bombing

May

10

1942

The reality of Home Guard life in Britain

Members of the Home Guard operate a Browning machine-gun from a trailer hitched to a car during exercises with regular troops, 2 February 1942.

A few soldiers had got out of the ruins only slightly hurt. The first to be brought out was young John Nicholls, 19, a young Home Guard in Trice’s old section. He had only just received his papers for joining the Army, and was not on parade. He died soon after. The next was young Dray, brother of a Home Guard, very badly hurt. Then Old Hardinge, ex-soldier and Home Guard over 65. He could walk supported, but was very badly scalded.

Apr

27

1942

City of Norwich next on Baedeker list

An Anderson shelter standing intact amid a scene of debris in Norwich. A demonstration of the effectiveness of the Anderson shelter which people built in their gardens, a dug out covered with a sheet of corrugated metal which was covered in earth. People were able to survive almost anything but a direct hit in them if they were built properly.

Then amidst a turmoil of noise, doors and everything else reasonably moveable became wrenched by an invisible force to go flying out into the garden. Pieces of ceiling rained down and by now, more than likely, the blow on my head was taking effect. I may have run instinctively beside my mother to the underground shelter in our garden, but the next thing I knew was the family huddled together in our small, damp, underground dungeon.

Apr

25

1942

‘Baedeker raiders’ hit historic city of Bath

The famous Royal Crescent was amongst the historic buildings hit but the damage was not not extensive here.

There were rumours that Churchill himself and high ranking marine planners from the Navy were in Bath. It was not just the Dornier DO.217 bombers from Kampfgeschwader II, that were ordered to attack, but also at least two other squadrons with Junkers Ju88 and Heinkel He111 were involved in the raids. My target was the city centre. I was not informed how Bath was protected.

Apr

18

1942

Doolittle raiders bomb Japan

A U.S. Army Air Force B-25B Mitchell medium bomber, one of sixteen involved in the mission, takes off from the flight deck of the USS Hornet for an air raid on the Japanese Home Islands, on April 18, 1942. The attack, later known as the Doolittle Raid, inflicted limited damage, but gave a huge boost to American morale after the attacks on Pearl Harbor months earlier.

Final instructions were to avoid non-military targets, particularly the Temple of Heaven, and even though we were put off so far at sea that it would be impossible to reach the China Coast, not to go to Siberia but to proceed as far West as possible, land on the water, launch the rubber boat and sail in.

Apr

17

1942

Low level Lancaster raid on Augsberg

Lancaster B Mark I, L7578 ‘KM-B’, of No.97 Squadron RAF, piloted by Squadron Leader J D Nettleton of No. 44 Squadron RAF, flying at low-level over the Lincolnshire countryside during a Squadron practice for the low-level attack on the M.A.N. diesel engineering works at Augsburg, which took place on 17 April 1942. 97 Squadron lent L7578 temporarily to 44 Squadron, who repainted the aircraft with Nettleton's unit code-letters. Nettleton actually flew R5508 on the operation, for the leadership of which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. L7578 did not participate in the raid and was returned to 97 Squadron at Woodhall Spa.

Soon after crossing into enemy territory his formation was engaged by 25 to 30 fighters. A running fight ensued. His rear guns went out of action. One by one the aircraft of his formation were shot down until in the end only his own and one other remained. The fighters were shaken off but the target was still far distant. There was formidable resistance to be faced.

Apr

15

1942

Malta awarded the George Cross

A heavily bomb-damaged street in Valletta, Malta. This street is Kingsway, the principle street in Valletta. Service personnel and civilians are present clearing up the debris.

An immense amount of damage has been done on the island, and among familiar landmarks which have been destroyed or seriously damaged are both Admiralty Houses (at Valetta and Vittoriosa), St. Angelo, the Customs House, the Castille, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Opera House and the great dome of the church at Musta.

Apr

2

1942

The heroic defence of Malta’s airfields

The remains of a Gloster Sea Gladiator, which formerly flew with the Malta Fighter Flight and No. 261 Squadron RAF, lies by the side of the airfield at Ta Kali, Malta. In the background is a parked Hawker Hurricane Mark I, W9133, of No. 261 Squadron.

During a period of fierce enemy air attacks on Malta, Leading Aircraftman Osborne has displayed unsurpassed courage and devotion to duty. In circumstances of the greatest danger he was always first at hand to deal with emergencies, whether in fire fighting operations or in rescue work.

Apr

1

1942

A quiet week in the air over Britain

Squadron Leader Charles Green, commanding 'A' Flight of No. 600 Squadron at Predannack in Cornwall, checks the serviceability of his Beaufighters after a night of patrolling over the West Country, April 1942.

Britain had seen the end of the worst of the Blitz in May 1941 but had endured much incidental bombing since then, with occasional hit and run bombers causing significant casualties. This week proved to be exceptionally quiet, unusually there were no fatalities.

Mar

29

1942

RAF bomb the medieval city of Lubeck

Vertical aerial photograph taken during the major raid on Lubeck on the night of 28/29 March 1942, showing the glare of incendiary fires in the Altstadt (upper left), illuminating the Klughafen on which a number of barges can be seen moored.

The main object of the attack was to learn to what extent a first wave of aircraft could guide a second wave to the aiming point by starting a conflagration: I ordered a half an hour interval between the two waves in order to allow the fires to get a good hold before the second wave arrived. In all, 234 aircraft were dispatched and dropped 144 tons of incendiaries and 160 tons of high explosives.

Mar

21

1942

Heaviest bombing raid on Malta yet

Bomb damage to the motor transport depot of 32nd Company, Royal Army Service Corps at Floriana, 20 March 1942.

The heaviest attack which has yet been delivered against Malta was made on the 21st March, when Takali aerodrome was the main objective. A mixed force of nearly 220 enemy aircraft participated in this raid, and great devastation was caused among buildings, and a reservoir was destroyed. During the day small reinforcements of Spitfires and Blenheims reached the island.

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