115 Squadron

18/19 March 1944

Lancaster Mk II - LL640 A4-C

T/O Witchford 1946 - target Frankfurt, Germany.

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

846 aircraft - 620 Lancasters, 209 Halifaxes, 17 Mosquitos - to Frankfurt.

The German fighter force was again split.
One part was lured north by the Heligoland mining operation but the second part waited in
Germany and met the bomber stream just before the target was reached,
although cloud made it difficult for these fighters to achieve much success.

The Pathfinders marked the target accurately and this led to heavy bombing of eastern,
central and western districts of Frankfurt. The later phases of the bombing were scattered
but this was almost inevitable with such a large force; new crews were usually allocated to the final waves.

22 aircraft - 12 Halifaxes, 10 Lancasters - were lost, 2.6 per cent of the force.

Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary March 1944.

ORB. 18th MAR 1944
23 aircraft (8 from 'A' Flight, 8 from 'B' Flight and 7 from 'C' Flight)
were detailed to attack FRANKFURT, but one failed to take off.
22 aircraft took off between 1935 and 1955 hours.
1 aircraft (A/C. A.DS.682 - Captain W/O. L. HEMMING) had to abandon the sortie when its
8,000 lb bomb was released at 52.22N and 0010E, returning to base with remainder of bombs.
Aircraft M.DS.629 (Captain F/S. WILLIAMS), I.) was attacked by 3 fighters.
Port outer engine hit, front and rear turrets sprayed. The port outer engine caught fire over target
and was extinguished but became unserviceable. No power in starboard outer engine.
The rear gunner (Sgt. MC RAE.) was wounded and taken to hospital on return of the aircraft
which landed at COLTISHALL.
Aircraft V.DS.620 (Captain F/S. BIRNIE) overshot FRANKFURT and bombed edge of
searchlight area at LUDWIGSHAFEN.
Aircraft C.LL640 (Captain P/O. A. FRAMPTON) missing from operations - no news since take off.
The remainder of the aircraft identified the target by red and green target indicators and bombed from
heights varying between 19,000 and 21,500 feet.
PFF considered scattered, green indicators covered area of at least 10 miles.
Many fires were seen and a number of explosions. Photographs were attempted.
A/C. A.LL.695 (Captain F/O. MARTIN) attacked by ME 110. Damage to fuselage (through to top) and inter-comm.
Mid-upper (Sgt. HOLLIS) baled out during this engagement - nothing heard of him since.

0127. 19 aircraft returned to base.
1 aircraft landed at COLTISHALL at 0224 hours and
1 (A/C. N.LL.704 - Captain S/L. C. H. BAIGENT, DFC & Bar) at MEPAL at 0050 hours.

LL640 Back Row