic oil plant
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at Leuna near Merseburg. This involved a long flight to Eastern Germany. There was considerable
cloud in the target area but post raid photographs show that substantial damage had been caused
to the plant. The night fighters were active and Flying Officer A. H. Mills R.C.A.F and crew were
involved in a combat with a Bf109 and this was claimed as damaged by the Lancasters gunners.
Also the gunners of Flying Officer G. H. Hardman R.A.A.F fired at a twin engine night fighter on
the port beam of their Lancaster. The enemy aircraft was seen with its port engine on fire
descending in flames. Both Lancasters returned to base.
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The Krupp’s complex at Essen was again targeted on the 12/13 December and a very accurate
Oboe led attack developed. This was the last heavy night raid by Bomber Command on Essen.
Flying Officer E. J. Pollard and crew were involved in a combat with a Bf110.

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13 Lancasters and crews were detailed for a raid on Ludwigshafen on the 15/16 December.
The IG Farben chemical factories there were successfully hit and production of synthetic oil badly
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disrupted. A raid on Bonn was undertaken on the 28/29 December and the Lancaster of Flying
Officer D. Fletcher and crew was seriously damaged.

In attempting an emergency landing at RAF Manston the Lancaster overshot and crashed with
only 1 survivor, the flight engineer Sergeant P. D. Lake. It was reported that the Lancasters
controls were seriously damaged and the pilot was using the trim tabs for control and stalled.

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On the 29/30 December the oil refinery at Schloven/Buer was accurately bombed in an Oboe led
raid. Finally, in 1944, 11 Lancaster and crews from 576 were detailed to take part in a raid on the
railway yards at Osterfeld. During this the Lancaster of Flying Officer R. C. Sowerbutts was
followed by a twin engine night fighter.
The mid upper gunner fired at the enemy aircraft which broke away. During December the
Squadron had flown on 11 operations, 4 by day, detailing 157 Sorties for the loss of 1 Lancaster
and crew which had crashed on return to Manston in Kent.

It had been a difficult and demanding year for 576 Squadron in which it had acquitted itself with
great distinction but the end was now in sight.