RAF bombing near Cherbourg, 11 October 1940

[Nick Beale]

Does anyone have details of units/aircraft etc. involved in raids in the Cherbourg area on this date? And what were the assigned targets?

Thanks.

[MW Giles]

These are the sorties I have to date, no one sent directly to Cherbourg but lots of aircraft bombed alternative targets rather than their primary, so plenty of scope for someone on the way home to attack the docks as an alternative target.

Unknown target Hampden 144 Sqn 3 Primary
Airfields and/or Ostend Wellington 115 Sqn 5 Primary 4 Early Returns
Boulogne Blenheim 110 Sqn 4 Primary 2 Recalled
Calais Wellington 99 Sqn 1 Primary
CC47 Wellington 99 Sqn 1 Primary
Gardening Hampden 83 Sqn 5 Primary 4 Early retrun (Forget me Not)
Gardening Hampden 106 Sqn 1 Primary 2 Early return (Eglantine)
Grevenbroich, Magdeburg, Hannover Wellington 38 Sqn 7 Alternative 2 Early return
Hamburg Hampden 50 Sqn 1 Alternative
Hamburg Hampden 61 Sqn 3 Primary 2 Alternative
Herringen Wellington 149 Sqn 1 Primary 2 Alternative 1 Early return
Kiel Hampden 61 Sqn 2 Alternative
Kiel Hampden 144 Sqn 2 Primary 1 Alternative 2 Early return
Ostend Battle 12 Sqn 2 Primary
Ostend Battle 142 Sqn 2 Primary 1 Early return
Pölitz Whitley 51 Sqn 8 Alternative 3 Early return
Pölitz Whitley 78 Sqn 6 Alternative 1 Early return
Vught Wellington 99 Sqn 1 Primary
Wilhelmshaven Hampden 50 Sqn 4 Primary 1 Alternative (Tirpitz)

Primary - crew believes attacked named target
Alternative - crew attacked another target
Early return - bombs jettisoned or brought back

CC47 is a target code that I have not tied down yet. CC targets were invasion ports and the barges and shipping within. Cherbourg is CC16 and Calais CC37

Form 541 usually names a primary and a number of alternative targets, if the crew could not find any of these they could attack SEMO self evident military objectives or MOPA military objectives previously attacked.

In this period, as per the later Butt Report, just because crew claimed to have bombed somewhere it does not mean that is where they actually landed

Regards

Martin

[Leendert]

Nick,

From naval-history.net:

October

10th – At 2000 hours REVENGE escorted by the destroyers JAVELIN (D5), JAGUAR, JUPITER, KASHMIR, KELVIN, KIPLING sailed from Plymouth on Operation MEDIUM.
(Operation MEDIUM was a combined operation by the RN and No 2 and 3 Groups RAF to attack German invasion shipping in the port of Cherbourg)

(The first attempt at a naval bombardment was made using the monitor EREBUS, but this had not been successful, due to her lack of manoeuvrability in anything of a seaway.
The Operation MEDIUM plan was for Blenheims of 2 Group to bomb the harbour area followed by Wellingtons of 3 Group who would carry out a combined bombing and flare dropping during which the REVENGE force would carry out a bombardment of the port area.

To cover the REVENGE force from surface attack from the west were the light cruisers NEWCASTLE and EMERALD and destroyers WANDERER and BROKE and Polish destroyers BURZA and GARLAND. To the east were the light cruiser CARDIFF and destroyers VANOC and VOLUNTEER)
11th – At 0035 hours the REVENGE force RVed with MGB’s 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 51 who had sailed from Weymouth and were tasked with covering the bombarding force from E-Boats.
At 0230 hours the MGB’s formed a screen ahead of the REVENGE force ready to engage any E-Boats or small vessels encountered.
At 0315 hours the bombing attacks commenced ad flares were dropped over Cap de la Hague to enable REVENGE to obtain an accurate fix.
From 0333 to 0351 hours from a range of approximately 15700 yards the REVENGE group bombarded Cherbourg harbour. During the 18 minute bombardment 120 x 15in shells were fired by REVENGE and a total of 801 x 4.7in shells from her escorting destroyers.
The force then retired under fire from a German shore battery, estimated as up to 13.5in calibre, east of Cherbourg. The firing continued for 30 minutes and although accurate no hits were achieved. During the withdrawal REVENGE worked up to 21½ knots.

Regards,

Leendert

[MW Giles]

If we are looking at the night of the 10th October

15 Sqn sent 12 Blenheims and 99 Sqn 2 Wellingtons to Cherbourg

Regards

Martin

[Nick Beale]

Thank you everyone. Sorry for the late reply, on holiday until a couple of days ago.