[RodM]

Hi,

two Lancasters returned from the Hohenbudberg raid with damage inflicted by 0.303 rounds, as detailed in a Bomber Command Operational Research Section log:

149 Sqn Lancaster NF970/O - damage from two hits from 0.303 - cause given as "M/G Fire (possibly self-inflicted)"

622 Sqn Lancaster HK651/B - damage from two hits by 0.303.

The log does not detail any damage to NF970 due to enemy fire (either night fighter or Flak), which it would have done had the rear turret or aircraft been so hit...

The air combat claim by NF970/O is also acknowledged in an official Bomber Command list (and was the only claim from the Hohenbudberg raid):

149 Sqn Lancaster NF970/O 1 x Me109 Probably Destroyed, 06.44 hrs, 14,000 ft, position 51 15 N, 05 20 E

The brief narrative in the report states: "...opened fire on ME.109 at 350 yds. and continued firing up to 200 yds. range when the starboard wing of the E/A burst into flames. The ME.109 was last seen diving down with its wing on fire."

Thus, from these two sources it would appear that the rear gunner was not killed by enemy fire, but possibly (not definitely) from self-inflicted friendly fire...

Is it possible that 0.303 rounds ricocheted rather than hitting the turret with direct fire? Could the hits have been made from defensive fire from another Lancaster? Without knowing the location and trajectory of the hits (such data, recorded at the time, hasn't been preserved at TNA) I guess establishing what probably happened would be hard to accomplish...

Cheers

Rod

Here is some additional general data from the Bomber Command Interception Tactics report. The single-engined enemy aircraft mentioned do not appear to have been from a night fighter unit, as confirmed by a Luftwaffe Reich Luftlagemeldung:

"ATTACKS AND COMBATS.

Hohenbudberg : Outward - Approaching the Duisburg area from the west, 0627 hrs, 2 Me.109's attacked a Lancaster, and at 0635 hrs another Lancaster fired on 3 S/E E/A. Over target one Me.410 attacked at 0625 hrs, and 2 more Lancasters opened fire on S/E E/A when returning between Eindhoven and Antwerp, 0644-0655 hrs."