Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 26, 2016 10:51:23 GMT 12
I wonder if any New Zealand airmen took part in this low level raid on the Schneider arms factory in Le Creusot, France, on the 17th of October 1942. It really sounds like quite an op.
This from the NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 20 OCTOBER 1942
LE CREUSOT RAID
GREAT ACHIEVEMENT
HAVOC IN ARMS WORKS
EFFECTS OF BOMBS SEEN
HEDGE-HOPPING DASH
By TeteGraph—Press Association—Copyright (Recd. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON. Oct. 18
A vivid account of the hedge-hopping dash across France to bomb the Le Creusot arms works was given by a sergeant-pilot. "As we all took the hedges it was like a Grand National, except that there were no falls," he said. "Some of the French waved and all animals bolted as we roared over their heads. We saw no fighters, but a duck came with a wallop through our windscreen.
"All the way over there were other Lancasters on each side of us. We got to Le Creusot just after sunset. We could see the factory dead clear. A stick of bombs from another aircraft dropped in front of us right across the works. Then we dropped our stick parallel to it.
Buildings Disappear
"Buildings just flopped apart," said the sergeant-pilot. "There was a red flash in the middle of one building and it was not there any more. In a little while all we could see was clouds of smoke with red fires and bombs bursting inside."
Another airman said it was the first time he had seen just what their bombs did. " We were about the first in over the target." he said. "There was the main factory building intact and under our eyes four lines of bombs dropped fairly and squarely across it. We saw them smash through the roof and a moment later flames came swooping up. Then the walls started bulging and whole clouds of dirty grey smoke came belching out."
The Lancasters dropped high explosive and incendiary bombs on the arms works at the rate of a bomb load every four and a-half seconds.
Vichy Casualty Report
Commentators claim that the raid will rank as one of the greatest achievements of the Royal Air Force. Experts, on the meagre details available, already describe it as sensational. The Vichy radio claimed that 40 French people were killed and 80 injured in the raid. Fuller reports by the Air Ministry reveal that the first squadron over the target was led by Wing-Commander L. C. Slee. All the bombing was completed within seven minutes. In that time a great weight of bombs was dropped, many fires broke out and shortly after the attack there was a large explosion.
Loss of One Bomber
One formation bombed the electrical transformer station near by which supplies power to the Schneider works. The only aircraft missing of the 94 planes engaged in the operation was lost in this attack. The Air Ministry news service says that the majority of the great force of Lancasters hedge-hopped across France and climbed to attack. The main target was bombed from between 4000 and 6000 feet. A small force was detached to bomb transformer works, •which it did from 500 feet with great effect. The only Lancaster lost was seen to crash here beside the target. Little anti-aircraft fire was encountered. One Lancaster was attacked by three Arado floatplanes and shot two of them down into the sea.
This from the NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 20 OCTOBER 1942
LE CREUSOT RAID
GREAT ACHIEVEMENT
HAVOC IN ARMS WORKS
EFFECTS OF BOMBS SEEN
HEDGE-HOPPING DASH
By TeteGraph—Press Association—Copyright (Recd. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON. Oct. 18
A vivid account of the hedge-hopping dash across France to bomb the Le Creusot arms works was given by a sergeant-pilot. "As we all took the hedges it was like a Grand National, except that there were no falls," he said. "Some of the French waved and all animals bolted as we roared over their heads. We saw no fighters, but a duck came with a wallop through our windscreen.
"All the way over there were other Lancasters on each side of us. We got to Le Creusot just after sunset. We could see the factory dead clear. A stick of bombs from another aircraft dropped in front of us right across the works. Then we dropped our stick parallel to it.
Buildings Disappear
"Buildings just flopped apart," said the sergeant-pilot. "There was a red flash in the middle of one building and it was not there any more. In a little while all we could see was clouds of smoke with red fires and bombs bursting inside."
Another airman said it was the first time he had seen just what their bombs did. " We were about the first in over the target." he said. "There was the main factory building intact and under our eyes four lines of bombs dropped fairly and squarely across it. We saw them smash through the roof and a moment later flames came swooping up. Then the walls started bulging and whole clouds of dirty grey smoke came belching out."
The Lancasters dropped high explosive and incendiary bombs on the arms works at the rate of a bomb load every four and a-half seconds.
Vichy Casualty Report
Commentators claim that the raid will rank as one of the greatest achievements of the Royal Air Force. Experts, on the meagre details available, already describe it as sensational. The Vichy radio claimed that 40 French people were killed and 80 injured in the raid. Fuller reports by the Air Ministry reveal that the first squadron over the target was led by Wing-Commander L. C. Slee. All the bombing was completed within seven minutes. In that time a great weight of bombs was dropped, many fires broke out and shortly after the attack there was a large explosion.
Loss of One Bomber
One formation bombed the electrical transformer station near by which supplies power to the Schneider works. The only aircraft missing of the 94 planes engaged in the operation was lost in this attack. The Air Ministry news service says that the majority of the great force of Lancasters hedge-hopped across France and climbed to attack. The main target was bombed from between 4000 and 6000 feet. A small force was detached to bomb transformer works, •which it did from 500 feet with great effect. The only Lancaster lost was seen to crash here beside the target. Little anti-aircraft fire was encountered. One Lancaster was attacked by three Arado floatplanes and shot two of them down into the sea.
