2 Group Losses

[Jim Oxley]

Much is made of the fact that Bomber Command suffered the highest loss rate (in % terms) of any militray arm of the Western Allies during WWII. And almost always when one mentions Bomber Command the immediate image that pops to mind is of massive four-enginened bombers flying off at dusk to attack targets in Germany.

But the Group that suffered the highest rate of loss within Bomber Command was 2 Group, when they were operating the humble Bristol Blenheim from 1940 to early 1942 and tasked with taking the war to the enemy during daylight hours. During that period they undertook daylight un-escorted raids all along the European coast against shipping and un-escorted raids over Occupied Europe. The so-called Beat flights and the Cloud Cover Raids. With the occasional Circus thrown in the relieve the boredom.

During that period the loss rate averaged 43%. Thats mind-boggling. How morale held up during that period is a wonder.

An excellent book on the subject is Theo Boiten's 'Blenheim Strike'. Superb written, with some of the most vivid personal accounts of raids I have ever read.

[Jon]

43% losses is a hard to imagine !

Were most of the losses down to fighters or light AA ?

Jon

[Blenheim]

Difficult to say if the Blenheim losses were due more to fighters or to flak: both had a pretty good time hacking them down. More than a few were lost as well by trying to fly just that bit too low on anti-shipping sorties and hitting either the sea or the target.

Boiten's book is good but an even better one is "The Bristol Blenheim - A Complete History" by Graham Warner, a second edition of which is being published in August by Crecy.

All the best,

[Jim Oxley]

I agree that in detailing of all Blenheim activity the "The Bristol Blenheim - A Complete History" is a superb book. In fact beyond compare. After all Boiten's book is really focused on the Blenheim raids off and around the Dutch coastline during '41.

What I find rivetting about Boiten's book is the excellent quality of the personal stories. As good as I have read anywhere. The prsonal description of the 12 August daylight raid to Cologne - 54 Blenheim's unescorted into Germany, at low level, in broad daylight - is sweaty palms stuff.

Btw it may interest anyone who is keen on Cricket to know that Bill Edrich (one time English Captain) flew Blenheim's during this period. Some of his stories are absolutely hair raising.