Crown Copyright Catalogue Reference
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(c) crown copyright Catalogue Reference:cab/66/59/39 Image Reference:0001 DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT Printed for the War Cabinet, November 1944. / SECRET. WP. (M) 739. 15th December, 1944. WAR CABINET. SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS OF BOMBER COMMAND FOR FOUR . WEEKS ENDING 3RD DECEMBER, 1944. MEMORANDUM BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR AIR. A.—A detailed summary of operations is appended. B.—Results of Operations. 1. Battleship Tirpitz. THE Battleship Tirpitz was sunk on the 12th November in an attack made by 29 Lancasters, each carrying a 12,000-lb. bomb. Three direct hits were obtained, one of which hit the ship near the bridge and penetrated and split open her port side, while other bombs fell across the ship causing her to capsize very rapidly (see Print No. 1). 2. Oil Targets. Attacks were made during the period on the oil plants at Wanne-Eickel, Homberg (Meerbeck), Castrop Rauxel, - Harburg, Sterkrade (Holten), Nordstern and Dortmund. These attacks were all successful and the plants were temporarily put out of action, with the result that during the last week of the period the list of targets suspended from attack included all ten synthetic plants in the Ruhr and the refineries at Harburg. Print No. 2 shows the heavy destruction caused in thejplant at Bottrop Welheim in the series of attacks made by Bomber Command and VIII U.S.A.A.F. Photographs now show that the attack made through 10/10th cloud by means of the G.H. navigational aid on the oil plant at Wesseling on the 30th October caused very heavy damage to the main installations, the gas-generating plant, the boiler-house, oil storage and offices. 3. German Towns. A number of attacks was made on German towns, but operations generally were limited owing to bad weather. The town centre of Gelsenkirchen was virtually destroyed in a raid on the 6th November and many important buildings were heavily damaged, including a chemical works, a steel works and a cable works. On the same night Koblenz was very successfully attacked, the greater part of the built-up area, including the main passenger station, being gutted or destroyed. The damage spreads northwards across the River Moselle into Koblenz-Lutzel, which suffered heavily, and also to a lesser extent across the River Rhine into Ehrenbreitstein. At the request of the United States Armies the fortified areas of Duren, Julich and Heinsberg were very heavily attacked on the 16th November. Almost the entire built-up area of Duren was destroyed with the exception of a small area due west of the marshalling yard (see Print No. 3). At Julich, the destruction was on an even greater scale and, as Print No. 4 shows, the entire built-up area was destroyed. Other towns attacked during the period include Freiburg, Neuss, Essen, Miinster and Duisburg. [28842] 4. Transportation Targets. Two attacks were made on the Dortmund-Ems Canal which had been repaired since the previous' attack made in September. On the 4th/5th November the main (western) arm of the canal was breached and the eastern by-pass arm was heavily hit where it crosses the River Glane (see Print No. 5). As a result of the attack both arms of the canal were impassable and the water drained into the surrounding countryside. The second attack, carried out on the 21st/22nd November, was made at the point where the western arm crosses the River Glane. The aqueduct was wrecked, the western arm was breached and wide areas of the countryside were flooded. Print No. 6 shows the extreme accuracy of the attack. The Mittelland Canal, which lies to the east of Rheine and carries traffic between central and western-Germany, was attacked on the same night. The western embankment at Gravenhorst was breached over a distance of about 50 feet (see Print No. 7) and about 31 miles of the canal is without water. Marshalling yards at Fulda, Cologne (Kalk) and Aschaffenburg were heavily attacked. 5. Results of Previous A ttacks. The attack made on Bochum on the 4th/5th November caused very heavy damage to both industrial and residential property. Amongst the many industrial plants severely damaged are the Vereinigte Stahlwerke A.G. and a factory making milling and grinding machines. In the raid on Knapsack on the 28th October heavy damage was done to the Goldenburg Thermal power station, the largest power plant in Germany. Photographs show that the turbine house, boiler and switch houses were all affected and the power stations rendered inactive. Print No. 8 shows the results of the attack made on Diisseldorf on the 2nd/3rd November, when all the factories in the north and north-east were severely damaged and the northern suburbs virtually destroyed. A H. M, S. A ir Ministry, 15th December, 1944. APPENDIX. Summary of Operations. Aircraft Date. Target. Despatched. Nov. 5 Solingen ... ... ... ... ... --. 