Twelve US bombers were lost during a 30-minute onslaught by Luftwaffe night intruders. Ian McLachlan describes the Americans’ ordeal
This April marks 80 years since a devastating night attack on USAAF bombers over eastern England. The Eighth Air Force usually departed early on its daylight raids, but on April 22, 1944, cloud cover over the target – the German city of Hamm’s railway network – forced Mission 311’s take-off time to be significantly delayed.
The forecast predicted that no more than 5/10ths cloud coverage required for visual bombing would exist from 1900hrs onwards, so the operations staff changed their plans accordingly. The invasion of Europe was imminent and destroying the Axis railway network was a prerequisite for Operation Overlord. Hamm and its marshalling yard, an important hub for railway connections, was a key target. Over three miles long and capable of handling 10,000 wagons daily, its destruction would disrupt essential supplies and troop movements.
Some 824 aircraft were launched with the Third Air Division departing at 1750hrs over Lowestoft, followed 12 minutes later the by the First Air Division then, at 1821hrs, the Liberators of the Second Air Division (2AD) for whom things soon went awry.
Despit…
