Page 24 - Donald Bernard Graham

Ninth Operation

st
31 March 1945 Take off: 06.25. Return: 11.35pm.

Hamburg – Army support/Area bombing Lancaster ME 801 N - Nan2
469 aircraft - 361 Lancasters, 100 Halifaxes, 8 Mosquitos - of No. 1, 6 and 8 Groups
attempted to attack the Blohm & Voss shipyards, where the new types of U-boats
were being assembled, but the target area was completely cloud covered. The local
report describes 'considerable damage' to houses, factories, energy supplies and
communications over a wide area of southern Hamburg and Harburg. 8 Lancasters
and 3 Halifaxes were lost, a number being victims of an unexpected intervention by
the Luftwaffe day fighter force. This was Bomber Command's last double figure
aircraft loss of the war from a raid on one city.