Bomber Command Missions Against Northern France

[5./JG27.Farber]

Im trying to research Bomber Command Missions Against Northern France... Most information on the web doesn't even start with Bomber command until 1942! Everything I have found before then is long range raids against the Rhur and other targets which are not on the map - like Wilhelmshaven, Kiel etc.

Does anyone know of any soruces, dates etc when Bomber Command attacked Northern France?

EDIT1:

I found these of note:

Anti shipping operations - largely a waste of time.

Attacks on Barges in dock (Bastogne, calais and dunkirk?)

8th July 1940 107 RAF Raided Amiens with 6 Blenhiems... 5 lost.


There is very very little written about Bomber Command and the losses are horrendous.

[salmo]

Not specific mission but a summary of bomber command operations from June - October 1940
http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/diary_bob.html

June
Daylights raids for the Blenheims concentrated on airfields in occupied countries with occasional forays into Germany. Night operations were mounted by Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitleys against widespread targets in Germany and airfields in Holland and France. The Hampdens concentrated on Gardening sorties. Poor weather hampered all operations and many planned attacks were aborted by the crews en-route to their targets.

July
The Blenheims continued their operations over the occupied countries. On 2 July, a force of 11 Blenheims is despatched to bomb targets in Germany. 10 abort due to poor weather whilst the one remaining aircraft was shot down attacking the Dortmund-Ems canal. The high number of failed missions continued throughout the whole month, and when aircraft did eventually find a target to attack, the German fighters were normally close at hand. The gathering invasion fleet in the Channel ports was a frequent target for Blenheim operations and as the month progressed an increasing number of airfield attacks (what would later be known as 'intruder' raids) were flown. The peril of daylight operations was highlighted on a couple of occasions; on 9th July, 7 Blenheims from a total of 12 were lost in an attack on Stavangar airfield; and on the following day, No 107 Squadron lost 5 out of 6 aircraft despatched on a raid to Amiens. As for night operations, the numbers of aircraft involved rarely exceeded 70 aircraft, and these were often split between 6 or more targets. Only once, during the night of 25th/26th July, was the number greater than 100 (166). The month did mark the first use by Bomber Command of the 2,000lb bomb (dropped by Flying Officer GP Gibson - who we shall meet again later in the conflict - of No 73 Squadron during an attack on the German battleship Scharnhorst at Kiel during 2nd/3rd July). Some night operations also included Battles, back in the Command after their torrid time in France. Crews nearing the end of the training were also sent on low-risk missions (generally leaflet-drops over France) as they neared the end of their course to give them a feel for what life would be like on the squadrons. The Hampdens also continued their Gardening sorties with up to 12 aircraft on such duties each night.

[5./JG27.Farber]

Yes thats the same page I got some of the info from. Looks like Bomber Command only embarked on suicide raids until 1942 - asside from blowing up the French Navy and Bombing Holland and the Rhur. They seem to have had better success before the BoB rather than during.

Also an interesting fact was that the married men where sent to bomber command as it was thought it was safer!

[bolox]

yeah not too much around on early Bomber command on the net.

http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/index.html

can be useful for Battle of France stuff.

I've got a couple of books with some bits and pieces in them
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reich-Intrud.../dp/1852605391
has the most in that i can find atm. might have more 'buried'
probably not worth buying as it's really only chapter 1 that's relevant.
I can photo some pages for you?

otherwise it's buying books
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Group-R-F-Co.../dp/0947554254
looks the most relevant i've seen so far

[Osprey]

This is what I was saying Farber, that BC wasn't escorted since all the fighters were held back to defend the UK. Plenty of raids in France though.

Still have to get that screenie to you don't I.....

[5./JG27.Farber]

Originally Posted by bolox

I can photo some pages for you?

That would be lovely. Thank you.

Originally Posted by Osprey

Still have to get that screenie to you...

Yes but 2 heads are better than 1. I looked into for my own interest aswell.

[SiThSpAwN]

This is a collection of info I have gathered, hope its of interest and on topic:

http://ww2timeline.info/ww21941.htm
March 28

(evening) 323 British Bombers attack German submarine bases at St. Nazaire. [84.163]

1940
August 13

Adolf Hitler's "Eagle Day" commences, with 1485 plane sorties against British ports and airfields, attempting to eliminate British air forces as an obstacle to invasion. [9.14,16] [81.54] [84.62] [277.40] [518.1905] [719.17] (August 12 [1.3])
(very early) Five British Hampden bombers attack a crucial aqueduct over the River Ems in Germany. Three planes return in bad shape, but with their mission accomplished. (The Dortmund-Ems Canal is unusable for ten days, delaying German plans for invasion of England.) [84.61,341
Twelve British Blenheim bombers attack Hemsteds airfield in Holland. Only one plane returns. [84.58]

August 15

Twenty German JU88 aircraft from Denmark attack Driffield, Yorkshire, destroying ten Whitley aircraft on the ground. [84.62]
One hundred German bombers from Air Fleet 5 in Scandinavia, with Me-110 escort fighter planes, approach Tyneside, England. British Hurricane and Spitfire fighters are there to meet them, knocking down thirty planes with no loss to the British. (Air Fleet 5 does not attack again during the Battle of Britain.) [277.40]
1800 German aircraft make a widespread attack on Great Britain against various objectives. [503.1766]

August 22

In the South Irish Sea off Milford Haven, Wales, German aircraft bomb Canadian merchant ship Thorold. [27.17]

August 24

The German battleship Bismarck is commissioned. [112.629]
The Luftwaffe resumes bombing British fighter bases near London. [84.62]
(evening) Ten German aircraft inadvertantly bomb London, in contravention of Adolf Hitler's order forbidding attacks on the city. (The bombing is thought to be intentional, and leads to a retaliatory bombing of Berlin, Germany. This causes a shift in German bombing from British airfields to London. This allows British air forces to rebuild, which were near collapse.) [9.15,16] [84.341] [277.41] (August 23 [166.295])

August 26

No. 1 Fighter Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, first engages German planes in battle, shooting down three bombers and damaging four others, losing just one Canadian plane and pilot. [1.4]

September 7

British bomber planes begin bombing English Channel invasion ports and barges on the continent. [503.1737] [518.1905] (September 5 [84.64]) (September 13/14 [84.341])
(late afternoon) 625 German bombers and 648 fighters fly up the Thames River, bombing docks, central London, and the East End. Civilian casualties are 300 dead, 1300 wounded. Repeated waves of attacks continue until 0500 hours the next day. [9.15] [81.54] [166.295] [277.42] [503.1737] [719.17]

September 15

In the mid-Atlantic, south-east of Iceland, a submarine sinks Canadian merchant ship Kenordoc en route to Bristol, England. [27.17]
During the day, Germany sends 1700 planes against Britain. Eighty are shot down, with British losses of 35 fighters. (Adolf Hitler is convinced an invasion of England is impossible at this time, due to the lack of air superiority. This day marks the climax of the Battle of Britain.) [9.15] [149.80] [158.10] [166.295] [277.42]

November 14

(evening) German air forces make a heavy air raid on Coventry, England. [84.341] [414.44] [503.1737]

http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/famousraids.html
http://www.rafbombercommand.com/time..._may_1940.html

[SiThSpAwN]

Also if you are on Facebook this is kinda cool...

http://www.facebook.com/WW2Today