Attack on Brest 11 Feb 42

[Chris Goss]

11 Wellingtons of 150 Sqn attacked Brest this night, losing one. Were any other squadrons involved?

[MW Giles]

103 Sqn also went to Brest 6/7 bombing between 20:10 and 20:40 hrs. The other a/c bombed a secondary target

That is it for Brest, there was also an attack on Le Havre

Martin

[Darius]

Hi Chris,


for this action - last attack on Brest with the german SCHARNHORST, GNEISENAU and PRINZ EUGEN in port:

From Admiralty War Diary:

10./11.02.1942:
Last night, 14 aircraft of Bomber Command attacked Brest[...].

12.02.1942:
22 aircraft attacked Le Havre docks last night and 16 Brest.

Regards


Darius

[Chris Goss]

Thanks guys. I am just interested in the 11 Feb 42 as this attacked delayed the start of the Channel Dash by 2 hours. Darius-you say 14 ac (which is what I have) but 150 Sqn only operated 11. 103 Sqn went to Le Havre that night

[MW Giles]

10/11 Feb 1942 - Brest

15 Sqn Stirling = 2/4
149 Sqn Stirling = 3/4
311 Sqn Wellington = 7
419 Sqn Wellington = 3/5

BC night raid sheet says 5 Stirling and 10 Wellington believed to have bombed in target area

11/12 Feb 1942 - Brest

103 Sqn Wellington = 6/7 (1 bombed alternative 2 miles SW of target)
150 Sqn Wellington = 9/10 1 lost

150 Sqn ORB says 1 Wellington withdrawn = 11 originally detailed

BC night raid sheet says 16 Wellington believed to have bombed in target area

1 Group ORB

19 a/c detailed. 15 bombed target, 1 withdrawn (103), 1 early return (150), 1 bombed last resort (103), 1 missing (150). TOT 19:56 to 20:32 hrs

The 103 Sqn ORB (appendix) confirms 1 withdrawn

The clash is whether the extra 150 Sqn a/c was withdrawn as per the 150 Sqn ORB or an early return as per the 1 Group ORB - take your pick

The BC/1 Group variation is probably the 103 Sqn a/c that bombed 2 miles away. Not very far by 1942 standards (Butt Report etc)

Hopefully I have not confused you too much

Martin

[Chris Goss]

Thanks Martin. Clear-7 from 103 Sqn, 10 from 150 Sqn, one lost (to Flak)

[Nick Beale]

From the American translation of the Seekriegsleitung KTB:

Channel Breakthrough:

On the evening of 11 Feb. 67 enemy planes flew over the area of western France, concentrating on Brest. An air raid warning was sounded in Brest between 2035 and 2217.

The departure of the Brest vessels (Commanding Admiral, Battleships aboard the SCHARNHORST, the GNEISENAU, the PRINZ EUGEN; Commander, Destroyers aboard destroyer Z "29"; Commander of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla aboard the BEITZEN; the JACOBI, the IHN, the SCHOEMANN, and destroyer Z "25") was therefore delayed from 2035 to 2200, and then proceeded according to plan.

The 6th PT Boat Flotilla departed in two groups for a torpedo mission off Folkestone and Beachy Head. Radio monitoring intercepted continuous enemy reports about locating both task forces. A British motor gunboat flotilla leader was located 7 miles southwest of Dover.

[MW Giles]

Assuming that the ships travelled at the same speed, it is interesting what effect that delay might have caused. An extra 90 minutes of daylight might have had an affect on the course of events if they had sailed on time.

To be pessimistic, probably not. The RAF/RN response was not really up to it on a nasty February day.

Martin

[Chris Goss]

Precisely why I asked the question Martin. The submarine off Brest might have still been there instead of out to sea charging its batteries; the Beaufort which switched off its ASV might not have bumped into a Ju 88. Weather would have still been bad!