Friday 8 June 2012

To Dieppe.






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.