115 Squadron

29/30 May 1943

Lancaster Mk II - DS 627 KO-R

T/O East Wretham 2356. Target: Wuppertal, Germany.
Shot down by Ofw Fritz Schellwat of the V/NJG1.
Crashed 0218 hours 2 km E of Hechtel, Belgium.

One returned to base Lancaster Mk II DS616 KO-G crash landed at 0340 ,
Sgt. Glazzard J. J. H. was Rear Gunner killed,
wrecking another Lancaster DS618 KO-P in the process.

Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.

719 aircraft - 292 Lancasters, 185 Halifaxes, 118 Stirlings, 113 Wellingtons, 11 Mosquitos.

This attack was aimed at the Barmen half of the long and narrow town of Wuppertal and was the outstanding
success of the Battle of the Ruhr.
Both Pathfinder marking and Main Force bombing was particularly accurate and a large fire
area developed in the narrow streets of the old centre of the town.
It is probable that this fire was so severe that the first, small form of what would later become
known as a 'firestorm' developed.
Because it was a Saturday night, many of the town's fire and air-raid officials were not present,
having gone to their country homes for the weekend, and the fire services of the town - in their first raid -
were not able to control the fires.
Approximately 1,000 acres - possibly 80 per cent of Barmen's built-up area - was destroyed by fire.
5 out of the town's 6 largest factories, 211 other industrial premises and nearly 4,000 houses were completely destroyed.

33 aircraft - 10 Halifaxes, 8 Stirlings, 8 Wellingtons, 7 Lancasters - lost, 4.6 per cent of the force.

Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary May 1943

ORB. 29th May, 1943.
16 aircraft took off between 23.25 hours & 00.05 hours to attack WUPPERTAL.
15 aircraft saw yellow landmarkers & identified the target by means of red & green target indicator
markers on which they dropped their bombs from heights ranging between 15,500 feet and 20,000 feet.
Concentrated mass of fires with thick black smoke up to 10,000 feet & two large explosions,
one with red fire & black smoke up to 1,000 feet, were seen.
Some leaflets were dropped and photographs were attempted.
1 aircraft sustained damage to port outer, rudder & fuselage due to fighter action and crash landed at Base.
The rear gunner (Sgt. GLAZZARD. J.) was wounded & later died in hospital.
Two aircraft sustained damage to wing & wing tip respectively due to taxying (P.D.S.618. - Captain P/O. M. W. COLES).
Another aircraft (T.D.S.623 - Captain Sgt. SMALL. J.) received damage to fuselage, wings & tanks due to
heavy Flak 10 miles West of OSTEND (Oostende).
1 aircraft failed to return from Operations.