173 5/6 Stuttgart 65 6 Gelsenkirchen ... ..: ... ... ... 738 6/7 Gravenhorst ... .- ' ... 234 Koblenz 128 Gelsenkirchen ... ... ... ... ... 48 8 Homberg (Meerbeck). oil plant ... ... ... 136 8/9 Hanover 50 9 Wanne-Eickel, oil plant ... ... ... ... 277 10/11 Han6ver 59 11 Castrop Rauxel, oil plant ... ... ... ... 122 11/12 Dortmund 228 Harburg, oil plant ... ... ... ... ... 245 Kamen, oil plant ... ... ... ... ... 41 12 Tirpitz in Tromso Fiord ... ... ... ... 31 15 Dortmund ... ... ... ... 177 15/16 Berlin - 36 16 Diiren ... 498 Jlilich 508 Heinsberg ... ... ... ... ... ... 182 18 Minister ... ... 479 18/19 Wanne-Eickel, oil plant 309 Wiesbaden ... ... ... ... ... ... 31 20 Homberg (Meerbeck), oil plant ... 183 20/21 Koblenz 43 Hanover ... ... ... ... ... ... 63 21 Homberg (Meerbeck), oil plant ... ... ... 160 Aircraft Date. Target. Despatched. Nov. 21/22 Aschaffenburg, marshalling yard ... ... ... 283 Castrop Rauxel, oil plant ... ... ... ... 273 Sterkrade (Holten), oil plant 270 Dortmund-Ems Canal at Ladbergen ... ... 128 Mittelland Canal at Gravenhorst ... ... ... 143 22/23 Trondheim, submarine pens ... ... ... 178 23 Gelsenkirchen/Norstern, oil plant ... ... 168 23/24 Hanover ... ... ... ... ... ... 61 24/25 Berlin 58 25/26 Nuremberg 68 26 Fulda, marshalling yard ... ... ... ... 75 26/27 Munich ... 278 27 Cologne (Kalk), marshalling yard ... ... 169 27/28 Neuss : 290 Freiburg ... ... ... ... ... ... 354 Berlin ... ... ... .... ... ... ... -67 28/29 Nuremberg ... 75 Neuss 153 Essen ... ... ... ... ... 316 29 Dortmund 311 Duisburg (Meiderich) ... ... ... ... 30 29/30 Hanover , 60 30 Bottrop Welheim, oil plant 60 Osterfeld 60 Duisburg (Meiderich) ... ... ... ... 39 Nov. 30/Dec. 1 Duisberg ... 576 Hamburg ... ... ... ... ... ... 53 Dec. 1/2 Karlsruhe 71 2 Dortmund ... ... ... ... ... ... 93 2/3 Hagen 504 Giessen ... ... ... ... ... ... 60 In addition,. 393 aircraft were despatched on small raids on German towns and other targets, 1,156 aircraft were employed in bomber support operations, and 750 mines were laid during the period. The Gorman Battleship "TIKPTIZ" was attacked in daylight on 13th November,1944 with 12,0001b bonbs at TROMSOE in NOR".."AY. On the left shows a direct hit with smoke froar. 1:OJ ib bursts above the ship centre, more hits with 12,000 pounders; right taken 2 hours after the attack shows the battleship turned turtle with half the bottom Note the prppellor shafts at stern and the large dark patches of oil* The Gorrsari: Ecttleship "TIKPTIZ" was attacked in daylight on 13th November,1944 vdth 12,0001b bonbs at TROMSOE in NOR".."AY. On the left shows a direct hit with smoke froar. 1:OJ ib bursts above the ship centre, more hits with 12,000 pounders; right taken 2 hours after the attack shows the battleship turned turtle v/ith half the bottom Note the propellor shafts at stern and the large dark patches of oil* The Gorman Battleship "TIEPTIZ" was attacked in daylight on 13th November19^4 with 12,0001b boubs at TROMoOE in NORTJAYI On the loft 0how a direct hit with. smoke from bomb bursts above the ship centre, more hits with 12,000 pounders; right baleen 2 hours after the attack shows the battleship turned turtle with half the bottom above water, j Note the prdpellor shafts at stern and the large dark patches of oil. The 5WOT: Battleship "TIEPTIZ" was attacked in daylight on 13th November ,191,4 %dth 12,0001b ;t;oubs at TR0M3CE in NORTJAYI On the loft shows a direct hit with. siv.oke from, coi ib hursts above the ship centre, more hits with 12,000 pounders; right baleen 2 hours after the attack shows the battleship turned turtle with half the "bottom above water, j Note the propellor shafts at stern and the large dark patches of oil. Synthetic Oil Plant. This photograph taken en the 18th November 1944 destruction of buildings throughout the plant as well as the of crateru all over the target area. Almost every important a S ?e?n h i t and no at are destroyed or seriously damaged. VIII U.3. \.£ P part-in attacks on this plant. attacked on 16th November 51944 to support .Army operations. This was a enemy area and the army asked for complete obliteration. This photograph after the attack shows how well the job was done. Trie centre of just an unrecognisable mass of rubble, (see also JQLIGIi) ^ "Synthetic Oil Plant. This photograph taken on the 18th November,192^ p 0VS t!ls destruction of buildings throughout the plant as well as the n tr p fl? i atiH n o f craterij all ever the target area. Almost every important [ uUding has been hit and most are destroyed or seriously damaged. VIII IJ.3.A.A.F. I , "cock part-in attacks on this plant. -Attacked on 16th Hovenibe r 51944 to support Army operations. inis was a enemy area and the army asked for complete obliteration. This photograph after the attack shows how well the job was done, The centre of just an unrecognisable mass of rubble, (sec also JULIGIi) This was another fortified area to be destroyed (see also DUI-iEN).