Thread by @ReassessHistory, On 18 July 1944, Bomber Command unleashed over a thousand heavy bombers [...]

On 18 July 1944, Bomber Command unleashed over a thousand heavy bombers against the German defenders opposing Operation Goodwood: a massive armoured offensive.

But how many bombers were lost, and why is it so hard to agree on such losses? /1
#Airpower
#WW2 #SWW #History

From 0543 18 July, 1,028 bombers pummelled German defensive positions east of Caen.

466 RAAF Squadron were in action, as Ken Handley records, 'A good early morning prang on Tanks & enemy guns & installations prior to a "breakthrough"...' /2

'Our christening with flak having a piece come through the bottom of the perspex nose, leaving out teh top, missing the bomb aimer Tick [Ron Tickell] by inches. Otherwise pleasant.' /3

Leigh-Mallory watched proceedings from his acquired Storch. /4

Waves of bombers droned over between 5,000 and 9,000', unleashing devastating payload after payload onto targets.

In many ways this didn't have the anticipated effect, but that's a tale for another day.

Here's Cagny after Bomber Command's fleeting visit. /5

Across Second Army's line, tens of thousands of Britissh and Canadian soldiers cheered seeing such a potent demonstration of will upon the enemy as wave upon inexorable wave continued to roll in.

The Germans had no effective countermeasure. /6

III Flakkorps' 88mm guns returned fire, but

Several thousand tons bombs were unleashed on the defenders.

Cagny... as the bombs slam in. /7

German HAA was suppressed by the 'Apple Pie' counter-battery fire plan.

Wolfgang Pickert's Kanoniere still attempted to defy the impossible.

Ultimately highlighting the Luftwaffe's impotence andd further sapping German morale. /8

It just opened with Bomber Command.

Now came the Americans with 482 medium and 539 heavy bombers, respectively from the 9th and 8th USAAF.

When combined with BC, a total of over 6,800 tons of bombs. /9

Much of the countryside was reduced to a near-moonscape wasteland.

For those on the recieving end, it was awful.

Tanks were flipped about and some German soldiers committed suicide just to escape the horror. /10

The odd thing is, many historians can't agree on the no. of aircraft lost from Bomber Command.

AL-F flown by Ft Lt George W. Gardiner of 429 (Bison) Squadron RCAF was lost over target, as seen in this shot, when bombs from another Halifax sliced off her starboard tailplane. /11

Ultimately AL-F was unlucky enough to be hit by three bombs from on high.

This loss has often been incorrectly attributed to flak. In truth, damned unlucky.

Of the crew, 3 killed, 3 POW, 1 made it back.

George was captured. /12

In truth five bombers were shot down by flak.

Lancaster ND517, KM-U of 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron.

Only Sergeant Keith Douglas Burroughs was killed, allegedly from flak entering his mid-upper turret. /13

A slight aside...

It appears ND517 suffered damage from flak, killing Burroughs & rising to collide with Flight Officer Kenneth Heron's Halifax BIII MZ13 from 420 Squadron, managing to make it's way home.

Kenneth was lost with his crew on 25 July 1944. /14

Halifax NP706, QO-J of 432 (Leaside) Squadron RCAF., setting fire to fuselage and downed.

Pilot Officer Robert Elwood Burton was killed. All captured bar Oakeby and Zacharuk who evaded. /15

A closer look at Robert. /16

Halifax LV985, ZL-K of 427 (Lion) Squadron RCAF. /17

Halifax III MZ730, NP-Q, of 158 Squadron. All crew lost.

Fl Lt William George Davies, Sgt. Ronald David Morgan, Fl Sgt Kenneth Gladwin Meehan, F/O William Robinson Morrison, Sgt Kenneth George Porter, Sgt. Andrew McIntyre, Sgt Cecil Thomas William Carpenter. /18

A second aircraft from 158 Squadron was lost, Halifax MZ7003, NP-K. /19

So the usual number trotted out lost during the raid is five to six, but this is just the number over target. It's actually higher as three more were lost en-route. /20

Halifax M286, NP-X of 158 Squadron, was lost two minutes after taking off from RAF Lisset when it crashed into the sea, believed to be from turbulence. /21

Halifax LK794, LK-Q of 578 Squadron caught fire and exploded on the outbound flight, crashing between Reading and Maidenhead with the loss of six crew. /22

Lancaster LM615, KO-J of 115 Squadron had a particularly tragic end when it crashed into the farmhouse at West End Farm, Great Offley, killing the entire crew, along with three women from the same family, Alice, Mary and Elsie Handley. /23

After a determined campaign, this site is now marked by a fitting memorial. /24

The truth is that ultimately ten aircraft from Bomber Command were lost during Operation Goodwood, and goes to highlight the complexities of compiling figures of aircraft lost & the number of those killed during the campaign.

A tricky story, but an important one. /thread

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