RAF losses on March 22, 1945

[milanbencek]

Hi all

I am looking for informations about RAF losses on March 22th, exceptr single engine fighters and heavy bombers, AC, crews, codes...... Thanks,

Milan

[Peter Kassak]

Hi Milan,

If you exclude single engine fighters and heavy bombers, some data could be readable from this text:
22 March 1945

227 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups to Hildesheim. 4 Lancasters lost. The target was the railway yards; these were bombed but the surrounding built-up areas also suffered severely in what was virtually an area attack. This was the only major Bomber Command raid of the war on Hildesheim and the post-war British survey found that 263 acres, 70 per cent of the town, had been destroyed.

Attack on Dülmen by 130 aircraft - 106 Halifaxes, 12 Lancasters, 12 Mosquitos - of Nos 4 and 8 Groups. No aircraft lost. This was an area attack and the town was soon burning after a concentrated raid in clear weather conditions. No other details are available.

124 aircraft - 100 Halifaxes, 12 Lancasters, 12 Mosquitos - of Nos 6 and 8 Groups bombed Dorsten. Dorsten was a rail and canal centre and also the location of a Luftwaffe fuel dump. All these targets were believed to have been hit but the town probably suffered as well. No aircraft were lost.

100 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the town of Bocholt, probably with the intention of cutting communications. The town was seen to be on fire. No aircraft lost.

102 Lancasters of No 5 Group attacked bridges at Bremen (82 aircraft) and Nienburg (20 aircraft of No 617 Squadron). The bridge at Nienburg was destroyed; the bombing at the Bremen bridge appeared to be accurate but no results were seen. No aircraft lost.

Total effort for the day: 708 sorties, 4 aircraft (0.6 per cent) lost.


Hope it helps maybe a bit.

[RossGmann]

Mosquito KB425 Information

Type Mosquito
Serial Number KB425
Squadron 163
X1D ??-V
Operation Berlin
Dates 21st/22nd March 1945
Further Information

Airborne 1902 21Mar45 from Wyton. Returned early (reason not established) and crashed 2016 short of the runway threshold at RAF Upwood, Huntingdonshire. P/O Drake was rushed to RAF Hospital Ely but died soon after from his injuries. He was taken home and buried in the Falmouth Cemetery, Cornwall. F/O J.D.Rees DFC Inj F/O A.R.S.Drake Inj "
Mosquito PF392 Information

Type Mosquito
Serial Number PF392
Squadron 692
X1D P3-R
Operation Berlin
Dates 21st/22nd March 1945
Further Information

Airborne 1916 21Mar43 from Graveley. Cause of loss and crash-site not established. Both are buried in the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery. W/O MacPhee was the son of Dr.Burgess MacPhee of Blackburn. W/O I.M.MacPhee KIA Sgt A.V.Sullivan KIA There has been some confusion with this Sqdn been listed as 629 Sqdn which was never formed.



Kind regards

Ross