Intruder Missions to Giessen/Germany

[Flugplatz Giessen]

Hello together,

I search informations about intruder missions to the airfield giessen in germany. Units, Losses etc.

Any idea in which unit history or archiv I will find some informations about the missions?

Thanks in advance.

[mhuxt]

PM me if you like.

[Kaczmarek]

In which time period ?

[Peglar]

Although practically all its anti-Luftwaffe successes were being counted by day, most of 418's oper-ations in the fall of 1944 were "Flowers" and night-rangers, with which at every opportunity were combined attacks on suitable ground targets. The squadron's Mosquitoes, occasionally taking off from advanced air bases on the continent, prowled over the Reich from Dummer See in the west to Breslau in the east, from Peenemunde in the north to Munich in the south.

It was during "Flowers" to two Hessian airfields on 1 November that the squadron both suffered its last loss on intruder operations and inflicted its last fatal blow on a manned E/A. P/O John S. Hill and FS C. W. Roach were briefed to cover Giessen aerodrome but were never seen again after take-off (LR327). They were eventually presumed lost in action.

Dispatched almost simultaneously to Hanau, Miller and Hooper intercepted a Ju. 88G at nearby Undenheim and blasted it to eternity.

Shortly before midnight on 18 November S/L C. S. Leggat and F/O R. R. Bruce returned from a night-ranger over south-east Germany and west Austria. So was written "finis" to the brightly glowing "Intruder" chapter of 418's history. That day word had come that a move to Hartford Bridge was imminent, such to coincide with a transfer of the unit to No. 136 Wing of No. 2 Group, Second Tactical Air Force, and another phase of operations. In future its work would be close support of the gro und forces, virtually all by night.