To Thiepval
South African and Northern Irish men made machine flesh by
some at Somme .
All have forgotten the bantam and the pals.
Never forget that which we are not to see or what we are to
forget, Jubilee.
“483 aircraft - 286 Lancasters, 169 Halifaxes, 28 Mosquitos
- attacked railways at Alençon, Fougères, Mayenne, Pontabault and Rennes to prevent German reinforcements from the south
reaching Normandy .
All of the raids appear to have been successful. 4 aircraft were lost, 2
Lancasters from the Pontabault raid and 1 Lancaster and 1 Mosquito from the Rennes raid.
The first 12,000lb Tallboy bombs developed by Barnes Wallis
were used on this night by No 617 Squadron in a raid on a railway tunnel near
Saumur, 125 miles south of the battle area. The raid was prepared in great
haste because a German Panzer unit was expected to move by train through the
tunnel. The target area was illuminated with flares by 4 Lancasters of No 83
Squadron and marked at low level by 3 Mosquitos. 25 Lancasters of No 617
Squadron then dropped their Tallboys with great accuracy. The huge bombs
exploded under the ground to create miniature 'earthquakes'; one actually
pierced the roof of the tunnel and brought down a huge quantity of rock and
soil. The tunnel was blocked for a considerable period and the Panzer unit was
badly delayed. No aircraft were lost from this raid.
17 Serrate and 19 Intruder patrols, 34 aircraft minelaying
from the Scheldt to Lorient .
No aircraft lost.
Total effort for the night: 585 sorties, 4 aircraft
(0.7 per cent) lost.”
Tonight on the bomb line.
Never forget.
